Online cooking communities can be incredibly valuable, offering a wealth of knowledge for food enthusiasts. However, they can also highlight the disagreements even experts have on seemingly straightforward topics. If you’ve ever searched for advice on cast iron cookware, you’ve likely encountered a confusing array of opinions, from the best oils to use—flaxseed, Crisco, lard, or canola?—to the ideal oven temperatures and intricate seasoning techniques.
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Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
At how.edu.vn, we believe in simplifying cooking processes based on reliable testing and everyday use. When it comes to cast iron, we’ve found that many elaborate seasoning rituals are unnecessary. In fact, maintaining a perfectly non-stick cast iron pan is simpler than you might think. The key takeaway? Season your new cast iron pan once to establish a base layer, and then simply use it. Yes, it truly is that easy to season cast iron.
Understanding the Science of Seasoning
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Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
A cast iron pan starts as a solid piece of iron, molded into the cookware shape you recognize. Bare iron is naturally gray, highly reactive, and prone to rust even in mildly humid conditions. Cooking on unseasoned cast iron is not only an invitation for rust but also guarantees food will stick relentlessly.
This is where cast iron seasoning becomes crucial. Seasoning isn’t about adding flavor with herbs and spices. Instead, it’s the process of creating a durable, protective layer by heating very thin coats of fat, such as cooking oil, onto the iron surface. As the oil heats, it undergoes polymerization, bonding with the metal and itself to transform into a type of plastic. Through repeated seasoning cast iron, these layers build up, resulting in a hard, black coating that safeguards the iron from rust and, importantly for cooking, provides exceptional non-stick properties. This non-stick surface makes cooking even notoriously sticky foods like fried eggs effortless and enjoyable in your seasoned cast iron skillet.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Season a New Cast Iron Pan
Perhaps you’ve read our guide to the best cast iron skillets and are now ready to season your new cast iron skillet. Most new skillets come with a factory pre-seasoning, but adding a few more layers at home ensures a robust start. (If you’re working with a vintage pan needing restoration, our guide on restoring vintage cast iron details how to remove old seasoning and rust.) Once you’ve established your own seasoning layers, regular use is all it takes to maintain it for years.
Step 1: Thoroughly Wash and Dry Your Pan
The journey your new skillet takes from factory to kitchen is uncertain, so cleaning it is essential before seasoning. Wash the pan thoroughly with hot, soapy water, scrubbing all surfaces. After washing, dry it completely. Even after towel drying, residual moisture might remain. Placing the pan on a stovetop burner for a minute or two will effectively evaporate any lingering water.
Step 2: Apply a Thin Coat of Oil and Buff Extensively
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Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
With your pan clean and dry, apply cooking oil both inside and out, including the handle. For seasoning cast iron, we at how.edu.vn recommend unsaturated cooking oils like vegetable, canola, or corn oil. These are commonly available, effective, and easier to spread than saturated fats like shortening or lard. There’s no need to buy specialized oils just for seasoning!*
*(Note: While flaxseed oil is often suggested for rapid seasoning, it tends to flake off with use. We advise against it.)
The crucial step is to buff the oil into the pan until it no longer appears greasy. Excess oil can pool during baking, leading to sticky spots or hardened droplets on the cooking surface, or become sticky if the pan sits unused.
Step 3: Bake It in the Oven
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Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Place the oiled and buffed pan in a preheated oven at 450°F (230°C) for 30 minutes. Ventilate your kitchen well, as some smoke is normal. During this baking time, the oil will polymerize, creating the first of several hard, plastic-like layers that constitute your cast iron seasoning.
Using the oven ensures even heat distribution, which is more effective for setting the oil across the entire pan surface. Stovetop burners, even high-quality ones, can create hot and cold spots, potentially leading to uneven initial seasoning.
While optional, placing the pan upside down with a baking sheet or foil underneath provides extra protection against any oil drips, using gravity to prevent pooling.
Step 4: Repeat the Process 3-4 Times
After 30 minutes, carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Re-apply a thin layer of oil, buffing it thoroughly as before. Return it to the oven for another 30 minutes. Repeat this oiling and heating cycle three to four times to build a solid initial cast iron seasoning.
Once completed, let the pan cool down completely. Your seasoned cast iron pan is now ready for cooking.
Maintaining Your Seasoning Through Regular Use
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Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Many believe cast iron demands constant, repetitive seasoning to stay in good condition. Fortunately, this isn’t true! From this point forward, simply using your pan maintains and improves the seasoning. Every time you cook with fat, you’re adding to the cast iron seasoning. With a well-established seasoning, you can even cook acidic foods like tomatoes and wine-based sauces in your cast iron skillet without concern.
Looking for cooking ideas that enhance seasoning? Try frying chicken, pan-searing steaks, frying eggs, and sautéing vegetables. Even skillet breads like cornbread contribute to seasoning.
The most important thing to remember is that a well-seasoned cast iron skillet is a well-used one. Spend more time enjoying cooking with your cast iron and less time getting lost in online debates about it. Your perfectly seasoned pan awaits!
