Restoring a Wagner Ware Vintage Aluminum Oval Roaster

Recently on a trip to the world famous Brimfield Antique Show, I was lucky enough to find one of the best items I'd ever seen, and been able to afford: a genuine vintage aluminum oval roaster from Wagner Ware. I couldn't believe the price they sold this for, and there was no way I could pass this up. And now, it's time to clean up this roasting pan and get it ready for cooking, especially since the holidays are coming. Restoring this to working condition was an interesting, and successful, project, and I'm proud to share the results here with you.

Wagner Manufacturing of Sidney, Ohio was one of the most famous makers of cast iron cookware during the 20th century, but they also produced a famous line of Magnalite aluminum pots and pans as well. They went out of business in 1999, but many of those Magnalite pieces are still out there. Quite a few of these oval roasters can be seen on eBay and other sites, but the one I found at Brimfield appears to have been made even before Wagner introduced their Magnalite series. It has the same markings as a Wagner cast iron dutch oven from the 1920s to 1930s, and the patent date is inscribed underneath the lid.

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