Can we talk about this $3 thrift store cast iron pan I found?

I grabbed this old cast iron pan at a Goodwill in Tacoma for like 3 bucks last Saturday. It was all rusty and crusty, looked like someone left it out in the rain for a year. Figured worst case I'm out three dollars, best case I get a decent pan. Took me about two hours with vinegar and steel wool to clean it up. Then I seasoned it with some vegetable oil in the oven. The thing works better than my $40 Lodge pan from Target. No sticking at all, heats up super even. I checked the bottom and it's got some old stamp from a hardware store that closed in the 70s. Kinda wild that something this old still works perfect with a little elbow grease. Anyone else pick up beat up cookware that cleaned up way better than expected?

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brookethomas3mo ago

Wait wait, with a potato?? That's wild, I've never heard of that trick before, sounds like some old school hack your grandpa would know. I just used straight vinegar and steel wool like a basic person, but now I'm wondering if I missed out on some secret potato magic lmao. Your buddy treating his pan like a baby is honestly the most relatable thing in this thread so far.

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jenniferwells3mo ago

Did your pan happen to have a weird little pour spout on one side? My buddy found one at a garage sale in Portland that looked like it survived a fire or something, black and crumbly. He spent a whole Sunday scrubbing it with salt and a potato, then reseasoned it with bacon fat... now he swears it makes the best cornbread he's ever had. The funny part is he keeps it on his stove and won't let anyone else touch it, like it's his baby or something.

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