Seasoning cast iron

[Salmo_g]

Or maybe it's re-seasoning, I'm not sure in this case. Christmas before last we bought a new cast iron pan from Stargazer. Thinking I would save myself some work I ordered it pre-seasoned. Well that lasted one use at most. This pan is absolutely not seasoned like cast iron I have known. Everything sticks. No dishwashing detergent has touched it, but I have to use a scouring pad and hot water after each use.

Learn me again how to properly season this 12" frying pan for best results going forward. Many thanks!

 

[Pink Nighty]

Or maybe it's re-seasoning, I'm not sure in this case. Christmas before last we bought a new cast iron pan from Stargazer. Thinking I would save myself some work I ordered it pre-seasoned. Well that lasted one use at most. This pan is absolutely not seasoned like cast iron I have known. Everything sticks. No dishwashing detergent has touched it, but I have to use a scouring pad and hot water after each use.

Learn me again how to properly season this 12" frying pan for best results going forward. Many thanks!

Scrape it down to flat and put it on medium heat. Place a Tbs of veg oil in the pan and use a towel to rub it into the pan until no more oil is pooled. Repeat this a couple times.

Place the oiled pan (with no standing oil) in a 400° oven. Cook it for an hour.

Depending on the condition of the pan, repeat this process until its slicker than snot.

 

[Tom Butler]

This video is close to how we did them in the restaurant.

 

[SpeyrodGB]

Kent Rollins has some great cast iron info on YouTube. Stargazer has instructions for maintenance and complete seasoning on their website.

 

[Breck]

Remove the original shitty factory "seasoning" as best you can, then get yourself a can of this stuff. It really is pure magic on cast iron. You can get it on Amazon.

They make these great chainmail wash cloths that are great cast iron scrubbers. Get one of those too.

Just remember to never let it get even close to soap. Basically "wash" it with heat. knock the chunks off and keep it seasoned and it'll last a few lifetimes.

 

[Rob Allen]

Or maybe it's re-seasoning, I'm not sure in this case. Christmas before last we bought a new cast iron pan from Stargazer. Thinking I would save myself some work I ordered it pre-seasoned. Well that lasted one use at most. This pan is absolutely not seasoned like cast iron I have known. Everything sticks. No dishwashing detergent has touched it, but I have to use a scouring pad and hot water after each use.

Learn me again how to properly season this 12" frying pan for best results going forward. Many thanks!

Canola oil. Coat the whole pan and put in the oven and bake it.

The keys to maintaining the seasoning.
1.Do not wash with soap
2. Get the bristle scrubber they make for cleaning cast iron scrubber the pan with that in hot water wipe out any excessive grease with a paper towel.
3. Potatoes.. cook potatoes.. believe it or not it helps clean the pan. Hashbrowns especially.
If you are concerned about germs in the pan. Simply heat the pan to kill them all before you start cooking..

 

[iveofione]

Steve, I would recommend seasoning your pan outdoors in a gas grill to avoid the smoke.

I see a lot of suggestions for the correct temp to season cast iron. Some as low as 200 but most around 400. In my gas grill I can crank it to around 600. About 3 cycles seems to work for me, each time let the pan and grill completely cool. Cast iron is damned tough with a melting point around 2200 so high heat isn't going to hurt it. I think a lot of people baby their cast iron and don't get the best out of it by being too cautious. Even a pan that has been rusty for years can be rehabilitated and used for many more decades.

 

[bennysbuddy]

I find keep it simple work just fine,heat it up rub it with bear grease & use it. I have cast iron that was used by my great grand mother that is still in use today

 

[Divad]

Everybody has the seasoning stuff down I would say from above I use crisco...

BUT do not be afraid to sand that thing! I enjoy a smoother cast iron w/o the factory cast finish. A little sanding and you can take some of those peaks down and get it as smooth as you'd like (w/o taking too much off). Then clean, and season.

Also do not exceed medium heat when cooking on cast. Even medium can get to frying temp in a cast skillet with a little time.

 

[iveofione]

Good advice on the sanding. A lot of the lower priced stuff is just too rough right out of the box. The high end cast iron is much smoother. You can buy rotary disc sanding pads that will quickly eliminate the peaks and valleys that create many of the sticking problems. You could probably sand a pan smooth by hand but at 'Ive's Cut and Try Tool and Die" there is a power tool for every job!

 

[Josh]

Good advice on the sanding. A lot of the lower priced stuff is just too rough right out of the box. The high end cast iron is much smoother. You can buy rotary disc sanding pads that will quickly eliminate the peaks and valleys that create many of the sticking problems. You could probably sand a pan smooth by hand but at 'Ive's Cut and Try Tool and Die" there is a power tool for every job!

Ive, I've often wondered about doing that. What kind of a disc sander are you using? Electric or pneumatic? Any suggested material or grit for the pads?

 

[SpeyrodGB]

I sanded my lodge pans with a synthetic paint stripper on my angle grinder. It smoothed the pan out very well. Wash with hot soapy water, wipe dry, put on heat to dry, season in the oven. I now used grape seed oil to season my pans. Flax seed oil seems to chip and flake after a while.

if memory serves me correctly, the Stargazer pans are fairly smooth right out of the box.

 

[Josh]

It's the budget Lodge pans that are really rough out of the box. Makes them a lot less usable.

 

[bennysbuddy]

It's the budget Lodge pans that are really rough out of the box. Makes them a lot less usable.

Nothing elbow grease & sand paper can’t fix

 

[gpt]

my cast iron is decades old, not the new stuff with ridges in the pan. i keep the cooking temps no hotter than medium heat on the gas cook top. i let it cool and then wash with 'bartenders friend' and hot water. drain, put it back on the cook top with high heat to dispense the drops of water that are still there and rub the entire pan with grape seed oil, just a couple of drops is all it takes. let is sit on the cook top to cool down and put it away until the next time. i have never tried the oven routine but i have read that you can do this when you self clean your oven, never tried it.

 

[klq@stl]

Here are suggestions and tips from a guru I enjoy watching and learning from:

How to Care for Cast Iron Hardware at Home - Alton Brown

From curing to cleaning, Alton Brown's cast iron care guide covers everything you need to know about caring for this hearty kitchen hardware.

altonbrown.com

 

[iveofione]

Ive, I've often wondered about doing that. What kind of a disc sander are you using? Electric or pneumatic? Any suggested material or grit for the pads?

Josh, just about any type of sander that will fit in the pan will work. Mine are all electric and the grit really doesn't matter, just start with a course grit to quickly knock off the peaks then continue with finer stuff until you get the finish you like. Once smooth you can follow Alton Brown's good advice on how to season although I always prefer to do it outdoors if possible. Pay attention to Brown's advice to not put too much oil on the pan. Use oil sparingly then wipe off as much as possible. The old American adage that "More is better!" will definitely screw up your pan and make for a helluva lot more work.

Most multi oscillating tools have a sanding attachment and the goose neck shape might just fit in your pan.

 

[Yard Sale]

My dear old mom taught me to season with walnut oil and I mostly cook with grapeseed oil. Much higher smoke point on each. I like to cook most stuff one high and get a sear, then put in the oven to finish if needed.

When you put it in the oven to season set it upside down so any excess oil can drip out.

I was cooking everything on CI until I got this dang air fryer. I think my BBQ is getting pissed off. Almost warm enough to get back out there and cook like a real man!

 

[Divad]

You can sand them down with whatever, practically all abrasive mediums will nip at iron. Your wood sanding paper will work too. Palm sander, orbitals, you could even use a drill with a diy sander or buy the kit. Mouse sanders are the best option hands down.

In my hunt for other old valuables at sales, I come across cast iron a lot. Most stuff made this century will be rough, the added time to sand and refinish is too costly. Plus the consumer got stupid and likes the uniform black look.

After sanding n seasoning it will take some continued usage, oil and heat to get the area to darken that was sanded.

 

[DoesItFloat]

I've found that the best thing to do in order to properly season a cast iron piece is just to cook with it and to hand wash with water only, then wipe dry and heat for a couple minutes. Give it a little time, and it will be good to go. Seasoned doesn't necessarily mean non-stick. "Factory seasoned" really just means that it's been baked at low temp for a couple minutes to kill any bacteria.