Smithey No. 14 cooking review and seasoning experience with Smithey Cast Iron
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video I’ll talk about seasoning Smithey cast-iron. How seasoning their products can be a bit difficult but not impossible. Also just cooking on the No 14 and overall impressions. Thank you guys for watching I hope you guys enjoy
That copper color is gorgeous. You put it in perspective- it’s not the end of the world when some shipping seasoning pulls off with use - we can build it up again.
I would rather it stay that cooper color.
I got my niece a 10 inch cast iron "chef's skillet" from Smithy for Christmas. I've never owned one myself but now I want one too.
People get so caught up in trying to make cast iron cookware “black”. The number 1 cause of seasoning issues, especially on the smoother finished skillets, is leaving too much oil on when seasoning.
This is especially the case with stove top seasoning methods. Getting a skillet smoking hot and slathering layers of oil onto it while hot has never made sense to me. Without fail, the end result is an excessive layer of burned on oil. How could anyone expect that not to pull up, or flake and chip?
A lot of the cast iron manufacturers’ literature says the best way to “season” cast iron is to just use it. I went through a phase where I thought I had to do 2-5 coats of pre-seasoning on new cast iron before it would “work”. I wasted so many hours and so much electricity, oil, and paper towels!
At this point, unless a new piece has a seasoning issue that I need to touch up, I just wash it well and start cooking.
I use heat and pan temp control to minimize sticking and to avoid burning on and carbonizing food residue. After I cook I clean them thoroughly and make sure to completely dry them. I don’t store them oiled and they perform just fine.
But yeah, people get too wrapped up in seasoning and end up causing most of their own issues. If you want it black, cook with it a lot, keep it clean, and oil when it needs it. The process of cooking with it will eventually darken it in. In the meantime, as long as it is sealed off from moisture, it has plenty of seasoning on it. 🤷♂️
I have a Lodge and a Stargazer(1st version before they started the "satin" finish + made dates) and due to my wife not liking seasoning smells I haven't officially seasoned them. The Lodge is showing a little wear on the seasoning but still my eggs slide around. The same with my Stargazer a little splotchy and dull but SOOOO smooth and cooks great. So I'm a big fan of factory seasoning and it has treated me right. I do use soap plus dry it on the stove before I store to get all the water out.
I’ve seen some other reviews and people just hate the fact that the factory seasoning looks different after they use their pan. It really doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it is building seasoning and non stick
Thank you for addressing this. I have that same 14 Smithey dual handle. I heard the complaints about the seasoning fresh out of the box. I actually prefer it that way. First thing I do when I buy vintage cast iron is strip it and reseason it the way I like it. So for me the Smithey coming with that suuuuuper light seasoning was perfect. I just added it to the mix when I was restoring a vintage Wagner and it’s taken on a pretty even seasoning.
Glad to watch this today. I just bought my first few (definitely not the last!) pieces and cooked with them first tonight. Lost the seasoning on 2 of them (No 10 chef skillet and the 3.5 qt Dutch oven). I heated them back up and wiped with grape seed oil. Looking forward to watching the process over time!
I used my Smithey almost every night for a year, and it never became non-stick. The seasoning would strip off every time I cooked. No attempt at seasoning would work for me, and I tried lots of methods. I’ve been a cast iron user for decades, so I’m confident in my proper usage and handling.
They are very difficult to get a coat of seasoning. I’ve heard from others that using vinegar for about an hour can help etch the pan for adherence of the oil to bake on. I haven’t tried this method yet but it does sound promising. I have a No. 10 that is almost jet black with a really great layer of seasoning that developed by just deep frying and oven baking.
@@luisj.castironcooking I was considering relegating this pan to baking only…
@@jeffus baking and deep or shallow fry will help build up seasoning
i have had mine for going on 3 years and have never been able to get a good seasoning on it, it always ends up coming off. I guess we just have to live with it. I have the 10 inch skillet and also the 10 chef skillet. I like both of them but get so frustrated that the seasoning never stays around.
The vinegar trick worked! I put a bunch of vinegar in the pan and cooked on low for a long time. You can just watch the pan surface bubbling away. I stopped after etching about 6” diameter - it etched from the inside out making a perfect circle. The pan took a seasoning right away and it has now become an amazing pan!
Bought the 10 and 12 inch Smitheys for family Christmas gifts. They are heavy and a handful. Got the 10 inch Chef skillet for myself and a pair of 6 inch as well. The dual handle 14 inch is almost perfect for me and will be something I add in the future.
Smithey isn’t bad it is just different. Polished cast iron needs some time before the seasoning holds. Give a Smithey pan 3 seasoning treatments with thin grape seed oil and then only cook protein (meat) on it for a while then it will be fine. If you do that you will notice that it is a thousand times more better than cheaper cast iron.
I own this exact pan and I prefer the dual handle braiser pan style this pan features versus a traditional handle skillet, I just use hot pads to move it around. Also, the 11in diameter cooking surface on this pan is the perfect size to fit two ribeye steaks in while pan is on the grill. I still own two Lodge 13.25 in pans and this Smithey makes me want to throw them in the garbage because of how slick and smooth (like glass) it is especially with eggs. I want to try the Stargazer 13.5 in braiser pan when it comes out and see if it is as slick but also I want to know if it can fit two ribeyes steaks with its slightly smaller cooking surface of 10.8in. Please let me know if you get one of the Stargazer braiser pans Luis, Thank You!!
Factory seasoning is meant to come off in my opinion. You can avoid it by sauteing onions or mushrooms or whatever but at the end of the day, it is not meant to be permanent. It is only there for the convenience of the user being able to cook right away after purchase. You are the one who needs to season it by either cooking or actually seasoning it in the oven. Make the seasoning yours and enjoy the process.
Well said
It takes every pain a while to build up two or three coats of seasoning and by then it's good just got to cook with a lot of fatty foods
Agreed. Smithey skillets are a bit notorious for flaking even after some time of build up. Mostly due to the highly polished surface
I'm looking at one to cook spatchcocked chicken inside my outdoor grill plus as a roaster inside an outdoor grill.
This will be a great piece of cookware. Handle to handle is roughly 18” in diameter, hope this helps.
I love when people get obsessed in a topic or hobby like this.
It’s not about being obsessed, it’s about understanding appropriate and proper care for the material whatever you have is made out of. It the same reason you wipe down your car with a clean towel so you don’t risk scratching your paint. Doesn’t mean someone’s obsessed for understanding that principle.
@@whengrapespop5728 my comment is a compliment. He is clearly obsessed because he's invested thousands of dollars into different brands of cast iron cookware and is investing a lot of time and effort into cooking with cast iron.
It would be nice if you could do a test comparison of making cornbread in each of your well seasoned pans (showing us both how well each released and how browned the cornbread got on the bottom. Additionally, I would like to see how long each of your pans keep cheese melted (queso fundido) after coming out of the oven. Thank you. :-)
Thanks and it will be something I will consider
Thanks for the great content Luis. Will you be getting the new 14 inch traditional skillet with handle they just launched?
Yes I actually uploaded a video this morning
Perfect timing! I love my 12 inch Smithey, but always find myself wanting to get a few more burgers occasionally on it. Same with bacon. So think I’m going to have to pick up this 14. Look forward to your review. I’m almost exclusively Smithey now. Just love their pans and the way they patina over time.
forgot. I'm loving your videos and plz keep them coming. Maybe check out a carbon steel pan just for comparison.
I have a smithey carbon steel pan and I will do an unboxing and cooking review all in one.
Thank you for the comments, I appreciate your thoughts on cast iron
Just a word to new comers. Lodge are fine if you learn how to use them. I have some cheap and some very expensive skillets, have cooked for over 40 years, and I am telling you Lodge is fine, if you learn them. I too however live and appreciate all American made cast iron pans. And I love these informative videos as well! Many blessings to you all is my hopes and prayers! 3 JOHN 2 Freddy ❤ ✝️📖
There are a lot of unfortunate comments on seasoning both in the video and in chat. Seasoning is not "just oil" and it doesn't come off under normal conditions. There is nothing I hate more than an old, gunky cast iron pan that someone refuses to wash because they believe an oily residue is what makes it seasoned. Seasoning is the very fine layer of carbonized oil. Oil that undergoes a molecular change at high heat and literally bonds to the surface of the cast iron.
A proper seasoning is black because it is carbonized! Smithey will look great with their bronze sheen, but that is not functional seasoning and serves a marketing purpose. If your skillet isn't black, it isn't seasoned. It may be oily, but it isn't seasoned. Period.
And once you have achieved the bonded carbon matrix, is incredibly hard and resilient. A properly seasoned cast iron pan would be totally unaffected by a basic kitchen sponge / cloth and soap. Washing isn't essential, but it can be done to remove any film of oil after cooking. In fact that film of old cooked oil can impair the taste of foods subsequently cooked in the pan.
I like to clean my skillets between each seasoning layer to remove any residual oil and polymerized oil, leaving only the carbon matrix. Then once a sufficient carbon matrix exists after several rounds, I like to have a layer of polymerized oil on top of that as my cooking base. Never any unwashed oil. You'd have to give some real effort with a metallic object to chip that bonded carbon away.
From The Science of Cooking:
"The development of a seasoned cast iron pan is actually a two part process: polymerization and carbonization. The first part involves developing a thin layer of polymerized oil on the cast iron.This is done by applying a very thin coat of unsaturated oil (e.g., canola, flaxseed or grapeseed oil) to the cast iron surface and heating it in an oven until it dries. Unsaturated fats work better since they have less hydrogen's and therefore have less non-carbon components. Once the polymerization process is complete the layer of oil cannot be easily removed. To complete the seasoning, which involves laying down of a carbon matrix on to the cast iron surface, heat must be applied slightly above above the smoke point of the oil. If you do not heat above the smoke point only the polymerized oil coat will be present instead of having an added rich black carbon matrix."
Thanks for the info. From what I have researched and found on cast iron groups on seasoning is that seasoning will mature in to a darker patina as the layers build up. Most of the newer company’s with their golden or bronze finish is technically a starter seasoning but not a mature one. I have found that seasoning does not get the jet black patina until you have heavy usage. If it’s bronze or golden it is seasoned just with a very light coat.
@@luisj.castironcooking But to be clear, if it is not black, that means you have a layer of polymerized oil that has not yet been carbonized. Carbonization requires heating the oil, once polymerized, beyond its smoke point. That will create a molecular change, resulting in a carbon matrix that is bonded to the cast iron. Within 5 rounds of seasoning (i.e. fully carbonized oil) your skillet should be very dark. If not, you're not heating the oil sufficiently to create the prized carbon layer.
@@dustinirwin1 Thank you for this info. In your opinion, what is the best oil to season with? I have used avocado oil (just today) though with a smoke point of 520, I am thinking having the oven at 450 was not effective. I also am trying to avoid seed oils/canola (I have seen people use Crisco. Would lard work?). I also have a Smithey. Are you aware if this brand ever gets black/seasoned? Thanks for any info. And thank you Luis for your content.
How do you season your Smithey cast-iron pans I’ve got four of them and I need to season them.
Very thin layers of grapeseed oil works best and bake at 460*F for 1 hour upside down. Thanks and I hope this helps
As long as you don’t have bare metal, and it isn’t sticking who cares what the seasoning looks like?
Would love to know how you go about seasoning your Smitheys after using them. Your no. 10 looks great, especially on your newest video. I’ve used the HOT method Smithey recommends on the gas grill outside, but it’s hotter than hades. Have had bad experiences with the seasoning coming off and having to put it back on again. Just can’t seem to get it to stick. Any thoughts?
So I have mentioned many times I love Smithey but you are correct. They are really hard to season. As much as I try I also have trouble keeping a good seasoning on them. This includes all of the skillets and griddles I own from them. I would recommend after every use just use a nylon brush and no soap. Hot water and hand dry. Warm the skillet up to 200* in the oven for 10 mins and then apply some oil. Then bump the heat to 300* for 15 mins. Take it out and wipe it down with a lint free towel/cloth. Then place it back in the oven for 30 mins at 425*. Let it cool then it’s ready for another meal. I know it sounds like a lot but you can also do the stove top method. Just heat it up and once the side walls are hot add oil and rub it in on the the entire skillet. Wipe down with a dry cloth and you are done.
@@luisj.castironcooking do you recommend finex over smithey?
@@P3ak930 Depends. Both are high quality, Smithey is great for searing steaks, frying, and outdoor open fire. Finex is a bit more refined for amazing dishes with great presentation qualities. Finex is possibly more at home in a kitchen. Both are amazing. More of a personal preference.
@@luisj.castironcooking thanks 🙏🏻
I’ve been a cast iron user for decades, and I’ve been unable to keep a seasoning on my Smithey. The size is perfect, but I find it unusable even after doing an oven seasoning almost every day. It just won’t season! My favorite modern pan is from Greater Goods, but they only have a #8.
Smithey pans are forged and not cast. They're never molten where as cast are. They're forged by hand making them much stronger and of course...smooth.
Only their farmhouse skillets/pans are hand forged carbon steel. All of their standard skillets and Dutch ovens are cast iron which like the name states cast from molten iron. Hope this helps any confusion.
@@luisj.castironcooking Thanks Luis! You're correct it appears only a few models are actually hand forged. I got a smithey and I haven't even unboxed it because my Matfer has done such a great job. I'm thinking of taking it back and getting a hand forged farmhouse. Thx again - great content!
Really enjoy your content! ! ! !
Thanks I appreciate your time and your support
smooth surface doesn't != non stick...
I just purchased a smythe #12 griddle witch can also double as a lid for the #12 skillet I keep hearing that the field is lighter weight and also seasons easier do you think I should have two different pieces meaning one field skillet and and use them together
I love both and it really is up to you. Field is lighter and easier to season that is true. The biggest difference between the two would be heat retention and durability. The smithey is robust and great with heat retention which can give meats an amazing sear. Again I do love both brands
COVID ended 2.5 years ago if you live in Florida. This video is a year old.
Cook a mess of bacon in it. Then again and again. You will never have a problem after.
Smithey is nice but way over priced