Chef Forum banner

Large volume salt - storage and cooking

2K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  chrislehrer 
#1 ·
Does anyone have extensive knowledge or experience with salt?
I'm looking for a pot of sorts, that can hold around 5Kg of salt permanently. The vessel will also be used to heat up the salt to form an oven.

The materials I'm considering are either cast iron or stainless steel. Is there any reason why either of these materials should not be used (corrosion, oxidisation etc)?

Thank you.

Rook
 
#2 · (Edited)
Hi Rookie T

From what you have described, you are going to need a vessel that has good heat conductivity, will not react with the salt and has the ability to protect the salt from moisture etc.  A large cast iron pot fills most of those needs but, cast iron is reactive unless it has been enameled.  Since the vessel will be holding salt permanently, I don't know what effect prolonged exposure to the salt will have on the enamel coating, if any at all.  So, unless you can find some specific information on that,  you should probably stay away from the cast iron.

Stainless steel seems to be your best bet here.  Its non-reactive, durable and has acceptable heat conductivity, although not the best and certainly not the worst.  Depending on the design of the pot or vessel and where you store it, it should protect the salt from moisture rather well.  So, if cost is a factor, stainless steel is probably your best bet.

Another good choice would be some sort of ceramic pot or vessel.  But, this could prove to be rather pricey.  If cost is not an issue, try looking for a properly sized ceramic pot that is designed for use in the oven.

Just out of curiosity, why do need such a large vessel?
 
#4 ·
I'm wondering if a carbon steel wok or carbon steel roasting pan might work. Salt is going to corrode when there's constant contact, there's no getting around it.

I bought my carbon steel wok at the Wok Shop in San Francisco. They carry woks made of carbon, cast iron, and stainless steel. They have flat bottom and round bottom woks. They have a variety of sizes. A variety of handle options.

You can buy a wok lid to cover the salt when not in use.

They are reasonably priced too.

One consideration is weight. Carbon steel is very light compared to cast iron. I love my cast iron skillets, but tend to use the smaller one because of the weight.

While I bought my wok at their brick and mortar store, the Wok Shop has online sales.

http://wokshop.stores.yahoo.net/reworkwok.html
 
#5 · (Edited)
Hi Rookie T...................Stainless steel seems to be your best bet here. Its non-reactive, durable and has acceptable heat conductivity, although not the best and certainly not the worst. .............
I possess stainless steel that's corroded/rusted from using curing salts that include sodium chloride. However the higher the chromium content of the stainless, the more resistant it is to corrosion and rust. Chances are that the stainless will ultimately corrode under the conditions that you described.
 
#6 ·
Glass or ceramic is your best bet with pyrex being my first choice, stainless will work but it will pit after time. Cast iron is a no way, even of enameled because it has hairline cracks in the enamel we can't see but salt will eventually penetrate.
 
#7 ·
Glass or ceramic is your best bet with pyrex being my first choice, stainless will work but it will pit after time. Cast iron is a no way, even of enameled because it has hairline cracks in the enamel we can't see but salt will eventually penetrate.
Cast iron and stainless have close to the same salt corrosion rates. Stainless steel is a bit more resistant. Both are routinely used in marine applications. Keels are even made of cast iron, and spend years in saltwater.
 
#8 ·
I agree.  But, there is a lot of information here that the OP did not include such as cost concerns, what the heat source would be, why he needs such a large vessel to hold such a large volume of salt  and so on.  If cost is not an issue, then, ceramic or glass would be his best bet.  But, a glass or ceramic vessel that can hold 5kg of salt is somewhat of a specialty item.    If there are budgetary concerns, he can use a large SS pot for the short to medium term and be just fine.  If the pot begins to corrode, he can get another one fairly economically. 

But, all this is academic because the OP appears to be a "hit and run." 
 
#10 ·
Without more information, it is hard to provide a good answer; however I don't see why the cooking vessel has to also be the storage container. In between uses, why not store the salt in a plastic bucket or glass jar, then corrosion wouldn't be an issue?
 
#12 ·
Oh gosh I am so sorry for neglecting this thread! The intention is to find a cooking vessel that can be used on an induction cooktop. My first bet was actually cast iron plus enamel coating also. Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be a lot of first hand experience with something so weird and uncommon. Induction will unfortunately rule out glass and ceramic, the two most stable material when it comes to wear and corrosion. :(
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top