Wagner Lids Care & Maintenance Curiosity

[Juliane Vega]

Actually it's more like a question.  I bought a dutch oven from eBay recently.  It is a Wagner #8.  It's very nice and attractive especially the lid with all the zig zags underneath and all.  Well I used it for the first time yesterday.  I made a beef stew.  Let me just say, those zig zag lines are making it difficult for me to clean and season.  Do you have a dutch oven with a lid like this and how do you make it easy to clean and maintain?  Perhaps mine needs more seasoning so I won't have to fuss so much with those zig zag lines? :-/

[Roger Muse]

I have Griswold lids, which don't have the zig zag, but the do have raised circles, and inset lettering/logo.

I use a vegetable scrub brush to clean mine.  I gets into the lettering to remove anything that bubbled up onto it.

Since the lid doesn't normally get oiled up during cooking, you may need to do the occasional "re-seasoning" of the lid by itself in the oven.

[Claudia Killebrew]

I have a Lodge lid with all those points. Like Roger, I use a brush to clean it. To help the cleaning process and to help prevent rusting due to steam, I usually rub some Crisco on the lid before use.

[Roger Muse]

A really good seasoning is the best thing to prevent rust.  When I got my first CI Skillet lid, I cleaned it completely, and then I seasoned it just like I season a skillet.  Got the lid jet black. 

I don't do anything to it other than wash it with warm water and a brush and then dry it with a towel.  Anything that gets on it comes right off.

I have only done one "refresh" seasoning on it after about 6 months of use.  Wasn't really necessary, but not a lot of extra work as I was already seasoning other skillets that I picked up.

As far a seasoning the lid, you just need to heat it up to about 350, and then apply a very light coat of fat to it.  Then wipe off any excess and put it back in the oven for about an hour.  After an hour, wipe it off again, and put it back in at 400 for another hour.  Then turn off the oven and let it cool inside until it reaches room temp.

The cooling process is just as critical as the heating because molecular changes in the fat are happening that make the chemical bonds strong and make for a good seasoning. 

Repeat as necessary until it is seasoned to your liking.

On my Griswolds, there was a tiny bit of fat buildup on the edges of the drip rings, but it only gives it a little bit of a tapered effect.

[Juliane Vega]

Roger what kind of oil do you use?  I read so many different ways of seasoning cast iron.  It leaves me wondering which type of oil really is better for this purpose. 

Claudia, that's a great tip.  Thank you.  I'll add a light coat of oil prior to using it next time.  I always thought of adding the oil after use.

[Cheryl Watson]

Be sure to check out our Cleaning and Restoration Board:  http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Cleaning


Especially all the stickies at the top of the board... :)

Lots of posts and threads on seasoning methods, types of oil, etc.

I use PAM, Grapeseed Oil, and recently, Crisco Shortening... :)

[Roger Muse]

Roger what kind of oil do you use?  I read so many different ways of seasoning cast iron.  It leaves me wondering which type of oil really is better for this purpose. 

Claudia, that's a great tip.  Thank you.  I'll add a light coat of oil prior to using it next time.  I always thought of adding the oil after use.

I have used several different oils.  They all seem to work just as well as the others.  I have used basic Crisco, I have used Coconut Oil, I have used Bacon Grease, and on one pan I even used Pam.

I wasn't thrilled with the result from Pam.  With all my other pans, I can put a tablespoon of oil in them, move the oil around, and it will coat the bottom of the pan.  With the Pam, I put the oil in, and it beaded up on the cooking surface like water on a freshly waxed car.

General consensus seems to be go with an oil with a fairly high smoke point.

[Juliane Vega]

Thank you Cheryl!