59
votes
Accepted
What are the consequences of dishwashering a cast iron skillet?
A cast iron skillet which is regularly washed in the dishwasher will be progressively stripped down to bare metal, which will quickly and consistently rust. It will not be usable for cooking until you ...
- 26.9k
27
votes
Accepted
Seasoned Cast Iron NOT being Non-stick
Don't use flaxseed oil, it's one of the worst.
Something I only discovered recently is it's not just the smoke point you should be concerned about, it's the iodine number. This is important when it ...
- 29.7k
26
votes
What is the point of the "oven" step in seasoning pans?
For me, the oven simply works better than the stove. It is the stove that you can skip.
First, the heat. It is the same principle as with many foods. A pan heats quicker, but with more variability. An ...
- 136k
22
votes
How do I fix improperly seasoned cast iron pans?
Cast iron care need not seem so intimidating or mystical. There are lots of ways to take care of it, and though many will profess their own gospel and taboos associated with cast iron cookware, many ...
- 1,047
16
votes
What are the consequences of dishwashering a cast iron skillet?
First, about the literal question in the title. I would go farther than Sneftel: almost no cast iron skillet is so perfectly seasoned that the metal is perfectly sealed. The seasoning is good enough ...
- 136k
15
votes
Accepted
What is the point of the "oven" step in seasoning pans?
The primary benefit of seasoning in the oven, rather than on the stovetop, is that the sides of the pan are also heated. (Cast iron has low heat conduction, so the sides of the pan may take a long ...
- 26.9k
14
votes
Accepted
Why doesn't chainmail ruin a cast iron's seasoning but metal scouring pad will?
Steel wool, or other scouring pads, are made of quite small, rougher metal fibers or ribbons that will get into much smaller spaces, and clean away much smaller bits of matter, which includes the "...
- 1,018
12
votes
Accepted
Does Lodge A-SPRAY provide any useful benefit over canola oil spray or bottled canola oil?
As you pointed out in your question, Lodge A-Spray is 100% canola oil. It is also in a non-aerosol container. Those two things mean that you have no added propellants or ingredients.
Most cooking ...
- 18.3k
10
votes
What oil is best for seasoning a cast-iron skillet
I will disagree with the top answers here and say that it is best to look for something saturated, with low iodine value. I personally stand by lard, but there are other options.
The advice that ...
- 136k
10
votes
How do I fix improperly seasoned cast iron pans?
Cast iron frying pans are the only kind I own, and based on your photos I don't think you need to start over with the seasoning. Cast iron is tough as nails, you can always rescue it so long as you ...
- 201
9
votes
Accepted
Trouble frying an egg on a stainless steel pan
From your description there are two things that stand out to me:
1) stainless steel pans should NOT be seasoned in a manner similar to cast iron. These are completely different materials, and if you ...
- 106
9
votes
Accepted
Best practices for seasoning cast iron, currently getting mild food poisoning
Seasoning pans is a method for preventing rust, and it has nothihng to do with food safety. It is done once in a pan's lifetime, and only repaired if it flakes off.
There is no prescription in food ...
- 136k
9
votes
Should an enameled cast iron pan be seasoned?
Short answer: No, you cannot season enameled cast iron cookware.
Enamel does not take seasoning in the same sense as cast iron or carbon steel.
I don't know if seasoning would *hurt" the pan, but I'...
- 869
9
votes
Seasoned Cast Iron NOT being Non-stick
I don't have a specific remedy for the seasoning, as there are lots of things that could have gone wrong. I suspect if this was a new Lodge pan, there may have been some issues with the added ...
- 32.1k
9
votes
Accepted
Re-seasoning of cast iron skillet gone wrong?
It looks like the second attempt used far too much oil, which can lead to all sorts of uneven spots in the pan. Seasoning that thick tends to flake off when you cook with the pan. I would strip it and ...
- 10.6k
8
votes
Accepted
How to remove commercial seasoning from skillet?
How to remove old seasoning and start over from scratch?
Very few cases actually require a full stripping of cast iron and restarting your seasoning from scratch. If you ruined your seasoning somehow,...
- 6,334
8
votes
Accepted
Seasoning a wok, have I burned on the factory oil?
I would say the opposite and you have actually burned "off" the coating. When those woks come off the factory floor, they are dipped or sprayed with that anti-rust sealant you are talking about. ...
- 1,356
8
votes
Do pan "pores" exist, what are they, and what are their effects?
Mechanical engineer by trade here with a smattering of materials science background, I think I can weigh in a bit on this topic. There are a few questions that I think are getting conflated with this ...
- 81
8
votes
Accepted
Why season the bottom or handle of a cast iron / carbon steel pan?
It helps keep the pan clean.
I know in my cooking, there's always a chance of something dripping, something splashing, few drops running down the side, which might need wiping up with a damp towel ...
- 11.8k
8
votes
Why season the bottom or handle of a cast iron / carbon steel pan?
Seasoning the handle and outside helps resist RUSTING your cast iron.
The 'varnish' (partially oxidized/polymerized oils) is hydrophobic, and helps avoid rusting your iron. But do please dry your ...
- 392
8
votes
How to season a giant cast iron cider press?
I would not heat up a large cast iron press - too much to go wrong there, little benefit. You are not frying on the thing.
Clean any oil/rust that's on it, dry carefully, oil it with mineral oil or ...
- 15.7k
8
votes
Should an enameled cast iron pan be seasoned?
As per @Joe's comment you don't season enameled cookware. I did a Google search on this cookware. Per the specs, the inside is enameled. And nowhere in the description or specs could I find any ...
- 18.3k
8
votes
Wok Seasoning Fail(?)
I think what happened here, and I've seen this with a few woks - is too much oil. You can see the pooling issues at the bottom where likely you've got some flakes that might come off.
The seasoning ...
- 141
7
votes
New cast iron skillet came out rusty after seasoning
That looks a lot more like cooked oil than rust on the inside. Either way, probably not rust, and definitely not enough rust to cause concern. Scrub it off.
When I season my cast iron, I just do it ...
- 111
7
votes
Why does my De Buyer pan cause food to burn?
Then you aren't using "low to medium heat". The heat is defined by how quickly your food cooks, not by the setting on the stove. Lower your heat until the food fries at a reasonable rate. As for the ...
- 136k
6
votes
Cast iron pan has black residue on it
So as I was surfing the net, I came across this post, and figured I would give my 2 cents. In my experience I have several cast iron pots and pans, also a flat cast iron griddle, dutch ovens, so I am ...
- 61
6
votes
How to apply oil when seasoning wood cutting board?
No need for elaborate application techniques (brushes, spray, etc.).
When I worked in an old style restaurant, the Chef had me:
clean the block with a wire brush**, then wipe free of dust
pour any ...
- 2,792
6
votes
How do I make sure I don't overheat my teflon pan?
To best check temperature, you need a thermometer, and if you can, use a non-contact thermometer (infrared thermometer).
Teflon start degrading at around 260 °C (500 °F).
So check the pan ...
- 20.5k
6
votes
How do I fix improperly seasoned cast iron pans?
Place your cast iron pan upside down in your oven and run the 'Oven Clean Cycle'. Wash with dish detergent and dry with heat.
Reinitiate a proper seasoning.
If your oven doesn't have a clean cycle, ...
- 2,281
6
votes
Seasoning a carbon steel wok
It sounds to me like you are using too much heat to allow the seasoning process to work, instead the oil is burning off before it can polymerize and form the seasoning layer.
The bits that are ...
- 13.8k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible