How-to
How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet
How to season a cast iron skillet: wash, wipe on a thin film of oil, bake upside down and cool in the oven, plus oil choice and when to re-season.
A cast iron skillet gets its nonstick surface from oil that has been baked onto the metal, not from a chemical coating, and that surface wears down with use. Re-seasoning is a short oven job with a thin touch of oil.
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What seasoning actually is
Seasoning is a thin layer of oil that has been heated until it bonds to the iron, leaving the dark, slick patina cast iron is known for. Most skillets today are sold pre-seasoned, and the Utopia Kitchen 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet, for one, arrives pre-seasoned with vegetable oil, so it can go straight to the stove, though buyers weighing the right size cast iron skillet for steak should check the diameter first.
The coating does not last forever. When the surface turns dry and patchy in spots, it is time to rebuild the layer.
Six steps to season a cast iron skillet
The same routine works for a new pan that needs a boost and for an older one that has dulled. Oven temperature varies by maker, so use the figure in the instructions for the pan in hand.
- Heat the oven to the temperature the maker recommends, and wash the skillet with hot, soapy water.
- Dry the pan completely so no moisture is left on the iron.
- Rub a thin film of neutral oil or shortening over the whole pan, including the bottom and the handle.
- Wipe off the excess until the pan looks and feels almost dry; pooled oil turns sticky.
- Line a lower rack with foil to catch drips, then set the skillet upside down on the rack above.
- Bake for one hour, turn the oven off, and leave the pan inside until it has cooled completely.
Which oil works best for seasoning?
Almost any fat will bond to the pan, but a neutral oil with a high smoke point gives the cleanest result because the pan sits in a hot oven for a full hour. Canola, vegetable oil, grapeseed and shortening are the usual picks; flaxseed also gets recommended. Olive oil and other low smoke point fats tend to smoke and can leave a sticky residue, so they are better saved for cooking.
A bare or stripped pan should go through the whole routine several times, because a durable finish is built from many thin coats rather than one heavy one.
Keeping the finish between oven sessions
Cooking is the easiest maintenance. Anything made with fat, such as bacon or a steak dinner, lays down a little more seasoning each time, and the pan improves with regular use. Tomato sauce, citrus and vinegar-based dishes can wear the finish down and leave a metallic taste, so hold them for a pan with a well-built layer.
The type of pan to cook steak comparison covers the pans suited to searing steak.
Re-season whenever rust appears, the surface turns sticky, or the finish looks dull. Heavy rust is a separate job, so follow the maker's instructions for removing it before the pan goes back in the oven.