How to season cast iron cookware

[Trapper]

To season:
Take any oil,(vegetable, canola, olive)... and wipe down the pan every inch in and out. Use a second paper towel and wipe off the excess. If you dont you will get a zebra striping finish. Put the pans in the oven upside down at 500'F and turn on the stove. Leave it on for 45 minutes. Open the windows and exhaust fan if you have one. Smoke will come off the pans. What happens is the oil actually carbonizes and that is all what seasoning is..carbonized oil/grease. (Most oils begin to carbonize at 400-430'F. You may read on the internet to put in the oven for 30 minutes at 300-350'F. The oil will get sticky/tacky and food will stick too.
After the 45 minutes turn off the stove and let the pan cool in the oven. Once cool re-oil the pan and do the same exact steps over again. Do this three times. You have a great cooking surface.

If you have an egg pan, USE IT ONLY FOR EGGS! Cooking bacon and eggs will cause the eggs to stick. I have a griddle I got for $1. It has a better than teflon surface. I spray it with non-stick spray, let the pan warm a bit, and put on the eggs. When done just wipe off the pan with a paper towel and clean up is complete. I rinse with water after a few uses and wipe it dry.

 

[OldSchool]

Good info. I watched a video about seasoning cast iron, jives with above. I've also heard the same about having a dedicated egg pan.

 

[Haertig]

It's a little known fact that scrambled eggs were invented by people trying to make over easy eggs without dedicated pans.

 

[Pearl]

Thank you for posting this info!!

 

[teeceetx]

I'm confused ... if the pans are seasoned in the OVEN ... why then turn on the STOVE?

 

[Hardcalibres]

The same seasoning method works for spun steel and titanium cookware too.......in fact it works on anything that is not non-stick coated.

The main thing is to keep the oil layers very thin........that makes them cook on better and the final finish is dryer to the touch and doesn't go rancid later. I often season several pieces at one time......by rotation.....one being re-oiled while another is cooking......... and a few more are at different stages of cooling down.

 

[Cabin Fever]

Very similar to seasoning the barrel of your black powder rifle barrel, except I use Bore Butter whereas the old mountain men used bear grease.

 

[OldSchool]

I'm confused ... if the pans are seasoned in the OVEN ... why then turn on the STOVE?

You made me re-read.

I'm pretty sure he used the term stove meaning the combined unit of having stove top heating elements and a separate oven compartment. Same as a person would say: We bought a new stove today!
He wasn't talking about the stovetop burners or heating elements.

 

[OldSchool]

FWIW: Years ago I ditched all my cookware that was aluminum or non-stick coated, in favor of Glass Pyrex Visions. The Visions is alright for some cooking but not great overall, especially the fry pans. Thus my interest in cast iron now.

Been debating about enameled cast iron, which is expensive for a good quality pan, or just plain old un-coated cast iron.

 

[Haertig]

I sand my cast iron down before seasoning. Why not make it as smooth as possible before seasoning?

 

[OldSchool]

From my metal working experience: Cast iron does sand well. I'm betting a dual action sander with 80 grit would smooth it out nicely. Then DA sand with 120 grit to remove the 80 grit scratches, then finish 240 should be fine. 3M gold DA paper.

 

[Haertig]

From my metal working experience: Cast iron does sand well. I'm betting a dual action sander with 80 grit would smooth it out nicely. Then DA sand with 120 grit to remove the 80 grit scratches, then finish 240 should be fine. 3M gold DA paper.

I just use my oscillating tool with the triangular sanding attachment and, I think, 150 grit. But maybe it was 120 grit. Whatever fine to very-fine grit paper popped up first into my view of the toolbox. One grit and done. Probably any grit 80 to 180 would work fine.

 

[OldSchool]

At one time, probably 25 years, I sandblasted a few vintage cast iron skillets that I bought at a flea market to clean 'em up. Then I didn't what to do with them or how to season them. Apparently someone else did, they disappeared.