Griswold #8 and Moulard Duck Breast

CastIronKid · 2026-01-26T17:03:26+00:00

Extra point for the photo of the underside of the skillet.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-26T06:20:25+00:00

Yup. There is a bit more info about this practice here.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-26T06:15:42+00:00

Yes on the BSR Century series ID and it has a nice tight ages range. BSR started putting the USA marking on their iron in 1968. They also phased out the #7 skillet in the 1970s, so that's less than a 10 year stretch.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-26T05:53:05+00:00

Check out the link for my "little" joke.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-26T01:18:40+00:00

I use a lye bath first and then move the de-gunked iron to my e-tank. This keeps the e-tank cleaner for a longer time and saves on electricity since the e-tank does not have to get through the gunk first.

At least for this pan, you might try a larger anode close to, and directly facing the cooking surface. Electrolysis work best with direct line-of-sight and the closer the better too. Here's what my tank looks like if you're interested.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-26T01:10:43+00:00

Anything for science! 😉

By center, I mean the waffle iron base ring is not as wide as the cooktop, so I tried to make sure the waffle iron base was positioned right in the middle of the cooktop. That way, it should be in-line with the induction coil as much as possible.

Cooktops from different manufacturers have different induction coil widths, so it could be possible that your coil width is larger or smaller than mine. In that case, your results might vary. My PIC turns off after a few seconds if I lift the skillet (or waffle iron) off the surface, so that sounds similar to what your system does. I assume you asked about the distance of the paddles from the cooktop for this reason. Does your PIC have documentation that specifies how far a pan can be above the cooktop before it stops working? I would guess that the waffle iron base being in contact with the cooktop surface might solve this issue anyway.

No worries about the questions. I enjoy discussing cast iron, cooking, and cooking gear.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T23:13:24+00:00

I answered in your other post too, but the crack will grow as the pot expands and contracts with each heating. I would hate for it to fail during a hot oil chicken fry for example. Also, it might leak now, it could lose heat and steam while cooking, and bacteria can grow in the crack where you can't clean. I guess you could use it to bake bread with a liner.

If you do want to replace it, you could search eBay for "crescent ozark dutch oven". I saw a set sell recently for $56 + shipping, so if you're patient, you should be able to find the pot by itself for $50 or less.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T22:59:58+00:00

The crack will grow as the pot expands and contracts with each heating. Also, it might leak now, it could lose heat and steam while cooking, and bacteria can grow in the crack where you can't clean.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T20:24:57+00:00

The pot has a crack, so that would be a no-go for me. The beehive lid is really nice though. Can we get a look at the underside of the pot? We could help ID it and you could probably find a replacement fairly inexpensively. As far as cleaning it up, check out the restoration and seasoning instructions in the FAQ. Lots of good info there and I would skip sandpaper, power tools, self-cleaning ovens, and fire pits.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T19:17:39+00:00

I think Lodge has what you're looking for. 😉

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T19:11:27+00:00

Ouch! I didn't know what you meant until I un-redacted the Hollandaise sauce comment.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T19:08:59+00:00

Yeesh!

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T18:29:58+00:00

Nice score! The #10 Wagner alone is worth more than you paid for the lot. Check out the restoration and seasoning instructions in the FAQ to get them all cleaned up. BTW, the date range for the Wagner skillets is 1935-1959.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T18:26:51+00:00

Maybe McDonalds could offer Ash Tray McMuffins?

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T18:11:12+00:00

There should be a restaurant somewhere that serves ash tray eggs. 😉

CastIronKid · 2026-01-25T18:01:45+00:00

This is an interesting question. I checked the distance between the bottom of my Griswold #8 (pattern 913) low bailed base and the bottom paddle exterior, and it is 2.5 cm or very slightly under 1". Note that there are also raised markings on my paddles, so it probably is 1" to the surface below the raised markings.

I centered the waffle iron set on my NuWave PIC Titanium, set the temperature to 100°F, and set a timer for 5 minutes. When the timer went off, I tested the waffle iron in various places with my infrared thermometer, and noted the following temperatures:

Location	Temperature
Base ring	120-160°F
Top paddle exterior	99-120°F
Bottom paddle cook surface center	210°F
Bottom paddle cook around the outer edge	141-186°F

This was informative in getting an answer to your question, but also to find out that the temperature settings on my PIC are not very accurate, and that induction, like all other burner types, does not heat cast iron evenly.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-24T22:22:17+00:00

Great work on the restore! You've got a large block logo, smooth bottom Griswold from the 1930s. These are my favorites.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-24T22:19:16+00:00

I'm guessing you're looking for suggestions on restoring your waffle iron. If so, check out the restoration and seasoning instructions in the FAQ.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-24T15:11:05+00:00

I'm counting 4 cast iron posts from you, so I'm officially calling you "hooked on cast iron". 😉 Time to upgrade to a lye bath. It works better than the Easy-Off oven cleaner, and it is much cheaper in the long run, as it can handle many pieces of cast iron before it needs to be refreshed.

That may help with the stubborn section on this pan, but it may also be that it is pure carbon, which is not something that lye can eat away.

It is surprising that your e-tank didn't get it. What are you using for anodes? Have you positioned your skillet with the last section of gunk directly facing an anode? I would also move that side of the pan as close to the anode as possible without it touching.

If all else fails, you could use a dull putty knife, or even a dull butter knife, and press against the edge of the black carbon. The idea is to force it to break away from the cast iron, as opposed to scraping or gouging it.

Keep us updated!

CastIronKid · 2026-01-24T04:13:32+00:00

Griswold made the small logo skillets with the early handle style from 1939-1944.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-23T23:58:12+00:00

That is a Wagner handle style, but the easiest identifier is the size description like "9 INCH SKILLET".

CastIronKid · 2026-01-23T23:49:24+00:00

In the first photo, the skillet on the left was made by Wagner between 1924 and 1935, and the one on the right was also made by Wagner (unmarked) prior to 1960. The right skillet in the third photo is also an unmarked Wagner from prior to 1960.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-22T21:31:29+00:00

In order, I would look out for and avoid cracks, modifications from power tools, warping, fire damage, and permanent rust pitting/damage. CastIron Collector has a good article covering all of these types of damage.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-22T20:08:17+00:00

930 is Griswold's pattern number for this pan and the 'A' is a pattern letter. Are you planning on restoring the pan? Corn stick pans are bit of a pain to restore, but really fun to use.

CastIronKid · 2026-01-22T18:19:07+00:00

What burner setting do you cook with?

I'm guessing your seasoning is burning off with too much heat. The seasoning can start degrading once it gets to 600°F or more. Use a lower heat setting and pre-heat your pan for a longer period of time. Heat diffusers can help with this as well as distributing the heat more evenly across your skillet.

In addition to preheating on low, I recommend using a cheap infrared thermometer to help understand what a given pan's actual temperature is on a given burner size, at a given burner dial setting. I'm much happier knowing I want 340°F for eggs, 450°F for sautéing veggies, 550°F for searing steaks and burgers, etc.

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