OK American Waffle Iron
In Addtion to The Great American Waffle Iron, we also have a few OK American Waffle Irons. These little gems have a bit more personality to them and recieved a few bumps or bruises along the way. They are guaranteed functional to produce a waffle with the Star shape. They will perform and operate Great as designed. They do have a few "distractions," though, so they get their own category of "OK." They will serve faithfully for generations and are an excellent choice if you need a second waffle maker for those Big weekends and are a Great value. There are occasional stars with mis-cast corners or dents in the artwork from the tumbling process.There may also be other minor casting flaws. The star tips are at the bottom of the waffle pocket, though, so they still make a Star Shaped waffle. These have all been QA checked for proper fitment and rotation exactly like our Great ones. These are sold "As Is" for visible features, but guaranteed to function normally. This item does include the base.
Functionally tested and functionally guaranteed. These units do have visual variations.
- Every piece starts with Tony’s simple artwork
- Actual artists and CAD engineers somehow magically figure out what I meant to draw and transform my ideas into actual, usable 2D and 3D artwork.
- Each piece is tested via extensive computer modeling for appropriate draft and to insure that tooling is accurate in the pattern shop.
- All of our pieces are cast in the US with a combination of iron ore and recycled metal.
- Every batch of iron is tested with a spectral analyzer to insure proper and safe metallurgy and contents.
- Basic cleanup is performed at the foundry
- Final clean up, and seasoning is performed at our facility in Tennessee.
- We season with grapeseed oil.
Our cast iron products are warranted, period. If there is ever a defect in craftsmanship, or material failure from normal wear and tear, we will opt to replace it with like kind and quality or refund the purchase price to the original owner or one traced descendant. This warranty does require proper use and care. The owner will pay return shipping. Appalachian Cast Iron will be responsible for shipping back to customer. Before shipping to Appalachian Cast Iron, the customer must contact us and get an RGA (return goods authorization.)
- If your piece came seasoned from our factory, it is ready to use. My wife always does a quick wash with any new cookware and we will not be offended if you do, too. Dawn or other mild dish soap is fine. Warm on stove top or in oven for a few minutes afterwards.
- If your piece came unseasoned, it was coated with a food grade rust preventative oil, most likely PAM purchased at our local grocery store. You will need to season your cook ware. Please read this article about seasoning. (link to article about seasoning.)
- I have seasoned my waffle irons with spray on PAM, as well as BuzzyWaxx. PAM is easier, but BuzzyWaxx gives a more beautiful finish.
- If unseasoned, apply 2 coats of seasoning prior to use.
- After cooking, you may simply wash out with hot water and a scrub brush. For particularly oily or flavorful meals, a few drops of dish soap may be helpful in preventing “ghost flavors” from showing up next meal.
- Cornbread at 435 Fahrenheit is a best first use for a new skillet. Grocery store bacon has a high sugar content and will cause sticking and seasoning issues for a new skillet. Use your skillet for a while and allow the seasoning to build before you cook bacon in it.
- After your seasoning has built up, you can cook mildly acidic foods. The longer acidic foods are in contact with your cast iron, the more likely they are to harm your seasoning. So, if you need to add to your seasoning, wash and dry thoroughly. Warm the piece on your stove top, or in oven for a minute or two. Add your preferred seasoning oil. Wipe off as much oil as you can. Bake in oven above smoke point of the oil for an hour.
Long Term Storage:
- If you have a seasonal home or camper, coat your cast iron well with a cooking spray before leaving unattended for long periods. It may be quite sticky when you return months later. That’s ok. Bake at high temperature for an hour, and the sticky portion will harden, maybe even flake off. After the piece cools enough to handle with your bare hands, scrub under hot water and with stiff bristle brush and soap, lightly re-oil and return to service. This process may seem a little different from other types of cookware, but it will prevent rust. Seasoning is equal parts rust prevention as much as a natural non-stick coating. Much of the non-stick properties of cast iron are equal parts cooking technique, good surface texture, and seasoning.
Another great idea for long term storage is to vacuum bag your clean and dry cast iron pieces. If there is no moisture or Oxygen, corrosion will not take place.
- If you do encounter rust on your cast iron piece: spot rust can be scrubbed off with an SOS or Scotch brite pad, or even Bar Keeper’s Friend. Don’t scrub too hard, though, and leave marks. For heavier rust, you can soak the piece in 50/50 water and vinegar. After soaking, rinse thoroughly, dry, heat, and re-season.
- Do not clean by placing in fire or embers.
- It is OK to clean Appalachian Cast Iron pieces in a gas grill. Just remember to heat slowly.
- Place in a cold grill
- Light grill and set to 250 degrees for 20 minutes
- Increase heat by 100 degrees every 5-10 minutes until you reach 600 plus degrees. Leave for 1 hour.
- Reduce heat to low for an hour.
- Turn off grill and let grill return to ambient temperature before opening.
- The pre-heat and cool down process is critical to keep from warping your pieces. Do not rush.
- Self-Cleaning oven is acceptable to use if you use your self-clean function. First, preheat oven to 435 with Appalachian Cast Iron pieces in the oven for 20 minutes after the preheat completes. Turn off oven and restart in self-cleaning mode. After self-cleaning has completed, leave cook ware in oven until room temperature.
* Note: Tony has a background in appliance repair and does not recommend the use of a heated self-cleaning mode due to the potential for damaging the relays on the oven power control board. But, if you take that risk anyway, by following our protocol, you will do no harm to your Appalachian Cast Iron products. The manufacturers recognize the alarming potential for an oven to be damaged during self-cleaning, so several of them now offer “Steam Cleaning.” By pouring a cup of water into a recess in the oven floor and initiating a controlled heating cycle, the oven steams up the interior of the oven, which loosens grime. It is very effective. DO NOT PUT YOUR Appalachian Cast Iron products in a steam clean cycle.
- Dishwashers??? Yeah, DON'T DO THAT!!!
To Use Your Appalachian Cast Iron Great American Waffle Iron or Jeweled cook ware:
- Preheat your skillet or waffle maker thoroughly. Start on a low heat. After a few minutes you can increase your heat as needed.
- DANGER! DANGER! Rapid increase in temperature can cause warpage or cracks due to the center of the pan expanding faster than the perimeter. Something is going to give.
- High heat use in cast iron is rarely needed. I do use medium high heat when searing a roast. First, I preheat appropriately to a medium / low temperature, then once I place the roast in the skillet, or Dutch oven, I increase the heat to medium high to quickly replace the heat transferring to the roast. If it starts to smoke that’s hot enough, back off a tad.
If you are new to cast iron cooking, you are starting a wonderful cooking tradition. There are millions of wonderful cast iron cooks that will be glad to share their experience and help you along the way.
If you are an experienced cast iron cook, thank you for trying out our products. We do not claim to produce the best cast iron cookware. There are several wonderful companies out there and that claim is a very tall order. Our humble hope is simple, that while using, you will smile, and have a new favorite.
In stock at an introductory price of $95, the #10 Jeweled Skillet is designed for the cook that wants a superior “as cast” finish that seasons quickly, is more naturally non-stick, and captures the eye when presenting at the table. With an exceptionally smooth as cast surface, reminiscent of vintage pieces, our skillet does not need milling to give you an exceptionally smooth cooking surface. 5 Lbs. 10" across the top, 7.75" cook surface. A shade under 17" from handle end to handle end. Carat weight of 8646 with an estimated 2520 facets. Castings are in stock. Production and processing typically takes 2 days to 2 weeks.
The Great American Waffle Iron is hand finished piece made for the patriot, the family that enjoys quality food, the cook, the baker, the traditionalist, the historian, the story teller. Particularly suited for the person that loves to cook for those they love.
In Addtion to The Great American Waffle Iron, we also have a few OK American Waffle Irons. These little gems have a bit more personality to them and recieved a few bumps or bruises along the way. They are guaranteed functional to produce a waffle with the Star shape. They will perform and operate Great as designed. They do have a few "distractions," though, so they get their own category of "OK." They will serve faithfully for generations and are an excellent choice if you need a second waffle maker for those Big weekends and are a Great value. There are occasional stars with mis-cast corners or dents in the artwork from the tumbling process.There may also be other minor casting flaws. The star tips are at the bottom of the waffle pocket, though, so they still make a Star Shaped waffle. These have all been QA checked for proper fitment and rotation exactly like our Great ones. These are sold "As Is" for visible features, but guaranteed to function normally. This item does include the base.
Tooling is complete for this Pre-Order item and we are waiting our turn at the foundry. At an introductory price of $69, the #8 Jeweled Skillet is designed for the cook that wants a superior “as cast” finish that seasons quickly, is more naturally non-stick, and captures the eye when presenting at the table. With an exceptionally smooth as cast surface, reminiscent of vintage pieces, our skillet does not need milling to give you an exceptionally smooth cooking surface. 3 Lbs. 8" across the top, 6" cook surface. A shade under 13" from the handle end. As of June 2, we are expecting castings to be delivered within a couple of weeks. Now accepting pre-orders. These orders are expected to ship within a month.
Our Partnership Skillet is limited to less than 100 pieces. They are clearly marked with a capital "P" under the handle (be sure to click the pictures and view additional images. You can find the P under the handle.) Normal production skillets will not have this mark. Your decision to purchase a Partnership skillet is particularly appreciated. Partnership skillets are on hand and ready to ship. 8" across the top, 6" cook surface. A shade under 13" from handle end to handle end. 3 Lbs. Our part number JS09171787, stands for Jeweled Skillet and the date code is September 17, 1787, the date members of the Constitutional Convention signed the final draft of the Constitution. All of our cast pieces have a date code as part of their part number representing an important date in US history.
Our Partnership Skillet is only available in limited quantities and is clearly marked with a capital "P." Normal production skillets will not have this mark. Your decision to purchase a Partnership skillet is particularly appreciated. Partnership skillets are on hand and being processed. 10" across the top, 7.75" cook surface. A shade under 17" from handle end to handle end. Carat weight of 8646 (5 lbs. ) with an estimated 2520 facets.
Our leather handle cover is produced in house and is a great helper when using your waffle iron or pulling your Jeweled Skillet from the oven. We produce these in house and are sure you will love them. (Yes, you can use them on other brands of cookware, too. We won't tell.) The design is a fold over seam design and is very ergonomic. There is stitching down one side and the bottom. The other side remains open so that the piece is semi-open and easier to use. We use the thickest leather we could source and still execute the fold. Product testers have been amazed at its resistance to heat. The 4.5 inch version works great with the waffle maker. It is useful with the skillet as well. The 5.5 inch handle cover is recommended if you have only purchased the skillet, it provides a fuller grip.
Our paring knife is made by Dexter Russel, one of the last main line producers of cutlery in the USA. Tony personally has a couple of their large cleavers for BBQ duty, and several spatulas, but the paring knife gets used multiple time a day.
and the ability to buy "FIRST RUN" products before they are available to the public.
