How do I season a set cast iron pots and pans?

Question

I have a set of cast iron pots and pans. How do I season them? Also, does the outside need to be seasoned as well? Thank you!

Answer 1

grease them really well.put them in oven for an hour.redo a couple of times.keep an eye on them not sure of the time.anyway it wont hurt them.when you start useing them dont scrub with steel wool if you can help it.wash and dry right away.grease the inside lightly with grease.and you home free.

Answer 2

take some crisco and liberally apply it to the entire pan, inside and out. Get a large sheet of foil, maybe put two peices together and put that on the bottom rack of your oven. Put the pan, upside down, on the top rack and heat the oven to 500 degrees and leave it at 500 for about 10-15 minutes. The foil will help hold the crisco drips. let the pan cool and repeat this about 3 or 4 times until the oil is well cooked into the pan. Now it is seasoned. Never use soap when you clean the pan, but when your done frying something, run it under hot water and you can use a soft brush to clean up any stubborn stick ons. Then dry it completely and put a little cooking oil in the inside of the pan, about the size of a quarter, rub this all over the pan with a paper towel and your done and ready for your next meal.

Answer 3

Remove all packaging and adhesives from a new unseasoned cast iron skillet. Some modern cast iron cookware is preseasoned at the factory, but it won't hurt to season it again. Make sure all paper and pricing stickers are completely removed. Use a sponge and light, soapy water to quickly remove any remaining surface dirt and dry the pan thoroughly with paper towels or by air drying. This is the only time water should ever be used to clean the inside of a cast iron skillet. Future cleaning should be done with dry paper towels and salt only, to prevent damage from rust. Once the cast iron pan is completely dry, find a supply of cooking oil, shortening, bacon grease or animal lard.


Preheat the oven and prepare the skillet. Different people will tell you different temperatures for proper seasoning, ranging from 250 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the main point of seasoning is to bake the oil or grease into the pores of the skillet, a preheating temperature of 350 degrees or higher seems reasonable. As the oven heats, wipe a generous amount of your chosen oil or grease around the inside of the skillet. Wipe out any obvious excesses, but remain generous with the coating.


Place the cast iron skillet upside down on the top rack of the hot oven. To prevent the grease or oil from dripping onto the bottom burners, place a cookie sheet or other oven-proof tray on the lowest rack. Allow the pan to remain in the oven for at least an hour. Do not be alarmed if you see or smell smoke -- this is a normal part of the seasoning process. The oil or grease is filling up all of the pores of the cast iron, creating fewer crevices for food to become trapped.


After an hour or more has elapsed, use oven mitts to remove the cast iron skillet from the oven. Place on a heat-resistant surface (right side up) and allow the skillet to cool. The cast iron skillet is now seasoned, but some foods such as eggs may still stick to the bottom without additional oils or grease. The seasoning process needs to be repeated several times before a sufficient layer of charring has built up in the bottom of the pan. Ideally, a cast iron skillet should be wiped out completely after cooking, and then put through the seasoning process again. It may take several years for a cast iron skillet to reach the non-stick level of your Grandmother's prized frying pan, but the results should be worth the effort.

Answer 4

both sides need to be seasoned. with a paper towel, rub generously with cooking oil inside and out. bake in an oven for about 1 hour in 250 degrees farenheit. let cool. rub again with cooking oil and bake again in about the same time. let cool and use. important advice, cast iron pans do not need to be washed frequently, or in some cases at all. make sure that after use, use an iron scrub to remove any residue and wipe down dry. if not being used frequently, you have to rub oil on it once in a while, but very lightly, if used frequently like i do, then no problem. no rust and it does add flavor for some reason.

Answer 5

Yes you season the inside and the outside of the pan/pot.
Works great to heat on the outdoor grill as the oily smoke won't permeate your house.

How to Season a Cast-Iron Skillet
STEP 1: Scrub a new skillet with steel wool to remove its protective coating, and wash with mild, soapy water. (If reseasoning an old skillet, just scrub with hot water and a brush.)
STEP 2: Use a paper towel to coat the skillet with vegetable oil.
STEP 3: Heat, uncovered, for 2 hours in an oven at 250 degrees F.
STEP 4: Let cool before use

Answer 6

I use vegetable shortening. I rub in onto both the inside and outside of the pot or pan, then bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for a couple hours. This will help seal the iron so it won't rust, and help create a non stick surface for cooking.

Answer 7

Yes season the outside so food won't stick. Rub them with a little bit of oil. Put in the oven and bake on 200 for a couple hours. DO NOT USE SOAP ON THEM! Wash with hot water and a wool scrub pad. Dry right away! If you treat your pans like this, you won't have to reseason and won't have problems with food sticking! The more you use them the better they get! I use nothing else!

Answer 8

The old fashioned way is to get some lard and coat the inside and outside of the iron generously with the lard. Then throw them into a fire, or if you have really good ventilation, put them in the oven and turn it on full blast,. The seasoning of iron pots is literally burnt grease, so it takes quite a while to get that blackened coating on them. Never scrub them with a Brillo pad or anything abrasive, a plastic tuffy works fine. The whole point is to burn the lard onto the iron, once you get them coated well and burned, they will never rust.

Answer 9

1. Wash new cookware with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush.

2. Rinse and dry completely.

3. Apply a thin coat of melted vegetable shortening (i.e. Crisco) to the entire surface (including lid if applicable), both inside and out.

4. Line the lower oven rack with aluminum foil (To catch any drippings), and preheat oven to 350° F.

5. Place cookware upside down on the upper oven rack, and bake for one hour.

6. Turn oven off and let cookware cool before removing from oven.

7. Store in a cool, dry place. If you have a lid for your utensil, place a folded paper towel between the lid and the utensil to allow air to circulate.

8. NEVER wash in dishwasher.

9. If your utensil develops a metallic smell or taste or shows signs of rust, never fear. Wash with soap and hot water, scour off rust, and reseason.

After use: Clean using a stiff brush and hot water only (do not wash in dishwasher). Towel dry immediately and apply a light coating of vegetable oil to cookware while still warm.

Answer 10

seasoning is done to make iron into stainless steel. Best way: scrub it clean, fire it till it glows, dip it into hot peanutt oil, hang it above oil to drip and cool, wipe clean with paper towel or clean dry rag. after use, wash it with plain water and wipe with soft clean rag, food won't stick unless you burn it on; then you have to scrub and re-season. Any other method is just second best.