How to Restore, Season and Clean a Cast Iron Skillet
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How to Restore, Season and Clean a Cast Iron Skillet
Description
The process begins with restoring a cast iron skillet by scrubbing away rust using a brillo pad under hot water, then drying it thoroughly either with a towel or directly on a stovetop. To season, oil is rubbed generously on both sides and the excess is wiped off. The skillet is placed upside down in an oven set to 500°F for an hour to polymerize the oil into a smooth, durable coating. For maintenance, stuck-on food is removed by scrubbing with hot water, salt, and a nonabrasive scour pad or soft brush, then dried thoroughly. A smaller amount of oil is rubbed onto the skillet, which is heated again to its smoking point to keep the seasoning solid and prevent spoilage. Cooling and storing completes the maintenance routine.
This routine ensures the skillet remains rust-free, develops a nonstick surface, and improves cooking results. It applies to cast iron as well as carbon steel pans. The guide emphasizes that no pan is too far gone to be restored using these techniques, and that well-seasoned cast iron skillets can be used to cook a wide range of foods.
Ingredients
- 1 cast iron skillet
- 1 brillo pad
- 4 tablespoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- nonabrasive scour pad with 2 tablespoons of salt or soft bristle cleaning brush
Instructions
- To Restore: Scrub under hot water using a brillo pad on all sides to remove all rust spots.
- Dry thoroughly using a kitchen towel or on a stovetop burner on high heat.
- To Season: Generously rub 3 tablespoons of oil into both sides of the pan using a paper towel.
- Next, use a separate paper towel to remove any excess left on oil.
- Place upside down in the middle of your oven rack at 500° for 1 hour. Store or use.
- To Maintain: Scrub with hot water using a nonabrasive scour pad with 2 tablespoons of salt or a soft bristle cleaning brush to remove all unwanted stuck-on food particles.
- Dry thoroughly using a kitchen towel or on a stovetop burner on high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil and rub it into the pan on both sides.
- Place in the oven on the middle rack at 500° or over a burner on high heat until it reaches the oil smoking point. You do this so the oil does not spoil.
- Cool and store.
Notes
- Use a brillo pad and hot water to remove rust from all sides of the skillet for full restoration.
- Apply oil generously when seasoning, but wipe off excess to prevent sticky residue.
- Heating the skillet upside down at 500°F for an hour creates a durable seasoned surface.
- For regular cleaning, use salt and a nonabrasive pad or soft brush to remove stuck-on food without damaging the seasoning.
- After cleaning, dry thoroughly and reapply a light coat of oil, heating to smoking point before storing.
- This method applies equally to carbon steel pans for seasoning and maintenance.
- No cast iron pan is too damaged to restore using this process.
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Overall Rating
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