Tutorial: How to Season your Cast Iron Skillet on the Stovetop
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- Опубліковано 24 жов 2020
- This video covers the stovetop seasoning process in real time. The other approach to seasoning is to apply a super thin layer of oil to your skillet then leave it upside down in the oven for 90minutes and repeat this procedure 3-5 times...that approach not only wastes a ton of gas or electricity but it's also extremely time consuming. So here we season a skillet from bare iron to completion in about 25min.
After a bit of a failure on this skillet because the surface was previously too smooth for the seasoning to stick, I hand sanded it down to a beautiful 80 grit finish which should hold on to the seasoning far more effectively.
Thanks for watching! Please hit "Like" and subscribe!
- Jens
Thank you for your pioneering work on the castiron skillet, it will be saving me a lot of money. I appreciate it!
You are very welcome! I appreciate your sincere comment - I assure you I didn't invent the technique but I'm glad that I have the opportunity to share it
It doesn't work, he pioneered nothing ... I tried this and it looked great, but after the first cook, it all came off ...
This is really cool, i never seen any video like this on youtube, watching the pan change is awesome.
Thank you very much! Really glad you liked it!
Im just starting with cast iron so this vidio was very helpful !!! I have 3 pieces that need a bit of restoring that have been given to me , they are ready for a vineger / water bath and then this stovetop seasoning !!! I enjoy your vidios take care
Great job, I am going to do all my cast iron next week. The best cookware ever😁😁😁
Please let us know how it goes! And don't hesitate to ask any questions if any issues arise! Best of luck to you and thank you for watching and commenting!
Thanks for the video, since i dont have oven, your tutorial video really help
You're certainly welcome!
Just gorgeous. Thank you for the instruction on top of stove. You did a beautiful job. I'll give it a shot on my three skillets that I just treated for rust ( vinegar soak of days, heavy sanding, removal of rust and seasoning ). Now ready for seasoning . I didn't want to do the technique of many hours in the stove , so this stove top technique is perfect. My skillets are pretty bare now after sanding, no prior seasoning left.I'm crossing my fingers and hoping they turn out well. One skillet was given to Me by my Mom, when I was 17. I'm now 68 yes old. :) thank you for your help.
Great results! I only sanded my Lodge skillets by hand until I felt that I removed the high points but left the pre-seasoning in the pores. Not as attractive as yours or my old cast iron skillets, but it easily took to re-seasoning. I do prefer the oven method though for the first few rounds. It does take less intervention and has more even results. I've used oven seasoning with new Matfer carbon steel with excellent results too.
Excellent video, thank you
Thank you very much!!!
I have ground lots of pans as nice as you have done here and seasoned them exactly like you do here. It worked beautifully. They were 85-90% black in one session and I used them regularly after that.
You really did a good job seasoning it👏👏
Thank you very much! To this day, now a few months after this restoration, the skillet is still outstanding!
Don't bother, this doesn't work. It looks great, but the seasoning won't stick.
Thanks for the good info!
You are very welcome!
Excellent method. I bought my new cast iron pan and did the oven technique, but I was not convinced at all. The stovetop method was faster and I feel like I had more control over the process
I would actually encourage you to check out my last two videos - I cook on a skillet that I sanded down to bare iron and attempt to cook on it WITHOUT any pre-seasoning
Didnt realize tou could do it stovetop like this. It was nice to see it to understand why it would smoke and hiw to let it work tbru it. My pan is awesome now!!!
You can't ... this seasoning job doesn't work. It looks great but won't stick after your first cook.
Fantastic !!
Glad you like it! I should point out, however, that I've since identified that deliberate seasoning is pointless...the best seasoning comes with use. Check out my latest video to see what I mean.
Thank you for the video, very instructive. It resembles a bit of seasoning stainless steel pans, only that seasoning stainless steel is not that "smoky" :).
Absolutely gorgeous!!! Mine are getting a makeover next week!
Thank you so much! Please let us know how it goes!
Not gonna lie im a lil nervous, yours looks amazing I gotta go for it!
@@stephaniweglarz3642 you should check out my other videos - I later seasoned this skillet all the way to a black mirror - when the skillet has this beautiful copper look to it, it's really not a lot of seasoning layers so you may find some areas flaking off a bit at first. As long as you're cooking with some sort of oil or butter, it won't matter that there are some bare spots. Just repeat the seasoning process a couple coats at a time. Actually last December, my parents came over for the weekend and my mom cooked spaghetti in this skillet and she scratched the heck outta the seasoning all the way to bare iron all over the place...you wouldn't know it today. Try that with a teflon skillet LOL
@@jensdavidsen4557 cast iron all the way for this girl! Thank you so much for the info. Ive looked at many how to videos for seasoning , yours was the only one that made sense to me. Nobody else's pans looked like your beauty. I let you know how I do. Wish me luck!
@@stephaniweglarz3642 thank you so much!!! That's such a great compliment!
We follow a practically identical method. I've tried oven type, gas top type, and IH type for both iron and carbon steel skillets to good effect.
1. Prime the substrate for effective bonding.
2. Over a higher end heat, coat in fine 'cross weave' layers for rapid polymerisation and lattice bonding.
3. Continue until base layers have moved from polymerisation to low level carbonisation which I am led to believe takes about 20 minutes.
4. Allow to cool to set.
5. Periodically top up.
Good to see you are getting good results using this method. The appliance of science.
You should check out my later cast iron seasoning videos - I believe I posted them around May of this year - in a nutshell...don't bother pre-seasoning at all...just sand the iron down to bare metal...clean with soap and water to remove any grit/metal dust...and then use it. Seasoning comes naturally. Thank you for watching and commenting!
I would recommend a #9 saute' Wagner as a first pan. After a few years, if successful with the Wagner, get a 9" Griswold and do what you can with it.
If unsuccessful with either, remarry - find a spouse experienced in cast iron cookware or just give up cooking altogether, hang the pan on a wall and look at the bottom of it.
Yeah... I'm single... so I have several LOL
First one is a Birmingham stove and range; (BSR). The Griswold is the bottom of a combo.
I think the one you didn't know the manufacturer of is a Birmingham Stove and Range (BSR). The edge in the bottom of the handle leading to the tear drop hole was a signature of theirs.
You are correct! Nice catch! I restored that one and returned it to my friend as a Christmas gift - came out beautifully
Nice technique. Something I'd do outside :)
Yeah if I had an outdoor gas grill I would definitely use it for this purpose but I don't...and I wouldn't buy one either. I have an electric dual plate portable stovetop thing that I'd like to try outside but for the sake of this video, I wanted to present a methodology to which everyone had access - I mean...if you're looking up cast iron seasoning, I'd assume you already have an oven/range + hood.
This method works great on my outdoor camp chef.
Nice job. It'd be good to know how hot the iron on the sides vs bottom with an infrared. I stop mine around 550F. Your other skillet is a Birmingham Stove & Range Century series ~1960-80s. I find grapeseed more durable than flaxseed, & has similar amber color.
Yeah that sounds like a solid strategy - using an IR gun. Lately I've been leaving the burner on max for 2min, let it heat soak for 30sec, then buff on oil for 15sec, let that cook on for 30sec, then repeat. Worked out pretty well. Thank you for the suggestion on grapeseed oil - I'll have to check it out!
Hi, enjoy to watch your video. Thanks to share your knowledge. Could i know how i want to ensure the skillet ready to use. I mean when the skillet turn to darker/brown i can stop apply the oil. My first experience to use cast iron. Thank you.
Thank you for your kind words! The skillet does not need to be black or dark brown to use it - the most important thing is to make sure the skillet is HOT! Always heat the skillet for about a minute then add oil. Don't put your food on until the oil begins to smoke.
@@jensdavidsen4557 Thanks a lot for your quick respond. I will apply it. For your information im from Malaysia.
@@masterjie you're very welcome! I am glad to help! I was wondering where you were from - it's so much fun to meet people on my channel from all over the world!
I prefer this method better than the oven also, for some odd reason I get more flaky seasoning in the oven, this way never flakes on me. I like to use avocado oil, it seems to make a thick and strong patina. Also with this method, I get to the point of cooking an egg without a spatula much faster than any other way. Love that awesome copper color
Heck yeah man! This is definitely the way to go! I had issues at this stage of the seasoning coming off when I cleaned it but I did a follow-up video where I took the skillet back to bare iron using really coarse 40grit abrasive on my 5in random orbital sander and then I seasoned it longer - went past copper into a black mirror. Never thought of avocado oil but it's got a high smoke point I think so yeah... I'd say you're right about it. Cheers!
Lies by the time they bleach the hell outta the seed oil it's nothing avocado about it
Thanks for this. I will likely use a vegetable oil instead of flaxseed for my pans, but this is technique a lot better than spending all day trying to use the oven.
You're very welcome Vincent! Although I didn't do a video on it, my parents visited last weekend and my mother cooked spaghetti with this skillet, cooking the meat then the tomato sauce. Everyone says tomato sauce destroys cast iron seasoning...well it definitely didn't. Only damage was mom leaving scratches all the way down to the iron from the metal spoon she used.
However, the beauty of cast iron seasoning is that it can be fixed. If my mom scratched up a Teflon skillet...you ain't fixing that. After about 40min of seasoning it's good to go now.
I hear a lot of people saying vegetable oil will get a funky scent. I use Crisco and it seems to work for me.
@@12hebrewtribes I haven't heard of that with vegetable oil but it's not surprising - I know I've read that olive oil can go rancid...but I used it on my first skillet redux (sanding an 8" lodge that I bought brand new in 2013) and I've never noticed any funk (January will be 1yr since I seasoned it)...so I don't really know.
Canola seems to be one of the more popular but I think the thing to look for is smoke point - Lodge's website offers a chart of the smoke points of various oils commonly used to season iron - the higher the better.
From what I can figure, the rancidification of an oil is probably only a factor if someone's simply wiping it on a cool skillet as a storage practice - whatever elements of an oil that go rancid with age are probably burnt off as smoke when you're actually seasoning the iron at high temps.
If anyone has any experience with this, I'm here to learn!
Happy holidays to you all!
@@jensdavidsen4557 Thank you for responding (and your holiday greetings) maybe it was olive oil that I heard that goes bad. I just got three pans delivered today and they are all in the oven now with Crisco. I got some Lodge pans and one cheap one Ozark from Walmart. I am going to wait till they cool and see if they can flip an egg. I do not buy into you have to have vintage, made in the USA to have good cast iron. It's a metal and I do not subscribe to this is a pan you can hand down generations. I am more sure kids want love and that college fund then a pan LOL. I removed all their seasoning and sanded it down so it's smooth like butter.
@@12hebrewtribes you're not wrong in your thinking - iron is iron. Frankly, that ozark pan you bought was probably cast in China...guess what...the Chinese INVENTED cast iron around the 6th century BC so there's a wealth of historical wisdom in Chinese iron.
The skillet that I restored here is frankly the cheapest skillet I own and works beautifully! so it's definitely not all about money. However some highly valued historical iron skillets like Griswold were cast and finished very well with a consistently uniform thickness that resulted in uniform heat distribution throughout - as opposed to thicker areas and thinner areas throughout the casting yielding hot spots and cooler spots. They were also cast thin so as to be lightweight; especially helpful with handling larger skillets like 12" and up. Features like this are what fetch the higher prices...is it necessary? For me, no, I'm strong enough to handle my late brother's newer (thick) lodge 12" just fine.
One very interesting thing I've discovered since restoring this old Lodge skillet is how many modern companies have started up manufacturing American-made high-end iron skillets in the range of $200-300USD... evidently there's a market for them! They're way too expensive for my budget but I'm always glad to see people investing in American manufacturing.
I'm just curious as to the entire body of the skillet? Will it also need to be sanded and seasoned?
That's a good question - so for practicality - you're only sanding the inside of the skillet - so it's super easy to clean. Sanding the handle and outside of the skillet is totally a matter of personal preference - as an example - I sanded up the handle of this one and used a dremel tool to clean up the rough casting marks on the hang-hole in the handle so it looks and feels nicer.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Hope you've found this helpful!
- Jens
I watched most of the video and agree with the oven/energy problem. A couple of questions as I'm about to do my 1930's Griswold #8. I did not see or hear which oil you were using. ?? Why did you not do the outside? Now that I think about it my outside is not bad so I'm curious. My seasoning is beginning to flake off. I need to strip the inside. If I don't use the self cleaning oven method or the grinder. What do you recommend? I was thinking baking soda then vinegar to remove the old seasoning. Sound about right? Thanks.
First of all Jack, Happy New year to you and thank you for watching and commenting! I apologise if I didn't mention it in this video - thought I did but perhaps it was a different one. I use Flaxseed oil - someone performed some experimentation on several different oils for seasoning and found that flaxseed was the hardest - that's what I went with. The first skillet that I smoothed and seasoned (not an antique but a new Lodge) I used olive oil and I can't say I'm disappointed.
To your question on why didn't I season the outside? Well, I didn't think it was necessary - whenever I use the skillet I wipe the inside and outside with oil so I haven't had any trouble with rust. I've also used it a couple times in my Broil King Keg smoker grill so as I continue to use this, I'll get some creosote build-up on the outside I figure.
Lastly, to your question on cleaning off the old seasoning - well...I think of the options you cited, the only one I didn't see was the use of a lye (sodium hydroxide) bath - but I would advise against this method unless you're making a small business out if seasoning skillets because you're otherwise generating quite a bit of waste of a highly caustic solution. Honestly, a #8 should be plenty large that you can get the job done with a 5" random orbital sander....that's probably gonna be your best bet.
I haven't tried baking soda and vinegar but combining them won't really do much because one is acidic and the other alkaline. For a chemical removal of seasoning (which, chemically-speaking is a polymerized fatty acid), acids won't do much so you'd need a strong hydroxide (lye mentioned above).
Best of luck to you!
@@jensdavidsen4557 You were nice enough to reply so I thought I would give you an update.
I tried a lot of things. If you want to clean a whole pan the oven method works fantastic. I did three pans at once. Once rinsed and scrubbed they looked like they just came out of the factory. I could see every "pit" from the casting. Each pan was different. My Griswold is smooooth. A #5 was smooth but saw imperfect casting on the outside. The #4 is so rough it seems like a new pan but must be 50 years old.
Then the first seasoning. Watching the warm iron soak up the oil(I used Crisco). One coat at a time. I cooked eggs and bacon in the Griswold that night.
NOW, I think I'm going to use your stove top method of seasoning on the two smaller pans as they are more rough on the inside.
To be honest I've never felt closer to my cast iron. Is that weird to say?
@@jackstraw4129 dude this is awesome to hear - not gonna lie...I wish I had known about the oven cleaning cycle method myself earlier as I watched a video on it a couple weeks ago and was amazed...yeah...that's gotta be the best way to go... unfortunately it just makes me want to go out to an antique store and buy more iron LOL! I'm really glad to hear you're getting closer to your iron - it's totally not weird...I love cast iron - before I fell in love with iron skillets I fell in love with my 1967 Ford cast iron 390 engine when I rebuilt it in 2018. Clean cast iron is beautiful!
Cheers!
- Jens
@jack straw - Don't use Flaxseed oil. It will flake off and mix with your food. I've spent a long time trying to figure out why Flaxseed fails when everyone else claims it's the one. Different pans, different brands of Flaxseed oil and they all fail. When it flakes off into your food, it leaves a bitter taste and who know what else is entering your body?
For a while I used Grapeseed oil or even Crisco with great success. But I now use a Crisbee stick to apply to my pans (primarily Field Company pans). A light swab onto a heated pan does the trick and leaves a slippery surface (but NOT non-stick). I recommend anything over Flaxseed oil, but try using Crisbee. Good luck to you.
I might try this outside on the grill soon...I've got a little bit of propane to use up anyway and would rather run out during this job than cooking food. :)
That would be ideal - if I had an outdoor propane grill I'd use it for this - however, for folks who don't have such a grill, this demonstrates that you can get the job done just fine without...just a little smoky. Cheers!
great info.......can you use lard? Cheers
I believe so but I've never had lard in my kitchen. Thanks for commenting!
What Oil did you use for the seasoning? I don't think that oil would spontaneously combust unless you were using boiled linseed oil which you wouldn't use that on cast iron.
The cast iron pan that starts with a W is probably Wagner.
I used Flaxseed oil - don't have much concern of spontaneous combustion. I'm currently trying out peanut oil since I bought some for making homemade fries - did a recent video on that.
That’s how I did my cast iron skillets easier in the sense of spending less time keeping an eye on the clock and the stove.
Yeah I honestly can't figure out why anyone uses the stove method. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Quick question...you sand it the skillet then seasoned it stovetop?
That's right! Obviously I cleaned it first to get rid of the sanding grit and dust.
@@jensdavidsen4557 thank you so much!
I hate flax seed oil, but I do like the stovetop method. Works just as well, and way less mucking about.
While I remain very happy with the performance of my flaxseed seasoning, I certainly don't believe the superiority of it is vastly above and beyond all other seasoning oils. I think you would have an excellent performing skillet if you use canola oil which is far cheaper and easier to find.
@@jensdavidsen4557 I thought it was a great video! But I still disagree on the oil... :)
You have a fantastic channel!
@@ariea.devalois1564 thank you very much!
I use 50/50 blend of grapeseed and canola oils. I get that amber color and smooth hard surface, but it never flakes off like flaxseed oil often will.
@@RickCaldwellvoluntaryist check out my latest video that I literally just posted - it's my all-time favorite seasoning and by far the fastest!
How often do you re-season your skillet? after how many uses ?!
When it’s not doing its job. Food sticking not tasting good.
Sorry there, somehow I didn't see this comment until just now. I did a later video titled: "Ultimate Cast Iron Seasoning!!! Turn Your Skillet into a Black Mirror"...well...that was the last time I had to strip and season this skillet - it's been legendary ever since. Just used it last week to cook a chicken breast inside my Broil King Keg Smoker grill (see my latest UA-cam Short titled; "Life is Good When You're Cookin with Wood"). I use this skillet pretty frequently but I'm also a single guy so I'm not cooking for a wife and kids. To more directly answer your question, mrpoosteak pretty much hit it...when something goes wrong with it like a large area somehow gets stripped off. Honestly though, cast iron seasoning is kinda like growing a tree - at the start, it's vulnerable to damage, however once it's matured (through lots of use), it takes a disaster to wreck it.
@@jensdavidsen4557 Wow, Thanks for the reply, Now I get it, mine is so young then and I should give it time to matured. It gives me good feeling that somehow the skillet has it's own character and it will grow old with us. Thanks Again I am going to check your channel.
@@DiabloDevilsBA glad to be of service! Definitely stay tuned! I did a significant experiment just about an hour ago in skillet seasoning - I've still got to edit the video but it's VERY IMPORTANT for anyone who is trying to get the perfect seasoning on their cast iron skillet
@@jensdavidsen4557 sure, thank you very much for sharing
I'm no expert at all. That's why I'm here trying to learn. I've watched seasoning vids from probably a dozen or so different people in the last week of two. (including Kent Rollins, who everybody seems to reference as the cast iron king) they all season at a med/low heat and Kent says if you go too hot when seasoning, the oil will not bond. He says medium heat at most for bonding. Even his first layer that he bakes in the oven hot, he first puts the layer on with medium heat.
Just a thought as a possibility to your other seasoning flaking off.
Could be...but here we are almost 5months later and I've got a gorgeous black mirror seasoning on my skillet that functions beautifully (as can be seen in my more recent fried egg video) so I'm not gonna worry about it. I hope you enjoy the same success as I have!
@@jensdavidsen4557 oh yeah, I wouldn't worry about it either. If it holds up, great. If not, then maybe something to consider .
I'm glad I saw your video as I'll probably use your method, just maybe lower heat. Seems great and saves a lot of time over the oven method, then letting the pan cool between every coat applied from the grill. Your bronze color looked fantastic that you got. I hope to get half that good a result for my base coat.
I did mine exactly the same way and it started coming off upon using it. I think I might have applied it too hot (I was told to have burner maxed out so I did). I noticed you said you turned the heat down so this builds my confidence that I did it too hot. The center of the pan was even starting to “blue”.
Any suggestions?
DUDE, blueing the skillet! Dang! Yeah I've dabbled in blacksmithing for about 6yrs...blue means you're slightly above 600*F which is WAY TOO HOT!!! At that temperature, your oil will shoot right past the polymerization point and straight on to burning which will result in a super flaky and brittle finish... because your seasoning is essentially charcoal.
Apply oil to a cold skillet, start your burner on max and once you start getting generous smoke, turn the burner down a notch about every couple minutes (while you're still buffing on oil periodically) - you'll want to experiment with the burner to find the sweet spot where the skillet reaches a sort of thermal equilibrium between the thermal energy added by the burner and the energy lost to the surrounding air such that the iron stays right at the low range of the smoke point for the oil you're using.
An additional consideration is to move the skillet around on the burner periodically. I'll mentally split the skillet into quarters and spend about 30sec with each quarter, positioning the skillet such that the burner is under the transition point (from bottom to the wall of the skillet) - this way, I get good heat up on the walls too.
If you still have issues with the seasoning flaking off, your surface is too fine. A lot of other youtube skillet preparation videos mention using those scotch brite stripping pads on an angle grinder - they work beautifully for smoothing out iron but they effectively burnish the surface leaving it too smooth for seasoning - a random orbital sander with 36grit pads did the trick for me. See my later videos, the skillet featured in this video is the single greatest cooking tool I've got.
Best of luck to you, I hope this lengthy post has all made sense, if you still have any confusion, please let me know and we'll figure it out.
Cheers!
@@jensdavidsen4557 thanks for the thorough explanation. Makes perfect sense.
I KNEW I was doing it too hot but I stuck with it because that’s what the “directions” said to do. Yeah, as soon as I put the oil on it immediately burst into smoke and disappeared rather quickly. It didn’t slowly smoke off like yours did. I used about half a roll of paper towel because it was burning away!
I’m going to start over and give it another shot.
@@jensdavidsen4557 Hey man, just so you know I gave it another go and because of your videos and your generous one on one, you have changed my life with cast iron! My pan came out perfect. I just had to do it a little different by using two burners and having the pan centered in between the two to help distribute the heat (lodge 12”). I now have a black mirror! Anything that touches it slips around with the tiniest tilt and wipes pristine clean right after cooking with a simple wipe of a paper towel. I really appreciate your tips and know how and I would have never accomplished it without watching your videos.
@@TrevorH05 my good man, this is the single most touching comment any UA-camr could ever hope for! Words cannot hope to express my gratitude for what you've just said!
I share your celebration at the success you've earned through your diligence in stepping up to bat for another swing at cast iron, researching your problems, and asking questions when you felt you needed more information than what was presented. Enjoy your iron and do not fail to pass on the instruction and appreciation for it to the next generations of cooks!
That second skillet was it a Wagner?
Yeah, a No. 3
I just bought a Lodge 10.25 inch skillet(supposedly pre-seasoned). I noticed the bottom inside was very rough o the touch. I'm wondering if I'll have to sand it down to a smooth surface prior to even attempting to season. While I was out my brother tried some scrambled eggs. WHAT A FREAKIN' MESS!!! Advice?
Hi Rene, in my opinion, yes, you should sand it - for the same reason that it is easier to clean a tile floor than a concrete floor. I published a video back in early November called "Cast Iron Skillet Scrambled Eggs" - I'd encourage you to check it out and see if a sanded skillet works better than your experience with a rough lodge. My first experience in smooth iron skillets was a few years ago when I got sick of messes in my new 8" lodge skillet - when I try to wipe it with a paper towel...I get shreds of paper everywhere. Finally got fed up and brought the skillet down to my basement and sanded it smooth with an orbital sander. The difference was incredible - I've got videos here on experimentation with sanding iron skillets too. Best of luck to you!
- Jens
If you hold the paper towel with locking metal tongs it is easier and won't burn you.
Never got burned but I have used tongs - mine don't lock but it was still manageable. More recently I've been using a dedicated dish towel that I can fold up plenty.
@@jensdavidsen4557 That's a good way to go too. My tongs have a little ring on them that slide down and keep them closed when stored away. Using a thickly folded paper towel and sliding down that ring to hold it in place has worked well too.
stovetop seasoning is way better than oven seasoning, in the oven it takes ages
You're definitely right there! I did end up seasoning this a few times inside the oven just last weekend because another viewer wisely pointed out that I could season the handle to match...and I figured I might as well throw some oil on the inside while I'm at it. I will point out that I only left it in the oven (475F) for 30min for each coat...can't see why it needs to be 90min like some folks say.
Why is is red and mine turned red
That's the natural color of the seasoning when it's only got several layers. As you build up more and more coats, it'll be like a black mirror. Personally I love the copper color. I have one smaller skillet that I left that way but my larger one (featured in this video) I ended up taking it all the way to black
Would love to do this, but I don't have the house to do it. The FD would be here in a heartbeat.
Also, a metallurgist said that you should not subject these to temps over medium on a burner. They will warp.
Yeah it's gonna get smokey - that's part of the process.
I'm afraid that every single chef who uses cast iron would disagree with your metallurgist reference. I'm not arguing against you - just disagreeing with whomever that metallurgist is...these were cast from molten iron and air cooled...as long as they're air cooled from high heat and not quenched in water from high heat you're fine. None of my skillets are warped. I cook steak and chicken on high heat on my max burner.
This is one of the principal perks of using cast iron - they can take heat that would destroy Teflon and their mass means that when you plop a 10 ounce ribeye on the 500*F skillet, the temperature won't plummet as it would with a lightweight aluminum or copper skillet - it keeps the heat and develops a fantastic crisp sear. Best of luck to you and Happy New Year! Here's hoping 2021 goes more smoothly than 2020!
Do happen to know why my new Lodge Dutch Oven says 'pre-seasoned' but it's so rough? Cast iron is supposed to be smooth, but this feels like it was cast in sand and then left as-is. Should I sand it down to get it the right surface texture?
So back in the 1960s and earlier, every cast iron manufacturer sanded their cookware smooth. However, this was an expensive process because of labor time and when the market was suddenly flooded with Chinese imports of aluminum teflon coated skillets for a fraction of the price, American cast iron cookware manufacturers had to either adapt (compromise their finished quality) or go out of business. This is why legendary manufacturers like Griswold no longer exist but Lodge still does...lodge developed an automated sand casting process and cut out the smooth sanding expense and now leaves them rough...Griswold stayed with manually-poured sand casting and smoothed the finish...they didn't compromise on quality and as a result, they've been out of business for decades.
Today there are several small makers of premium cast iron cookware like Borough Furnace, Smithey, and Field Company to make a few - these folks pre-season their wares just like Lodge but they are smooth like cast iron used to be.
@@jensdavidsen4557 thanks for the history on American cast iron. After reading it I'm surprise Lodge doesn't offer a service or option to have a sanded down version of their cast iron skillet for more money without having to purchase a skillet from their Finex subsidiary. I'm sure there's a market of those who are willing to spend the extra money for a standard Lodge skillet with a smoother surface.
@@JacksonWalter735 a lot of folks are wondering the same thing. Is there a market for smooth cast iron? Check out Field Company cast iron, Burrough Furnace, Smithey...there are many contemporary domestic producers of smooth cast iron skillets and they're fetching $200 for one...yeah...there's a market...it would be very wise of Lodge to cash in on it; if they made a smooth skillet, I'd buy one.
Is that a paper towel your using?
Yes, however I later went with a cotton towel. Either works fine as long as you're seasoning a smooth skillet. Modern lodge skillets will shred paper towel because their rough sand-cast surface isn't smoothed.
@@jensdavidsen4557 it is a lodge 8 inch skillet. Should I use a towel then?
@@jensdavidsen4557 it is definitely not smooth. I baked it in the oven but still not smooth. I get some sticky spots sometimes.
Just a minor suggestion - show an example of frying an egg to demonstrate the non-stick nature of the pan.
Great suggestion! Someone else already made it and I did a video. Please check my other videos!
use rubber mitts. the hot oil goes into your cotton mitt
Yeah not really - we're using so little oil that the overwhelming majority of it is soaked in the paper towel. Nowadays I don't even use paper towels - I've got a large dedicated oil towel that was a cheap cotton dish towel - works perfectly
Must have done this when the wife was asleep.
There is no wife and no kids - single homeowner. I've got far too many hobbies for any woman I've ever met LOL
Nice job, but I think I’ll just spend more money on a skillet I don’t have to recondition.
I do it outside cause I don't wanna stink all the house , and grapeseed stinks much less
Yeah I've got a good time hood over my stovetop but yeah, I get it, it's obviously going to be a good bit of smoke so outside is preferred if you have the means...
That's a Lodge
Correct - it's referred to as a 3-Notch Lodge denoting three notches in the bottom fire ring. These skillets were made after Lodge fully automated the casting process in the late 40s or early 50s.
I'll stick to the oven method...it has always worked well for me
It certainly works - I won't argue that at all.
wagner?
No, this is a 3-Notch Lodge from the 1950s
@@jensdavidsen4557 16:44 "cant remember the name but I think it starts with a W" .
I thought you were throwin shade on wagner fans
@@schairphoenix4059 yeah sorry, wagner was wrong - I've got one - belonged to my grandma (No. 3). The other skillet that I was commisioned to restore isn't a wagner...can't think of the name of it. Sorry - I'm not an encyclopedia of iron skillets - just happen to enjoy restoring them back to use.
I tried this method and it looked great when I was done. After the first time cooking with it, it all came off. The oven method works best even if it doesn't look as good. Function over asthetics in this case. This guy made a really great looking pan, but the seasoning will come off after the first cook. Don't bother doing this. After you put food in it, you'll see how much this doesn't work. This video is a waste of time.
Hey Buddy, I need to get off UA-cam and stop watching these reviews. I ordered two Lodge Carbon Steel skillets, do you have any of those and if so what do you think of them. If you have any of those what is the proper way to season them?. I have watched some videos and I am not peeling potatoes to season a pan.
Actually didn't know lodge made carbon steel skillets - I'm aware that plenty of other domestic manufacturers are doing so but I don't know what the benefits are...I cannot imagine why cast iron seasoning would not be transferrable to carbon steel. In some of my blacksmithing work (carbon steel), I've finished a piece by seasoning it with peanut oil... literally taking dull-red-hot steel and continuously wiping it down with an oil soaked rag until it was cool...worked fine and left a nice black finish. Assuming the carbon steel skillets aren't as heavy as an equivalent sized cast iron skillet, they should heat up much more quickly
@@jensdavidsen4557 Yeah, that is what I read they heat up more quickly and cool down faster. I got a pan today delivered by Amazon that is all the praise it was a Matfer Bourgeat. I think it was praised by a top cooking channel that does reviews on cookware. I took it out the box and rubbed my fingers around it and broke a nail. The casting was poor. I will be sending it back. I am trying to get rid of of my porcelain cookware. I was ready to toss them since they are damaged due to living in a past place with an electric stove. I think the main advantage is that it's lighter and easier to care for. Yeah you should get one and do a review. I would be interested in what you think, if that might interest you.
@@12hebrewtribes I like the idea of doing a review - however money is extremely tight...no overtime and no raises thanks to covid-19... pretty confident that the story will remain the same throughout 2021. I can pay my bills and buy groceries...and that's about it... nothing left over for the savings account or hardware to enhance my channel like a microphone or additional camera+tripod. Hopefully things will change quickly but we'll see.
@@jensdavidsen4557 I understand. I am sure things will change in 2021 and you will have a complete multiple sets of carbon steel reviewing it and sending me to websites to purchase as I hastily pull out my credit card. I like your channel you seem to know your stuff. As long as you know that growth will happen.
@@12hebrewtribes very kind of you to say so! I hope to earn the loyalty of many more folks like you!
Wagner
That's right! Thank you for watching and commenting!
I lightly oil and place my cast iron in the oven at 425° for 40 minutes.
You should check out my latest cast iron skillet videos...I just skipped the whole "pre-seasoning" altogether and it works perfectly
I hate that flaxseed oil smoke smell.
Flaxseed oil is considered by many to be the toughest seasoning but canola oil, and vegetable oil are also popular options. Personally I kinda like the flaxseed oil smell but I invite you to try other options and see what works best for you. Hope this was helpful and I hope your seasoning efforts turn out great!
Great idea, BUT paper towels????????? It will be embedded with all the crap that inside of it. A used T-shirt is superior for that application.
That's actually not true for this skillet or any skillet that's smooth. If this were an out-of-the-box Lodge from present day, then you're 100% correct - it will shred paper towel like it's fun. However this is a smooth sanded skillet - look closely...do you see shreds of paper towel??? Nope. Thank you for watching and engaging!
- Jens
@@jensdavidsen4557 You are right. Now, that I see it on my large PC monitor the skillet is smooth. It so happens, that I bought a Babish 12" skillet from Amazon, and used the in stove and your stove top solutions twice each. Before all this in preparation yesterday I also used an unknown technic that one of the of the iron cast manufacturers knows or uses, that transform the metal into non pours. Than the four coats in total added using a piece of soft T-shirt gave me a dark chocolate patine to die for. I am amazed how well it looks now. I totally modded the shape of handles, and made it much prettier, and now it better, than the Stargazer I was thinking of getting. Now it is also half a pound lighter. Got rid of the unknown Chinese black painted 'seasoning'. Now I would not sell it under $450 or so, and it is the only one in the world, and by my hands. Thanks for your tip.
@@obudaifourty9 that's awesome to hear! I definitely agree - once.yoube put your own touch on it, it becomes uniquely yours - my lodge cast iron bread pan that I repaired in a recent video is the most beautiful cast iron bread pan out there (in my opinion)! Thank you for sharing your experience!
- Jens
@@jensdavidsen4557 The pleasure is mutual. Yours looks nicely done as I watch it again. I'll be glad to send you pictures if you like.
Now, fry some eggs 🤣🤣🤣
Watch my other videos...I fry eggs all the time. In June 2021 I posted a video where I debunked the "fried egg test" by gliding an egg on a skillet that wasn't even seasoned. That test has nothing to do with quality or efficacy of seasoning, it's all about proper cooking temperature. Thanks for watching!
You don’t no what your doing
And you don't know how to spell - you may now return to the bridge under which you came; there is no need for trolls here.
As soon as you said, "soap"; I stopped watching and said, "Nope".
Ok... would you care to elaborate on why you take issue with soap?
@@jensdavidsen4557 you should NEVER use soap to clean cast iron. ESPECIALLY when it has already been seasoned. Coarse Sea Salt, a Scothbrite pad, and HOT water is all that is needed to properly clean a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.
@@jensdavidsen4557 two things I have that soap never touches. My cast iron, and my coffee carafe.
@@Hell_Diver_X could you please expand upon why one should NEVER use soap on seasoned cast iron? I invite you to go into all necessary details of the consequential chemical reaction(s) involved; I hold a Master of Science degree in Chemistry so don't worry about going over my head. Thank you.
@@jensdavidsen4557 Not really. When one feels the need to arbitrarily mention their academic credentials as a means of validating their position; or, as a method of intimidation to any opposing viewpoint, then the discussion becomes moot and any further opinions are also rendered pointless.
Good day.
This guys Safety awareness Sucks , but the seasoning appears to have gone well