c/cast-iron-comrades

Burned through my seasoning after one cornbread bake

I made cornbread in my 12 inch Lodge last Tuesday and it turned out fine, but when I went to wipe it out the seasoning came off in patches down to the bare iron. I usually do the potato skin method for new seasoning, has anyone else dealt with a full strip after a single sweet cornbread recipe?

I stopped using flaxseed oil for seasoning after a talk with a chef in Nashville

Seasoning flaked off after a cornbread bake yesterday

I made cornbread in my 10 inch Lodge pan yesterday, and when I flipped it out, the seasoning came off in a patch about the size of my palm. Must've been too thin in that spot or the batter was too acidic. I scrubbed the loose bits off with a chain mail scrubber, dried it on the stove, then did two thin coats of crisco at 400 degrees. Anyone else have seasoning fail on a simple bake like cornbread?

Debate: Oven seasoning vs stovetop seasoning - which actually works better?

Honestly, I tried both methods last month on my new Lodge skillet, and oven seasoning at 450°F gave me a way more even coat than stovetop. But my buddy swears stovetop works fine if you use grapeseed oil. Has anyone else noticed a big difference in durability after a few cooks?

Talked to my grandma about her old skillet

She told me she's been using the same Lodge since 1965. Never once stripped and reseasoned it, just cooked bacon and cornbread every week. Makes me wonder if I'm overthinking my seasoning routine. Anybody else got a family piece that's been low-maintenance for decades?

My old skillet cracked while searing a steak last night

Had a 12 inch Lodge pan I've been using for about 10 years. Was heating it up on high to sear a ribeye and heard this loud ping sound. Looked down and there was a hairline crack running from the edge right into the center. I think the temperature changed too fast since I went straight from the fridge. Anyone ever had a pan crack like that or did I just get a dud?

I finally got yelled at by an old timer at a garage sale over my cast iron cleanup method

So I'm at this garage sale last Saturday in Eugene, picking through a pile of old pans, and this guy probably 70 years old sees me about to use a wire brush on a rusty skillet. He walks right up and goes "you're gonna ruin that pan, son." I told him I've done it before and it worked fine, but he just shook his head and grabbed the pan from me. He spent 15 minutes explaining how the wire brush scratches the seasoning layer deeper than you think, and that I should use coarse salt and oil instead. I was honestly pretty annoyed at first, but then he showed me his own pan he brought from his truck, looked like glass. Has anyone else run into someone who got really intense about their cast iron methods?