How to Season Your Carbon Steel Pan
Our Carbon Steel Pans truly do it all and will be a perfect addition to your kitchen. Before you start cooking with your new Carbon Steel Pan, you'll want to season it first. Don’t worry: it’s easy, and if you have any questions along the way, we’re always here to help.
First things first:
- Your new pan has arrived with an oil coating that is used to protect it from rusting during shipping. Let’s get that off first.
- To do so, place your pan in the sink and run it under hot water. Add mild dish soap and scrub the entire surface of the pan vigorously with a soft-bristle brush or sponge. Do this for a few minutes.
- Once all the soap is washed off, dry the pan with a towel and then heat the pan on the stove top over medium heat for 2-4 minutes to complete the drying process.
Seasoning your pan:
- Once your pan is off the stove top and has completely cooled down, add a few drops (no more than a teaspoon) of high-smoke-point oil, such as vegetable, grapeseed, or canola oil. Using a paper towel, wipe the entire pan (including the sides and the bottom) to coat the entire pan with oil.
- Next, take a dry paper towel and wipe off all of the oil. Do so until it appears there is no more oil on the pan.
- Finally, place the pan on the stove top over medium-to-high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. Once it does, remove the pan from the burner (and turn off the heat) and allow it to cool down completely. (Note: the pan will be hot once removed from the burner, so let it cool down in a safe place where it won’t burn or melt surfaces and where it is out of reach from someone’s touch. We’d recommend keeping it on the stove top to cool.)
- Repeat the seasoning process 3-4 more times until the pan begins to change color (which is exactly what you want!)
Now that your pan is seasoned, you are ready to start cooking! Don’t worry if your seasoning is not perfect right away. As you cook, the pan will continue to become seasoned over time. Also, feel free to follow the steps above to re-season your pan anytime.
