Cast Iron Pan Seasoning
Discussion
I've taken delivery if one of those lodge cast iron pans. It looks the business but I'm ultra confused over the seasoning process.
Several online sources say to strip it back and then bake on layers of oil of some kind (some say olive, some say bacon fat). My issue is that turning on my oven to 250 degrees and baking a pan for a few hours a time seems an almighty waste of time and money. Let alone the smell and smoke it will generate in doing this. I have an open kitchen / living room so turning my kitchen into an indoor smoker isn't really an option.
Others just say to start using the pan with bacon and such to progressively build up the carbon layer.
Has anyone gone through this process already?
Several online sources say to strip it back and then bake on layers of oil of some kind (some say olive, some say bacon fat). My issue is that turning on my oven to 250 degrees and baking a pan for a few hours a time seems an almighty waste of time and money. Let alone the smell and smoke it will generate in doing this. I have an open kitchen / living room so turning my kitchen into an indoor smoker isn't really an option.
Others just say to start using the pan with bacon and such to progressively build up the carbon layer.
Has anyone gone through this process already?
Olive oil has to be just about the worst thing you could use due to its low smoking point.
I rubbed my Lodge with a layer of rapeseed oil, and bunged it in a warmish oven for 15 minutes or so. All's good without stinking the house out.
LG is absolutely right in that it should be washed with hot water only.
I rubbed my Lodge with a layer of rapeseed oil, and bunged it in a warmish oven for 15 minutes or so. All's good without stinking the house out.
LG is absolutely right in that it should be washed with hot water only.
Mobile Chicane said:
Olive oil has to be just about the worst thing you could use due to its low smoking point.
I rubbed my Lodge with a layer of rapeseed oil, and bunged it in a warmish oven for 15 minutes or so. All's good without stinking the house out.
LG is absolutely right in that it should be washed with hot water only.
I also thought the same about olive but then read an argument that olive polymerises / carbonises more quickly because of this. I rubbed my Lodge with a layer of rapeseed oil, and bunged it in a warmish oven for 15 minutes or so. All's good without stinking the house out.
LG is absolutely right in that it should be washed with hot water only.
I'll just give it a bash tho as you've said. Whats the worst that can happen.
Mobile Chicane said:
Olive oil has to be just about the worst thing you could use due to its low smoking point.
I rubbed my Lodge with a layer of rapeseed oil, and bunged it in a warmish oven for 15 minutes or so. All's good without stinking the house out.
LG is absolutely right in that it should be washed with hot water only.
I also thought the same about olive but then read an argument that olive polymerises / carbonises more quickly because of this. I rubbed my Lodge with a layer of rapeseed oil, and bunged it in a warmish oven for 15 minutes or so. All's good without stinking the house out.
LG is absolutely right in that it should be washed with hot water only.
I'll just give it a bash tho as you've said. Whats the worst that can happen.
If your going to season it, use lard or similar. Their are loads of youtube videos about it.
BUT Ive found with cast iron frying pans that you just have to use and abuse them. Mine takes a battering (its a cheap one though, a heavy duty catering one) I use it in the oven (fry off pieces of meat then roast them in the oven in the pan), over the fire (when camping), on the BBQ and tbh the pan burns but stuff doesn't stick and the food never burns.
BUT Ive found with cast iron frying pans that you just have to use and abuse them. Mine takes a battering (its a cheap one though, a heavy duty catering one) I use it in the oven (fry off pieces of meat then roast them in the oven in the pan), over the fire (when camping), on the BBQ and tbh the pan burns but stuff doesn't stick and the food never burns.
Just thought I would update. I found an old flat griddle plate and decided I'd give both the new lodge and the old one a bit of a season given the mrs was on a night shift and I had time to kill.
After scrubbing and cleaning the old griddle I put both into the oven (cold) and turn it up to 250 degrees. Once hot I took them out and gave both a light coat if veg oil which I let soak for a few seconds before wiping off. Back into the oven they went. Around an hour later I took them out to inspect, gave another quick coat and back in for a while and then turned off the over and left them in there to cool.
The results were impressive to say the least. Both now have a slick black carbon layer and they feel fairly smooth to the touch. They're not greasy which I was surprised by. I used the griddle tonight with some veg and it turned out amazingly. No smoke, no sticking. All in all I'd say cast iron will be my go-to pan of choice in future.
I'd say they slower than thin pans and require patience but the results are simply brilliant.
After scrubbing and cleaning the old griddle I put both into the oven (cold) and turn it up to 250 degrees. Once hot I took them out and gave both a light coat if veg oil which I let soak for a few seconds before wiping off. Back into the oven they went. Around an hour later I took them out to inspect, gave another quick coat and back in for a while and then turned off the over and left them in there to cool.
The results were impressive to say the least. Both now have a slick black carbon layer and they feel fairly smooth to the touch. They're not greasy which I was surprised by. I used the griddle tonight with some veg and it turned out amazingly. No smoke, no sticking. All in all I'd say cast iron will be my go-to pan of choice in future.
I'd say they slower than thin pans and require patience but the results are simply brilliant.
Bumped as its the only thread I could find on Lodge cast iron pans. I knocked up an omelet in a small non-stick pan this morning. Quick, easy, lobbed it in the dishwasher tonight. But I really want to use my Lodge cast iron pan. So question is can I cook an omelet then let the pan sit all day then clean it, heat and season when I get in in the evening or does it need to be done just after cooking as I don't have time in the morning.
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