I started using a lodge cast iron pan about a year ago. I purchased the pan probably five years ago, but it didn’t see much use. I decided to try to move away from cooking with non-stick skillets and it took a while to get comfortable, but now I use it routinely. I have some questions about care.
The photo shows where the finish looks like it is missing. I’m guessing it is the oil coating that should build up, but I would like a second opinion. What should I do about it? Just start seasoning it until it all looks good?
I bake eggs in my oven (on a cookie sheet in ramekins) nearly every morning for family breakfast. I’m thinking I could just integrate seasoning into that existing ritual. My tentative plan is to apply a thin coat of oil to the cast iron pan and put it in the oven while it preheats to 375 (about 15 minutes), the eggs cook (another 15 minutes) and then turn off the oven and let the pan sit in the oven while it cools down. Will that be enough heat to get the oil to do what I want? I’m trying to not waste a lot of electricity and have something I can do basically every day until I am happy with the seasoning on the pan. Can I just use the cheap canola oil I already have?
I would love any feedback or thoughts.
Canola oil works very well for seasoning, but you need to reach a higher temp for it to get it past the smoke point. I usually do canola at 450 for an hour and then shut the oven off. Going under the smoke point could result in a sticky pan as the oil doesn't quite reach emulsion. Here is a handy chart from the lodge website you can use as a guide for different oils, though everyone has different opinions about them.
Cooks County/America's Test Kitchen turned me on to using flax seed oil. Wow, what a difference. Worth the $10 bottle - I've redone all my cast, and it's damn near non stick.
I've even used it on aluminum sheet pans. Those are so slick they feel oily when clean and dry.
Isn't that Lodge chart about cooking with those oils? I wonder what the implications are for seasoning - ATK recommends using saturated fats, as there's more carbon available, which is what you're trying to do - carbonise the surface (sounds like something from Star Wars, lol).
The chart covers what the oils are good for but also outlines the smoke point of each one which is more the point I was trying to make. No matter the oil you choose, you need to cook it on the pan at a higher temp than the smoke point.