Seasoning Frying Pans

[Douglas]

Re: Steel pans, I'm hearing a lot of knowledgeable folks saying not to season a steel frying pan... but what is a wok made of? You season that, don't you?

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Re: Steel pans, I'm hearing a lot of knowledgeable folks saying not to season a steel frying pan... but what is a wok made of? You season that, don't you?

A wok is typically made from carbon steel, which is different than, say, a stainless steel pan. Carbon steel, which, unlike stainless steel, rusts easily. One of the reasons for seasoning a wok is to prevent it from rusting.

 

[HitMan009]

You said tri-ply so I assume it's a stainless steel cooking surface. There is no way you can season stainless steel. Just heat the pan, pour oil and wait for a bit of smoke. Take the pan off the fire and let it cool. This is the easiest way to prevent food from sticking. Or you can use oils with bigger molecules such as butter or animal fats to avoid the heating and cooling off of the oil. Butter/animal fats in general tend to be better at preventing sticking.

 

[Tarmac]

plain steel pans can be seasoned, they work great. Think of a griddle at your local diner. eggs just slide off all day

 

[HitMan009]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

plain steel pans can be seasoned, they work great. Think of a griddle at your local diner. eggs just slide off all day

"Blue Steel" Pans can definitely be seasoned.

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by HitMan009

"Blue Steel" Pans can definitely be seasoned.

You called?

 

[Tarmac]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

You called?

clearly Le Tigre. rookie mistake

 

[VKK3450]

^ is this where the spikey hair oompa loompa Jersey guys get the kissy face thing?

K

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by VKK3450

^ is this where the spikey hair oompa loompa Jersey guys get the kissy face thing?

K

No. It's just from their brains not comprehending how moronic they look.

 

[Huntsman]

Many good points, but some confusion also. To recap:

1. Stainless steel (tri-ply or otherwise) ought not be seasoned. That's not the point with stainless. Stuff will stick some -- good for you you have more fond now.

2. Cast iron (or plain steel, or blue steel) both should be and must be seasoned, for food release and to prevent your pan from shedding rust into your food or (easily) reacting with your food. Rinse your iron immediately after removal of the food, and don't simmer anything acidic in it long. Seasoning suggestions such as baking the pan are excellent. As is the appropriate comment that the best way is the employment of time and use. I find that deep (careful!) or shallow- frying in my skillets really helps them maintain a deep season. If I have heavy grime buildup, I scrub the pan with Kosher salt, which is mildly abrasive and takes care of it. Then I rinse extremely thoroughly, dry on a hot burner, and oil to the smoke point.

3. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan is fairly nonstick. It really can be very good. That said, I have three teflon pans that I find indespensible -- a large skillet (for fish and such), a small skillet (eggs for one, typically), and my crepe pan. Truth, a real crepe pan is seasoned iron, but I like to use less fat, which is one of the many things in favor of having some nonstick pans about.

~ H

 

[otc]

My cast iron skillet started its life preseasoned followed by some time spent in an oven with bacon grease (smear on a light layer and leave it for an hour or so until it looks "dry" and repeat).

Then it saw some good use on ***** meats...bacon, beef. It stumbled a few times due to the roommates but after a few reseasoning in the oven processes and a little bit of education, it has begun to develop quite a nice finish.

To clean, I try to get started when the pan is still hot. Fill it with some hot water and hit it with a flat plastic bristle brush that is only used on cast iron. Try to get the big bits off here but don't worry about stuff really trapped on the bottom.
Then I put a little hot water in it (half an inch is plenty) and throw it on a burner. When it starts to boil I get the whole surface with the brush, dump it in the sink, rinse and then set back on the burner until dry.
Now that the finish is getting pretty good I don't always oil it but sometimes I will spread a bit of oil or bacon grease on the hot, dry surface with a paper towel before putting it away.

The key is to just keep using it...

 

[Tarmac]

even eggs don't stick to my cast iron. my seasoning skills are THAT GOOD.

 

[Ludeykrus]

You peasants need to graduate to the school of cast iron.