The Beginner's Guide to Cast Iron Skillet Seasoning

Cast iron skillets excel in numerous cooking activities thanks to their all-around utility, robustness, and their capacity to hold heat. Proper seasoning is crucial. It’s straightforward to season a cast iron skillet, needing just a handful of easy steps.

Cleaning and seasoning a cast iron skillet is essential for helping it to last for generations. Seasoning helps to create a non-stick surface that is ideal for cooking.

Table of Contents

Why is Seasoning a cast iron skillet important?

It creates a natural, non-stick surface on the skillet, making it easier to cook with, and also helps to protect the skillet from rust.
It helps build up a patina on the skillet that can enhance the flavor of the food cooked over time.
It protects the skillet from rust and oxidation.
It helps to keep the skillet in good condition and prolongs its lifespan. It’s important to note that cast iron skillets should be seasoned regularly to maintain their non-stick surface and to prevent rust.

What you need

Dishwashing detergent
Scouring pad/ Scotch Brite/ Chainmail Scrubber
Paper Towel
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or any food-grade oil
Trivet
Black Gloves
Cut-resistant glove (optional)

Reminder: You must not forget once you have everything seasoned, do not use soap on a cast iron skillet when you finish cooking with it.

Here’s how to get the most out of your cast iron skillet:

Scrubbing
Heating
Oiling
Repeating the process

Scrubbing

The first step to seasoning a cast iron skillet is to scrub it with dishwashing detergent and warm water. It’s important to use a scouring pad, a Scotch Brite, and a chainmail scrubber also called a cast iron skillet cleaner.

Brush all the corners and center sides by laying the scrub flat on the skillet where the food is burnt. Work on the area in a circular motion.

Once it has been scrubbed, rinse it and ensure it’s spotless from all the soapy water. Dry it immediately and ensure it is free of all water and all moisture is gone. Don’t forget to dry under the carriage too.

Heating

The next step is to preheat the skillet. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Some people go from 400° to 450°F, which shall work too. and place the skillet, turning upside down, inside the oven.

Bake it for 1 hour. After that, turn off the oven, and let the skillet cool up for 30 minutes before taking it out. This will help to create a stronger bond between the oil and the metal.

Now take out a trivet because you don’t want to put anything hot on your counter, knowing that the skillet is brought out from the oven. It’s also recommended to wear a barbecue set-up which is a cut-resistant glove, and regular black gloves over the top to touch the skillet without burning skin.

Oiling

Once the skillet is dry, it’s time to oil it. You can use extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil, flaxseed oil, Crisco, or other food-grade oil. Get yourself a paper towel and rub the oil into the skillet, from the top to flip it over, and rub it all over for a few minutes with another paper towel again, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Then, take a clean paper towel and wipe off any excess oil.

After the oiling, it’s time to bring your cast iron skillet to the oven. Turn it upside down, and put it in the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, you’ll have to shut off the oven and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

One important thing is that cleaning the whole area and getting every corner covered with the oil will prevent the skillet from having lumpy or liquid on all sides. Now, keep in mind that turning it to 450 °F also works.

After the skillet has cooled down, the color will get smooth on all sides. When you rub your hand on the skillet, you can feel like it has a layer.

Repeating the Process

Repeat the process of seasoning as needed, especially if you notice that the skillet is starting to rust or food sticks to it.

As you repeat the process of rubbing the oil with a paper towel all over the skillet, leaving no space by coating every part of the skillet, bringing it back to the oven for 1 hour, cooling naturally for 30 minutes, and repeating it. I like to do it four times.

And don’t forget when you are repeating the process, once you take the skillet out, turn your oven back on and put it back on 500°F.

Since I repeat it 3 to 4 times, it brings a great result and a smoother skillet.

Conclusion

After the whole process, it’s ready to use! The non-stick surface created by the seasoning process will help it last for years.

Further, it helps to build up a patina on the skillet that can enhance the flavor of the food cooked in it over time. As a result, the taste and texture of food cooked in a seasoned cast iron skillet will be better than that prepared in a non-seasoned cast iron pan.

The non-stick surface and resistance to rust of cast-iron skillets depend on frequent seasoning. Be sure to regularly clean and oil your cast iron skillet to maintain the non-stick surface.