The Best Way to Season and Care for Your Cast Iron Pan (2024)

So, what is the best way to season and care for your cast iron pan? When it comes to retaining heat, nothing surpasses a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Its dense structure means it takes a good 5 to 7 minutes on high heat to heat up, but it maintains its temperature well even when you add food.

This consistent heat delivers a thicker, crisper, and more evenly browned crust on a half-pound rib eye steak. Similarly, you can use less oil when frying chicken because the pan’s heat quickly reheats the oil as soon as the chicken cools it down.

The fact that a cast iron skillet is oven-safe means you can braise and bake just as effectively as you can fry or sear. Cornbread comes out with a beautiful golden-brown crust, and pies come out wonderfully crisp on the bottom, even with moist fillings. Its heat retention ensures that even if your oven’s temperature fluctuates (as most do), the skillet’s heat remains fairly constant.

Learning How to Season and Care for Your Cast Iron Pan

I have a number of cast iron pans and years ago, my husband spent hours scouring the internet for the best way to season a pan. There are so many online forums offering mixed details. Some swear by flaxseed oil for seasoning, others advocating for coconut oil or canola oil, and still others preferring vegetable oil. The oven temperatures and methods vary widely, with some recommending complex procedures involving high heat and repeated temperature changes during seasoning.

We turned to the cooking professionals at Serious Eats. They use their cast iron skillets frequently. They tested many methods and gave uncomplicated advice. We tried their advice. Here’s their straightforward advice. When you get a new pan, apply a basic round of seasoning (detailed below), and then simply use your pan. It really is that easy.

Understanding Seasoning

Cast iron cookware is essentially a solid chunk of iron molded into cookware. It’s actually highly reactive will rusting quickly in humid air. Cooking in a bare iron pan not only leads to rust but also causes food to stick.

What you need is seasoning. What is seasoning? In this case, seasoning refers to a protective coating formed by heating thin layers of oil on the cast iron cooking surface.

As the oil heats, it bonds to the metal and itself in a process called polymerization, turning into a plastic-like layer. Several layers create a hard, blackened surface that protects the metal and provides a natural non-stick surface. Creating a nonstick surface for all sorts of sticky foods even fried eggs.

How to Season a New Cast Iron Pan

If you’ve bought a new pan, it likely comes with some degree of pre-seasoning. However, it’s a good idea to apply a few additional layers ensures it’s fully prepared.

Step 1: Wash and Dry Your Pan

Wash the skillet thoroughly with a little dish soap and warm water. It will remove any residues from the factory. Use a stiff brush or steel wool if necessary to remove any residual coating.

Dry the pan completely by heating it on the stovetop for a minute or two to eliminate any remaining moisture. If your pan has any excess oil or sticky spots, a clean cloth and a little hot water can help.

Step 2: Apply Oil and Buff

Rub a thin layer of cooking oil all over the pan, including the handle. We prefer unsaturated fats like vegetable oil, canola oil, or coconut oil for seasoning because they have a high smoke point and spread easily. In fact, even bacon grease will work. Here is a great article on How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet with Bacon Grease.

Don’t apply too much oil. It can pool and form hardened droplets or become sticky. For best results, buff the oil thoroughly with a clean paper towel until the pan no longer looks greasy.

Step 3: Heat in the Oven

Place the oiled pan upside down in a preheated 450°F (230°C) oven for 30 minutes. To help keep your oven clean, use aluminum foil or a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any excess oil that might run. This process allows the oil to polymerize, forming a protective coating. The even heat from the oven ensures that the oil sets uniformly over the entire pan.

Step 4: Repeat the Process Three to Four Times

After 30 minutes, remove the pan, careful it will be hot! Reapply a thin layer of oil. Buff it out and return it to the oven for another 30 minutes. Repeat this oiling-and-heating process three to four times to build a strong initial layer of seasoning. Once done, let the pan cool. It’s now ready for cooking.

Future Seasoning Sessions

Many believe cast iron requires frequent re-seasoning, but that’s not the case. Regular use with some fat helps build up the seasoning layer over time.

With a good layer of seasoning, you can cook acidic foods like tomatoes without worry.

The most important thing is to use your skillet regularly. Cooking methods like frying chicken, pan-searing steaks, making fried eggs, and sautéing vegetables all contribute to maintaining a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.

With proper care, a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is a well-used one.

References

Serious Eats. How to Buy, Season, and Maintain Cast Iron Cookware.

Serious Eats. Guide to Cast Iron