Pete, You sparked my puny brain again, I'm cleaning that corn bread pan I just got. It's soaking now, I gotta do something in it! God I love this place…. Keeps the cobwebs from setting in!
If ya have a flea market or antique store around, you may fine one in there, There reasonably common to find because nobody does corn bread in them any more, everyone now has "teflon" coated pans!
They make nice stuff, been around for 100 years. *Just a little friendly advice* If it's new, rinse it with warm/hot water, "NO SOAP" towel dry, spray it down (light coat) with Pam or Crisco and put it in the oven on 350 to 375 for a half hour. It will give it a nice start on the patina, then cook as usual.
I sanded the bottom of the last lodge pan with 120 grit to a smooth finish and re seasoned it WOW.... It is better than my 1800s pans.. NO joke best pan we have NOTHING and I mean nothing sticks to it.. Originally all cast pans where either machined smooth or sanded smooth at the factory once o found that out GAME ON!!! No one does that anymore which is why new cast has a rough texture to it.
I agree to some extent Pete, I have a couple pans with a rougher texture and nothing sticks to them either. It's all in the seasoning! I bake most of mine after cleaning in the grill at 350 to 375 for an hr. If it sticks, I do it again. Yes some pans we're machined but not all. Some of the sand cast pans were even "stone" ground. With that said, a super smooth bottom does make it nice and easier. My old Grizwold griddle is not smooth, and you can slide a tree frog across it and he won't stick!
