A well-seasoned cast iron skillet can outlast you — some of the best ones in use today were seasoned by someone's grandparent decades ago. The process itself is simple, even if it looks intimidating the first time.
What seasoning actually is
Seasoning isn't a coating you buy — it's oil baked directly onto the iron through a process called polymerization. When oil is heated on cast iron at a high enough temperature, it transforms from a liquid into a hard, slick surface that bonds to the metal itself. That layer is what gives a well-seasoned pan its natural non-stick quality and protects it from rust.
What you'll need
- A cast iron skillet (new or being re-seasoned)
- A neutral oil with a high smoke point — refined vegetable oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil all work well
- A soft cloth or paper towel
- Aluminum foil
The process
- Wash and dry thoroughly. Wash the skillet with warm, soapy water and dry it completely with a cloth. This is the one time in a cast iron pan's life that soap is not just fine but necessary — you want a clean surface for the oil to bond to.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom rack to catch any drips.
- Apply a thin layer of oil. Rub oil over the entire skillet — inside, outside, bottom, and handle. Then wipe off the excess with a clean cloth until the pan looks almost dry to the touch. This step trips people up more than any other: too much oil left on the surface will turn sticky and gummy instead of hard and smooth. Thinner is better here.
- Bake upside down for one hour. Place the skillet upside-down on the center rack so any excess oil drips onto the foil below rather than pooling on the cooking surface.
- Let it cool completely in the oven. Turn off the heat and leave the skillet inside as it cools. This slow cool-down helps the seasoning fully set.
- Repeat if needed. A single round of seasoning works fine for regular use, but if you're restoring an old, rusted pan, doing two or three rounds builds a more durable base.
Keeping it seasoned
The good news is that cooking with fat regularly — bacon, ground beef, a pan of roasted vegetables with oil — reinforces the seasoning over time. You'll know it's time to re-season when the surface starts looking dry, dull, or patchy instead of smooth and slightly glossy.
About washing it afterward
This is where the old "never use soap on cast iron" rule gets more nuanced than people think. Modern seasoning, properly built up, can handle a quick wash with mild soap and water without stripping it — what actually damages seasoning is aggressive scrubbing, steel wool, or soaking the pan for a long time. A soft sponge, warm water, and a mild soap are usually fine; just dry the pan completely and rub in a light coat of oil afterward.
That said, cast iron cooking tends to leave your hands greasier than most cooking does, and that's really a job for whatever soap you're washing yourself with, not the pan. Several of our customers have told us our bars cut through grease better than what they'd used before — worth having a bar by the sink for after the cooking's done, even if the skillet itself only needs an occasional gentle wash.
Try it yourself
