The best way to season is the method you feel most comfortable with. Maybe you pulled out the big bucks and splurged, or just picked up an inexpensive one at your local kitchen store. Drip a few drops of oil onto a few layers of folded paper towels. 3. discussion from the Chowhound Cookware, Carbon Steel food community. Seasoning a carbon steel pan is easy to do. However, unlike cast iron, it’s okay — even encouraged — to soak your pan in warm water to remove any food debris that may be … Additionally, seasoning carbon steel pans helps ensure a non-stick surface. This will help prevent sticking when you cook meat or starchy food. The seasoning on carbon steel pans is all superficial—meaning it just builds up on the surface of the pan. Once the cookware starts to smoke turn … In case you don’t have any of these at home, you can use any vegetable oil as an alternative. Note: Seasoning a carbon steel pan, paella pan, or wok can create smoke, so be sure that your kitchen is well ventilated before beginning. Coat all internal surfaces of the pan with vegetable oil, (I used a big wad of kitchen paper for ease), and pour a layer of oil to a depth of about half a centimetre in the bottom of the pan. The good news is that seasoning carbon steel is quick and easy. Hence, you need to check the labels carefully while picking the best one based on your cooking needs and preferences. Join the discussion today. Scrub the pan clean in warm soapy water, being careful to remove all the "anti-rust coating", and dry very thoroughly. Some of the most common methods are below. Place your carbon steel pan on a range top burner over medium-high heat until hot. The flaxseed method of seasoning a carbon steel pan, skillet or crepe pan can be used in the oven or on top of the oven. Seasoning Carbon Steel Pans and Woks Step by Step. Just like cast iron, carbon steel needs to be seasoned—this is the process that polymerizes fats heated in the pan and bonds them to the cooking surface, forming a coating that protects against rust and helps food release more easily. So you just purchased a new carbon steel pan. If your carbon steel pan is not already … Here is how: Before starting, open the window/door and turn on the ventilation, whichever helps with airflow. Correction here…in the video, I said olive oil…I should have said Flaxseed oil. *Always clean your pan before the first seasoning, using warm soapy water and a sponge. The seasoning on carbon steel pans is all superficial—meaning it just builds up on the surface of the pan. discussion from the Chowhound Cookware, Carbon Steel food community. Make sure that you wash the factory preservative oil off of all the surfaces of the cookware to be seasoned; Apply a thin coat of flaxseed oil with a paper towel; Cooking bacon in it is not effective for its inaugural seasoning. Below is a step-by-step guide to seasoning carbon steel pans, but you can also use this process for seasoning carbon steel woks. Read the Best oil for seasoning/maintaining a carbon steel pan? It's also more instructive than seasoning case iron. Make sure that you wash the factory preservative oil off of all the surfaces of the cookware to be seasoned; Apply a thin coat of flaxseed oil with a paper towel; Heat the pan, skillet, or crepe pan to a temperature whereby the oil starts to smoke. Similarly to cleaning cast iron, you want to minimize the amount of abrasion on you're using on the pan, so stick to a double-sided sponge or nylon scrubber — no steel wool here. Cooking bacon in it is not effective for its inaugural seasoning. Place the pan over a medium heat and heat for about 10 … * Standard … 2. Seasoning methods range from relatively quick and simple to hours long. The first seasoning of a carbon steel pan requires flaxseed oil or sunflower oil. How to Season a Black Iron / Carbon Steel Pan 1. Please note that some carbon steel pans available in the market are pre-seasoned. Wisps of smoke will start to rise from the pan, and it will change color to a brownish hue. Heat up the pan until it just starts to smoke, and then add the oil. More searing and less stirring. Once the pan is thoroughly coated, place the … Join the discussion today. There are several ways to season a carbon steel pan. Read the Best oil for seasoning/maintaining a carbon steel pan? 8 Easy Ways to Make Boxed Mac & Cheese Taste Like You Made It from Scratch + The 20 Best ALDI Finds for November Are All About Cookies & Thanksgiving. Ensure it is fully dried before beginning your seasoning process. However, when you do so with a new carbon steel pan, the seasoning tends to come off due to the salt content in the liquid. That's because most cast iron comes pre-seasoned from the factory, making it difficult for the home cook to fully grasp what the seasoning even is.That's right, jet-black cast iron isn't black because of the metal, it's black because of the seasoning—underneath that dark exterior is grey iron. Either way, take care of your new pan, and it will take care of you — in the form of delicious, perfectly cooked food that won’t stick! When you … Seasoning a new carbon steel pan is actually easier than you think. 7 – Re-Seasoning the Carbon Steel Pan Outside on a Grill Burner I moved my pan outside and put about 4 potato skins, 3/4 cup of Kosher Salt and about 1.5 cups or so of 100% Flaxseed oil in the pan. Carbon steel pan cooking tips. Add a small amount of vegetable shortening or lard to the pan, wiping the shortening or lard all over the pan with a pair of tongs and a clean rag. Wipe the pan thoroughly, so a very thin layer of oil coats the entire inside surface of the pan. The flaxseed method of seasoning a carbon steel pan, skillet or crepe pan can be used in the oven or on top of the oven. But once your pan is well seasoned, it’s totally fine to braise and boil food in it. Before you season your carbon steel pan, it’s very important that the pan be clean first.