Asked May 20, 2019 by Evan P.
Best Way to Season Cast Iron Skillets
I'm having a problem seasoning my cast iron skillets and I'm hoping you can help. I have both and 8 and a 10-inch Lodge skillets and once they start to look dull, and as though they've lost their glossy finish, I re-season them. I follow the instructions on the lodge.com site yet they never come out of the oven looking right! They still have dull, blotchy spots and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I make sure to first scrub them with hot, soapy water and a stiff-bristled brush before drying them completely with paper towels. I've tried canola, vegetable and even unrefined coconut oil. I'm really hoping you can help me and shed some light over what I'm doing wrong!
Answered by Deb Steinfeld
Thanks for your question. What is probably happening here is that, even though you are scrubbing the pan well, you are probably not getting all of the old seasoning off. You need to get it back down to the cast iron. Those dull blotchy spots are places you didn't clean completely. After the scrubbing, try coarse salt and really rub it in. You can use a paper towel. Some people use a potato cut in half. You really want to get it in there. Another trick when seasoning that you don't always see is to warm the pan first in the oven before adding the oil. Some feel this allows the "pores" to open up and accept the oil better. Then return it to the oven up side down with some foil underneath to catch the drippings. Every 10 minutes or so wipe it down and return to the oven. This will remove any droplets of oil that could build up and prevent the seasoning. It may take doing this more than once. Also, once you dry the pan do not let it sit. Move immediately to the seasoning process. Rust can form very quickly that you may not be able to see. Give this a try and see what happens. The most important thing is to make sure the pan is really, really clean of all the old gunk. Good luck. Deb at Milk Street
Read More