PDU said:

This LINK is what you are looking for.

I was struggling with the same thing after buying a cheap "lodge" brand cast iron. I tried lard, bacon grease, and cooking oils, never used soaps, etc. All oils BEFORE this method failed badly with eggs (the ultimate cast iron test.)

Using the flax oil, baking it on at super high heat, in multiple coatings polymerizes the oil and bonds it with the pan into a relatively speaking bulletproof non-stick coating. It also "seals" the pan, and I can use soap/water to wash it if i cook something like curry in it.

1 protip for cooking eggs - make the pan really hot before you drop the eggs in. Also, get a grill scraper (like a paint scraper) to scrape your pan and/or use a sturdy metal spatula.

I have become a diehard and am on constant lookout for some more pans to add to the collection. Nothing compares to eggs fried in cast iron, or veggies baked in cast iron. Same goes for tortillas slightly warmed and browned...

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brianstequila said:

Scrub it good and put a layer of lard on it. It has to be lard or shortening.  Put it in the oven at 350 for an hour or so. Then you will have a seasoned pan. The deep black color comes after years of cooking on it and when you do cook on it, heat it up before you put anything in it. Cast iron has a natural nonstick coating and when you figure it out you will love them. I have my cast and my wife has that fancy waterless cookware crap and right now she is making fajitas with my 19 inch cast.

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36fuckin5 said:

You should NEVER put water in your cast iron unless you're trying to remove the seasoning.

What I always do is to take my pan and boil some water in it to remove absolutely everything in it. Then scrub it down with a green scrub pad and some soap.

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Never use water but use water?

I've always been told not to use soap

Acidic_Sloth said:

chemistry of cast iron seasoning

very informative. seasoning takes time and patience, and the right oil.

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Mush 4 Brains said:

brianstequila said:

Scrub it good and put a layer of lard on it. It has to be lard or shortening.  Put it in the oven at 350 for an hour or so. Then you will have a seasoned pan. The deep black color comes after years of cooking on it and when you do cook on it, heat it up before you put anything in it. Cast iron has a natural nonstick coating and when you figure it out you will love them. I have my cast and my wife has that fancy waterless cookware crap and right now she is making fajitas with my 19 inch cast.

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This, however I've used various oils before.  Shit I'm cooking with the cast iron my grandma used to cook my dad breakfast on as a kid.  Shit was so old he sand blasted it at first which he later realized was a mistake....

I love the cast iron, they cook so damn evenly.  Theyre so easy to clean and you can use it to cook anything basically.  To clean it I usually just run it under hot water and use a steal scrubber with no soap.  Then I take a paper towel and wipe it dry and get off any residual stuff.  Of course it's easiest to clean the cast iron while it's still hot from cooking.

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444 said:

I like to clean my pans with this!

Bamboo Wok Brush

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