Cracked DO - can I cook with it?

[Stephanie Meredith]

I got this old Wapak DO on ebay, all crudded up.  After getting it almost completely clean, I find that it has a crack.  Can I still use it too cook in or will that make it worse in a big hurry?  Should I try to sell it and pick up another that I can cook in?  If I sell it clean but with a crack, what might I expect to get for it?  It's a no 9, WAPAK, straight logo.  I adore the top on this thing (not pictured), but I cook in all my CI and don't have space for stuff that just sits around.  Ignore the flash rust from heating it dry after washing.  Thanks for your advice.

[Stephanie Meredith]

Here's the crack from the inside.

[Roger Muse]

I know people use cracked skillets for things like cornbread, so you might use it for biscuits.

If you were just going to be using it for roasting vegetables, or maybe baking a whole bunch of cut up potatoes, I would say you could probably get away with it.  If during cooking the crack extended all the way to the bottom or even if the whole DO split, not a major problem.  I would also not lift it by the handles as it would add stress to the crack, and you don't want it to break while lifting it.

I would NOT cook a large pot of chili, stew, or soup in it.  There is a chance that it could split, and you end up with a large amount of extremely hot liquid pouring out all over the place.

[Mark Zizzi]

Was this a recent purchase? Any chance the seller would refund your money?   Doubt you could sell it for much now. If I couldn't send it back, I'd probably use it and take my chances, but that's just me, lol.  It has likely been used like that for years to get crudded over.  Heat it slowly and cool it slowly, and keep close eye on it to see if it gets longer.  I've never had experience using anything cracked, but I think Roger is right about no soup or chile..I might try a pot roast though. 

[Cheryl Watson]

I would not use it. 

That crack extends 1/2 the distance of the sidewall. 

The difficult thing with buying crudded up pieces is that the buyer assumes almost all risk. 

Once you clean it, you have altered the condition which you received it in.

You can always try communicating with the seller... maybe they will work with you... but maybe not. 

When I acquire a high risk piece from Ebay, it gets the huge magnifying glass treatment, before I do anything to it.

[Stephanie Meredith]

Thanks for all the input.  I'll limit its use to roasting and no big pots of liquid and get back in the market for another DO.  We have a modern one that's enameled and I just hate it because I hate having to be careful about the enamel.  If the crack gets really bad, we might use it seasoned up as a Halloween candy bowl.  :)

Nah, I don't think I could return it.  The guy who sold it to me turned out to be kind of wacky and gave me his phone number and asked for mine and wanted to communicate with me about his health problems . . . I don't really want to contact him again.  He couldn't have known it was cracked.  I certainly couldn't tell.  It was thoroughly covered in thick, black seasoning. He SHOULD have known that it wobbled, since I specifically asked and he sold it has flat, but whatever.  That has happened to me three times in a row on ebay (people selling pieces as flat when they aren't).  But I always buy the cheapest, cruddy pieces because I'm cheap and am looking for old pieces that cook well, so I incur some risk that way anyway. 

Anyone have any idea if other DOs will fit a number 9 Wapak lid? 

[Mark Zizzi]

What does the cracked DO measure across the top? There are usually orphaned #8 and 9 griswolds (and others) without lids on ebay for fairly cheap. And if you look in the wags cookbook thread here you will find many wonderful bread and dessert type recipes that you could use that DO for..if nothing else. 
Now, if you want to give me your phone number, we could discuss it further, as well as some of my health problems.....  lol, j/kidding!   :D  ;) 

[Stephanie Meredith]

What does the cracked DO measure across the top? There are usually orphaned #8 and 9 griswolds (and others) without lids on ebay for fairly cheap. And if you look in the wags cookbook thread here you will find many wonderful bread and dessert type recipes that you could use that DO for..if nothing else. 
Now, if you want to give me your phone number, we could discuss it further, as well as some of my health problems.....  lol, j/kidding!   :D  ;) 

LOL!  Thanks. 

It measures 10.75" inner diameter.  Here's the lid and the reason why I took a risk on the gunky DO.  I love it.  Need to get a wire brush in those letters, but this is how it looks out of the electrolysis bath.

[Mark Zizzi]

Boy that's close. I just measured my Griswold #9 DO and it's 10 11/16 inside..1/16th smaller than your Wapak. Maybe someone here has both and could try swapping lids, maybe try it on a Wagner 9 also. Too close for me to call. That is a nice lid...