For you CI nerds out there

[Johnpv]

John, I understand your skepticism, and shared it right up until the point that I first cooked on a Griswold griddle.  The carefully machined surface is like glass, and far more non-stick than modern Lodge, and a lot nicer than my trusty 20-year old Wagner griddle.  That said, the price of used Griswold is climbing too much for me, so I'm sure I won't be buying the Finex.  But I can sure appreciate why someone would want some of it (and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for it at yard sales and estate sales).

You're talking about an antique though.  I would believe that the Griswold wasn't priced almost 5x higher than every thing else when it was new.  It was probably priced competitively to everything else out at the time.  Finex is charging 5x for their stuff, and I'm not seeing what makes it a 5x better product.  This would be like some upstart saying they made a new Kettle and they want 500 dollars for their simple 22.5 kettle, but not explaining what that 5x price gets you over a regular kettle.

[Bbqmiller]

Another place making CI cookware - still pretty pricey.


http://boroughfurnace.com

[addicted-to-smoke]

I'm not sufficiently motivated to actually do it, but I know some of you are:

You can take an average used CI or a new Lodge and attack it with a coarse and then maybe fine wire brush on your drill and MAKE it baby smooth. Presumably steel and not brass bristles. A drill press set at a constant depth while you move the pan around might be easiest, but I'm no expert here.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Yeah Finex is the bargain brand you get when Borough is out of reach.

[Cookingmama]

I also think the price is exorbitant .......and like John , I don't see the reasoning behind the price.  I feel they have no history to back up the pricing. 

I first heard of Finex a while back after catching this guy's YouTube videos on cleaning up CI. 
https://www.facebook.com/theculinaryfanatic

Personally, I do not like the handle at all. 

[dengland]

Supposedly the purpose of the rough surface on the new CI is because of mass production of preseasoning. Lodge in an attempt to keep up with today's easy non stick life style decided that preseasoning was the answer. In order to get the seasoning to stick when it is sprayed on with a spray gun they had to make the surface more rough.

[jimmy_dong]

I can appreciate the guys effort in wanting to bring back the way cast iron is supposed to be but its not the same. I will stick to my Wagner and Griswold pieces.

[heart of coal]

I can appreciate the guys effort in wanting to bring back the way cast iron is supposed to be but its not the same. I will stick to my Wagner and Griswold pieces.

agreed.  if you shop properly, you can get Griswold and Wagner at a fair price.  i got two skillets #8 and one unmarked bigger pan for $40 for both.  scrubbed them clean, wiped them with flaxseed oil and baked them in my gas weber.

they are now slick as snot.  i have a 14" lodge that has done so much cooking..pan frying, searing..it is my camp pan, and i cook for a lot of folks.  it is nowhere near as slick as the old pans.  sanding a lodge?  i am not a material expert, but the grain of cast iron would make it a challenge, no?

i love how a vintage pan is simply thinner, lighter, more elegant than any crusty lodge.

and btw..i hit my old pans with soapy water on occasion.  never hurts the seasoning.  ever.  they are like waterproof. 

[dengland]

I can appreciate the guys effort in wanting to bring back the way cast iron is supposed to be but its not the same. I will stick to my Wagner and Griswold pieces.

agreed.  if you shop properly, you can get Griswold and Wagner at a fair price.  i got two skillets #8 and one unmarked bigger pan for $40 for both.  scrubbed them clean, wiped them with flaxseed oil and baked them in my gas weber.

they are now slick as snot.  i have a 14" lodge that has done so much cooking..pan frying, searing..it is my camp pan, and i cook for a lot of folks.  it is nowhere near as slick as the old pans.  sanding a lodge?  i am not a material expert, but the grain of cast iron would make it a challenge, no?

i love how a vintage pan is simply thinner, lighter, more elegant than any crusty lodge.

and btw..i hit my old pans with soapy water on occasion.  never hurts the seasoning.  ever.  they are like waterproof.

I have seen some people talk about grinding or sanding down the surface of the newer cast iron but I had similar concerns as you. I would be worried about the fine dust particles filling the pores of the cast iron and thus having an ineffective season coating. I like my enameled cast iron for some things but I prefer older cast iron for non enameled cast iron.

[dwnthehatch]

I read something recently that made me think. Take two skillets that are seasoned alike. One machined, one non-machined.  Firmly place a sticker on each one. The non-machined always releases the sticker easier.

I tried it for myself and it my modern day Lodge released the sticker easier than my Griswolds every time. Both were e-tanked and seasoned with flax oil.

I'll still never get rid of my Griswold set. I only use them indoors. The Lodges get thrown on the grill.

[stubblebum]

I read something recently that made me think. Take two skillets that are seasoned alike. One machined, one non-machined.  Firmly place a sticker on each one. The non-machined always releases the sticker easier.

I tried it for myself and it my modern day Lodge released the sticker easier than my Griswolds every time. Both were e-tanked and seasoned with flax oil.

I'll still never get rid of my Griswold set. I only use them indoors. The Lodges get thrown on the grill.

I don't think the physics of cooking something like an egg would relate to placing something flat like a sticker on a cast iron pan. I would guess the sticker on the Lodge isn't attached over as much of its surface area as it is on the Griswold ( due to the slight irregularity of the Lodge surface). Trying to think of a good analogy for this, but it's not coming to me right now.

[GregS]

I read something recently that made me think. Take two skillets that are seasoned alike. One machined, one non-machined.  Firmly place a sticker on each one. The non-machined always releases the sticker easier.

this makes perfect sense to me.

[jimmy_dong]

a sticker isnt the best analogy. the egg is. a sticker will lay across the "peaks" and seem easier to peel off. Even on a machined piece.

an egg will lay in the "valleys" and across the "peaks".  a skillet that is very well seasoned has valleys that are not as deep. hence the non stick ability.

[heart of coal]

i'm not so sure i could get any sticker to stick to my cast iron.  lodge or GW.

i think the sticker technically only sticks to the high points on the ridges, therefore less surface area.  maybe.  just theorizing. 

everyone seems to be on the same page. 

[pbe gummi bear]

a sticker isnt the best analogy. the egg is. a sticker will lay across the "peaks" and seem easier to peel off. Even on a machined piece.

an egg will lay in the "valleys" and across the "peaks".  a skillet that is very well seasoned has valleys that are not as deep. hence the non stick ability.

+1