Cast Iron cooking

[bkraft]

My non stick skillet went bad all chipped and scratched and no longer non stick. So I was at Wally-World looking to buy another non stick when I spied a cast iron skillet that looked like just the ticket to my breakfast needs. So it followed me home. The tag said that it was already seasoned and ready to use. So, I sparayed her up with Wal Marts cooking spray and poured her full of Wal Mart egg whites and things went OK, some sticking but not bad. My better half went to wash the skillet and used Dawn and a chore boy,alas the seasoning was gone. I cleaned the skillet well with soap and water and re-seasoned it twice with Crisco in 350 oven for an hour, still some sticking what am I doing wrong? Do I have reasonable expectations for this skillet to be as non stick as teflon? Due to health concerns I really want to use the spray stuff, Pam etc. I really want this skillet to work out. I need to mention it is NOT Lodge Ware but says Cracker Barrel on the bottom. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

[Elijah Gunn]

Try seasoning it more at 400 deg for an hour.
 Another way is 8 hours at about 250 deg.
Eggs have always stuck to my cast iron, but it was because I didn't have them seasoned well enough. It's getting better now that I've seasoned them more. NEVER use soap and ,or a choreboy on cast iron.
When I clean mine I wipe them out first, and then boil some water in the pan.
 Then use a plastic scraper to remove any stuck on food.
Then I put them on the burner and heat em up some to dry them.
 What i've added to all of this now is to wipe them down with some crisco. Doing that is improving the seasoning.
It seems like a lot to do , but it really only takes a few minuets once you get used to it.
I don't think cast iron will ever get to be as non-stick as teflon. It should get close though. I use the no stick spray on my cast iron too.

[snapcrackpop]

I just cook with more oil in the pan.

[jlchucker]

Those plastic choreboys work ok but the metal ones are sure to give you the results that you got.  Try this next time if you end up with stuck-on food bits:  Fill the dirty pan with hot tap water, or heat a panful of hot water to near boiling on the stove.  Let things set for a little while--a few minutes is enough-- then use one of those plastic choreboys or a one of those scouring sponges to swish the stuck stuff away--the stuff will come out pretty easily, along with some, but not all of the leftover grease.  Wipe it out.  As for the spray-on cooking oils like Pam or Smart Balance, I've found, surprisingly enough, that they work really well in a somewhat-seasoned pan, and add to the seasoned finish.  The spray oils are something I tried about a couple of years ago and have been using them, depending on what I'm cooking, ever since.  It can't hurt--it's nothing more than cooking oil in an aerosol form.  I don't think you'd end up any worse off than if you wiped your pan with a paper towel dampened with the same kind of cooking oil.

[briarpatch]

Try to heat your pan good and hot first. Spray with your oil, it will smoke a little or a lot depending on how hot you get it. After a little practice you will learn how hot to get it by holding your hand over the pan a few inches. This will stop your sticking. The oil seasons when it hits the hot pan.