Cast Iron Seasoning 101- The most complete guide on YouTube.

[EatTheWeeds]

Not to sound argumentative but I think flax seed oil is by far the worst possible of all oils to use except perhaps borage oil. It goes rancid very quickly and is linked to increased prostate cancer. Pork fat is absolutely excellent for seasoning. If you're a vegetarian use coconut oil. In fact I would use Walmart's Louann coconut oil because it's the most descented and tasteless coconut oil on the market.

[210482fmj]

i tried using vegetable oil for seasoning in the oven on mine and when i took it out a dry paper towel would feel sticky and rough on the pan. IS this normal? THis went away if i added more oil. I think the trick is when you leave it in the oven the oil gradually burns away and using plenty of oil is the trick.

[W0tanTheGod]

@210482fmj

If you'd ask me, using more oil at once is the worst thing you can do if you have a sticky coating.

This sticks stuff ought to be oil that hasnt been completly polymerized due to the thickness of the applied layer of grease. Using more might only worsen the effect. I'd try to either "burn" the pan for a longer period of time or, like you did, try to coat the sticky layer with a fully "burned in" one.

[210482fmj]

@W0tanTheGod i managed to get it right. I had the tempreture to high as one site said 250 degree c which was to hot. I used a lower temp and that worked better. I guess you only figure things out for yourself at the end of the day

[W0tanTheGod]

@210482fmj I still do not believe that it gets slimy with too much heat, because the seasoning is mainly carbon-residue from the fat.

Though heat can destroy the coating- some people advise to use the selfclean-cycle for old and unevenly seasoned pans which is no more than a lot(!!!) of heat.

and btw: If you break up fats, you end up with long chains of fatty acids and glycerin, which is- surprise- sticky^^

Others say, that a sticky coating simply implies a lack of time in the heat

[210482fmj]

@W0tanTheGod well using a high tempreture caused the oil to dry and when runnign the tissue over the surface it felt rough ratehr than smooth and only became smooth when adding more oil. using a lower tempreture for longer was better. sometimes being subtle is better. Like i said everybody has different ways of doing things. BEar in mind my pans are over 30 years old and the largerst one is starting to wear out and have etched rings on the middle like rings on a tree trunk

[Craigres11]

this is a great video....the older your cast iron is the easier it "takes" the seasoning. The iron and the way it was manufactured was just better back then.... my take.

[StairCrow]

@tastygarlic I hear flaxseed oil is the best drying oil and there for the best oil to use when seasoning cast iron. Do you know if its true? they say use good flaxseed oil and its quite expensive. They also gave reasons to why bacon and pig fat is as good as it use to be for cast iron due to the change in diet from today's over production of meat in the US. Search cast iron and flaxseed oil in good you should find the pg easily chemistry, could you tell me if its right or wrong or ????

[onewabbitone]

@StairCrow

From my own experience. The flaxseed experiment was a disaster.

I had great success with Avocado Oil, Lard, and Bacon Fat.

The trick is to heat the pan first....use a thin sparing layer of grease/oil...and heat PAST it's smoke point. ( which polymerizes said oil/grease ) Repeat.

Good Luck

[taylorbroganchickens]

I use lard for seasoning mine, i fill them up to the rim with lard and set it on a hot fire and let it boil and smoke for about an hour, drain the lard off and set it back on the fire for like 2-3 minutes just to let the lard soak in real well! this makes the skillet do slick, and so black it looks like its painted! Nothing will stick to it! i even made a fried egg without any grease in it, and it slid around in the pan, thats how non-stick this method makes it.

[GreatPacNorthwest]

Seems like one reasonable way to season CI...as for the eggs...you probably could have divided the vid in two...how to season CI.....how to fry eggs in CI....as for my eggs, I don't do them in my CI...they come out too brown like yours.....I prefer my cheap non-stick pan with a smooth surface...you can flip the eggs over and then onto to the plate without ever needing the spatula...perfect every time

[YourMomsTopdrawer]

good video was wanting to learn and this video says it all

[highvoltage145]

Would you recommend COCONUT OIL for this kind of job?



[tastygarlic]

@highvoltage145 I have honestly never thought of using coconut oil - and don't cook with it, so I have no experience with it... Not sure what the smoke point of coconut oil is, or how it polymerizes under heat.

[thelumbahjack]

@highvoltage145 its so expensive... y would you do that?

[dookindasie1]

I use bacon fat .........

[polksalad1234]

walnut oil is the best

[210482fmj]

cast iron frying pans are better than carbon steel any day. i can get much better non stick results with less oil than carbon steel pans any day. i have tried carbon steel woks and cast iron just seems better all round.

[IsabellAngela]

just yesterday got my ci out again to fix some nice cornbread w my blackeyed peas... GOTTA LOVE IT

[monaytran]

The big challenge are grills pans. The ridges just lose the seasoning faster, or don't keep it as well. And they're much more laboursome to clean. Any thoughts on how I could improve that?

[logos2600]

A ton of people say that animal fat/lard is way better and the only way to go, so either you are wrong and they are right, or they are wrong and you are right. Which is it?? I've been trying to season with canola oil using different methods for two years now and it won't stick. Comes out mottled in little blotches every time. Even on better seasonings, it isn't nonstick by any means.

[Kyle2303]

if they're done in the pan they're overdone. so true

[QueerbecCanada]

I think you could start a fire trying to tan 4 pans at once, check out my Baking Space cakes video on my uploads, my pans are all seasoned from cooking Magic Space Cakes, who knows it might just be the High Grade magic weed that's making them none stick !

[QueerbecCanada]

your a real nutjob !

[cantcatchm3h]

would it be alright to use vegetable oil instead of shortening? Will it still come out as well? How about canola oil?

[XpaceTrue]

Your seasoning method on the stove top seem pretty ingenious. And I do not find it mentioned elsewhere. After trying it, I can say that it does seem to put on a thick, dark layer of caramelized oils much faster than the oven method. But it also seems like the type of oil makes a big difference. For instance, I found it took a much higher temp to make coconut oil smoke. And the cheap hydrogenated vegetable oil I tried smoked at a much lower temp. Lard was in between.

[KissHope]

Guess I am pickier about my eggs, I don't want brown color on them. The milk solids burnt in your butter causing that.

[boredtodelusionFan]

What is the advantage of making the surface glassy?

[rgsdesigner]

This great, however I'm unclear in the second (stove top) method, when you are rotating the pans, what are the various temps set at? moving clockwise from the most hot at the top left, what temps are each of the other burners?

Thanks so much!

[rgsdesigner]

This great, however I'm unclear in the second (stove top) method, when you are rotating the pans, what are the various temps set at? moving clockwise from the most hot at the top left, what temps are each of the other burners?

Thanks so much!

[RenGrayson]

thanks for the demonstration! :) cast iron pans can seem intimidating at first, but it helps to see how one can easily take care of them. I'll put your advice to practice. thanks again!! ^_^ love to cook eggs on them!

[itsmpt]

Excellent video! I just started seasoning my cast iron on the stove top you did in the video after I learned how to season a wok, which goes through a similar process. I have to say, this method works so much better for me than putting it in the oven.

[cranberryfreedom]

Thank you so much for posting this! I only had 1 question when I started watching:

1. Do I still coat the bottom of the pan if I'll be using it on a glass stovetop?

Answered nearly immediately. SWEET!

[Indygoguy]

When seasoning waffle Irons one needs to use saturated fats such as lard or clarified butter. When one uses vegetable oils they stick. When one brushes vegetable oils on a correctly seasoned waffle iron it will also stick. I would suggest sticking to lard to season the pans.

[richardpurves]

I've got a reasonably new Lodge skillet. Despite seasoning and care (as detailed by yourself on this video), it doesn't look anywhere close to as smooth as your pan! How did you manage that, or was it just years of use that's brought on that mirror shine?

[redlineser]

I like the Crisco product placement!

[dnycguy7]

to save paper i bunch up the paper towel and hold it with a pair of tongs. my li'l contribution to the "goin' green" movement. and, oh, there are so many uses for crisco! :P

[kuumpirukas]

Hi again, I've been using my pan for quite some time now but I can't seem to get cooking meat down right. I can fry eggs like it's nobodies business with nothing sticking. But when I throw a steak, bacon, ham ect. on it starts to stick. I get like this thin layer of brown sticky stuff. I thought this wouldn't happen if it's on 8 (out of 12) and with oil in the pan.

[jweeze1]

your probably trying to move the meat too soon you need to not touch the meat for at least a couple minutes and let it develop a proper sear and also make sure the pan is at temp before you even put the meat on

[elizas04]

I wouldn't recommend using metal on a cast iron skillet. They have those new cooking utinsels that look like rubber and if u get the ones that are high heat they work pretty well.

[Core5]

@elizas04 A nice stainless steel turner with a perfectly straight edge will scratch the pan. But in a good way! It can smooth down bumps and pick off scabs of stuck on stuff. By removing any high points and filling in the lows, a slick glassy surface will form.

Plastic, nylon or rubber turners can't to that, and even the high heat ones can melt in cast iron.

[jabo6262]

Great video,

I've been seasoning on the stove top (gas) many years and most people don't realize the stove top is a great, maybe better, way to season CI.

It would be great if you could make a video using just one skillet on a "how to" demo video to show your great method. Seasoning four at once, kinda busy, might scare off the doubting Thomases using on the stove top method.

[hardhitter0421]

There is nothing like getting your cast iron cookware set up for "getting busy cooking". Sometimes I re-season my cookware just because it gets me going. I also love the fact that you did not let the glass top stove make you miss a step. Do you have a preferred brand of cast iron?

[tastygarlic]

I season-only pans and such from time to time if I haven't used it in a while, or if there is any rust spots forming. Someone put a wet bowl on a skillet, I found some unknown time after... grrr... My favorite CI? I can't say I have a favorite. Lodge is most common - but as long as it is smooth, heavy (Not pot-metal Harbor Freight type junk) - then I'm happy with it. Have some old, some new, some unique - As long as she cooks, and has a meaty, smooth bottom, I'm happy. (Just like my women! : )

[hardhitter0421]

Tu-Shay!!! You cracked me up..Thanks.

[kuumpirukas]

I just had to let you know that I just cooked myself some bacon and eggs. And thanks to your tips not a crumb of food stuck. The eggs literally floated around on the pan. I'm never using teflon pans again. Thanks alot, man :D

[tastygarlic]

Awesome! Success! Would love to see a vid of that!

[ScotianLotion]

Do your cast iron pans not damage your glass top stove? Most smooth top stove manufacturers forbid the use of non-enameled cast iron because it will scratch the surfaces and void the warranty.

Anyways. Great video.

[tastygarlic]

If they do I don't notice. We had a white glasstop at our old place and didn't seem to have a problem with it there either. Brandee found these "Magic Eraser" things that work extremely well for counters, stovetop, everything... As long as you're careful not to slam down a 12" Dutch Oven in the center of the glasstop, you'll be fine.

[kuumpirukas]

Very impressive videos. I'm currently trying to season my own skillet but it's not going so well. Tried to cook a little ham on it after two 60 min cicles in the oven and it still sticked a bit.

I don't want to even know what would have happened if I had tried to fry eggs.

I've noticed that my seasoning is getting a bit brownish. Is this ok or should it be strickly black. If so, what should I do to fix it?

[tastygarlic]

All seasoning starts out brownish and gets darker as you build the patina. Try the stove-top method; Where you add oil on medium heat, wipe it, then add more, wipe it, ect... the oven method is done to "cure" the base-coat of seasoning. After that, just normal cooking and wiping should build-up your pan. Remember to add a little fat/oil/butter in the pan to start a cooking process. Hitting it dry is probably causing the stuck ham. Let pan heat up first before cooking, never start on a cold pan.

[kuumpirukas]

@tastygarlic So let me get this straight: I add the oil (I use olive because i can't find shortening/lard anywhere) in a relatively fine layer, wait for it to start letting off some smoke, remove it from the plate and rub the oil around a bit then once it stops smoking I put it back on the hot plate, add more oil, rub it and wait for it to start smoking again.

Is this correct?

[tastygarlic]

Add oil to hot pan, smear around; Once it just starts to smoke, wipe-out of pan and add fresh oil. Repeat process a few times... The thin layers "dry" somewhat as you're wiping them out... That creates the micro-film layers that build the patina. Adding layer after layer, wiping-out then re-adding, is kind of the fast-track way to mimic normal, extended use of the pan. I just do this to "start" the process on new pans. Then use normally.

[sideyardfort]

ok ..i have a few older cast iron frying pans and the were prety rusted when i got them what i have done is sanded them smooth is this a good idea before doing this seasoning ? or will it not work as well on a smooth surface? thanks fotr the video by the way very informative :o)

[tastygarlic]

Sanding is agressive, but not deadly. I need to make a vid on using an electrolysis(sp?) bin - It's a plastic tub with water and soda ash, a car battery and jumper cables. Youtube will have some vids on this... As far as smooth surface - yes, you're OK there. New pans are very rough and catch my slotted turner on the bottom of the pan because of little raised parts... I'll sand them down before seasoning. Less work to build a smooth patina when there are not huge pits and bumps.

[dontlikenumbers]

Thank you for making the cast iron videos. Do you have a video on getting the rust off?

And I have a sauce pan that has a wooden handle, how do you season that?

[tastygarlic]

I have a "Burt Cast Iron" and "Cast Iron maintenance care" vid... For the wood handles, you're limited to the stovetop/cooktop - or the oven BELOW 200 degrees ... I'd just not place the wood handles in the oven... What you can/should do is: Use stovetop for the cast and use food-grade mineral, walnut, linseed or other oil on the wood. I'd like to see a video of your cookware to get a clear assessment of the rust you are dealing with.

[dontlikenumbers]

I just found out that the wooden handle screws off! LOL. I love my cast iron pans. I wish I could get my hands on a camping dutch oven. I will try to get some videos made and get back to you. The wooden handle was factory painted and still in good shape. I use either lard or veggie oil for seasoning. I am still trying to get them all done right.

[kooktocook]

More good tips. I have actually coated some and tossed them into a firepit overnight. When at home, I do as you do. cheers! KtC

[MakoKitten]

Hey man, thanks for linking me to this video. I don't have an electric stove so it'll be harder to do the cycling, but I've managed to strip all the seasoning that was flaking off my cast iron and I'm going to be starting the seasoning process again.

It was like the seasoning had turned to charcoal on the outsides of the pan. It was brittle and flaking and charred. Also, I'm sure people would find it helpful if you had a vid about how to strip them to the bare iron so we could start over.

[tastygarlic]

Gas Stove: Use three or less pots : )

Your cast iron (charcoal on outside) is not such a bad thing as long as the inside cooking surface is OK. The fastest way to strip the finish: Put the pan in the oven, and turn it to "Self Cleaning" setting. After that cycle, cool and brush the ashes off - then immediatly season. I'll post a video for you today.

[MinhSaChau]

So you don't have to wash it after you're done?

[MinhSaChau]

Ooh, there are alternate ways!  What kind of oil were you using when you were doing all four?

[tastygarlic]

I Was using "Crisco" Vegetable Shortening. You can really use any kind of oil you want, I mainly use Olive Oil because I use that type of oil most when cooking. The "Proper" oil to use would be a canola, peanut or other high-temperature oil. Canola is probably the best bet, but you can really use anything you want. Use whatever you normally cook with. For the initial seasoning, canola or vegetable oil/shortening is best. Olive oil for normal maintenance is just fine.