Keeping Your Cast Iron Skillet
A cast iron skillet is a tool that improves the more you handle it. Its surface is not static; it is a living layer of polymerized oil that you build and protect every time you cook.
Water is the enemy of cast iron.
Never let your skillet soak in the sink or run it through the dishwasher. Moisture is the fastest way to invite rust, which requires abrasive removal and a total restart.
- Stiff-bristled brush or chainmail scrubber
- Cotton rag or paper towels
- Neutral oil with a high smoke point (grapeseed or canola)
- Low heat burner
What goes in.
- 1 tspHigh smoke point oil (grapeseed, canola, or flaxseed)
- As neededHot water
- OptionalCoarse kosher salt for scrubbing
The Thin Layer Rule
The secret to a non-stick surface is oil that has been heated past its smoke point. You want the thinnest possible film—if it looks shiny or wet, you have used too much.
The method.
Clean while warm
Use hot water and a firm brush to remove food debris immediately after cooking. If food is stuck, add a tablespoon of coarse salt and scrub with a dry rag until the surface is clear.
Evaporate moisture
Place the cleaned, wet pan directly onto a stove burner set to low heat. Leave it there for 2-3 minutes until all traces of water have evaporated from the microscopic pores of the metal.
Oil the surface
Once dry, put a tiny drop of oil in the pan. Use a clean rag to buff the oil into the entire surface—inside, outside, and the handle—until the pan looks matte.
Final heat
Turn the heat up to medium-low for one minute to set that final thin layer of oil. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely before storing.
Other turns to take.
Deep Clean
If the pan becomes gummy or develops a strange texture, scrub it down to bare grey iron using steel wool, then perform three full seasoning cycles in the oven at 450°F (230°C).
When it doesn't go to plan.
If your pan develops small spots of rust, scrub them away with steel wool and repeat the seasoning steps.
The more often you fry or sear fatty foods, the stronger the patina will grow.
Store your pan in a dry cupboard, preferably with a paper towel between it and any other nesting pans.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use soap?
Modern mild dish soap will not strip a well-established seasoning. Use a small amount if the pan is greasy, but avoid soaking.
Does my pan have to be black?
The black color is the accumulation of carbon and polymerized oil. A new or stripped pan starts grey; the color will darken as you cook with it.