Cast Iron/Stainless steel pan seasoning

[HereWeGoAgain]

I gotta get me some sea salt. And a set of wooden spatulas. I have rubber but would prefer wood.

Yeah...wood works well but a hard plastic spatula works better for getting rid of stuck on stuff with boiling water.
I have a dedicated spatula just for cleaning my cast iron because it kinda fucks em up.

 

[Muhammed]

Found it on amazon..ordered it. Will be here tomorrow.

Meanwhile..I'm confused. Reviews on all cast iron skillets say to use chain mail scrubber. I thought that was a no no? I know NO SOAP. But what is the reason for seasoning it, then scrubbing it all back off again? Is this a regular procedure every time you use it?

Friend of mine said she uses a scraper knife on hers...like those razor ones that retract. Which confuses me more.

A lot of people will purposefully remove the factory seasoning from cast iron, which is just there to prevent rust, and re-season it themselves. After all, you have no idea what they used to season it. They could have seasoned it with used motor oil for all you know.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Found it on amazon..ordered it. Will be here tomorrow.

Meanwhile..I'm confused. Reviews on all cast iron skillets say to use chain mail scrubber. I thought that was a no no? I know NO SOAP. But what is the reason for seasoning it, then scrubbing it all back off again? Is this a regular procedure every time you use it?

Friend of mine said she uses a scraper knife on hers...like those razor ones that retract. Which confuses me more.

A lot of people will purposefully remove the factory seasoning from cast iron, which is just there to prevent rust, and re-season it themselves. After all, you have no idea what they used to season it. They could have seasoned it with used motor oil for all you know.

The only cast iron I didnt cook off was my Field cast iron.
I just enhanced it.
That stuff is almost perfect right out of the box.

 

[Gracie]

Wish I could afford something like that. Looks so smoooooth! But I had to settle on Lodge.

 

[Gracie]

Seasoning is super important for cast iron. A little oil (or bacon fat) brushed on the pan and then put it in the oven to seal it.

A well seasoned pan can handle soap and water. Lodge even recommends using soap. But dry it off immediately after. We add a dab of coconut oil after every use to keep it shiny and safe.

Hot oven? What degree? For how long? I wanna cook some bacon right now, lol. But I'll wait til I read more answers.

Currently, I just rinsed it well, no soap, dried it well, then used a bit of olive oil to grease it up a bit. Not greasy..just...oiled.

Kent Rollins is THE MAN!! I have cooked quite a few things using his recipes. Great food and funny as hell.

Informative vid, thank you. But...he said NOT to use metal on metal. So a chain mail scrubber is metal on metal...isn't it?

I never use anything metal in my seasoned pans.
You can use them on occasion and it's not a problem just dont make it a habit.
One of my De Buyers started shedding the polymerized oil recently and I was highly pissed!!!!!
Realized later it was one I didnt sugar blast so my fault.

I have no way to sand/sugar blast anything. So..I have to do it the other way.

 

[Muhammed]

Seasoning is super important for cast iron. A little oil (or bacon fat) brushed on the pan and then put it in the oven to seal it.

A well seasoned pan can handle soap and water. Lodge even recommends using soap. But dry it off immediately after. We add a dab of coconut oil after every use to keep it shiny and safe.

Hot oven? What degree? For how long? I wanna cook some bacon right now, lol. But I'll wait til I read more answers.

Currently, I just rinsed it well, no soap, dried it well, then used a bit of olive oil to grease it up a bit. Not greasy..just...oiled.

I wouldn't take his advice to store oily rags together at ~10:35 in the video. Unless they are in a sealed airtight container. Otherwise they may spontaneously combust and burn down your house.

 

[progressive hunter]

Seasoning is super important for cast iron. A little oil (or bacon fat) brushed on the pan and then put it in the oven to seal it.

A well seasoned pan can handle soap and water. Lodge even recommends using soap. But dry it off immediately after. We add a dab of coconut oil after every use to keep it shiny and safe.

Hot oven? What degree? For how long? I wanna cook some bacon right now, lol. But I'll wait til I read more answers.

Currently, I just rinsed it well, no soap, dried it well, then used a bit of olive oil to grease it up a bit. Not greasy..just...oiled.

I wouldn't take his advice to store oily rags together at ~10:35 in the video. Unless they are in a sealed airtight container. Otherwise they may spontaneously combust and burn down your house.

all oils are not the same,, but yes caution should always be taken,,,

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Wish I could afford something like that. Looks so smoooooth! But I had to settle on Lodge.

Like I said...go buy a $38 dollar rotary sander at Home Depot and you're there.
If you dont want to spend ten bucks to get it sugar blasted just hit it with some 80 grit paper after sanding with the rotary sander to rough it up slightly so the polymerized oil sticks and your set.
You can even do the whole job by hand if you're willing to spend the time.

 

[Gracie]

Wish I could afford something like that. Looks so smoooooth! But I had to settle on Lodge.

Like I said...go buy a $38 dollar rotary sander at Home Depot and you're there.
If you dont want to spend ten bucks to get it sugar blasted just hit it with some 80 grit paper after sanding with the rotary sander to rough it up slightly so the polymerized oil sticks and your set.
You can even do the whole job by hand if you're willing to spend the time.

I have RA in my hands. I live in a senior apt complex. I can't do those things.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Wish I could afford something like that. Looks so smoooooth! But I had to settle on Lodge.

Tell you what Gracie....
I'll buy you a 10inch Field pan.
PM me and I'll set it up.

No.8 Cast Iron Skillet, 10 ¼ inches

This is your new everyday cast iron skillet. Lighter, smoother, and made in the USA, the naturally non-stick Field Skillet is built for easy searing, sautéing, frying and roasting. Made from recycled iron sourced from US vendors.

fieldcompany.com

 

[Gracie]

Wish I could afford something like that. Looks so smoooooth! But I had to settle on Lodge.

Tell you what Gracie....
I'll buy you a 10inch Field pan.
PM me and I'll set it up.

No.8 Cast Iron Skillet, 10 ¼ inches

This is your new everyday cast iron skillet. Lighter, smoother, and made in the USA, the naturally non-stick Field Skillet is built for easy searing, sautéing, frying and roasting. Made from recycled iron sourced from US vendors.

fieldcompany.com

WHAT??? Wow. But that's too big. It's only for me. A small one would be better..and cheaper. Wow. I'll pm you. THANK YOU.

 

[Muhammed]

Got my pan! That was fast. I ordered it last night.

Woo Hoo
Just be patient and make sure you season it properly.
You will get sticking in the beginning,If you dont plan on sanding it down especially.
You will have to use more oil or some form of grease to stop things from sticking,thats just the nature of the beast.
I suggest you do the oven seasoning at least four times before you try and fry an egg and before you fry an egg only cook things that produce fat while cooking like bacon.
Also stay away from tomatoes in your pan or anything else acidic before getting a good layer of polymerized oil in it or it'll eat the seasoning right off.

The best advice you'll ever get when it comes to seasoning cast iron.....
Put the oil on lightly!!!! As in put it on and wipe it out like you're trying to get the oil off the pan. Otherwise your seasoning will get tacky which means you'll have to strip it in a scorching hot oven and turn it to ash and start over again.
And always put the pan in the oven upside down after putting the thin layer on so any excess drips out and put a tray under it to catch any excess oil dripping from it.

should also add that seasoning doesnt mean non stick and added grease of some type is needed for some cooking,, and temps are pretty important, to hot and it sticks like crazy

And I'd add to that, never try to flip meat before it's ready. You'll it's ready when you gently push it sideways and it slides. If your precious steak doesn't slide sideways, it's not ready to flip yet. It will stop sticking when it's perfectly seared. Then when the other side is perfectly seared, you can put the pan in the oven and finish the steak to the desired doneness.

That's one thing I love about a cast iron skillet, it's like a foolproof method to cook a perfect steak every time.

 

[Gracie]

Y'all remember the look on Rameus face in Hunt For Red October...when he looked thru the periscope to read the message when he was found by the american sub? That look of...WHAT? That's what was on my face yesterday, lol.

I get a pan! I get a pan! A baby butt smooooooooth pan! Can't wait to start cooking on it! I love this place. If it werent for usmb, I would have never met such outstanding people. I am humbled. Again. And hungry. LOL

I don't know if it was just planted in my head about the comments from ya'll how delish food tastes from a cast iron pan, but I swear that burger patty was made by a chef it takes soooo good. But no chef. Just me and my pan. WHY did I go with teflon all these long years. I can STILL taste it in my memory.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Y'all remember the look on Rameus face in Hunt For Red October...when he looked thru the periscope to read the message when he was found by the american sub? That look of...WHAT? That's what was on my face yesterday, lol.

I get a pan! I get a pan! A baby butt smooooooooth pan! Can't wait to start cooking on it! I love this place. If it werent for usmb, I would have never met such outstanding people. I am humbled. Again. And hungry. LOL

I don't know if it was just planted in my head about the comments from ya'll how delish food tastes from a cast iron pan, but I swear that burger patty was made by a chef it takes soooo good. But no chef. Just me and my pan. WHY did I go with teflon all these long years. I can STILL taste it in my memory.

You really cant beat cast iron.
One of the reasons things taste better is because you have to use more good stuff....like bacon grease or beef tallow.
Highly recommend you get your hands on some beef tallow for hamburger patties or any type beef you cook.
You can get it at most grocery stores.

 

[Larsky]

A quick once-over with a scotchbrite pad and water while the pan is warm is totally fine, and the seasoning remains intact.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

A quick once-over with a scotchbrite pad and water while the pan is warm is totally fine, and the seasoning remains intact.

As long as you stick with the gray scotch brite.
The red is a bit coarse.
I bought a box of the red and a box of the gray around five years ago and I've barely dented em. It's enough to last you for a long while.
And if you ever need to polish aluminium get some lava soap and rub it on the the red and then the gray and you can make it shine like crazy!!!!

 

[Moonglow]

I gotta get me some sea salt. And a set of wooden spatulas. I have rubber but would prefer wood.

Yeah...wood works well but a hard plastic spatula works better for getting rid of stuck on stuff with boiling water.
I have a dedicated spatula just for cleaning my cast iron because it kinda fucks em up.

I have dogs preclean the pan and I have nothing to scrub off.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I gotta get me some sea salt. And a set of wooden spatulas. I have rubber but would prefer wood.

Yeah...wood works well but a hard plastic spatula works better for getting rid of stuck on stuff with boiling water.
I have a dedicated spatula just for cleaning my cast iron because it kinda fucks em up.

I have dogs preclean the pan and I have nothing to scrub off.

Shiiiiit.....dogs got nothing on crabs.
You can burn in some serious shit and set the pan by the waters edge and in the morning it's totally spotless.
Found that out by accident one weekend.

 

[Moonglow]

I gotta get me some sea salt. And a set of wooden spatulas. I have rubber but would prefer wood.

Yeah...wood works well but a hard plastic spatula works better for getting rid of stuck on stuff with boiling water.
I have a dedicated spatula just for cleaning my cast iron because it kinda fucks em up.

I have dogs preclean the pan and I have nothing to scrub off.

Shiiiiit.....dogs got nothing on crabs.
You can burn in some serious shit and set the pan by the waters edge and in the morning it's totally spotless.
Found that out by accident one weekend.

I know that but the dogs lick the grease and it doesn't go in my drain.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I gotta get me some sea salt. And a set of wooden spatulas. I have rubber but would prefer wood.

Yeah...wood works well but a hard plastic spatula works better for getting rid of stuck on stuff with boiling water.
I have a dedicated spatula just for cleaning my cast iron because it kinda fucks em up.

I have dogs preclean the pan and I have nothing to scrub off.

Shiiiiit.....dogs got nothing on crabs.
You can burn in some serious shit and set the pan by the waters edge and in the morning it's totally spotless.
Found that out by accident one weekend.

I know that but the dogs lick the grease and it doesn't go in my drain.

Who the fuck is dumb enough to pour grease down their drain?