Cast Iron warp prevention Question

[Jerry Agin]

I have recently purchased a second hand Wagner skillet that has a warped bottom, which causes the oil to pool up towards the center, and does not cook evenly, so before I purchase a new cast iron skillet, is there a way to prevent the skillet from warping?

[Cheryl Watson]

Hello Jerry, and Welcome!

Heating evenly, with a lower heat a bit more slowly (so you don't super heat the center of the skillet).  The goal is to have the heat distribute evenly, without supercharging the center. ;)

Make certain that your next skillet purchase sits flat, with NO side to side wobble (outward warp), and that a flat edge on the inside cooking surface makes even contact across the surface (inward warp).

(Now I have a couple of Griswold 8's that sit dead flat... until heated... and then wobble.... once cooled, they sit flat again.... go figure!)

[Jerry Agin]

I have a Glass top stove that is real flat, so hopefuly new one should do well, and keep the setting low to medium heat,and keep my fingers crossed.

[Cheryl Watson]

Should work great on the glass top.  Just sold two Lodges to some friends, nice flat Lodges, with 3 break HR's... and they luv them.  Coming back tomorrow in search of a #8.. Might have to get them hooked on an Erie, or older Wagner next!  ;)

[Michael Carson]

I am no expert but I do not go above medium heat (#5 setting) on my electric stove top. In the oven or the BBQ grill they have been in excess of 500 degrees with no damage (gradual high heat distributed evenly to the entire piece).

Don't throw out your warped Wagner. It could be a champion cornbread cooker, good for making biscuits or other items that do not care if the bottom is warped.
May God bless us all,
Mike

[Jerry Agin]

The skillet is in perfect condition other than the warp in it, and it is well seasoned, and smooth as glass, I definitely will use this one for cornbread and biscuits :). Thanks Michael.

I am no expert but I do not go above medium heat (#5 setting) on my electric stove top. In the oven or the BBQ grill they have been in excess of 500 degrees with no damage (gradual high heat distributed evenly to the entire piece).

Don't throw out your warped Wagner. It could be a champion cornbread cooker, good for making biscuits or other items that do not care if the bottom is warped.
May God bless us all,
Mike

[Tom Neitzel]

Here's a pdf from a Swedish foundry, Skeppshult, that is still making cookware.  The purposefully make the pan a bit concave on the bottom to allow it to flatten out as it heats.

Tom

[Jim Glatthaar]

Jerry, I sometimes pre-heat my cast iron skillets in the oven, then switch to the cooktop.  This gets slow and more even heat to the skillet.  I also keep a 3" level in my car "just in case" I run across some homeless cast iron pans so I can immediately check to verify if they are level.

[Shane Lewis]

Here's a pdf from a Swedish foundry, Skeppshult, that is still making cookware.  The purposefully make the pan a bit concave on the bottom to allow it to flatten out as it heats.

Tom

I've got a couple of pans that are a bit concave, and to me, they are worse than a convex pan.

[Tom Neitzel]

It's all in the original design Shane.  Those in the pdf I posted are intended to flatten out as they heat.  I don't think the US made pans were, so if it is concave or convex, the pan has been damaged.  Although there is a chance that a slightly concave pan (meaning the high spot is in the middle inside the pan) might flatten out, but it is just as likely that it will continue to bow up.

[Jerry Agin]

Thank you Tom, that is good info, I wished wagner had designed the bottoms of there pans that way. :'( I took Michael's advice and desided to use the wagner for cornbread. I like to have some user pans, and keep my collectors pieces for display. I will have to see about getting some from this swedish factory just for cooking purposes.

Here's a pdf from a Swedish foundry, Skeppshult, that is still making cookware.  The purposefully make the pan a bit concave on the bottom to allow it to flatten out as it heats.

Tom

[Robert Bearfield]

i prefer pans with smoke rings, they don't wobble.

[Jerry Agin]

I have one with the smoke ring that doesn't wobble either.  I wonder if the smoke ring somehow reinforces it?

i prefer pans with smoke rings, they don't wobble.

[Randy Eckstein]

I have one with the smoke ring that doesn't wobble either.  I wonder if the smoke ring somehow reinforces it?

i prefer pans with smoke rings, they don't wobble.

Keep in mind that while they may not wobble, that doesn't make them immune to warping where there may be a convex or concave bowing of the cooking surface.  The  heat ring can minimize the effect but you can still end up with center pooling or a high spot in the center.

[Mike Turcotte]

I recently bought a #10 wapak old logo with the outside heat ring off our favorite auction site, and while the bottom of the pan is bowed upwards at both sides under the spouts (can see 1/16" gap under heat ring) it does not wobble on my glass top stove unless pushing fairly hard on top to make it wobble, and the inside cooking surface is completely flat. This makes me wonder if the pan was cast this way and was not warped at all later on. I can pour oil in, smear it around and it stays perfectly where I put it, and this beast seems to heat evenly and is an awesome cooker! I found this to be strange and I wonder if this is common with these old outside HR skillets?

[Jerry Agin]

I recently bought a #10 wapak old logo with the outside heat ring off our favorite auction site, and while the bottom of the pan is bowed upwards at both sides under the spouts (can see 1/16" gap under heat ring) it does not wobble on my glass top stove unless pushing fairly hard on top to make it wobble, and the inside cooking surface is completely flat. This makes me wonder if the pan was cast this way and was not warped at all later on. I can pour oil in, smear it around and it stays perfectly where I put it, and this beast seems to heat evenly and is an awesome cooker! I found this to be strange and I wonder if this is common with these old outside HR skillets?

I don't know how common it is for the skillets with HR, but I have one that I have used for many years and have had no issues with warping.But I do have plenty that don't have them and noticed warping, that is puzzling. I`m currently taking Cheryl's advice and heat them a little slower and allow them to heat more evenly.