Here is an early John Wright Animal Puzzle Pan that I just finished seasoning. The ceramic Classic Gourmet dot and the intricate design of this pan make it a particularly tricky pan to clean. One good aspect is that these types of pans are “recently” made. Most people seasoned them at a lower temperature with vegetable shortening. That means even in my rather aged lye bath, it only took two hours to dissolve the old seasoning.
One note of caution for others who may try to restore a pan like this one or any other John Wright pan with a ceramic Classic Gourmet dot: Do not use an acid (like vinegar) for rust removal. The black ink on the dot will react with acid, and you will be left with a blank white dot.
When seasoning a pan with a dot like this one, be sure to wipe all of the seasoning oil from the dot, or you may end up with a not-so-attractive brown smear across the dot. You already need to use a cotton swab to get the oil first into all of the corners of this pan, and then you need to use another to soak up the excess oil in those same places. The last thing you want to do is have to strip the pan and start from scratch; because, oil pooled in the wrong places or the dot is a mess with residue.
This particular pan does not have one of the later non-stick spray coatings on it, but I still seasoned it at a temperature of 350F. I have seen many Classic Gourmet dot pans on ebay with broken or cracked dots, so I do not season these pans at a high temperature in case that is what caused these dots to crack, break, or otherwise loosen and fall out. Now, if I find a plain iron (non-coated) John Wright Pan without a dot, I do season that pan at a higher temperature.
In general, given the many intricate designs and the different coatings John Wright produced, it pays to buy the pan you are looking for that is in the best condition possible, so less time will be spent on cleaning the pan.
Two coats of canola oil later and this pan is looking good now.
