Unpopular opinion: That $3 cast iron skillet at the flea market was a waste of my time

Everyone raves about finding cheap cast iron and restoring it, but I grabbed a rusty old Wagner from a guy selling out of his truck bed in Phoenix for $3. Spent 4 hours scrubbing, seasoning, and still couldn't get the pitting out - food stuck like glue. You people need to just save up $20 for a new Lodge and skip the hassle. Who else has been burned by a 'deal' that ended up costing more in effort than it was worth?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice_hart19d ago

You ever spend a whole weekend trying to save three bucks and end up feeling like you just paid yourself minimum wage to polish a rusted paperweight? Because same. I did this with a Griswold I found at a garage sale, convinced I was gonna be the one to bring it back to life. Ended up with a skillet that looked like the surface of the moon and smelled like burnt oil for a week. My husband still brings it up every time I mention trying to save money on anything.

alice8919d ago

oh man, you basically paid yourself $0.75 an hour to learn why some things are better left rusty. i did the same with a hand plane from an estate sale, spent like 6 hours sharpening and tuning it, and it still cut like a angry beaver. sometimes the "deal" is just a lesson in patience and regret.