How to Fix/Season a Cast Iron Pan
14. Nov, 2006 
1 Comment
My boyfriend and I don’t have a patio big enough for a BBQ in our current apartment so we are big fans of our cast iron grill pan. The only problem with this pan is that you have to treat it properly and through misuse we were ready to give up on ours today. I had taken it out of the cupboard a week ago to use it and found it covered with a weird sticky substance. I think it was likely congealed oil from a bad cleaning on previous use. I tried several things to fix our cast iron grill but could not remove the substance… Luckily we were saved by the lady at our local kitchen store and her suggestions. And let me tell you they worked like a charm.
To Clean your Cast Iron Grill or Pan:
Beware that this will remove any food stuck on your pan but will also remove your seasoning. So don’t do it unless absolutely necessary. Sprinkle all over with baking soda. Be generous. Add just enough water to form a paste (a spray bottle works well). Allow the paste to sit on the pan for 30 minutes and then scrub with a nylon scrubbie. Rinse and then Season!
To Season your Cast Iron Grill or Pan:
Choose an oil to season the pan with, it needs to be an unflavored oil like safflower or canola. Preheat the oven to 450F and brush oil all over the cast iron pan. You do not want there to be drips, but rather just enough to make it shiny. (Sponge off excess with a paper towel.) Bake for an hour and the turn the oven off and allow the pan to cool slowly.
Maintenance:
To clean the pan allow it first to cool completely. Place it in the sink and run hot water over it for a few minutes to help dislodge any stuck on food. Scrub with water, avoid soap as it will remove the seasoning.
Similar Pages:
How to Clean a Spice Grinder or Coffee Grinder
How to Peel a Winter Squash
How to Par Boil Potatoes
Originally started as a way to document and learn to cook, the site chronicles my journey as I learn a few new things, create recipes, and have a disaster or two.
I like Crisco for seasoning pans (wouldn’t use it to actually eat). Safflower / Canola oil can leave a bit too much sticky residue (though I do usually use Safflower for a light post-cooking coating, mostly because it’s what I usually have around). I think peanut might be a better choice, assuming no one you cook for a lot is allergic.
A lot of people suggest baking the pan upside-down with a baking sheet covered with tin foil underneath to catch the drips.
I find the grill pans really hard to clean because of the ridges. My gf has one – I have recently been using a bamboo wok brush to clean it, which seems to be working well. Some little slivers of bamboo come off, but it’s still better than a paper or cloth towel. A plastic scrubby brush might work pretty well too (with no soap, obviously).