All things cast iron find their way to Terry Payne’s booth.
A tidbit from a Lodge promo video I watched several years ago left an indelible impression on me. A massive house fire had incinerated everything inside — except the cast iron skillet. That’s no surprise to Terry Payne, who finds and refurbishes durable cast iron. These pieces might have been made as far back as the 1800s, through the 1960s. He resells them at his Heirloom Cast Iron Cookware booth in the Odana Antiques Mall.
What started as a mission to fill out the set of pans he acquired from his grandmother became “an addicting hobby,” says Payne.
All of Payne’s cookware is American-made, from such brands as Erie, Favorite Piqua, Griswold, Sidney, Vollrath, Wagner and Lodge. Other than Lodge, all of the original brands stopped making cast iron during the mid- to late-20th century. They couldn’t compete after the introduction of Teflon in 1938, which led to lighter, non-stick pans for everyday cooks.
However, cast iron is coming around again, as concerns about the environmental and health effects of non-stick coatings persist. Some newer American brands like Smithey, Finex and Field Company are on a mission to replicate the look and feel of vintage cookware, but true enthusiasts stand behind the originals.
Cooks familiar with today’s cast iron will notice a few differences working with vintage. The manufacturing process was less automated, more hands-on. Because of the higher quality of the iron ore used at the time, they boast a smoother cooking surface and thinner walls, which means they heat faster. They also weigh two to three pounds less, easing the lift and flip technique involved when tossing food in the pan.
While the majority of Payne’s inventory consists of typical skillet sizes between eight and 12 inches, he also has miniature skillets (good as decoration, as a spoon rest or frying one egg) up to a two-handled, 18-inch hotel pan. Payne also carries hard-to-find lids, gem pans (that is, old-school muffin tins), both long and round griddles, vintage cookbooks and an assortment of accessories. Payne is interested in the large number of products the American manufacturers made. “It was kind of like Tupperware back in the day,” says Payne.
When Payne acquires a piece of cookware, he spends time cleaning and scrubbing, then seasoning with Crisco. Opinions vary on proper cast iron care. Payne’s recommendation is to use the cookware regularly: “Some people like to hang them on the wall. I encourage them to put them on the stove and cook with them. That’s what they were meant for; they’re very utilitarian.”
The key to successful cooking with cast iron, says Payne, is to get the pan hot before adding oil, then add some salt and pepper before you add food. Cleanup is as simple as swirling some very hot tap water in the pan once it is cool to the touch.
Payne’s selection also includes a few pieces from Vollrath — a company based in Sheboygan, which only manufactured cast iron pans between the 1930s and 1960s, so they are particularly special to come by.
Cast iron pieces are timeless as well as versatile. They can go from the stove to the oven to the grill to the campfire. “If these could talk, there’d be a super good story,” says Payne. “Everybody congregates in the kitchen; it would be fun to hear some of those stories.”
Heirloom Cast Iron
6201 Odana Road; Odana Antiques Mall, Booth 400;
608-561-1877; facebook.com/heirloom.castiron
