Removing wooden handles from cast iron cookware

[Toddy]

If it's being such a beggar to do, just scrub it well, and use it in the house. It's slower, but it works well, and it's how they were originally seasoned anyway by the folks who only had cast iron to use.
You can even just use it to toast or re-heat food on, just give it a wipe with oil first. Nan, tortillas, all those kind of flat bread things are fine with a bit of oil.

M

 

[decorum]

I season mine like this on top of the stove. I wait until swmbo is out. And open the doors and windows!

Yeah ... there's a very good reason why I did exactly that just the once ...

I did mention unscrewing in post #6

... and I mentioned having tried to in post #01

 

[santaman2000]

....I need to follow a low fat diet. So although the griddle would season quite quickly under normal use I wouldn't be able to eat most of the fayre. Well not until it has seasoned .


As above, my body doesn't tolerate fats too well so, in this instance, old school isn't the best solution for me

A griddle such as that one allows the fat to drip away from the meat being cooked; imitating cooking on a BBQ grill. That's gonna happen whether the grill is already seasoned or in the process of being seasoned TBH.

You're right that the low fat diet does limit just what you can cook though; at least if you eat it yourself. What are the chances you could cook said high fat meats for the family instead?

 

[decorum]

If it's being such a beggar to do, just scrub it well, and use it in the house. It's slower, but it works well, and it's how they were originally seasoned anyway by the folks who only had cast iron to use.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that that's what I'm going to have to do ~ made more of a pita by needing to keep it all low fat

Having banged my head for so long and with the collective not providing its usual quick answer as to whether there's a trick or if it's a design flaw, I looked out the number for the brand ...


... who is also completely flummoxed but is going to look into it and get back to me ... Not like me to throw a curve ball, is it!

You can even just use it to toast or re-heat food on, just give it a wipe with oil first. Nan, tortillas, all those kind of flat bread things are fine with a bit of oil.

Did just that with the griddle earlier ~ less easy with the sauce pan though

 

[santaman2000]

Yeah, my griddle was a bit messier too; at least the ribbed one was.

 

[Toddy]

Wipe the saucepan with oil, line the base with some of the cheap tan coloured silicon sheeting stuff and bake bread/bannock/damper in it.
It'll slowly season it and the bread will come out easily because of the silicon sheet.

Not being much help, are we ?

atb,
Mary

 

[decorum]

What are the chances you could cook said high fat meats for the family instead?

Not a lot to be honest ~ mainly because having made my dietary requirements the top priority, swmbo has adapted too well to not having much added oil/fat to the pan . I trim the fat off my food but leave hers on but I don't add more than a light wipe of oil to the pan

 

[decorum]

Not being much help, are we ?

Actually, I'm finding the general discourse incredibly useful

 

[santaman2000]

LOL. Toddy's right, we aren't a lot of help. Hopefully something works for you. Good luck.

 

[decorum]

LOL. Toddy's right, we aren't a lot of help.

Nope, the suggestions have been both helpful and useful. If nothing else I've been helped to look at different ways of seasoning


As to getting the handle off in a reusable manner ... you're close to correct ~ but as even the company/brand in question couldn't help I consider it more than understandable that we don't know either .

 

[Fraxinus]

I had a look on interweb and found nowt but a lot of nice stuff I can't justify buying but had another thought along the way......
is the cap itself threaded on? A bit like those mirror screw caps that screw into the screw head, tricky beggars to undo sometimes.
The problem with that is it might now be seized on with rusting.

Rob.

 

[decorum]

I had a look on interweb and found nowt but a lot of nice stuff I can't justify buying

Isn't that the truth! Good to last a life time though . Most of mine are charity shop finds and gifts ~ the bits mentioned in this thread fall into the gift category

I have a flat (barest amount of lip) round griddle which is more non stick than the best synthetic non-stick I've ever seen or used. Cost about £10, the more expensive non-stick is long gone

...but had another thought along the way......
is the cap itself threaded on? A bit like those mirror screw caps that screw into the screw head, tricky beggars to undo sometimes.
The problem with that is it might now be seized on with rusting.

No idea to be honest. Not enough of the cap presents to grasp and twist ~ but it made me wonder whether it had been a push/press release and whether rust had killed the spring or release mechanism

 

[ged]

There just has to be a threaded rod in there, and let into the handle a threaded end cap that's rusted solid.

If you don't mind discolouration/smell/dropping the thing if it gets slippery you could soak it in WD40 for a couple of weeks and then have another go at unscrewing it...

Mind you, I simply wouldn't bother. I'd cook sausages, bacon, eggs, beans and fried bread in the garden.

 

[decorum]

There just has to be a threaded rod in there, and let into the handle a threaded end cap that's rusted solid.

Not a lot to grab if its sole attachment is a thread ~ which is why I wondered whether it might be a push and twist

If you don't mind discolouration/smell/dropping the thing if it gets slippery you could soak it in WD40 for a couple of weeks and then have another go at unscrewing it...

No problem with discolouration

Mind you, I simply wouldn't bother. I'd cook sausages, bacon, eggs, beans and fried bread in the garden.

Can't eat ... can't eat ... can eat ... can eat ... can't eat ... can cook both indoors and out.


Fatty foods are great for seasoning CI ~ but they're not foods I can eat (not avoidance by choice ).

 

[mountainm]

Cut/file a slot in the end cap then use that to gain some torque?

 

[decorum]

Cut/file a slot in the end cap then use that to gain some torque?

Hmmm ... now where did I put that dremmel and it's cutting discs ...

Good idea!

 

[drliamski]

Season it outside on a fire or stove, no smoke inside?

 

[ozzy1977]

I recon that there is a threaded rod going from the cast iron pan through to the steel end cap and that it has rusted in place and that the movement is purely the wood moving around it a bit. I would get out the blow torch on the cast iron bit and see if the heat causes the rusted connection to loosen, if it works the handle will then unscrew.

 

[david1]

I agree with ozzy, I think its threaded into pan and the cast end cap. Is there anyway to get some grips on the end cap ?

 

[decorum]

Season it outside on a fire or stove, no smoke inside?

Outside will annoy the neighbours, inside will cause issues ... I like my neighbours, swmbo puts up with enough as it is

If I can get the handle off it can go in the oven ~ then everyone's happy

I recon that there is a threaded rod going from the cast iron pan through to the steel end cap and that it has rusted in place and that the movement is purely the wood moving around it a bit. I would get out the blow torch on the cast iron bit and see if the heat causes the rusted connection to loosen, if it works the handle will then unscrew.

There is 'something metal' for the length of the wooden handle but whether it's part of the main body or screwed into it, at this point in time, is anybody's guess . Same goes with the end cap ~ is it a finishing cap or is it the end of a rod going through the handle and screws into the CI main body .

The wood will continually turn on its axis (in either direction) with little effort ~ it's not free running though.