Lodge Cast Iron Melting Pot is a great heat conductor and is used for warming butter, melting cheese, scalding milk or heating syrup and it moves with ease from the stovetop to the grill. Sportsmen find it ideal as a lead ladle. Made of cast iron, this pot evenly distributes heat from the bottom through the sidewalls. Sporting a stylish black color, the cast iron pot looks good in most kitchens and it doubles up as an excellent source of nutritional iron. Cast Iron, like your grandmother used, still ranks as one of the best cooking utensils ever made. It gives you a nearly non-stick surface, without the possible harmful fumes generated by preheating chemically treated nonstick cookware.

• Capacity: 1 pint
• Material: Cast Iron
• Safe for oven, stove or campfire cooking
• Superior heat retention and dispersal
• Pre-seasoned with baked on vegetable oil formula for a non-stick surface
• Cast iron loop for hanging storage
• Integrated spouts for pouring
• Perfect for warming or melting foods
• Hand wash, avoid using soap or detergent.

More Info:

The black patina given to the cookware by the factory seasoning process is, in fact, vegetable oil that has been baked into a piece of cookware that has emerged from an individual sand mold. This coating of oil is a functional application and not a cosmetic application. The cookware is hanging as it rides through the electrostatic sprayer and commercial conveyer ovens at very high temperatures. This allows the oil to penetrate deeply into the pores of the iron which creates an easy release finish. As a result of this process, you may see a blister or bubble of oil at the southern-most point or at the end of the handle of the cookware piece. If visible, it will rub or flake off with your finger, leaving a brown spot. Don't worry, it's not rust but a seasoned spot that is brown, indicative of the varnish stage of seasoning. As a matter of fact, this is the color of home seasoned iron until it has been used several times. The brown spot will turn black with use.

Use and Care:

• The following use and care instructions for Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron will help your cookware last a lifetime.
• If you do Nothing Else...

• Hand wash. Dry immediately - even before first use.
• Rub with a light coat of vegetable oil after every wash.
• How much oil? Enough to restore the sheen, without being "sticky".
• Why? To keep the iron "seasoned" and protected from moisture.

Seasoning - It isn't Salt and Pepper

• "Seasoning" is vegetable oil baked onto the iron at a high temperature: not a chemical non-stick coating.
• Seasoning creates the natural, easy-release properties. The more you cook, the better it gets.
• Because you create, maintain, and even repair the "seasoning", your cookware can last 100 years or more. Chemical non-stick coating cannot be repaired, limiting lifespan.

Let's Cook!
Lodge Cast Iron is right at home on induction, ceramic, electric and gas cooktops, in your oven, on the grill, or even over the campfire. Do not use in the microwave. (Some induction tops will not work with 2-burner griddles)

• On glass or ceramic cooktops, lift cookware; never slide it.
• Our cookware is safe at high temperatures; use metal, wood, or hi-temp silicone utensils.
• Some foods may stick to new cookware (especially eggs). Use a little extra oil or butter until you've built up the seasoning.
• Acidic foods like tomatoes, beans, and certain sauces can damage seasoning, and should be avoided until the seasoning is well-established.
• Cast Iron rarely needs to go above a medium heat setting when properly pre-heated. For the times when you do cook at higher temperatures, bring the pan to temperature gradually and add oil to just before adding food to prevent sticking.
• Our handles get hot; use mitts. Use trivets to protect countertops from hot cookware.

To Soap or not to Soap...

• If no soap is too scary, wash with mild soapy water and dry and oil immediately. However, consider that cookware is 400-degrees Fahrenheit in 4 minutes on medium heat and is sterile at 212-degrees Fahrenheit, so soap isn't always necessary.
• Dishwashers, strong detergents and metal scouring pads are not recommended, as they remove seasoning.

Rust?! Don't Panic, it's not Broken

• Without protective seasoning iron can rust.
• It's really easy to fix. Scour the rust, rinse, dry, and rub with a little vegetable oil.
• If problem persists, you will need to thoroughly remove all rust and follow our re-seasoning instructions (below).

Refurbish Your Finish
While maintaining the seasoning should keep your Cast Iron and Carbon Steel in good condition, at some point you may need to re-season your cookware. If food sticks to the surface, or you notice a dull, gray color, repeat the seasoning process:

• Wash the cookware with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. (It is okay to use soap this time because you are preparing to re-season the cookware).
• Rinse and dry completely.
• Apply a very thin, even coating of MELTED solid vegetable shortening (or cooking oil of your choice) to the cookware inside and out. Too much oil will result in a sticky finish.
• Place aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven (not directly on bottom) to catch any drips.
• Set oven temperature to 350 - 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven to prevent pooling.
• Bake the cookware for at least one hour. After the hour, turn the oven off and let the cookware cool in the oven.
• Store the cookware uncovered, in a dry place when cooled.
• Repeat as necessary.

Some Basics

• Gas flames should not extend up the sides of cookware.
• Match pan size to burner size.
• Don't use in the microwave.
• When deep frying, fill cookware only to 1/3 of capacity.