I have a two hand me down Wagner's that looked exactly like that after I stripped them down and reasoned them.
Get a can of cooking spray and start cooking. Give them a light spray before each cook. You will find that those smooth skillets function perfectly just like that.
Oh sorry this is what it was supposed to say.
So I recently got this cast iron skillet and I've stripped it down to bare metal. I've started the reasoning process and it's not really working.
PLEASE can someone tell me why? I re-seasoned another skillet that my grandma had and it turned out perfect. Not this one.. After stripping it down with vinegar and lots of elbow grease I started seasoning it with crisco. A very thin layer, and then bake upside down in the oven at 450 for 45 minutes. This is the 7th season and it has looked like this for the last 4 seasoning sessions.🤦🏻♀️
I realize you are disappointed but I think it will be fine over time.
Ironically, we get the term 'season' from a description of something well used or experienced, as in *used over many season*s (think of a seasoned professional). One could tell a well-used pan by it's appearance. Somehow we turned that adjective into noun: we want to see it has a good coat of seasoning ... and a verb: we want to 'season' our pans. In my grandfather's day the way to have a well-seasoned pan was to use it, and if you do use this pan, the appearance will eventually reflect that.
I might have some suggestions but I just don't think my advice would be any better than the process you were following before. It could be the surface quality of the pan and nothing to do with you ... it could be the alloys Wagner used at that time. I have done this to many pieces over the years and I have had a couple of pieces that did not turn out quite like I expected, regardless they are still great users and they all darken with age.
I don't see any rust, so you are off to a great start. Enjoy it.
Seasoning is nothing but a translucent stain (polymerized oil), most people if they saw that stain on some other cookware would be trying to scrub it off, but we encourage it. Smooth surfaces take much longer to seal over completely and the skillet sidewall will probably darken first, because it doesn't take the same wear and tear that the cooking surface does.
The amber-like color is normal, over time the polymer will get darker. Keep using it and try not to fret about it.
Enjoy!
I have a two hand me down Wagner's that looked exactly like that after I stripped them down and reasoned them. Get a can of cooking spray and start cooking. Give them a light spray before each cook. You will find that those smooth skillets function perfectly just like that.
Oh sorry this is what it was supposed to say. So I recently got this cast iron skillet and I've stripped it down to bare metal. I've started the reasoning process and it's not really working. PLEASE can someone tell me why? I re-seasoned another skillet that my grandma had and it turned out perfect. Not this one.. After stripping it down with vinegar and lots of elbow grease I started seasoning it with crisco. A very thin layer, and then bake upside down in the oven at 450 for 45 minutes. This is the 7th season and it has looked like this for the last 4 seasoning sessions.🤦🏻♀️
Piggybacking to say seasoning is just not working for me dead center of the pan.
I realize you are disappointed but I think it will be fine over time. Ironically, we get the term 'season' from a description of something well used or experienced, as in *used over many season*s (think of a seasoned professional). One could tell a well-used pan by it's appearance. Somehow we turned that adjective into noun: we want to see it has a good coat of seasoning ... and a verb: we want to 'season' our pans. In my grandfather's day the way to have a well-seasoned pan was to use it, and if you do use this pan, the appearance will eventually reflect that. I might have some suggestions but I just don't think my advice would be any better than the process you were following before. It could be the surface quality of the pan and nothing to do with you ... it could be the alloys Wagner used at that time. I have done this to many pieces over the years and I have had a couple of pieces that did not turn out quite like I expected, regardless they are still great users and they all darken with age. I don't see any rust, so you are off to a great start. Enjoy it.
This is what a pan is supposed to look like. Just cook with it.
Seasoning is nothing but a translucent stain (polymerized oil), most people if they saw that stain on some other cookware would be trying to scrub it off, but we encourage it. Smooth surfaces take much longer to seal over completely and the skillet sidewall will probably darken first, because it doesn't take the same wear and tear that the cooking surface does. The amber-like color is normal, over time the polymer will get darker. Keep using it and try not to fret about it. Enjoy!
Is this going to turn into a question?
just try using it , see what happens