FAQ

WHY DOES A LOCALLY MADE SKILLET COST MORE THAN ONE MADE OVERSEAS?

Making products ethically costs more. Our cast iron is handmade by people who are paid a living wage. We also test every pour, so you won't end up with stuff like lead in your food. Guaranteed. We aren't trying to compete with the discount skillets made in anonymous overseas factories. We make products that we personally guarantee for 100 years. While we aren't the cheapest, we are the best value.

WHAT IS FOOD GRADE CAST IRON? AND WHY DON'T ALL NZ AND AU CAST IRON BRANDS USE IT?

There are four types of cast iron, but only one you want on your food.

1. Malleable Cast Iron is used for electrical fittings, mining equipment and machine parts. Nope.

2. Ductile Cast Iron is a popular choice for crankshafts, gears, heavy duty suspensions and brakes. Nope.

3. White Cast Iron is used for its wear resistant properties in pump housings, mill linings and rods, crushers and brake shoes. Nope.

4. Grey Cast iron is ideal for cookware. That’s the one.

There are no food standards in NZ or AU (yet) for the quality of iron used in cast iron cookware. This means that some companies use the cheap stuff just because they think nobody is watching. If you have any questions about the material used in your cookware, ask the manufacturer. They have a duty of care to answer you.

WHAT'S YOUR RETURN POLICY?

Glad you asked. Ironclad Pan Co. offers the longest legally binding product warranty on earth. Seriously. We take our Three Generation Guarantee™️ so seriously we cast the contract in the base of each skillet. If you, your children, or your children’s children aren’t completely happy just return your skillet and we’ll replace it or give you a full refund. Seriously.

WHY IS MY SKILLET GREY AND NOT BLACK?

Your Ironclad comes fresh from our foundry as a raw, untreated high quality iron. The iron will be a lighter grey prior to pre-seasoning. With every oil and use it will get darker and darker and more non-stick. When it arrives you might even have a grey residue on the surface. This is normal. It just needs a scrub with soapy water, an oil, and a bake. We currently only offer pre-seasoning on our Heirloom Legacy Pans.

WHY DOES IT NOT COME PRE-SEASONED?

How you season your pan is as personal as your diet. Some people use grape seed oil. Others use duck fat or vegetable oil or olive oil. It’s up to you. Unseasoned iron gives you the opportunity to flavour your skillet your way. We provide a seasoning balm that we recommend. Whatever you use, use the bare minimum and choose something that's food grade with a high smoke point.

WHY IS MY SKILLET BROWN AFTER PRE-SEASONING AND NOT BLACK?

Newly seasoned cast iron may have a brownish tint to it. It’s not rust, it’s just the initial patina baking in. It can take a few coats of seasoning and some use to get a black finish. Don’t worry about the brownish colour - go right ahead and use the pan. We recommend starting with caramelising onions. Eventually it will go black with use.

WHY IS MY PAN STICKY AFTER SEASONING?

If your pan is sticky it means you either haven’t cooked it for long enough or you’ve used too much oil. Or both. You can remedy this by repeating the seasoning and using less balm. You really only need a tiny amount. We like to cover the pan entirely and then rub it all off. Another easy way to start over is to put your skillet in the oven and set the oven to “clean”. This will burn away all oil and leave the iron a lovely blue/black.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY SKILLET RUSTS?

Uh oh. You left it to drip dry? Not to worry. Any rust that you find is only the smallest possible surface rust. Think micro-millimeters. That surface rust can be scrubbed off with soap and steel wool, or an oiled cloth, or by putting your pan into the oven for a cleaning cycle. If you find rust, don’t worry. Just go back to the initial pre-seasoning instructions and start over. Check out our TIPS or contact us. We’re always happy to help out.

WILL MY SKILLET WORK ON MY INDUCTION STOVE TOP?

Absolutely it will. Cast iron will work on any cooking surface; BBQ, open fire, induction, gas, electric solid plate or electric radiant ring, vitro-ceramic glass, gas oven, wood oven, or cycle powered ovens.

WHAT'S YOUR SHIPPING POLICY?

We aim to deliver all orders within 7-14 working days. You'll find live shipping rates for your country at checkout. We ship far and wide and significantly subsidise the shipping costs. Good quality cast iron is heavy. It’s the least we could do.

WHAT ABOUT IMPORT DUTIES & TAXES?

Given the complex nature of delivering to different markets daily, we can’t take responsibility for import duties or taxes. All duties and taxes need to be paid for by the recipient.