You can cook just about anything in a cast iron pan – meat, vegetables, even cake and cornbread. As the name suggests, cast iron cookware is made from a molten hot alloy that is poured into molds, or casted. You can find the pans in all shapes and sizes and in an assortment of baking molds, from corncobs to hearts to stars. Cast iron is built to last and if you know how to take care of it, you can use the same pan for an entire lifetime.
The history of cast iron cookware goes back at least as far as 6th century China, but we are perhaps most familiar with its history in Colonial America. At this time, the majority of cooking was done in a hearth. Cast iron’s ability to hold high and even heat for an extended period of time made it ideal for cooking over an open flame. The handles on the pans allowed cooks to hang them above the fire. Because of its popularity, cast iron cookware was manufactured in huge quantities, which is why we see so much of it being sold at vintage shops and antique stores. You can get a great used cast iron for around $10 (sometimes even less). Clean it up, season it… good as new!
Here I will teach you a simple technique for cleaning and seasoning your cast iron pans. If you are in the market for a new cast iron pan, check out my recommendation below.
Do you cook with cast iron? Share your cast iron tips in the comments section!
Recommended Products
Lodge 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
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Ingredients
- Cast iron pan
- 1 raw potato sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil with a high smoke point flax, grapeseed and peanut oils work well
- Paper towels
- Wooden or metal flat-edged spatula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Start by using a spatula to scrape any food residue from the surface of the pan. If your pan is mostly clean it can be wiped out with a damp cloth. Never use soap on your cast iron cookware.
- Sprinkle the salt into the pan.
- Using the flat side of the potato, scrub the salt into the surface of the pan. The moisture from the potato, combined with salt, helps to remove any debris or rust that cannot be eliminated by simply wiping out or scraping.
- Use a slightly damp paper towel to wipe the salt from the pan.
- Once the salt has been removed and the pan is dry, pour in the oil.
- With a paper towel wipe the entire surface of the pan, including the inner sides, edges and handle, with the oil. The surface should be lightly coated in oil, with no excess oil pooling anywhere. Wipe out all of the excess oil before placing in the oven.
- Once the pan has been thinly coated with the oil, place it in the oven at 400 degrees F for one hour. Allow the pan to cool and wipe out any excess oil that may be left behind. For pans that have been completely stripped of their seasoning, you may need to repeat the oiling and heating process multiple times to build up a thicker layer of protection. Do not use too much oil on the surface of the pan-- it should be thinly coated, not dripping.
- Once your pan is cool and you've wiped out any excess oil, your cast iron is cleaned, seasoned and ready to use! Every time you cook with oil in your cast iron pan (deep frying, sauteing, etc.) you will continue to build the non-stick coating, making it better with age.
- You do not need to re-season your pan each time you use it. Once you've cleaned it after cooking (using the instructions above), wipe it with a thin layer of oil before storing. This will help to keep the seasoning intact between uses. Re-season the pan once every 15-20 uses, or whenever you start to notice foods sticking more and/or the seasoning wearing away.
Kevin Hipfner says
That is what I do exactly! Except the raw potato
Janie Malbrough says
i love my cast iron cookwear
Sharyn Rogers says
yeah-that’s about 150+ years old. They belonged to the mother of a man who was born in 1878…
Wesman Todd Shaw says
I need this
Gail Srebnik says
We use cast iron most of the time and have had our pans for years – never soaped them!
Kevin Hipfner says
I love cast iron
Kyre Adept says
Love my cast iron! Also, I use grapeseed oil, for the same reasons Ilmari outlines below.
Nora van der Kam says
thank you so much
Valerie Harris says
Thank you I really needed this someone gave me a set and I didnt want to thow them out
Kimberley Barca says
They are wonderful but a lot of work! I would like to have a cast iron dutch oven for cook outs!
Peggy ReeceRobinson says
Kimberly, check at yard sales and flea markets you will find many that have been treated with tender love and for years the best you can find. Good luck
kimstogsdill says
thank you that really helps alot
Maria Silva says
Buy one at Home goods or Marshalls, I paid 9.99 for a raw cast iron Grill pan. Works great
Ilmari Kivinen says
I use salt and almond oil, almond oil won’t go rancid and will always keep the pan seasoned longer because it can tolerate much higher heat than most other oils.
Wanda Russell says
thanks for that tip,I’ll be sure to do that.
Ilmari Kivinen says
An added bonus is that if it is organic almond oil that has been extra filtered, there is zero flavor added to the pan.
Lobos Espiritu says
I have never heard of this but will try it. I usually use olive oil but it tends to leave quickly. Thanks.
Ilmari Kivinen says
A quick warning, it IS expensive.
Rebecca Lee says
Yes, almond oil is far too expensive to season a pan !!
Ilmari Kivinen says
No, not when you consider the fact that you can season one time a year vs 4 times per year.
Kimberley Barca says
When I lived in miami fla I had a cast iron skillet was given as gift, You had to season it alot before using they used lard to season it cause oils didnt work! I made great corn bread in it and bisquits, when I moved to San Diego I gave it away! You have to be extremely careful w these skillets they are much hotter than regular pans, they cook faster too! But- they make the best fried Chicken. Oh They use Peanut oil to fry chicken in cast iron skillets, cause that oil works with them, and dont let these soak in water! They rust over night!
Kathy Adams says
Good that you mentioned not letting it sit in water. I learned this the hard way and had to recondition. Now I wash my pans and dry them immediately…then wipe with vegetable oil.
James Lindley says
We do about 90% of our cooking on cast iron.
Pat Kelly says
Yes! It’s hard to beat when frying certain foods.
Debbie Cardwell says
No but I should. I know you “treat” pans with oil and salt but maybe not “cleaning” them bugs me. EVEN HEAT and I am sure if you are posting it, it is good!
Lolly Rios says
My mom made the best of everything using cast iron <3
Rabbi Gershon Steinberg-Caudill says
I learned this 55 years ago in the Navy Cooking School.
Aj McCleary says
Great link – Thank you!
Vaishali says
Uh oh…I have washed my cast iron pan. can it still be saved with the method you shared? Thanks.
Tori Avey says
Vaishali– no worries, while soap can be tough on the cast iron it can definitely be brought back into condition with a little effort. I would season your pan a couple of times to build the coating back up (coat with oil, bake, wipe excess oil out, let it cool, coat with oil and bake again). In future use the method outlined here to clean your pan without stripping it. Good luck!