Restoring and Maintaining Cast Iron
A well-used skillet should be black, slick, and non-stick. If you treat the surface as a living layer of carbon rather than a sterile piece of metal, it will last longer than you do.
Stop babying the metal.
Cast iron is rugged, but it is not stainless steel. It needs a thin, polymerized barrier of oil to prevent rust and provide a release surface.
- stiff-bristled brush
- chainmail scrubber
- lint-free cotton rag
- stovetop burner
What goes in.
- 1 tsphigh-smoke point oil like grapeseed or flaxseed
- as neededcoarse kosher salt
Dry by heat, not by towel
Air drying leads to rust. Always place the pan on a burner over low heat for two minutes until it is bone-dry to the touch.
The method.
Scrub the pan while warm
Run the pan under hot water. Use a stiff brush or chainmail to remove food bits. If there is stuck-on residue, add a tablespoon of coarse salt and scrub with a folded paper towel.
Dry completely
Place the pan directly onto a burner on low heat. Watch for the steam to stop rising; the pan should look matte grey when the moisture has fully vacated the pores.
Oil the surface
While the pan is still warm, drop a tiny amount of oil in the center. Use a rag to buff the oil across the entire interior surface. Wipe away any excess until it looks like nothing is there—if it looks wet, you have used too much.
Heat to polymerize
Leave the pan on the heat for one more minute to lock the oil into the seasoning layer, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the pan feels sticky after oiling, you used too much oil and didn't heat it long enough to polymerize.
Avoid soap if possible, but a drop of mild dish soap won't strip a strong, seasoned layer if you use it sparingly.
If you find a patch of rust, scour it off with steel wool until you hit raw iron, then follow the re-seasoning process immediately.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use soap on my cast iron?
Yes. Modern mild dish soaps will not strip a well-established seasoning layer. The idea that soap ruins cast iron is a relic from when soaps contained harsh lye.
What if my pan looks grey or dull?
It needs to be re-seasoned. Coat the entire pan in a very thin layer of oil and bake it upside down in a 450°F oven for an hour.
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