How to Season Cast Iron Cookware

You can get cast iron cookware from stores, flea markets, and may other places. It is heavy duty, and can retain high temperatures as this is probably why it’s a choice for many who love cooking. When it comes to cast iron pans, you should always season it. It is a method of building up the natural oils on the surface of the pan, to protect it and make it naturally non-stick.

A new piece of cast iron cookware should be cleaned very well before usage and it should be scrubbed and scoured. However, detergent and soap should never be used. Some cast iron is very porous, meaning the soap could get stuck in the pan. Iron tends to soak up all the chemicals so just use hot water for cleaning your pans. Some iron pans, especially those that come from stores, are pre-seasoned or have baked on seasoning. This makes things easier for you however, some are bare. To know if your pan is already seasoned, just look at the surface. Grey metal pans do not have any seasoning yet. Meanwhile, dark brown surfaces are a sign that it is already seasoned.

Some cast iron pans use natural seasoning, which can be done only through the repeated use of the cookware. All the food you cook in there will leave fat, oil or moisture which the pan then soaks up. Because the material of the pan is naturally porous, it will be protected by a layer of natural oil and this creates a non-stick surface over time. For those who have a new piece of cast iron cookware, you can bake on a base-coat to help season your pan. These will simply break-in your pan, and make the natural oil stick better to the surface. Also, for those who bought their pans in a flea market, it may already have some seasoning. This will add a little more seasoning, and prep your pan for usage.

All you have to do is preheat your oven and crank it up to about 350 degrees. Take some oil and wipe it on the surface of a pan using a cloth or paper towel. Make sure that the cloth is lint-free! You are free to use any oil you want here as some of the popular choices include olive oil, peanut oil and vegetable oil. Don’t go overboard with the oil, though all you need is a thin coat. Any more oil and you risk damaging your pan, and smoking up your oven.

You’ll have to bake the seasoning for an hour, place the cast iron cookware upside down in a rack inside the oven. Leave it there for around forty to forty-five minutes flip the pan over and bake for an additional fifteen minutes. You’ll be able to smell something funky as it bakes – don’t worry. It’s perfectly fine. Afterwards, you can let the pan cool. This gives you a base for the seasoning to build up on. These steps need to be repeated twice, but you can do it as often as you want.

During our research we visited many online vendors and discovered that the best prices are typically found on Amazon.

	Lodge Logic L14SK3 15-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet List Price: $48.99 Sale Price: $31.09 Used From: $33.55
	Start your own family heirloom. The do everything, use anytime skillet is built to last several lifetimes.. Full 15 inch diameter so you can really load it up. Cast Iron is a fantastic cooking medium. It conducts heat evenly with no hot-spots and maintains heat for efficiency and cooking control...

	Lodge Pro Logic 14" Cast Iron Wok, Black List Price: $80.00 Sale Price: $45.99 Used From: $47.47
	Seasoned ready to use 14" wok with loop handles features even, fast heating and excellent heat retention. All important factors in successful stir frying, simmering and braising. This unique flat bottomed cast iron wok allows you to use an electric or gas range without a ring to hold the work steady and transfers the heat rapidly from the burner to the wok.

	Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned 8-Inch Cast-Iron Meat Rack/Trivet List Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $8.79
	Unique Camp Dutch meat rack is sized to fit most skillets, dutch or camp ovens. Makes an ideal trivet too. Seasoned and ready to use. Purchase skillet separately.

	Lodge Pro Logic Cast Iron 14" Pizza Pan, Black List Price: $56.00 Sale Price: $34.97 Used From: $33.22
	Seasoned 14" round pizza pan with loop handles features even, fast heating and excellent heat retention. Golden pizza crust every time. Great for roasted vegetables, pork chops, chicken and beef. Not even the most expensive stainless or aluminum cookware can rival the even heating, heat retention, versatility, value and durability of Lodge Cast Iron...

	Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Rectangular Cast-Iron Grill Press List Price: $21.99 Sale Price: $14.97
	Seasoned and ready to use rectangular grill press is designed to improve your stovetop and outdoor grill favorites. Great for eliminating curl from bacon or ham and improve the presentation of many other foods...

	Lodge Logic L5SK3 Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron 8-Inch Skillet List Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $10.16 Used From: $12.34
	The American-based company Lodge has been fine-tuning its construction of rugged, cast-iron cookware for more than a century. No other metal is as long-lasting and works as well for spreading and retaining heat evenly during cooking...

	Lodge Logic, Seasoned Cast Iron Cookware Muffin/Cornbread Pan List Price: $15.99 Sale Price: $13.99 Used From: $13.70
	Seasoned and ready to use straightsided muffin pan with 6 impressions. Old fashioned muffins are always a treat. Cast Iron cooks best. The even heat control allows for a perfect bread crust every time...

	Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Round Cast-Iron Grill Press List Price: $27.99 Sale Price: $17.99
	This seasoned and ready to use round grill press is good for keeping bacon from curling, also chicken breasts, pork chops, steaks. Nice and heavy to do the job right. Holds heat in grilled sandwiches and "presses" out unwanted fats...

	Lodge Cast Iron Scrubber Brush List Price: $8.64 Sale Price: $3.64
	This stiff bristled brush is designed with wood handle, synthetic bristles, and the Lodge skillet logo burned into the brush head. Great for cleaning your cast iron pieces.

	Lodge LCC3 Logic Pre-Seasoned Combo Cooker List Price: $41.99 Sale Price: $34.99 Used From: $26.13
	It's a deep skillet, a fryer, a Dutch oven, and the lid converts to a shallow skillet or griddle. This versatile piece of cast iron cookware allows the preparation of almost any recipe. Great for kitchen and outdoor cooking...