CRISBEEPUCK PRODUCT REVIEW
Cleaning and Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware is a much debated subject among the cast iron pundits in existence. Collecting and cooking in Cast Iron has created a lot of interest in today’s culinary world as more and more people re-discover the fun and nostalgia of using these truly wonderful cooking utensils. Seasoning techniques vary from person to person based on experience, but Crisco seems to be right up there on the list. A lesser known technique employs bees wax for finishing the pan. Both techniques yield great looking pans if you’re restoring an older pan or just doing some touch up seasoning on a pan you use regularly.
To that end, an enterprising gentleman created a combination of both oil and beeswax molded into a puck and aptly name crisbeepuck. A proprietary combination of crisco and bees wax, these uniquely shaped pucks make seasoning a new or restored pan a breeze. Both vintage and new pans can benefit with a dab or too now and then. You can check his demo right here.
After ordering two of them I decided to test them out on some new Lodge pans I bought for Christmas. While the Lodge pans come pre-seasoned, a little added seasoning at the start helps them along the way a bit to turn them into great cookers. Normally, I’d go with a spray canola oil but I wanted to try these out on a couple brand new pots and check the results.
STARTING OFF
Preheat the pots in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes. This makes them receptive for the oil and is just warm enough to lay down a nice thin coat without puddling which makes sticky spots. Have on hand some lint free rags to wipe down any excess. Paper towels are ok but they tend to leave residue. Besides, you can reuse the rags instead of throwing them out. After the initial coating and wiping, place the pots in a 450 oven for an hour. They’ll smoke a bit but nothing a range hood won’t be able to handle. After an hour, turn the oven off and let everything cool down. Pull the pots from the oven and check the surface. Rub your fingers over the cooking area to check for sticky spots. Shouldn’t be any.
DAY TO DAY
Cooking day to day in Cast Iron cookware, like any other decent cookware, requires some maintenance. Keeping them cleaned and seasoned will keep them going forever, and they’re fairly forgiving if you make a mistake. Depending on what gets cooked in mine, I’ll either just rinse them in hot water and wipe with a towel, or use a scant amount of mild detergent ( think Dawn ), dry with a paper towel and let stand on a low burner till dry. The Crisbeepuck can be used for a quick coat and wipe and is really effective for the occasional acidic foods such a tomato products or apples.
WRAPPING IT UP
Overall, I really like this product. Whether you’re bring an old vintage rust bucket up to speed, giving a new one a great start, or just keeping the loved ones in good shape this is a great addition. I keep mine in the refrigerator between uses and just grab it when I need. Not only that but 2 of these will probably last a long time unless you’re “In The Business” of refurbishing Cast Iron. And they’re available in scented roll on sticks to boot.
P&A:
2 puck set (as evaluated) $10.00
From Crisbeepuck.com