Whether you just bought your first cast-iron skillet or have a pan stuck in the back of your cupboard, you might be wondering what to do with it. We don't blame you for feeling hesitant. Cast-iron pans get a bad rap for being high-maintenance, but their upkeep is actually much simpler than you might think. (You can even wash your cast iron with soap—just don't tell the purists.) The only thing you need to know to get cooking is how to season cast iron—it doesn't take a lot of time or effort, but it is important.
"Seasoning is crucial when you're working with cast-iron pans," says House Beautiful contributor Eddie Ross, our resident cast-iron expert. "Not only does it protect the pan, especially if it gets wet or there's any humidity in the air, but it also helps form a nonstick layer that builds over time and makes cast iron such a great material to cook with."
So when does your cast-iron pan actually need to be seasoned? First, you need to season a brand-new, just-out-of-the-box pan. "If you cook on an unseasoned pan, your food will probably stick, and that can cause rust," says Ross. And second, you'll need to reseason a pan any time it needs so much scrubbing that the seasoning wears down or comes off. That includes when you need to remove rust or restore a pan. Some people would argue that you should reseason a pan anytime you wash it with soap as well. (Many cast iron aficionados say soap is a no-no and insist pans should be rubbed down only with salt after cooking.)
The best oil to season your cast iron, according to Ross, is Crisco. It's not only versatile and easy to find, but it's also food safe. You need to reseason your cast iron only occasionally—the pans actually get better with age when cared for properly—but you should still apply a fine layer of oil after every use.
Luckily, seasoning cast-iron cookware is incredibly easy, says Ross. He walked us through the process, step by step.
How to Season a Cast-Iron Pan
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make sure your pan is clean and dry.
3. Coat the pan with a thin layer of baking grease—Ross likes Crisco.
4. Place the pan upside-down on a baking sheet.
5. Bake the pan in the oven for one hour.
6. After an hour, turn the oven off, but don't remove the pan; let it sit in the oven until cool.
7. And voilà: a perfectly seasoned cast-iron pan!
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Emma Bazilian is a writer and editor covering interior design, market trends and culture. She has very strong feelings about tissue box covers and believes that everything is better with toile.
