Cast Iron FAQ

Seasoning is oil baked onto the cast iron that gives it a natural, easy-release finish. You can use any food-safe cooking oil or shortening to maintain your cookware. We highly recommend using vegetable oil or canola oil.

To maintain the seasoning on your cast iron, simply use it! Cooking in it regularly with any kind of cooking oil will keep your pan looking great and performing well.

Our pans come preseasoned, so they’re ready to use right away! You’ll want to season your pan right after you wash it.

Yes!

No, you should not put your pan in the dishwasher. If you let your pan sit in water for extended periods of time, your pan will rust. Make sure to only hand wash your pan.

Follow these steps.

1. Wash your pan with hot water and a nylon bristle brush. If needed, use a pan scraper to remove any residue or stuck-on pieces of food.

2. Dry your pan thoroughly with a lint-free cloth or paper towels.

3. Rub the surface of your pan with a very light layer of cooking oil while the cookware is still warm.

4. Hang or store your pan in a dry place.

Helpful Hints:

• The pan should be dried thoroughly to prevent rusting.

• To prevent stickiness on your pan, make sure the pan is warm when you apply cooking oil on it and don’t over oil your pan.

• Seasoning will build up over time.

No, this isn’t necessary if you thoroughly dry it with paper towel. Plus, if you heat your pan too much, the seasoning you built will deteriorate.

There’s no need to return it! If your pan has rust, you can scour the affected area with steel wool, rinse it dry, and rub it with vegetable oil. If the problem persists, re-season your pan.

Our cast iron pans arrive preseasoned, so the preseasoning process may leave a drip mark when the skillets are hung to dry. The drip mark then gets burnt off. This won’t affect your pan’s performance.

Tip: You can apply cooking oil to the drip mark, put it into the oven, and bake it. This simple process will re-season the handle and give your skillet a finished look.

Re-seasoning is something you can do when your pan becomes dull, gray, splotchy, or rusty.

How to Re-Season your Pan

1. Wash your pan in warm water and towel-dry it.

2. Using a clean cloth or paper towel, thoroughly rub cooking oil all over the pan inside and out. Continue to rub it so there’s no longer a greasy sheen. This is important because excess oil can pool during the seasoning process and create hardened droplets or become sticky.

3. Put your oiled pan upside down inside an oven preheated to 450°F (230°C) for one hour. Place a sheet pan on the oven rack below your pan.

4. Remove your pan with oven mitts. Then, thoroughly apply cooking oil and place it back in the oven. Repeat this step 2–3 more times.

For extra-sticky foods, simmer a little water for one minute. Then, use a scraper to remove the food after the pan has cooled.

You shouldn’t cook foods that are acidic (like beans, tomatoes, and anything with citrus juices) in your pan until its seasoned well. The high acidity of these foods will strip the seasoning, which will result in discoloration and metallic-tasting foods.

Once your pan is well seasoned, you may be able to cook these types of foods. Please note: this also applies to boiling foods, which can break down your seasoning as well.

While soap isn’t necessary, you can use a little bit of mild dish detergent. Don’t use a dishwasher or metal scouring pad because they can harm the seasoning on your pan.

You may occasionally notice that some dark residue rubs off when you’re cleaning your pan. This is perfectly safe; it’s just the seasoning (the baked-on cooking oil) responding to foods that may be slightly acidic or more alkaline. The residue will disappear with regular use and care.

If the seasoning on your pan is sticky, this is a sign of excess oil buildup that didn’t become seasoning. You can fix this by placing your pan in the oven upside down on the top rack and baking it at 450°F (230°C) for one hour. Let it cool and repeat as necessary.