should new cast iron have flat smooth bottom
New cast iron pan is very rough on bottom, slightly raised fine yet sharp rings will probably damage my induction hob.
should it be flat, should I season the bottom, grind/sand it down or return to shop
Best Answer
If it's new, return it. New cast iron is uniformly awful, and your pan sounds dangerous to boot.
Look for a vintage/antique cast iron pan on ebay or Etsy or a local flea market or yard sale. You're not going to make a sow's ear into a silk purse, so start with the main ingredient you need: an older pan. If you opt to buy an older pan that is rusty and crusty, it will likely be cheap and, at the same time, your best kitchen investment ever.
Buy some heavy-duty Easy-Off oven spray (make sure it's the heavy-duty formula), put the pan in a black plastic bag, and spray every surface of it while it's inside the bag. Seal the bag and put it in a warm place for a week. Take the pan out (wear gloves) at the end of the week, wash it down to get rid of the caked-on seasoning, and scrub it. After drying, survey what hasn't been stripped to a clean surface. Spray those areas heavy, the other areas lightly, and repeat the process.
Old cast irons were finished by hand, and the cooking surface is amazingly smooth. Once you have stripped the pan with the oven cleaner and seasoned it, you should have a lovely cast iron pan that your great-grandchildren will inherit.
Pictures about "should new cast iron have flat smooth bottom"
Is cast iron supposed to be smooth?
If you happen to own a very old cast iron pan, maybe one that you've inherited from your grandmother or purchased at a yard sale or antique market, the first thing you notice is that the surface is completely smooth. However, most modern cast iron pans are not.Should a cast iron pan be flat?
Pans should be completely flat, and producers are usually very good at getting it right.How do you smooth a new cast iron skillet?
If you're new to cast iron cooking and used to non-stick or stainless steel pans, you may not know how your cast iron should look and feel. A well-seasoned cast iron pan should be dark black, shiny, and smooth to the touch. Unseasoned cast iron has a rough look and feel until it is properly seasoned.How to Smooth Rough Cast Iron - Remove Pre Seasoning on Cast Iron for Non Stick Cooking
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Images: Monstera, Ketut Subiyanto, Max Vakhtbovych, Ketut Subiyanto