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Seasoning a cast-iron skillet
Drez
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I bought a Lodge cast iron skillet. It's supposedly pre-seasoned, but it looks pretty gross and has a sticker on it and everything.
So I'm thinking of cleaning it and re-seasoning it.
Anyone have a recommended method?
So I'm thinking of cleaning it and re-seasoning it.
Anyone have a recommended method?
Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar
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I actually just read something in the comments there that has changed what I understand about the internet. Useful information does sometimes exist in comments.
For what its worth, I do 95% of my cooking in cast iron. I've used veggie oil, mineral oil, canola oil, all sorts of oil. Canola/veggie are my preferred. I've even used PAM in a pinch and it works just fine (Baking pam is great on a CI skillet you're doing pancakes on).
As far as cleaning goes, I usually remove my food from it immediately, put about a 1/2 cup of water into the pan to deglaze and rub with a hard bristle brush to get any stuck on bits out. I try not to use any sort of abrasive on it such as a scotchbright pad, or even the scrubby part of a sponge, strictly hot water and a hard bristle brush. Some people also use coarse salt. Throw it back on the stove top and lightly coat with your oil of choice. If you aren't storing them for long periods, you probably wont have to worry about the oil going rancid.
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
Should we concern ourselves with seasoning that?
I hope that's a ceramic enamel!
The salt draws out all of the water hidden in the microscopic nooks and crannies of the pan that would normally not evaporate (or rather evaporates but stays stuck in the nooks and crannies to condense back into water), it also ensures a more even heating of the pan.
This is how I seasoned my carbon steel skillet (though I did it on the stovetop, as heating was faster that way). I'd dump the salt in, stir it around a bit and let heat for about 15 minutes or until the salt had turned a light shade of brown. Discarded the salt, wiped down with oil, and then heated back up on the stovetop until the oil sheen on the surface of the pan was completely gone (oil's sheen disappears when it polymerizes).
If it's something like Le Creuset then it's enameled cast iron, and no you do not need to season that. But you should be careful using metal implements (either during cooking or cleaning) on that surface as you can scratch, crack or chip it.
Is the inside and outside coated? What you are describing is 'enamel' as Djeet points out. Enamel is typically a coating of glass or ceramic which provides a great non-stick surface, without needing to season, but provides all the benefits of cast iron (heat control/retention). Djeet is also correct, these are prone to scratching much like teflon pans, use wooden/silicone/plastic implements. Also, since it is glass, it is prone to heat shock, so avoid heavy deglazing/rinsing while hot, avoid banging it against anything, as the enamel will chip off.
Here is lodges' recommended care for enameled cast iron.
I've never seen cast iron with enamel only inside, so I would imagine the outside would also have some, more than likely, different color enamel.
Thanks!
My own darling is a 28cm Skeppshult professional, but that might be too much for some. At 3+ kilos in weight it's also not a good choice if you don't have strong wrists.
-Antje Jackelén, Archbishop of the Church of Sweden
After using it for a year or two it worked just as well as the stuff that's been around for close to 100 years.
20 Chop up some potatoes
30 Fry potatoes in bacon grease
40 GOTO 10
-Antje Jackelén, Archbishop of the Church of Sweden
The best cast iron in my collection is stuff I've gotten at flea markets and resale shops. Seriously. Most of the time they may be rusty, but a quick clean up with steel wool/bead blasting and a reseason will fix them right up. The reason I say this, is because while lodge is a decent brand for the price, the quality isn't amazing. I find that they do as little as possible to the casting post-pour, meaning the cooking surface has the pits and valleys of a typical sand casting. I find that many older cast iron pans are much smoother, as in they were ground, or used a higher grade casting sand, which leaves a smoother finish. What does this mean? It is easier to clean, releases food better (eggs, searing fish, etc), I would say better than a conventional non-stick pan.
Some people collect cast iron and you may find some in antique stores and flea markets that are outrageously priced, don't let this get you down. The last cast iron pan I bought second hand was a 12" skillet, smooth, for about $30. Inspect the pan for cracks, and heavy pitting where rust has eaten away the casting. Most of the time these pans were 'too much work' for whomever owned them, the seasoning got worn off or chipped, and they got rid of them. Their loss is your gain, as these are easy things to fix with a bit of elbow grease.
My first recommendation to most people for cast iron is a dutch oven. These are HIGHLY versatile items, and the weight of a cast iron lid on a dutch oven essentially creates a low-grade pressure cooker. You can maintain a simmer/boil with a low to medium-low heat. They are great for 'one pot meals' like stews, braised meat/veggies, and roasts in the oven. It is my observation that they cut down on cooking time, due do the heat retention of the cast iron.
Want to second the statement of getting cast iron at flea markets. My god, I've probably paid about $30 total over the years for cast iron skillets that would easily cost a few hundred dollars. Even older skillets that look a bit rusted can be brought back to life quite easily with a wire brush and a little soaking.
There are many reasons for the rough surface of cheaper cast iron.
One is the composition of the sand as well as the pressure its made under (quality cast iron molds are made under several tons of pressure), the other is the post-casting work done. Typically in cheaper pans less effort is spent on sandblasting, lathing and grinding the pan into the finished product.
-Antje Jackelén, Archbishop of the Church of Sweden