Some vintage finds make you stop and say, what on earth is that? This one is shaped like a pig, made of heavy cast iron, and has the words BACON PRESS cast right into its body. Found on a shelf in an antique or thrift shop, it looked dirty and a little strange. By the end of the story, it was clean, reassembled and sizzling on a pile of bacon.
The whole restoration was shared by @cozy_anastasia on TikTok, with no talking at all, just the satisfying sounds of cleaning and cooking.
@cozy_anastasia
The find on the shelf
The story starts in a store with soft lighting, where a pig shaped cast iron object labeled BACON PRESS sits on a wooden shelf. The caption calls it a weird vintage cast iron find. Back at a sunlit tabletop, hands inspect it closely, scrape dirt out of the lettering with a small flat tool and unscrew the wooden handle from the cast iron base so each part can be cleaned on its own.
Stripping off the old residue
In direct sunlight, the iron body goes into a small white silicone bowl and gets sprayed with Easy Off Heavy Duty oven cleaner. Wearing green gloves, the restorer rubs in the foam and scrubs with a toothbrush to loosen the brown residue, then rinses everything with clean water.
A second bath and a scrub to bare iron
Next, a white powder is measured out and mixed with water in a glass beaker, then poured over the press, which sits covered in more dry powder in the bowl. The mixture foams up. A round stainless steel scrubber then goes over every surface until the pig is down to bare grey cast iron, followed by another rinse in clear water.
Handle, oil and seasoning
With a new pair of purple gloves, the wooden handle gets sanded with sandpaper and the dust blown away. The handle is wiped with oil and screwed back onto the cast iron body. A small amount of seasoning paste is brushed across the iron to protect it.
The real test
The final step is the one everybody has been waiting for. The press goes straight onto a glowing red electric stove burner to heat up, then is set down on strips of bacon on a small wooden cutting board. It sizzles and steams. The meat is seasoned with pepper, cut with a fork and knife and lifted up to show it off. The odd little pig did its job.
Tips for restoring a vintage cast iron find
- Take apart anything that can be removed, such as a wooden handle, so the iron and wood can be treated separately.
- Wear gloves and work outdoors or in good light and airflow when using oven cleaner or other chemicals, and follow the product’s directions.
- Scrub down to bare iron, rinse thoroughly and dry the piece well to avoid new rust.
- Sand and oil wooden handles instead of soaking them.
- Season the iron before cooking, and heat it before pressing food, as shown here.
What a bacon press is for
A bacon press is a heavy weight that sits on food while it cooks. For bacon, the idea is to keep the strips flat against the pan so they cook evenly instead of curling. The same trick works for other foods that benefit from firm contact with the heat, such as thin cuts of meat or pressed sandwiches. Cast iron is a natural choice for the job because it is heavy, durable and holds heat well. Figural designs like a pig shaped press are the kind of novelty kitchen piece collectors enjoy, though what one is worth depends on its age, maker, condition and demand.
Why seasoning matters
Seasoning is not a flavor. It is a thin, hardened layer of baked on oil that protects cast iron from rust and makes the surface less sticky. Once you strip a piece down to bare iron, that layer is gone and the metal can rust quickly, even from humidity in the air. That is why the process shown in this story ends with oil and seasoning rather than stopping at a clean, bare surface.
A basic re-seasoning routine
- Wash the piece, rinse it and dry it completely, including a few minutes on low heat to drive off hidden moisture.
- Rub on a very thin coat of a cooking oil with a high smoke point, then wipe it off as if you were removing it. Thin layers cure better than thick ones.
- Heat the piece in an oven, commonly at a high temperature for about an hour, and let it cool inside.
- Repeat a few times for a sturdier finish.
Cleaning and caring for cast iron afterward
- Wash with warm water and a brush soon after use, and dry right away. Do not leave it to soak or air dry.
- Apply a light coat of oil after drying, especially if the piece will be stored for a while.
- Oven cleaner is caustic, so rinse thoroughly and re-season before using a piece for food.
- Keep wooden handles out of water. A little food safe oil now and then helps keep the wood from drying out.
- If rust appears, scrub it off, dry the piece and season it again.
Credit for the original post goes to @cozy_anastasia on TikTok.
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