It is believed that carbon steel pans are practically useless without the seasoning. And since the seasoning is \u201cjust\u201d cooking oil baked onto the skillet \u2014 I use \u201cjust\u201d in quotation marks because there is a trick or two to getting it right \u2014 how well you do it depends entirely on you.<\/p>\n
Some cookware, like cast iron skillets and carbon steel pans, rusts too easily.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because cast iron and carbon steel have a high iron content, which makes them naturally reactive. The iron reacts with the oxygen and moisture in the air to form iron oxides, the nerdy way to say \u201crust.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is caused by oxidation, the same reaction that turns an apple or an avocado brown shortly after it\u2019s cut, but with metals. If you don\u2019t apply a protective coating to the cookware\u2019s surface, it will rust within hours \u2014 even minutes.<\/p>\n
Then how do you give your cast iron pans a protective coating?<\/p>\n
By seasoning them. This is when you rub a smidge of cooking oil into the metal surface with a paper towel or cloth and then heat the pan until its color changes from a metallic gray to a copper orange.<\/p>\n
As a result:<\/p>\n
Sounds complicated, but polymerization is what happens when individual molecules called monomers link together to form chains. Those new chains are called polymers, and, as far as the things you do in the kitchen go, they can only be broken down with acid.<\/p>\n
Think of it like this: If you and your friends were to link arms, you\u2019d be a whole lot harder to separate \u2014 just like the molecules in a polymer. That\u2019s the polymerized oil molecules, a.k.a. your pan\u2019s seasoning.<\/p>\n
Step #1: Remove the old seasoning<\/strong><\/p>\n To give your pan a new, even coat, you first need to strip off the existing seasoning. This is easier than it might seem, though it does require elbow grease. You\u2019ll also want to go through this step if you have bought a brand-new pan. It will be coated with beeswax or industrial grease, which needs to be removed before the seasoning can be applied.<\/p>\n Pour enough vinegar into the pan to cover the bottom, then scrub the seasoning from the interior surface with steel wool. Technically, you could use any vinegar since they all contain acetic acid. However, distilled white vinegar with a higher concentration of acetic acid (8% or more) will work best.<\/p>\n This whole process typically takes a good 2\u20133 minutes of vigorous scrubbing. You know the pan\u2019s ready when its interior is light gray. Pat it thoroughly dry with a paper towel or a clean, lint-free cloth before moving on to the step below.<\/p>\n Step #2: Rub a tiny amount of cooking oil on the inside<\/strong><\/p>\n This is the step where most carbon steel pan owners go wrong. You need only a tiny \u2014 I\u2019ll repeat, tiny \u2014 amount of cooking oil to season a pan. My rule of thumb is always to use less than I think is necessary. (I\u2019ve been doing this for a while, and so far, it hasn\u2019t failed me.)<\/p>\n What I do is, I take two or three of my wife\u2019s cotton makeup removal pads, dab the top one with cooking oil, and then rub the oil all over the bottom and sides of the pan. Next, I flip the pads over and use the clean side to wipe away the excess oil, leaving the pan slick but not pooling with oil.<\/p>\n \u201cCooking oil\u201d can mean many things, though: Exactly which oil do I use?<\/p>\n There\u2019s a good amount of debate out there about the best oil for seasoning carbon steel pans. To break it down, there are two main camps among pan owners: those who swear by flaxseed oil because it\u2019s the only edible drying oil, and those who prefer grapeseed oil because it has a low fiber content and a high smoke point.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve tried both and, to be completely honest, they work equally well as far as I\u2019m concerned. However, one of you recently pointed out that flaxseed oil has a much lower smoke point than grapeseed oil, which makes it more likely to burn, turn black, and start peeling off in tar-like flakes.<\/p>\n Since then, I\u2019ve been seasoning my pans with grapeseed oil. As always, I strongly encourage you to do your own due diligence (the links I just gave two paragraphs above are a great starting point) and decide for yourself.<\/p>\n Step #3: Heat the pan over medium heat<\/strong> Instead, set the heat to medium and allow your pan to heat up gradually. After 2\u20133 minutes, you\u2019ll see light smoke (but not heavy smoke) rising from the oil, and the interior of the pan will slowly shift in color from metallic gray to copper orange.<\/p>\n When the color is nicely saturated all over, which typically takes 5\u20136 minutes more of heating, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. Your pan is now seasoned and ready to go.<\/p>\n Repeat this process every time you need to redo the seasoning.<\/p>\n If your pan turns blue or purplish, don\u2019t worry.<\/p>\n Heat causes metal to oxidize, including when you season it. If your carbon steel pan turns blue during the seasoning, it\u2019s a sign that you used too much heat and\/or left the pan over the flame for too long.<\/p>\n As long as the pan itself didn\u2019t warp, it\u2019s fine and completely safe to cook with. That blue color will fade over time. Next time, though, try using lower heat and avoid leaving the pan on the burner for more than a few minutes. Excessive heat can warp a perfectly good carbon steel pan beyond repair.<\/p>\n But if your pan ends up tacky, you have a problem.<\/p>\n This happens when you\u2019ve used more oil than you really need. The oil pools in the pan and turns into a sticky, gunky residue that results in uneven, tacky seasoning. (That\u2019s why I always recommend using as little oil as possible; the seasoning should be thin and even.)<\/p>\n Try rubbing the dry skillet with fine salt and some steel wool. That should help remove the gunk and smooth out the cooking surface. In some cases, you may need to redo the seasoning from scratch. Go back to step one in my how-to guide: strip off the failed seasoning and start again, this time using less oil.<\/p>\n The more you cook fatty foods with the pan, the more the seasoning builds up.<\/p>\n Every time you cook a fatty food, that fat will help make the seasoning more durable and nonstick. That\u2019s one of the things I love about these pans \u2014 they only get better with time.<\/p>\n One thing seasoned carbon steel pan owners (forgive the pun) will advise is to cook fatty foods in the first few uses to help build up the pan\u2019s protective layer. Examples include eggs in plenty of butter, well-marbled steak, or mushrooms saut\u00e9ed in plenty of extra virgin olive oil.<\/p>\n Highly acidic foods can strip off the pan\u2019s seasoning, especially with prolonged simmering.<\/p>\n Acidic foods, like any recipe that calls for tomatoes, lemon or lime juice, vinegar, or wine, eat away at your pan\u2019s seasoning. Unless you\u2019re okay with re-seasoning your pan afterward, cook highly acidic foods in enameled cast iron or stainless steel, both of which are non-reactive, instead.<\/p>\n True, non-stick pans don\u2019t need to be seasoned. They already have a protective coating \u2014 the non-stick film that\u2019s been sprayed onto the metal body, which happens to be super slippery. (Polytetrafluoroethylene, a.k.a. PTFE<\/a>, the chemical that non-stick coatings are made of, is one of the slickest materials on earth.)<\/p>\n
\nYou might eagerly crank the heat up to high and watch your pan season. DON\u2019T: If you heat an empty pan on maximum heat, it can overheat and warp. The last thing you want is to have your pan become a \u201cspinner\u201d \u2014 a pan that can\u2019t sit flat on the cooktop.<\/p>\nThings to Watch Out for When Seasoning Your Pan<\/h2>\n
What to Expect After You Season Your Pan<\/h2>\n
Why Not Just Cook With Non-Stick?<\/h2>\n