How to care for an iron skillet

[caseydog]

Lissa, that looks like a carbon steel pan. It is harder to season and care for than heavy cast iron, IMO. I had a real challenge with the two carbon steel pans I had. It took me a good three rounds of seasoning with oil in the oven, and then I used it to cook a bunch of bacon, and other fatty meats for the first few times I used them. A good seasoning is not a one-step thing. It happens over time and use.

Carbon steel is thin, so it is easy to burn. Cast iron is much thicker, and heats slow (and cools slow). You are also way more likely to experience "hot spots" with the thinner carbon steel pans than with thicker cast iron.

You are going to have to take that pan back to bare steel and start over. I season pans in the oven with just a light coating of oil, and then, as I said, cook really fatty foods for the first few uses. Bacon is GREAT! That fat builds on the foundation you started in the original seasoning.

Good luck!

CD

 

[LissaC]

Lissa, that looks like a carbon steel pan. It is harder to season and care for than heavy cast iron, IMO. I had a real challenge with the two carbon steel pans I had. It took me a good three rounds of seasoning with oil in the oven, and then I used it to cook a bunch of bacon, and other fatty meats for the first few times I used them. A good seasoning is not a one-step thing. It happens over time and use.

Carbon steel is thin, so it is easy to burn. Cast iron is much thicker, and heats slow (and cools slow). You are also way more likely to experience "hot spots" with the thinner carbon steel pans than with thicker cast iron.

You are going to have to take that pan back to bare steel and start over. I season pans in the oven with just a light coating of oil, and then, as I said, cook really fatty foods for the first few uses. Bacon is GREAT! That fat builds on the foundation you started in the original seasoning.

Good luck!

CD

Thank you! I remember when I bought this from Lidl it said it's made of iron, but I google carbon steel pans and they do look like mine. It's a thin pan indeed, and somehow it got burned not only on top but also underneath it.

I'm trying to clean it now with an oven cleaner the way TastyReuben suggested, after that I'll season it in the oven and will follow your tip to cook greasy foods in it at first.

 

[Morning Glory]

I know very little about this but here is a video of someone who seems to know what he is doing, seasoning a new carbon steel wok on an induction hob. It may give some insight. Its interesting how the pan changes colour in the process.

View: https://youtu.be/_xJRW00zVFM


Personally I'd rather stick (ha ha!) with my non stick pans. No 'seasoning' required.

 

[LissaC]

I know very little about this but here is a video of someone who seems to know what he is doing, seasoning a new carbon steel wok on an induction hob. It may give some insight. Its interesting how the pan changes colour in the process.

View: https://youtu.be/_xJRW00zVFM


Personally I'd rather stick (ha ha!) with my non stick pans. No 'seasoning' required.

Thank you for sharing this! For now my challenge is cleaning the skillet. Then I will move on to the challenge of seasoning it