Skottle First Cook - Issue

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CMac

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I routinely sear/saute stuff, can broil, low-temp cook and even bake biscuits and desserts (cobblers) in my single 15 qt. Dutch oven. Best piece of camp kitchen gear out there. Set it in roaring flames or use it on a Coleman stove....it always works. And it was $40. Then nested inside of that is my 100 year-old cast waffle iron for pressing tater tot waffles. The inside of these implements are like black glass. Nothing sticks...ever.

I almost picked up a skottle once to scratch my chronic gear whore itch....but I didn't...and I'm so glad that I skipped it now.

Long live cast iron.
 

Old Tanker

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I routinely sear/saute stuff, can broil, low-temp cook and even bake biscuits and desserts (cobblers) in my single 15 qt. Dutch oven. Best piece of camp kitchen gear out there. Set it in roaring flames or use it on a Coleman stove....it always works. And it was $40. Then nested inside of that is my 100 year-old cast waffle iron for pressing tater tot waffles. The inside of these implements are like black glass. Nothing sticks...ever.

I almost picked up a skottle once to scratch my chronic gear whore itch....but I didn't...and I'm so glad that I skipped it now.

Long live cast iron.
If you use soap to clean the surface of a highly polished cast iron or carbon steel skillet, and let the finish build a molecule at a time, the Skottle is great and will work just the same. If you use pebble-finished Lodge stuff, avoid soap, and build up a layer of hardened crud to smooth out the gaps, then the Skottle is not going to work for you.
 

MMc

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If you use soap to clean the surface of a highly polished cast iron or carbon steel skillet, and let the finish build a molecule at a time, the Skottle is great and will work just the same. If you use pebble-finished Lodge stuff, avoid soap, and build up a layer of hardened crud to smooth out the gaps, then the Skottle is not going to work for you.
Lodge does not agree with you as per their web site. I do agree that the old smooth stuff is better. It is very easy to burn out a scotty when they are new, if it were mine I would go through 10 cycles in the oven at home first.
 

naysjp

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Hi Everyone,

Over the holidays I decided to pull the trigger on the Tembo Tusk Skottle. Today was my first time using and I experienced issues. The season in the center flaked off into the food. I cooked fried rice for lunch and I could see flakes in the food and it tasted funny. After doing the clean up (like video on tembo site), I noticed that a good portion of the seasoning is gone. See pics of the aftermath...

View attachment 184071

View attachment 184070

I'm not sure where I went wrong. I used a silicon spatula and I was not rough with the pan (i.e. no hard scraping). I used some avocado oil, started on low heat to warn it up before I started cooking at a higher setting. I made sure to flip/stir the food frequently since things seemed to cook fast and some rice began to stick a bit. I'm not sure if new seasoning from future use will adhere to old or if I should just take off all the old seasoning and start over. I'd love to hear some pointers for those of you who have these or may have experienced the same.
That sucks. I second that you should contact Tembo Tusk. That should last longer than that. I made my own from a plow disc ground clean after soaking in vinegar for a few days. I put the disc in a round BBQ grill for almost an hour to cook it then cleaned it up.
 
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jmorin41

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I actually touched base with Tembo and they also said it had to do with cold v hot rolled steel. They believe I rec'd cold so they sent me a hot rolled steel version to replace it at no charge. I can attest to their customer service where they responded timely and were attentive to my issue/concerns. I haven't done a cook on it yet. I've completed 3 bake cycles and the disc went from a light Carmel color (spotty) to a darker chocolate (still a little spotty). I was going to do a cook, but then I saw a previous post on doing more bake/prep cycles before use. I think I'm going to do another 2-3 bakes before the first cook. I'll be mindful on the level of heat the first couple cooks to ensure I don't burn off the coating. We'll see how it goes and hopefully I can share a more positive experience this time around!
 
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Why don’t they come standard with hot rolled steel?
 

jmorin41

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Good question. Could be as simple as what is available at the time of production? Maybe something to do with the recent shut-down? Just my guess... of course.
 
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photosubieoverland

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Good question. Could be as simple as what is available at the time of production? Maybe something to do with the recent shut-down? Just my guess... of course.
I think it’s just what’s available. I ordered my before the shutdown and still got the cold rolled steel version. Also noticed it doesn’t come very well seasoned. Either they use to much oil, or don’t have it in an oven long enough so the oil get blotchy and sticky. I had ordered a carbon steel pan last week which arrives with wax on bare metal. Cleaned it and seasoned it to a nice golden brown and it’s completely non-stick. Don’t know how I’m able to season a pan perfectly from scratch in the first try but can’t get the skottle to be non-stick when it arrives “pre-seasoned”.
 

cug

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It can be a mix of many things, for example disc too thin and not distributing the heat properly, therefore some parts getting too hot (burning the seasoning) while other parts aren't getting hot enough, not really creating a seasoning. The pan manufacturers know what they're doing, they have the thickness and materials and surface figured out. But there is also a lot of crap out there in the cookware sector.
 

Hammer Time

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I'd like to think that I "get it" too, but my opinion is the opposite of most here. I loooove my skottle. One issue is that the name "skottle" has been taken over by one brand and many think that it just applies to that one brand. Actually it refers to all of the cook tools that fit the description.

Mine came from SouthwestDisk.com. It was less expensive than the other brand, uses propane tanks, rather than the 1 lb bottles (which I hate due to the huge amount of waste that they generate) and they are available in several styles and sizes.

I like to cook but I hate to clean up. With the skottle, cleanup is a breeze. Heat it up, put some water on it. As the water boils push it around the disk with a spatula. When the water is almost boiled away, toss a paper towel in it and use that to clean up any food/oil/mess that's left. Turn off the burner as the water boils away. Toss the paper towel in the trash. Heat it up again, put a small amount of oil in it, and use another paper towel to coat the disk so it's ready for next time.

It lets me cook many meals with just the disk, using the outer edges of the disk to keep the vegetables (for example) warm, while the main course cooks. I don't have to use separate pots, pans, or dishes, so there's less cleanup. I can serve from the disk to the plates.

I've tried cast iron pots and pans, but they just don't work with my arthritis, they're too heavy.

I'm not an influencer but can someone please let me know where I go to get paid?