“It creates perfect grill marks on my food. The substitute for dill square-ish shape nicely accommodates two decent size steaks.” If you’re craving fried chicken or homemade potato chips, consider this option from Lodge your perfect skillet. It’s deep enough to safely hold bubbling oil and includes a lid to retain moisture. Plus, cast iron gets and stays hotter than other materials, which translates into the crispiest, golden crust you’ve ever cooked.

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  • Seasoning builds up over time as you cook with fats and oils.
  • From a microscopic point of view, a cast iron has an uneven, jagged surface.
  • So you won’t have to worry about getting sticky residue.
  • Stainless steel pans work great for tomato sauces.

Quality antique cast iron in good condition can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. But if you are willing to scrub for your life and season like a boss, you might have great luck reviving an inexpensive antique that’s not looking its best. Of course, it will take some serious labor, but perhaps embrace the chain-mail scrubber to help you out. If you ever want to ignite an internet fight that has nothing to do with politics, declare modern cast iron superior to antique.

Step 4: Repeat 3 To 4 Times

In general, however, regular washing with soap is not recommended. To give the pan extra love, rub the clean pan with a very light layer of vegetable oil or canola oil and place over medium-low heat for a few minutes. A coating of any kind of oil or fat on the cast iron creates seasoning. Canola oil is the most popular oil used for seasoning cast iron, but vegetable oil, shortening, and corn and olive oil are also good options. The difference is the oil’s smoke point, or the temperature at which the oil starts to give off smoke. It just might be a bit more smoky than other oils.

And then it occurred to me that people 150 years ago weren’t going online to try and find ways to get the perfect skillet. Those chips in the above photo appear to be gone and now the skillet is really easy to clean. Hot water and a plastic spatula will get melted cheese and fried bits of fat right off. After each cook I would lightly coat the pan with grease. Just use bacon grease to cook a few times and lightly rub the grease on it before storage.

How To Season T

Baked in grease is all along the inside edges. One came out perfect the other two one of which is a pan size griddle need serious help. If you been neglecting your cast iron skillet for some time, chances are you need to do some maintenance on it.

If you are a home-cook who enjoys the processes that go only with cooking, such as seasoning a cast iron pan, then an artisan oil is worth the investment. This half-gallon bottle of oil will last you a very long time. You will be able to use some to season your cast iron pan and then keep on using it for months afterward.

Why Flax Oil?

The seasoning on a pan can solve or even cause cast-iron complaints. Cast iron can be fabulous, but it is dependent on the seasoning. Bad seasoning does not last and is not very effective. This is why some folks don’t get the desired result. “Remember I am currently using a high-quality Grapeseed Oil to season my cast-iron cookware. Using a grease keeper will save you money if you save and reuse your own grease from cooking.

Thus, it does not only help develop a patina on the cast iron. It may even help add flavor to whatever you cook. Planters Peanut Oil is one of the best and most affordable options in the market for this. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates. You should always season your cast iron pan before using it.

If your pan is large, it’s going to be heavy, so flipping the crepes will be a workout. Remember to keep a tissue handy to wipe those sweat streaks. First, you fry the potatoes, and then you cook the eggs. Clean the pan with salt and rinse off any residue.