How to care for an iron skillet

LissaC

LissaC

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I recently bought this skillet from Lidl. I seasoned it by heating it with oil, salt and an onion. It started looking like this after the first time I used it, I cleaned it with a rag, tried washing it but couldn't get rid of the burnt look. The second time I used it, the food that was in the middle of the skillet got burnt really easy. I have no idea how to properly clean this skillet. Any ideas?
 
You'll probably want to strip off the coating with extreme prejudice (electric drill and wire brush down to the base metal) and start over. It looks like your heat is too concentrated, so you might want to do an oven seasoning instead of on the stovetop. Wash the pan thoroughly with soap and water, dry thoroughly, apply a very light coating of oil (grapeseed is my favorite for this, others use lard), bake at 450 degrees F for at least an hour. Repeat two or three times.

I did this with all my cast iron and carbon steel and got great results. It's a cliché, but true- the more you use the pan, the better the seasoning gets. After each use, I wash with running water and a coarse scrubber, then heat to dry and apply a very light coat of canola oil before putting it away.
 
The OMWC said:
You'll probably want to strip off the coating with extreme prejudice (electric drill and wire brush down to the base metal) and start over. It looks like your heat is too concentrated, so you might want to do an oven seasoning instead of on the stovetop. Wash the pan thoroughly with soap and water, dry thoroughly, apply a very light coating of oil (grapeseed is my favorite for this, others use lard), bake at 450 degrees F for at least an hour. Repeat two or three times.

I did this with all my cast iron and carbon steel and got great results. It's a cliché, but true- the more you use the pan, the better the seasoning gets. After each use, I wash with running water and a coarse scrubber, then heat to dry and apply a very light coat of canola oil before putting it away.
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Thank you so much for the advice. I have an induction stovetop and that's what I used to season the skillet, that maybe where the problem lies.
Regarding stripping off the coating, I don't have an electric drill or a wire brush, could I try to remove the coating by heating the skillet with water on the stovetop?
Also, do cast iron cookware require the same care or is this only for iron cookware?
 
LissaC said:
Thank you so much for the advice. I have an induction stovetop and that's what I used to season the skillet, that maybe where the problem lies.
Regarding stripping off the coating, I don't have an electric drill or a wire brush, could I try to remove the coating by heating the skillet with water on the stovetop?
Also, do cast iron cookware require the same care or is this only for iron cookware?
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You should do this for cast iron and for carbon steel. No need for aluminum, non-stick, or stainless steel.

For stripping off the old stuff, there's no substitute for abrasion. Water and soap won't do it.
 
The OMWC said:
You should do this for cast iron and for carbon steel. No need for aluminum, non-stick, or stainless steel.

For stripping off the old stuff, there's no substitute for abrasion. Water and soap won't do it.
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Would something like this work? It's like a steel sponge to clean the dishes and I think I may have one at home.
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That's useful for day to day cleaning after the pan is seasoned. That's what I was referring to in Post #2.

I'd try to borrow a drill. A wire brush for it is cheap and worth the investment to get your pan back.
 
The OMWC said:
That's useful for day to day cleaning after the pan is seasoned. That's what I was referring to in Post #2.

I'd try to borrow a drill. A wire brush for it is cheap and worth the investment to get your pan back.
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Thank you, I'll try to see if I can find anything around.
 
If you have a product like Easy Off oven cleaner, that’ll work for stripping, but follow the directions for handling, that stuff is caustic. I’ve stripped my cast iron that way before - takes a couple of days, but it’s pretty low-effort.
 
TastyReuben said:
If you have a product like Easy Off oven cleaner, that’ll work for stripping, but follow the directions for handling, that stuff is caustic. I’ve stripped my cast iron that way before - takes a couple of days, but it’s pretty low-effort.
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There are several videos on YT showing how to do it with Easy-Off, but here’s a quick (no-video) instruction page:

https://castironcommunity.com/easy-off-method
 
LissaC said:
View attachment 91348

I recently bought this skillet from Lidl. I seasoned it by heating it with oil, salt and an onion. It started looking like this after the first time I used it, I cleaned it with a rag, tried washing it but couldn't get rid of the burnt look. The second time I used it, the food that was in the middle of the skillet got burnt really easy. I have no idea how to properly clean this skillet. Any ideas?
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91358

I went throught that same thing with an old cast iron wok! It kept on rusting & rusting. I got so tired of having to clean it before I seasoned it! I ended up giving it away before I got THIS beauty. Never looked back that way again!! Also, it helps to eliminate having to buy a bamboo steamer!! Hah!!
:whistling:
 
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GadgetGuy said:
View attachment 91358
I went throught that same thing with an old cast iron wok! It kept on rusting & rusting. I got so tired of having to clean it before I seasoned it! I ended up giving it away before I got THIS beauty. Never looked back that way again!! :whistling:
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I also have two non stick ceramic skillets, but I think the iron one works best for searing food and for cooking in the oven.
 
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