My cast iron rule

This blog article began as a comment to the Ramblings on Cast Iron blog. After typing three paragraphs on my thoughts about purchasing cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens on eBay, I converted my comments into a blog post here.

I occasionally browse the cast iron listings on eBay, mostly for fun. I've never purchased any cast iron from the on-line auction site. Shipping is just too expensive, especially since many of the vendors seem to be located east of the Mississippi and I'm in California.

Any cast iron piece in my collection must be functional and ready to use. That's my rule. There are no idle pieces in my collection. Each piece must serve a function and be able to work over a hot bed of coals. You won't find any museum pieces in my modest collection (12 skillets, 13 Dutch ovens and two or three trivets).

When I purchase a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven (a rare event these days), I don't want to screw around with heavy cleaning or reconditioning. I leave that for others. Plus, I just don't have the time for the lengthy process.

This rule saved me from purchasing a $510 Griswold 20-inch cast iron skillet last year, a piece that I'd love to own. Two factors attract me to the skillet. It's size makes it the perfect cooking vessel for a crowd. The 20-inch skillet will make quick work of a big batch of cottage fried potatoes for a hungry crowd of campers.

The mammoth skillet was manufactured in a time when durability and quality meant something. While I find the contemporary Lodge 17-inch skillet is an acceptable replacement, the larger vintage Griswold or Lodge 20-inch skillet would be the perfect addition to my battery of cast iron cookware.

(For readers that feel compelled to advise me buy the Bayou Classic 20-inch skillet, please save your words. I won't buy it.)

If you feel the need to purchase cast iron through eBay, click over to the Ramblings on Cast Iron blog. "And I've found that many (eBay) sellers don't know much about what they're selling," warns greenturtle, the Ramblings' blogger. "Often, the description of the size and volume is listed incorrectly."

As a buyer, you need to do your homework. "And always search online for the current market price," adds greenturle. "Some sellers vastly overcharge." Armed with common model and size information, you'll also know that the "8" on the handle is the model number, not the diameter, for instance. The Lodge No. 8 skillet (SKU L8SK3) is 10-1/4 inches in diameter, not 8 inches.

Unless you're a serious collector of cast iron, my rule will serve you well. Avoid eBay and make sure each purchase is ready to work. If you locate a 20-inch Griswold skillet for a reasonable price, buy it. Make sure it's ready to fry up a huge batch of sausage gravy at your next family reunion breakfast.

Large cast iron skillets revisited

Some 18 months ago, I commented on a vintage Griswold 20-inch cast iron skillet that was being actioned on eBay. I noted that any cast iron purchase was destined to be put to work feeding large groups.

My self-imposed limit was $100. Any higher and it would have to be chained to a tree.

I want camp equipment, including cast iron, that's ready for any culinary application. Museum piece or not, I don't want added worries about theft to hinder my ability to use the skillet in camp.

The article, originally posted on February 2, 2009, remains active to this day. As of this afternoon, seven readers have left comments. And I have responded four times.

It's the most active blog article in 'Round the Chuckbox history!

In April 2009, an anonymous reader left a link for the Bayou classic 20-inch cast iron skillet in response to my question. My research showed that it was the only 20-inch skillet on the market at the time.

I asked several questions of the anonymous reader:

Do you have a review of the Bayou Classic 20-inch skillet? How does it compare to the Lodge 17-inch in construction and durability? Amazon reviews highlight some problems, although most said they liked the product.

Questions unanswered, I opted to purchase a Lodge 17-inch cast iron skillet. I cooked fried chicken thighs smothered in gravy at the 3rd Annual IDOS Region II Dutch Oven Gathering shortly after the purchase.

I finally received an answer to questions early this afternoon.

"I don't recommend bayou classic quality," said greenturtle, the prolific editor of the blog Ramblings on Cast Iron. (In three months, the writer has posted 182 articles. Most are reviews of cast iron cookware.)

"It's cheaper but I wasn't impressed," continued greenturtle. "It was pitted in some places and made the food taste funny."

With my suspicion confirmed, I'm happy that I purchased the Lodge 17-inch cast iron skillet from Placerville Hardware last year. It received full use last summer, as attested my the photographs attached to this article.

Army field range burner for sale on eBay

I occasionally receive email from readers of this blog who're looking for surplus military field feeding equipment. This burner -- know as the M2A burner unit in military parlance -- is being sold on eBay through its "Buy it Now" feature for $140. The seller has two units for sale.

1963 US Navy and Marine Corps recipe set for sale on eBay

I occasionally receive an email like this one:

Hello, my name is Robert. I served in the Navy from 1985-1989. During that time I was a cook. I served at GTMO and the USS SAIPAN. Recently I purchased a disc with military recipes. While this has been helpful, it doesn't seem to be the same as the cards from the old days. My memory from that time tells me that some recipes are not on the disc. My question is this, is it possible to obtain a set of recipe cards from that time frame? And if possible how would I go about purchasing them?

You're right, Robert. The Armed Forces Recipe Service on CD-ROM is an electronic copy of the current version of the famed military recipe cards. All the manufacturer does is download the Adobe PDF files from a U.S. Government website and package it into a format the most computers can read.

I often use my copy of the CD recipes to plan for event. I print each recipe so I can write purchasing, production and serving notes right on the recipe.

Since I rarely cook for exactly 100 persons (and the fact that US military serving sizes can be hefty), I also make adjustments to ingredients and note that right on my printed sheet. After the event, I save all the printed recipes in a file as a record of the event.

In addition to giving you standard ingredient amounts and instructions, the big advantage with AFRS is purchasing. Anytime you need to know how many pounds of an item serves 100 persons, just look it up on AFRS. (Remember that servings per hundred is always tied to serving size.)

Once you have a basic understanding of ingredients, amounts and method, you can easily add that special ingredient or two that sends the recipe "over the top."

In case you're interested in a piece of Navy and Marine Corps history, I found a set of 1963 Navy-Marine Corps Recipe Service recipe cards for sale on eBay. The seller is asking just under $60 for the set, which appears to be complete (although individual recipes could be missing).

A Grizwold 20-inch skillet is worth ...

Last Monday I asked if a Griswold 20-inch skillet was worth $340. As the auction ended tonight, the answer came in at a resounding no!

It's worth $510 ...

Is a Griswold #20 cast iron skillet worth $340?

Although a serious collector may disagree, $100 is my limit for just about any cast iron any piece. Even then it has to be a larger Dutch oven or skillet that I can use to feed a hungry crew of railroaders.

Any cast iron in my modest collection is going to be put work. I don't collect cast iron to use them as show pieces. Each will be used to cook great meals, whether it's for personal camping or for large groups.

I'd love to own this 20-inch Griswold cast iron skillet. But it's current $340 price tag takes it out of my league. Bid if you must, but I suspect that the final selling price will peak at over $400.

All I can do now is watch the auction and dream of the day that I locate an Lodge 20-inch skillet. Although Lodge stopped making the round skillet several years ago, I see them advertised from time to time. I will break my $100 rule when I locate one.

Roadside chuckwagon plans on eBay

Here's an interesting set of plans for a family chuckwagon-trailer. The optical appeared in the May 1965 issue of Popular Mechanics.

If you don't want to purchase the plans on eBay, Google Books has published the entire May issue of the magazine. It ran on pages 132 to 137 and was continued on page 200.

The link will take you to page 200. You can find the begining of the article from there.

Here's the eBay description:

Up for bid is an ORIGINAL seven page plan from a vintage magazine. This article details the building of an awesome carry all trailer designed ultimately for cooking when camping, vacationing and on fishing trips.

This Chuck Wagon has it all even a speaker system. This is a complete kitchen with hot stove, pull out table, drawers, storage, compartments for clothes and food and even an iceboxbox for perishables.

This trailer contains everything you could need and want for any camping trip, hike and even tailgating at a game. You receive the original plan not a copy.

US Navy Recipe Service for sale on eBay update

Interestingly, no one bid on the 1950s U.S. Navy recipe set on eBay. The auction, which just concluded, ran for about a week.

Watch the eBay listings if you're interested in this recipe set. Although it's tempting, I already have several recipe sets from the era and won't be bidding.

Click here to locate seller's listing. I'm sure that he will re-list the item soon.

You can also locate this set and similar military cookbooks, like the 1944 Cook Book of the U.S. Navy, by searching on the terms "navy recipe."

US Navy Recipe Service for sale on eBay

Here's another item from my eBay watch: It's post-World War II Navy recipe set. The starting bid is $5. The auction ends just after noon on January 10, 2009. There are no bids currently.

Good luck and enjoy ...

Surplus field feeding equipment on eBay

I occasionally receive email or comments that ask where the sender can locate U.S. Army surplus field feeding equipment. Since I joined eBay 10 years ago, I've always found that the on-line auction site to a good source of these items.

I found three interesting military food service equipment items while searching for an unrelated auction. I've purchased items from the seller, Coleman Military Surplus, LLC, 360 Klinger Road, Millersburg, Pennsylvania, 17061 (1-888-4-SURPLUS).

These items are pricey. The steamtable and griddle assemblies start at $399 each (with a $425 Buy it Now feature). The tent will set you back $795 (with $850 Buy it Now). And you have to drive to Millersburg, Pennsylvania, to pick up your winning bid. The seller has indicated that he won't ship.

The first two items carry the same description. I can't tell from the item description which burner unit is included with the bid, whether it's the M2A or the MBU. You'll have to contact the seller to answer that question.

Part of the MFK (Modular Field Kitchen) issued to all hospital units except the MASH. Designed to feed up to 250 people. Unit measures 54" x 24. Holds four 19" x 11" x 4" steaming trays(included) with lids. With the supplied base the top sits 36" off the floor. Two burner assemblies included that are currently set up to run off of gasoline, but can be converted to use propane.

Griddle Assembly

Steam Table Assembly

The third item is an M-1948 kitchen tent, which is a bear to set up. These tents were designed in the wake of World War II to shelter a company-sized field mess. The cooks could fit three M-1937 field ranges under the "stack" in the back of the tent.

M-1948 Kitchen Tent









Here's the description:

You are bidding on the complete kit for a M-1948 Military Issue Kitchen Tent. Brand new, originally designed for use as field kitchens. Everything is included in the crate including tent, poles and stakes. Tent is constructed with a raised roof section to dissipate heat from cooking. Makes an excellent camping tent because sidewalls of canvas may be rolled up, or raised outward to create a canopy while the screening protects occupants from insects! Outfitters, emergency units, festival promoters, whoever needs a great tent at a great price, this is a great deal! Overall dimensions 18 ft. long x 12 ft wide. Height at rear 12 ft., sides at rear 9 ft. Height at front 9 ft., sides at front 6 ft. Made of Olive Drab Cotton Duck fabric. This item cannot be shipped UPS. Please call or email for shipping quote. Crate size 28 1/2"H x 47 1/2"W x 97" L. Weight 670 lbs. US Government surplus.

Vietnam-era US Army field range for sale on eBay

A M-59 US Army field range outfit is being offered for sale on eBay.com. The seller is asking $350 with the "Buy it Now" feature. He will also entertain the best offer. Based on the description, the unit may have all the pots, pans and utensils included. However, you'll have to check with the seller to verify this.

Here's the seller's description:

This is a big cook stove, or field oven, dated 1968 or so. It has the big pots in it, the big silverware, a place to put the merimite cans in the top part of it for heating them and the burner unit down below.

Unless you live near the Austin, Minnesota, shipping point, shipping will add a significant amount to the purchase price.

Here's a few excerpts from the Navy Mess Management Specialist training manual:

Gasoline field range outfits are the most satisfactory appliances available for preparing meals in the field. The armed forces now use model M59. Chapter 10 of the Basic Doctrine for Army Field Feeding, FM 10-23, covers the operation of the model M59 field range. Operator, Organizational and Direct Support Maintenance Manual including Repair Parts and Special Tools List for Range Outfit Field, Gasoline, Model M59, TM 10-7360-204-13&P, covers the maintenance and repair of model M59.

One field range is adequate for 50 personnel or less. With two ranges, you can cook for 50 to 100 personnel. With three ranges, you can cook for as many as 225 people.

The gasoline field range outfit is designed to provide a complete outfit adaptable to the different requirements of field operations. The outfit consists of a cabinet with a burner unit, accessory outfit, and necessary cooking utensils. The outfit is portable and can be operated while in transit.

The range outfit can be used for boiling, roasting, frying and griddle cooking and can be adjusted to work as a bake oven. Some baking can be done in the covered roasting pan or in the cake pan placed inside the covered roasting pan. Pies bake well in the roasting pan alone. However, for all other baked foods, you should use the cake pan. If you do a great deal of baking with the range, make the necessary adaptation.

Modern cuckwagon for sale on eBay

A modern chuckwagon was posted to eBay last Friday. "This is a camp kitchen or chuckwagon. It sits 8-10 people comfortably with LOTS of work area. It is built on a 4x8 flatbed trailer .... The overall dimensions are 4x8x3 high. The tongue adds another 3 feet," says the on-line auction. The opening bid is $400. The trailer in located in Camp Verde, Arizona.

According to the seller, the trailer is "easy to pull with a small car." He figures that it weights about "400 pounds empty." Its 18-inch wheels give you "about 8 inches of road clearance." The trailer uses a 1-7/8-inch ball hitch.

"There is lots of room for all of your camping gear and a 55-gallon water tank. There is a sink with a hand pump that works well. There is a gravity fed hose faucet on the front for other water needs."

"The front storage is 4-feet by 3.5-feet. The back storage is 4-feet by 2-feet. The sides fold up for easy cargo access and nice eating counters. They are 32 inches high when unfolded. There is a propane tank in the rear storage with a post to connect the stove. A lantern sits on top of the post, about 32 inches above the top. There is a built-in 104-gallon cooler that also lifts out for cleaning."

The unit looks interesting. It may fit for a tent camper that would like to own a rolling kitchen like the old chuckwagons. It is built like my chuckbox, only on a larger scale.

If you bid and win, you'll have to drive down to Camp Verde and pick up the trailer.

PS--I'm not the seller, nor do I have any connection to him.

Bean Pot on eBay

I found this rusted Dutch oven on eBay this morning. After a few bids, I left the auction at $17.75. The pot is being sold without a lid.

The Dutch oven is the same size as the pot that I found in Placerville last July. It appears to be the same pot as the current Lodge 10DO2A. It can also be purchased in the Lodge Logic line of pre-seasoned cast iron cookware (model L10DO3). Lodge lists these oven for $59.95 and $67.95, respectively.

Here's what the seller has to say about the pot:

Found in the back of an old chuckwagon on the Pico Ranch near Blanco, Texas is this cast iron bean pot. The old chuckwagon had completely rotted away, and this old bean pot shows a lot of age and rust. It is an original vintage cowboy collectible. I do not know the age of this pot, it is very heavy cast iron and measures 12 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep.

I couldn't find replacement lids on the Lodge website or catalog. But I've purchased replacement lids at Placerville Hardware in the past. Look around or contact Lodge. You'll find one.

The pot holds seven quarts to the brim. Working capacity is about five quarts, or about 40 (1/2-cup) servings.

Chuckwagon for Sale on eBay

I'd love to buy a chuckwagon. Not because it's part of my heritage -- my relatives never got near one -- but because it pictures my vision of outdoor cooking.

So I was elated when this chuckwagon was posted to eBay on April 9. I had originally planned to watch the auction from a distance. I entertained no thought of buying the 100-year old horse-drawn kitchen.

The auction ended yesterday with a top bid price of $6,843.26. Since the reserve price was not met, the chuckwagon didn't sell. My guess is that a genuine chuckwagon will sell for $20,000 or more.

This morning I thought it'd be interesting to see what the seller was up to. Has he re-posted the chuckwagon? Or did he withdraw it from the market?

A quick searched found a new auction and a few anomalies. The new auction is currently selling for $699.89.

The identical chuckwagon was posted three days before the original auction ended. Something sinks to high cowpatties! The two auctions were offered by different sellers (pepperdoesit and fotyfat).

Another interesting fact is that both sellers have recently registered on eBay, March 21 and April 6, respectively. All the photographs are identical. Even the license plate on the transport trailer matches in both auctions.

If you're inclined to bid on such an item, please check things out thoroughly. I'd be suspicious of this auction.