More information on this matter is presented within the website – but I wanted to have a place that people could comment on this specific topic. I know that people into Cast Iron have wonderful and often loud opinions!
We all have the same goal. We take a piece of cast iron, cover it with oil then bake it at a temperature that turns the oil into a hardened surface. Some users will argue for a certain type of oil, a certain oven temperature, a specific baking time, the exact number of oil layers, etc. Remember, there are many ways to achieve our common goal. Below you will find an initial seasoning process that is easy to follow and works every time.
Please note (and this is important)…the magic of a perfect cast iron seasoning is NOT in the initial seasoning. The initial seasoning is a very important step but remember that the seasoning will improve every time you use it. If you follow some suggestions and avoid the big mistakes, you will have beautiful cast iron that is non-stick, easy to clean and wonderful to work with.
Seasoning Basics
The heart of the seasoning process comes down to 2 things: 1) oven conditions (time and temperature) and 2) using the right oil. And there are 2 more things you need to know, polymerization and smoke point. Polymerization is the chemical process where our thin coat of oil changes and hardens into the stick-free surface we all want. And a smoke point is simply the temperature where the oil starts decomposing and burning off.
Oils and smoke point
Different oils have different smoke points and that smoking temperature changes if the oil is refined, unrefined, or even partially refined. For example, extra-virgin olive oil is an extremely common oil to find in people’s homes. It is good for salad dressings, sauces and marinades but generally considered bad for initial seasoning. It is because the the smoke point is too low which means you may have smoke detectors going off. This is exactly what happened to me about 20 years ago and my daughter still remembers me rushing her out of the house. And she still mentions it.
Use the table in the website (Cast Iron Initial Seasoning) as a guide and choose a clear, refined oil with a high smoke point for seasoning your cast iron. Unless you are using Crisco shortening, of course. And I highly recommend using Crisco.
Here are my top four oils:
- Crisco Shortening
- Canola Oil
- Peanut Oil
- Grapeseed Oil
Using Crisco is easy and cooks on beautifully. One of the greatest things about Crisco is that it is the same every time. There is no confusion in what you are using. It is cheap, usually available and the very little amount that you are using to cover the pans forms an extremely hard coating.
Simple Initial Seasoning Instructions
We are going to bake on 3 layers of seasoning. In total, all the steps below take about 4 hours. Tip: Use paper towels to spread on oil and a lint free cloth to take it off.
- Preheat to 375 degrees F. After oven reaches 375 degrees F then place pan into oven.
- When the pan is hot – take pan out carefully and spread oil all over it. Use Crisco or the other oils mentioned above. Inside, outside, top and bottom (and handle). You do not need much and you will be wiping almost all of it off. Use a lint free cloth for this step (paper towels tend to shred) and take off everything you just put on. Buff the whole thing.
- Place back in oven (upside down) but just for 15 minutes. If you buffed well – there should be just a sheen on the pan and certainly no oil pooling on the pan or dripping in the oven. Take it out and use the cloth again to buff the entire surface.
- Place pan back in oven (upside down) for 1 hour. After 1 hour, if you took enough oil off during the buffing it will be dry and not sticky. Perfect. If you left on too much oil – put the pan back in the oven until dry.
- Repeat Steps 2 – 4.
- Repeat Steps 2 – 4.
- After the last layer has baked on, turn off the oven and let the pans cool inside.
This will give you a great base seasoning but remember that this is the start of your seasoning process. Follow the cooking, cleaning and maintenance guidelines on CastIronMagic.com and the seasoning will continue to improve over time.
Remember!
- Thin coats of oil then buff it all off. Believe me – a thin film is all that is needed.
- Crisco is recommended as the seasoning oil of choice. If you want you can use Canola, Peanut, or Grapeseed oil.
- If your pan is sticky – the oil went on too thick. An oven temperature of 375 degrees F for 1 hour is hot enough to polymerize a thin coat of any of these oils.