New to this. How oily should my pan be between uses?
New to this. How oily should my pan be between uses?
I've only bought the pan a week ago and used it three times. Hot dogs, eggs, and steak.
When I'm done I clean it with a scrubby sponge and once with a little bit of detergent, then put it on the stove to dry quickly. Then while it's hot I smear maybe a teaspoon of vegetable oil on it with a paper towel "brush".
In between uses it's wet with oil, as you can see in the picture. How much residual oil should there be? I had the impression that it would be dryer.
Also, how much should I scrub? I am not going to leave crust of beef on there, but I also don't think it's supposed to be scrubbed back to new smoothness.
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That's the neat part. You don't need anything between cooking sessions. If you always cook with a bit of fat, the seasoning will build up over time and will keep the pan protected from rust. I deliberately reseason maybe a couple times a year.
The truth is, cast iron and carbon steel don't need excessive babying. My only tools to keep mine in top condition are a flat spatula and a thick bristled brush (natural fibers, no plastic as it could melt). After cooking, I always do the following :
- Deglaze the pan over high heat and unstick everything left with the spatula
- rinse, scrub with the brush, rinse again
- dry with a dish rag
- store somewhere dry
- repeat the next day
No need for soap, reheating, constant seasoning upkeep or oiling. If your seasoning isn't flaking off, which it shouldn't, it's good to go. Even a few rust stains or gouges in the seasoning can be brushed off and seasoned over.
This sounds doable. Thank you!
Just to add to this, a flat steel spatula was a game changer when I got my cast iron.
I bought new cast iron with a very coarse surface and the spatula helped grind down the larger imperfections and that helped the seasoning build up smoother.