What is destroying the seasoning on your iron cookware?
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- Опубликовано: 11 ноя 2024
- I work with people every day to help them successfully transition away from coated cookware and get great results using iron cookware. Sometimes I work with someone who struggles and struggles to keep their non-stick coating in good shape.
In this video, I address this problem and how to easily solve it.
I can really identify with the "one step forward, two steps back" sink hole of seasoning. I struggled with it for weeks. What finally got me into the "two steps forward, one step back" phase was two things. One, I started using a paste for post seasoning. I'm convinced paste works better than plain oil. Two, I got a portable counter top butane stove. I normally cook on an electric glass top. With the butane burner it is easier to get even heat and get heat up the sides, even on my 12" pan. I use the butane burner only for post seasoning. All three of my pans are now a deep golden brown, non-stick, and tolerant of the occasional mis-use. Now that I'm over the hump I'm able to get away with post seasoning maybe 1 in 4 uses. The other 3 times I'll just clean, dry, and wipe down with a very thin layer of grape seed oil for storage. Anyone struggling, take heart, you can get over the hump and using carbon steel becomes a real joy rather than a chore. I'll admit while I was struggling I only stuck with it because I wanted to use carbon steel, not because I enjoyed carbon steel. That's changed now. Stick with it! (pun intended)
I have 2 carbon steel pans and almost threw them out thinking they were defective because everything was sticking. Of course it was me. I was doing everything wrong. I was using high heat too much fibrous oil for seasoning. I’m inpatient. Anyhow, I’m cooking with medium heat, using a wax/ oil paste for post seasoning. Nothing sticks anymore! Anyhow, I’m learning how to cook. Not easy to change but I’m doing it. Thank you !
You are an inspiration for others! I have people complain about their pans all the time but don't take the ownership that you have to get great results. Good on you!
One thing I found that can be a problem is what Jed mentioned, heat, in this case, too little. I am writing this as I watch the video, so he may mention it. I am writing it in case he does not. Too little heat won't destroy your seasoning, but it may cause food to stick, making you think that you seasoned with incorrect oil, destroyed the seasoning or did not season it properly. I had this happen to me after watching Jed and Uncle Scott's videos. Initially had success after their videos, then I started to get issues with sticking, so I mistrusted the oil used and my seasoning jobs. I stripped a bunch of pans, then reseasoned them. I still had sticking. I even reseasoned some of those. As a last resort, I tried kicking my heat up. I started cooking shredded potatoes in a newly seasoned pan. Normally I had been very methodical about getting 100% of the pan interior covered with clarified butter. That never stopped the sticking. This time I was sloppy with the clarified butter, expecting the pan to stick the potatoes. There were places on the side of the pan where no clarified butter went. The sticking did not happen, and to top it off, places where the potatoes went on the dry pan also did not stick. The potatoes slid in the pan. What was happening was that I thought I had been cooking at too high of a heat, when I had not been. I had been lowering the pan heat, and eventually got sticking. That is when I started to reseason. I wasted a lot of time because my cooking technique and temperature control went bad.
Very good summery. Thank you for that. It will be helpful for others!
Maan.... My godenes, you are the BEST out here even dough iv'e being doing this for many years now and still a lot to learn. You spend a lot of time testing, which the rest of us benefit from. This is really a wake-up-cal... Thanks again😀😀
I think some people really do struggle with seasoning. When my mother passed away I received a few 1930s era Lodge pan 1900s era Griswold, so like a lot of people because I had Lodge I purchase Lodge I believe I learned how to season because I sounded those pans out spoke to some older people with experience on seasoning raw cast-iron and now I’m getting the hang of it pretty well. So I gave my son-in-law‘s my new Lodge products and I just purchased a Lancaster number eight on its way be here Thursday cannot wait to receive it old school design old school weight about 4 pounds. Thanks for teaching people the tricks of the trade they truly do help. Have a blessed Christmas
On your recommendation I bought a Demeyere Atlantis 3.5qt saucier and their Proline 7 11 inch frypan.
After carefully following your instructions on how to properly use stainless steel, I'm set, they're performing great.
Many thanks!
Great!
I really appreciate this video! Thanks, Jed! I struggle with keeping a good seasoning on my carbon steel pans. Sometimes it's got a nice non-stick surface, and other times it doesn't. I think I'm using too high of a heat. And thanks for the chickpea fritters idea. We struggle with new meal ideas at home, so we'll definitely be making these. If by chance you have the measurements for the recipe, let me know, thanks. By the way, after telling my daughter about how I learned all about carbon steel cooking through your channel, she's now subscribed.
Thanks for the support, Geoff! Hope you like the fritters.
@kikilaker6698 hi, it really depends on what was cooked in the pan.
thanks for this. i hadn't thought about this angle before, it's very insightful. i cook on a gas stove, and it can be frustrating to get a flame that isn't too strong to be honest! i've been thinking of looking into a flame diffuser/simmermat. i try to use my weakest burner (5K BTU) but the flame is pretty small. i usually use the medium size burners - 9500 BTU. i definitely don't use the big power burner with my cast iron - 13K BTU.
This was very helpful. I am one of those struggling to keep a good finish on my pans. I know I tend to use high heat so I will lower the flame.
Great! Let me know how it goes.
@@Cook-Culture So I started from scratch, scouring the steel pan down to original finish and have put used the wonderful paste for pre-seasoning and to put 2 one hour seasoning shifts in the oven. It looks so smooth and beautiful. I think I will do one more shift in the oven. Meanwhile I am using your seasoning paste on all my cast iron. I love, love, love it.
I came to this conclusion recently as well. My frustration was building. Seasoning looks great, but performance was inconsistent at best. Patience is key with my matfer carbon steel pans. Patience with the seasoning process and patience when cooking.
Took me about a year to learn how to use 'stick' cookware, but honestly its made me a better cook, can say I never eat out because my home cooked meals taste better lol healthier too, win win
Awesome!! I'm with you - I'll take home-cooked any day of the week!!
You're also saving money doing it yourself!
Sometimes its nice to not have to worry about cooking and cleanup and just leave the mess to somone else to deal with and try different things.
Take inspiration from places for new things and make it at home
This was very helpful. We love our Matfer carbon steel pans but couldn’t understand why we got such inconsistent results. Sometimes perfect, other times complete wipe out. Will certainly try lower temperatures.
Great! Let me know how it goes.
I seasoned with flax seed oil initially and it was great for a while, but now it’s flaking off. I switched to grape seed oil (and your beeswax mixture) and haven’t had that problem. But yes, temperature is all important.
I ran into the same issue with flaxseed so I switch between olive oil and trapeares and no issues now
I recently got my first cast iron pan to replace a worn out non-stick pan. I studied fluorinated chemicals from the perspective of environmental contaminants in graduate school, so when it came time to replace a pan, I couldn't bring myself to buy another non-stick pan. I've had the pan for a couple months. I did 4 oven seasonings before cooking anything. I use it most days for breakfast and I've been seasoning after every use as you show in this video (warming gradually and barely bringing the pan up to temp to see whisps of smoke). The seasoning is always dry to the touch and a golden brown color once cool, so I assume I am doing it correctly. I started using Crisco to season after I tried avocado oil, which seemed to struggle a bit fully polymerizing due to the high smoke point.
I cook on medium low or maybe medium heat, but I've noticed when I cook bacon or vegetables, some browned bits stick after cooking. People claim bacon is good for seasoning because it has a lot of fat, but it seems the salt or perhaps sugar (I buy regular smoked bacon, not maple or anything that should have extra sugar) cuases a problem in my pan because it tends to stick even though I put a layer of oil in a pre-heated pan before adding bacon. I cook eggs this way with no sticking, so something in the bacon seems to be an issue.
To get cooked-on stuff off, I add a bit of warm water to a warm pan and rub lightly with a wooden spatula. This gets the pan clean easily, but it also strips the seasoning off (even where there wasn't stuck food), and I need to apply another couple layers to get the metal coated again. Is this common when a pan doesn't have a thick layer of seasoning? You mentioned seasoning is 2 steps forward, 1 back, so maybe this is just something I need to deal with for a while? It's a bit frustrating because it seems every time the surface starts looking decent, I have to add a bit of water to get cooked-on food off, and I'm back to square 1. What are your thoughts? I appreciate any advice or tips you might have!
Hi Adam, I love how diligent you are. You're doing everything well but I can see that you have that 'it's not perfect' itch. So, to solve the bacon problem, stop eating bacon. Second....haha...I know that's not on the table. It's not so much the sugar as it's the fat, but sugar is a culprit. You are correct that more use will take care of the problem but you need a solution for maintenance now. It's chain mail. Chain mail is the best iron cookware maintenance tool. It polishes and does not strip or damage your young seasoning. I suggest getting a 5mm or 3.5. Don't start with a 10mm. Let me know if you need help locating one.
@@Cook-Culture Thanks for the feedback! I've been mostly sticking to eggs, pancakes, and similar things that don't result in stuck bits on my pan to slowly build up some more seasoning. I haven't yet acquired a chain mail scrub, but will look into it next time I'm ordering something since I haven't seen them in stores where I live. I've also noticed that the seasoning seems to get stripped more when I clean the pan when it is still very warm - not hot enough to make water sizzle on impact, but too warm to touch for more than just a tap. It seems like the seasoning softens some when it is hot and comes off into the water more easily when scrubbed or rubbed with something. I'm guessing the more rounded the instrument is used to scrub the pan with (like chain mail), the less this will happen. Thanks for the advice. I'll keep using the pan and learning as I go!
@@adampoint4594 Hi Adam, you should be able to find chain mail quite easily. Go for the fine loop. As for your soft seasoning. Try cooking it a bit longer. Get a fine layer of oil on the pan. medium low heat, and leave on for 5 min. Let fully cool. Do that 2 or 3 times.
Thank you for sharing. I’m a newbie and recently switched from gas to induction. It would be great to have some empirical tests on the correct temperatures and the ratio between the diameter of the pan and the amount of oil to use, in order to have always good and constant results. Make sense?
Great video Jed, a lot of great information, this would have been helpful when I first got started with my carbon steel pans.
Thanks, Rick. Glad you enjoyed! Thank you for the support!!
Wow thanks bro you really explained it. Well, I do have a problem with my
Carbon steel always getting blotchy. It seems like when I deglaze with water it comes up kind of boils off. What do you think? Should I be doing that in the stainless steel pan?
I don’t know why you’re wearing an amateur shirt lol thanks for all your help
We're all amateurs in one way or another! Blochiness happens, just keep post seasoning after you cook!
I can’t stop drooling over those cast iron beauties 😗😝
Hello new friend. wonderful. Thanks for the great video
Thank you for this!
Glad it was helpful!
Another great video. Thanks. Two quick questions: what do you think about using ghee to cook with? Also, given your earlier comments about not using paper kitchen towels to add and spread cooking oil, were you using baking parchment to spread your cooking oil in the two pans?
Hi, I do not have enough experience with ghee to give you good feedback, sorry. I like to use a cotton rag to spread the oil.
I think people are trying to mimic what they see in a lot of videos with Chinese cooks that are using ultra high heat, but they are using also a lot of oil in their carbon steel woks, I mean certainly a lot more compared to what you have used in this video.
I saw many of them throw in some oil at first and discard it in a dedicated jar or something to maybe help with a fresh layer of seasoning. It's a nice and effective trick for videos, but I don't have time or desire to do the same at home.
Awe man. I specifically want super high heat for searing steaks (when not doing a steak in the pan from start to finish).
What if you take off the food before it burns?
You can use high heat but just know that it may badly degrade your seasoning so you have to maintain the pan. Not a biggie.
This is helpful. Thank you. I’ve read that acidity will ruin the seasoning, too, so to avoid tomato sauces in a seasoned pan. Is this true?
Yes, it can be very harsh on things or poorly developed seasoning. You can get away with using acidic foods when you have a solid seasoning.
I have an induction hotplate. If I set the temperature at 225% F and measure the temperature with an infra red temp gun, the inside temp shoots up over 450% for a while then cools down to 225% . Is this normal for induction? Also, if I raise the temperature, it spatters oil all over for a while till the pan itself reaches the desired temp setting while cooking.
What if you want a tight fitting lid on a saute pan? What would you recommend?
You need some way for evaporation to escape.
if your pan seasoning gets blotchy, do you just keep seasoning over the top or do you have to strip it and start again
Thank you! 😎
I have only done four of the wrong things,
thank you for helping me to not, hopefully,
do all the other wrong things :-)
Haha! Doing the wrong things makes doing the right things so much more satisfying!
@@Cook-Culture yes 👍 Thanks
Most of the damage comes in using acidic ingredients while cooking like tomato, any sauces, lemon, garlic easily burns on, cheeses, basically anything but pure proteins and fats. I use cast iron only for browning meats and non-stick for just about everything else.
I'd argue that heat damages a seasoning much more than different types of food. A well seasoned pan can take acidic food and medium-low heat will stop proteins and fats from carbonizing quickly.
@@Cook-Culture Sure but not long term... for example i cook scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa and spinach in my cast iron pan every morning and it works fine for a few days but slowly the seasoning dissolves and it sticks again regardless of the heat.
@Daryl Fortney yes, that's why post seasoning is important. That will happen no matter what and is the trade-off vs. nonstick. A quick post-season after you wash the pan, and it's golden for your next meal!
@@Cook-Culture Right but I do that and it still slowly degrades the seasoning. The thing is post-seasoning between cooks doesn't strengthen the baked on seasoning and so if you are continuously cooking meals with acids and things like cheeses in them it will quickly again need stripped and re-seasoned. Far easier to just use a proper non-stick pan for most acids and sauces and natively sticky foods like cheeses, etc.
So I get the concept here but how do you sear? What if you have a pan that you use on your grill to sear and that's basically all you want to use it for, how do you maintain it?
Hi, good question. Use chainmail and scour often.
Your pan seasons or polymerizes at 400 you can’t expect to cook at a temp that’s 100 degrees higher with watery foods. It’s just common sense. Keep the temp at or below the seasoning temp.
Just a thought.
Hey I just got a mineral b country fry pan. Can I use your oven seasoning method with this pan?
Hi, sorry for the delay. Yes and no. You could darken the handle if it gets too hot but I have good success.
I'm using the reverse sear method for cooking thick ribeye steaks. Per recommendation of searing on a screaming hot case iron griddle (pan), I sear my steaks are 400+ F to 500 F degrees. The griddle smokes a lot at that high temperature and my C. I. griddle looks blotchy after cleaning. It looks like the seasoning has been burnt off. Looks like I'm in a no-win situation. Any suggestions?
Very high heat cooking is not conducive for a quality seasoning. If you're cooking this way you'll need to reapply your seasoning from time to time
@@Cook-Culture Thank you for replying so quickly. I plan to re-season my C. I. griddle every time I use it...... I cook steak twice a month.
@@stanleykawasaki6870 If you can use more oil/fat when you cook like this. High heat dry cooking is the worst for your seasoning.
Hi, is it ok to flambe in cast iron or carbon steel pans?
Hi, yes, it should be fine but will darken your seasoning
Doesn't the pan warp if you popur water into a hot pan?
Not if the pan is high quality.
Do you think running the hot pans under cold water has an impact?
It does. Always use hot water. It also helps to kinda steam clean the cast iron and carbon steel pans.
Yes, Mike is correct. Water will always assist in cleaning your pans, and to be safe, use hot water. If you are confident that your pans can take the stress then water temp is less important. This is a benefit and not a rule. If you don't get your hot pans under running water then you may have to scrub a bit more...like I did in this video.
I find that my 9 1/2 is harder to work with than my 12 inch. I think it's due to the heat level.
Carbon Steel is a lot easier than cast iron to start off. Beginners should start with Carbon Steel to get a better understanding of seasoning.
How about showing searing steaks?
Also maybe use temp gun. Different stoves have different Temps at similar settings.
Searing is hard on seasoning
I had my carbon steel pan slipping eggs right out. Then I tried to fry a pancake with very little oil wiped on the pan. What a mess, left a spot in the middle where the pancake was. Now everything sticks. What did I do wrong. This was a fairly new pan and it was working soooo goood for eggs. Now I just wanna throw it away honestly.
Don't give up. I had all kinds of problems for a month. Was using too much oil for both pre and post seasoning. Ended up with a really pretty black carbon thick pan. Eventually, I saw in this channel, about using refined oil for seasoning and expeller pressed for cooking (re: fiber content). Once I started seasoning with refined grape seed oil I turned the corner. Icing on the cake was Jed's recommendation for Buzzy Waxx ... The Bomb. Similar t what Cook Culture sells in Canada, sold in the US.
In the vid he tells you what you did and how to fix it. Just season it for a while and stay away from the tough stuff til you get a really good seasoning going. I've had eggs sliding for a month now, burgers are good, but bacon usually sticks, but not as bad as it used to. I just cleanup, heat up and poat season just like in the vid ... and I'm good to go. It takes time. Good luck
From what I learned for my own mistake, I was cooking to high.
Just got my new de buyer and jesus it's heavy, no objections just wasn't expecting it
3 mm of carbon steel. Best there is!
I think you are making the wrong case when talking about Wok cooking. Wok cooking does not have to be oil heavy. Stir-frying is faster, but similar in overall effect to sauteing on a sautee pan. Other than what takes 3-4 mins on a sautee pan, takes 30-45 seconds on a Wok.
People that are into Wok cooking don't care about seasoning a pan for a number times before using it. We only do it once, very briefly, after blueing the carbon steel pan. And there is a reason for that kind of brief seasoning. It's because in a Wok oil burns all the time and it seasons the pan all the time. That due to high temperature. Wok is seasoned essentially every time you pre-heat a pan before cooking it, as you should, because you use a very high heat source and you typically know a Wok is ready when the oil starts to smoke.
Good points!
Alternatively, have a cast iron that you can use for a considerable amount of abuse. I have a 10 and a 12, and usually my 12 is the one I abuse the most.
Fair. I also have pans that I am less friendly too but I still love to get them slick!
Camera lens is dirty wipem with zeiss disposable lens wipes they're awesome.
Tomatoes. They are evil.
Haha
My argument; it is not a non stick surface. It is a protective coating for the pan. Seasoning’s non stick application is a myth.
Hi, thanks for the comment. I'm not totally following what you mean. Do you not get nonstick results with your iron?
Odd, my seasoning appears to be very good non-stick, as good or better than "non stick" coated pans I've used before. I can literally put a pat of butter in my small skillet (pre-heated), crack two eggs into it, give them a minute or two, pick up the skillet and shake it gently back and forth and the eggs release and slide around in the pan. Now yes, if I'm cooking say bacon or sausage in another skillet juices can come out, cook down / evaporate and the remainder will carbonize onto the surface. A few minutes soak in water after cooking, with low heat, and it comes right off with chain mail. Doesn't seem to damage the surface, it's just carbonized food. Maybe brand-new good non-stick would wipe out with a paper towel, but several month old non-stick I've had to soak/work at to get similar carbon off of - and it just gets worse with time.
I replied on Instagram
@@kodakberry2231 Thanks for that!