DIY

DIY – Re-finishing Cast Iron Pots

December 1, 2011

I have a special place in my heart for cast iron pots and pans, but up until about a year ago, we didn’t own any.  Since buying a few and being given an amazing dutch oven last Christmas, we have really fallen in love with them!

Last weekend Tool Lady took a trip to the Goodwill to see what she could find.  While there, she stumbled upon 3 old cast iron pots (1, 2 & 3 quarts) for a mere $12.  Total.  So, of course, she snatched them up!  Score!!!  The only problem was that they looked like this…

These pots had obviously not been taken care of.  They were full of grime and rust and had definitely seen better days.  So, she did some research online and pulled together her own “recipe” for making these babies shine!


She started by taking the handles off (they screw off, which is pretty cool and makes them way easier to clean) and soaking the pans in a solution of 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 warm water.

While they soaked, she sanded down the handles (using 60, then 125, then 240 grit sandpaper) before re-finishing them.

After about 30 minutes of soaking, she scrubbed the pots for the first time using steel wool, inside and out.  She then rinsed them in the sink and put them back in the vinegar solution where they soaked for another hour.  This process was continued for about 4 hours.  No joke.

In between soaking and scrubbing, she stained and sealed all three handles.

After all the soaking and scrubbing of the pans, she placed them in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes to dry them thoroughly.  She then took them out and oiled them, inside and out, using non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening.  She then put them back in the oven for about an hour at 250 degrees to season them.

They really do look almost like new!!!

before
after
In order to season them fully, she will repeat the oiling and baking process a couple more times.
So, while the process took longer than she (or I) thought it would, we are very happy with our new to us cast iron pots!  At $12, with a little bit (or a lot) of elbow grease, these are definitely a score!

xoxo,
M

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16 Comments on “DIY – Re-finishing Cast Iron Pots”

  1. Kelly – I’d never seen them before either (pots OR handles)! The handles have a large screw that goes through the entire length of the handle and screw into the pots itself! This way they can just be removed before you scrub the pots (which isn’t always necessary, but is nice to have the option)!

  2. Wow those look great! I don’t know if I have seen the ones with the wooden handles, or pots for that matter, just the skillets. I will have to be on the lookout now.

  3. barefoot mama – Thanks! We love them!

    foodgradenkitchen – Tool Lady was pretty sure she’d be sore the next day! There was a lot of elbow grease involved!

    Laura – Thanks! And welcome!

    Jeanette – Yeah…It was a definite score! It’s so expensive, it must be acquired slowly! The process can make for some good stories, though 🙂

    Pam – Right?! Oh, congrats on your Christmas Dutch Oven! We literally use our all the time! I’m right there with you on those supposed life-time warranty pieces of sh*%. It’s so frustrating! Cast iron is the real deal, no doubt! Thanks for popping over!

  5. What an awesome transformation! I adore my cast iron skillets and griddle. I’m getting a Dutch oven for Christmas. :0) After buying 2 or 3 cookware sets (not cheap) with lifetime warranties that failed to live up to their claims, I have decided to build my cast iron collection. They’re durable, faithful and I KNOW that they’ll perform for multiple generations. I’m always on the lookout for more pieces, but haven’t had a big score like you did. Kudos!

  6. Those look great! We have slowly been acquiring a cast iron collection–I really like cooking with it–you guys got a great deal though!

  9. Thanks everyone! Tool Lady did a great job on them! And, they will now last forever! Sweet!

    Astra – Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely check it out!

    1st Man – Haha! the trick is finding them first! Then you’d have to spiff them up! But I won’t tell 😉

  10. Wow, thanks for the info! I have a thrifted cast iron that also needs some help. The finished product looks beautiful!

  11. Great job! Don’t let 2nd Man see this or he’ll add to my “we need to find these” list. They came out just beautiful, handles and all.

  12. oh yeah and I was thinking of your gorgeous jewellery the other day while browsing craftgawker, do you know it? If not you should really check it out, your pieces would fit right in there and if you get selected it’ll be fantastic exposure for your new business, http://www.craftgawker.com

  13. that is such a find! they look brilliant now – better than new because of the story 🙂 Those handles look really beautiful – great job xx

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