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

The most detailed Cast Iron Seasoning howto video on YouTube... I even cooked some eggs at the end to "test" the non-stick capability of a freshly seasoned pan. This is also my first attempt at video editing and working under the ten minute limitation. I hope the "cuts" are not too choppy to follow. Please rate and comment!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Cast
• Iron
• Seasoning
• Season
• Skillet
• Lodge
• Cookware
• Black
• Rust
• Staub
• Wagnarware
• Warner
• Frying
• Pan
• Fried
• Eggs

[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.

[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! : )

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[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

[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 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

[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.

[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 ????

[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.