Seasoning cast iron fry pan

[greg54]

My friend gave me a new cast iron fry pan for my birthday and was wondering if there is a cetain oil that is best to use? The tag attached said it was pretreated but i looked online and it said to do it 3-4 times in oven at 450 F for 30 minutes. I used canola oil and did it 3 times. So yesterday I decided cook some eggs, and I added some oil to pan and cracked 4 eggs into it and very quickly the eggs stuck like super glue to the pan and i just made a scrambled mess of them. And I had scrub it after soaking it in dishwater and it appears the layer in bottom of pan was mostly gone (from the 3 original seasonings I did} I want to try it again but was wondering whats best to use and when I cook eggs in it,do I let the pan get hot before adding the eggs to fry? Any insight on this that might help I appreciate, thanks.

[Marion]

Best not to use soap. Better with coarse salt to clean.

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[rachunter]

shortening like crisco to season. defiantly no soap or scudding to clean

.i never had any luck cooking eggs in a cast iron pan. 

[Marion]

I speak from experience and some scolding from my dad many many many moons ago that soap ruins the seasoning

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[Single_shot]

Greg I used this site for my new cast iron and it worked just fine...and yes get your pan hot but not too hot, before you crack an egg in it.http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-season-a-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107614

[Elmo]

Yes, pan needs to be piping hot before adding food.  To clean, I just use plain water and a scrub pad.  I keep a separate scrub pad that has never felt an ounce of soap on it.  After a good scrubbing, I then heat it a little bit over the stove to dry it.  I've cooked eggs on it before just fine but I do prefer a regular pan for eggs though.

[philoshop]

My Grandmother always used lard or Crisco right on the stovetop. (actually she used cow's tails that were hanging over the stove). Heat the pan and grease it until it's just short of catching on fire and then wipe it out and let it cool. Store it with protection, like a cloth or something so it doesn't get scratched.

They're made for relatively high-heat cooking but I've got a couple that are 80+ years old that do fried eggs just fine, and will do a blackened piece of meat that'll knock yer socks off. They've never been exposed to water or soap. Wipe them out with a rag or paper towel and store them carefully.

[corydd7]

17 minutes ago, Elmo said:

Yes, pan needs to be piping hot before adding food.  To clean, I just use plain water and a scrub pad.  I keep a separate scrub pad that has never felt an ounce of soap on it.  After a good scrubbing, I then heat it a little bit over the stove to dry it.  I've cooked eggs on it before just fine but I do prefer a regular pan for eggs though.

Couldn't agree more and my cast iron is what I cook on everyday of the week. Simmer water with course sea salt 

Edited June 3, 2017 by corydd7
I'm dumb

[greg54]

Thanks guys,  no more soap for sure. This is first time I ever had heavy cast pan and i got rememer to heat the pan before adding eggs. I never was very good in the kitchen lol

[turkeyfeathers]

Steaks are amazing seared fast and hot in a little butter. Then throw skillet into oven at a high temp for a bit. You'll never cook a steak another way.


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[Daveboone]

we cook almost exclusively on cast iron. Once the pan is hot, you can almost always drop the heat way down, as the iron will conduct the heat very thoroughly. I haven't found any one type of oil to be better than another, but be sure to reapply a coat after using/ cleaning, and before using. I prefer peanut oil for searing steaks or higher heat, as it doesn't smoke as quickly as vegetable oil. Once you get used to it, you will never use anything else again. Cast iron is very forgiving though if you happen to overheat it. just scrub it out good, dry it and reapply the oil, or better yet, deep fry in it.

[wolc123]

I fry eggs in an iron frying pan on most Saturdays and Sundays (not enough free time in the morning on work days).   I always use olive oil and get it hot before cracking the eggs.    They never stick.   I use a plastic spatula to flip them onto a plate when they are done, and to scrape any remains from the bottom of the pan.    For cleanup after cool-down, I wipe it with paper towels, no soap and no water.   I store the iron frying pans vertically, on hooks behind the stove.   Usually there is enough residual oil for corrosion protection thru the week, if not I wipe with a little more olive oil.  

My iron frying pans are more than 75 years old.  With a new iron frying pan, or one that has been misused (with water or soap), it might take 4 - 8 cycles as described to fix the cooking surface.  I find cooking and cleanup easier with a seasoned iron frying pan than with a modern "non-stick" one.   The iron that ends up in you is also healthy.    I can't imagine why anyone would want to use those modern pans.  What happens to that "non-stick" coating when it flakes or scratches off ?   My favorite use of those iron frying pans is for frying up tenderloins or button buck livers (also using olive oil).     

Edited June 3, 2017 by wolc123

[TACC]

Steaks are amazing seared fast and hot in a little butter. Then throw skillet into oven at a high temp for a bit. You'll never cook a steak another way.


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This is the method I was taught to cook venison steaks. But after my wife thought I was burning down the house with all of the smoke I changed methods

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[Doc]

So, can anyone explain to me why it makes sense to struggle with cast iron when today there are frying pans of new technology that defies sticky eggs. The new copper clad pans will fry an egg even if you choose not to use any oil or grease or whatever. We gave away all of our old frying pans including the Teflon and ceramic ones and replaced them all with copper clad ones and haven't regretted it for a minute. They all look brand new with literally nothing that will stick to them. No "seasoning" or difficult clean-up as in cast iron. So, other than some historical experience, what is the purpose of wrestling around with cooking technology of past centuries?

[rachunter]

3 hours ago, Doc said:

So, can anyone explain to me why it makes sense to struggle with cast iron 

because grandma said!!!

but seriously i've been eyeing those copper clads up for a while,just wanted some hands on reviews about them,thanks. 

[wolc123]

3 hours ago, Doc said:

So, can anyone explain to me why it makes sense to struggle with cast iron when today there are frying pans of new technology that defies sticky eggs. The new copper clad pans will fry an egg even if you choose not to use any oil or grease or whatever. We gave away all of our old frying pans including the Teflon and ceramic ones and replaced them all with copper clad ones and haven't regretted it for a minute. They all look brand new with literally nothing that will stick to them. No "seasoning" or difficult clean-up as in cast iron. So, other than some historical experience, what is the purpose of wrestling around with cooking technology of past centuries?

Because a little iron in you diet is better for your body than copper, and cleanup is easy after the iron pan is seasoned.   PM me if you have any old iron frying pans to give away.   

[growalot]

So All I have ever used is cast iron..have 5 hanging on my kitchen wall. One is my best omlet pan. New ones need several seasoning. Not all oils are equal..they leave a sticky residue,not good. I only season with mineral oil. I always cook with a little oilive oil. I clean with course sea salt then heat pan, add a drop of mineral oil and rub it in before cooling and hanging. Always becareful of how hot you get an empty pan ,they do warp.

[Paula]

I almost want to pull out my old stuff after reading these responses