Prep & Assembly

Season Pan

Bake oil into cast iron or carbon steel to build a nonstick patina

Seasoning a pan bakes thin layers of oil onto cast iron or carbon steel, building up a slick, naturally nonstick patina that also guards against rust. It's how these pans become kitchen heirlooms. Wipe on the thinnest film of oil and heat it past smoking, then repeat to layer it up.

Seasoning a pan bakes thin layers of oil onto cast iron or carbon steel, building a slick, naturally nonstick patina that also guards against rust. It's how these pans become heirlooms. Wipe on the thinnest film of oil and heat it until it just reaches its smoke point and polymerizes (or bake at about 230°C / 450°F), then cool and repeat to layer it up.

Difficulty: Intermediate

How to do it

1
Clean and fully dry the pan.
2
Rub on the thinnest possible film of oil.
3
Wipe it back off — it should look almost dry.
4
Heat the oiled pan until it just reaches and lightly smokes — where seasoning polymerizes — or bake it at about 230°C / 450°F for an hour; don't drive it well past the smoke point, which only smokes out the kitchen and breaks the oil down. Cool and repeat the thin-coat process a few times.

Common mistakes

Too much oil bakes into a sticky, tacky mess instead of a hard, slick layer. Thin and patient is the whole game.

Using too much oil — stays gummy
Not heating hot enough to polymerize
Skipping the wipe-down step

Common uses

New cast iron skilletsCarbon steel pans and woksRestoring rusted pansMaintaining nonstick patinaCarbon steel crepe pansDutch ovens

Tips & pitfalls

Use a thin coat of a neutral high-smoke-point oil — grapeseed, canola, or refined avocado oil — which polymerizes into a durable layer. Skip flaxseed oil: its seasoning looks great at first but tends to flake and chip off in sheets.
Cooking fatty foods naturally builds seasoning over time.
Dry the pan over heat after washing so it never rusts.