Learn how to season cast iron, cook with it, plus tips for cleaning. This is my favorite kitchen tool and with proper care, it will be yours as well for years of use.
Cast iron has been my skillet of choice for many years now. I seasoned my skillets when I first bought them years ago and haven’t had to repeat the initial seasoning process since. With proper care, a well-seasoned pan will last for forever. It is a kitchen essential and so worth learning how to use.
Getting your first new cast iron pan and learning how to season cast iron cookware can be intimidating, but the good news is, it is so simple! Follow these steps below, and before you know it you will be making delicious dishes that are definitely elevated when cooked in cast iron. You’ll also be able to enjoy the benefits of an easy-release cooking surface that is non toxic to use.
From making sourdough discard cinnamon rolls for breakfast, smothered pork steaks for dinner, and sourdough cherry cobbler for dessert, the recipes you can make with cast iron are endless!
There is a bit of a learning curve with cast-iron cookware, but once you get the hang of it you’ll never go back! I promise.
Why You’ll Love Cast Iron
Healthier – Reason #1, of course, is it doesn’t have all the bad stuff. Nonstick pans are coated with a carcinogenic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid.
Not only does it leech into the food when cooked at high temperatures, but also produces toxic fumes in the air. Although the health concerns with nonstick were what drew me to using cast iron in the first place, the ease and beauty with which they cook kept me coming back for more.
Non-Stick – Well seasoned cast iron pans are wonderfully non-stick and with proper care they will stay that way. Even if you make something a little sticky, it usually doesn’t take too much work to get them non-stick again.
Long lasting – It is nearly impossible to break a cast iron skillet. Sure it may need to be re-seasoned, but otherwise they will last nearly forever and can even be passed down from generation to generation.
How to Season Cast Iron
Step 1: Scrub cast iron with hot soapy water (making sure to use a gentle dish soap) to get off any rust, if there is any. A stainless steel scrubber is very handy for this.
Step 2: Dry well with a towel.
Step 3: Lightly coat the cast iron with a thin layer of oil, making sure to use a high smoke point oil. High smoke point oils can withstand very high temperatures without burning. I like to use avocado oil, coconut oil, or lard. Some other cooking oil options that will work are canola oil, grapeseed oil, and sunflower oil. You can also make and use some of my DIY cast iron seasoning oil.
Step 4: Cover the bottom, top, handle, and every part of the skillet with the oil.
Step 5: Wipe off the excess oil with a dry rag.
Step 6: Place the pan upside down in a 450 degree oven for an hour.
Step 7: Repeat until it has a black shiny luster, if necessary.
How to Cook with Cast Iron
Step 1: Preheat skillet. The biggest key to successful cast iron cooking is preheating. Never drop food into a cold cast iron skillet or you will end up with stuck-on foods to clean off.
Step 2: Add a little bit of fat whether it be butter, oil, lard or tallow, etc.
Step 3: Add your food and cook. That simple. Flip and stir as little as possible, allowing the food to release from the bottom of the pan when it is cooked fully.
Step 4: After cooking, follow the how to clean cast iron directions below.
Watch me cook over-easy eggs in the video below to see how cast iron can truly be a non-stick surface.
How to Clean Cast Iron
Cast iron is naturally nonstick when seasoned properly. If nothing is sticking to the pan, you can simply wipe it out with a paper towel until the next use.
If something gets really stuck on, remove it with a little warm water and a stainless steel scrubber.
Avoid using soap if possible, however using a gentle dish soap if you need to is ok and should not harm your seasoning.
Use a tea towel to wipe off any excess water. The pan should be completely dry before putting it away. Make sure every part of the pan is dried thoroughly and store them in a dry place.
Things to Make With Cast Iron
Foods that need to be steamed or boiled are not the best choice to cook with cast iron. I still like to make steamed carrots, broccoli, and green beans in my stainless steel pots with a lid. Also, I prefer stainless steel for soups and stews.
Foods that are cooked in fat, or have a decent fat content in them, are excellent for cast iron cooking.
- Bread items: such as sourdough pancakes, sourdough English muffins, pizza, sourdough donuts
- Meats: like this creamy chicken and mushroom pasta, garlic butter pork chops, and round steak with caramelized onions and mushrooms
- Sautéed veggies
- Stir fry
- Sunny side up eggs
- Fried potatoes
- Roasts
- Desserts: cobblers like blueberry, cherry, pumpkin, and so much more.
- French toast casserole
- Skillets: chicken pot pie, shepherd’s pie, sourdough skillets, etc.
Cast Iron FAQs
Cast iron can scratch a glass-top stove.
There is also concern that a hot cast iron pan could cause the cold glass top to shatter, because the skillet holds so much heat. Cast iron is extremely heavy, so if it is dropped on the glass-top it might break.
All that aside, I used to cook with cast iron on a glass stove top daily in our old house, and did for many years. I never had a problem.
I put the question out on my Facebook and Instagram page, and it seems all my die hard cast iron fans pay no mind to such suggestions.
No one reported a problem. So, although technically cast iron on a glass cook top is a no-no, you will likely suffer no consequence, should you decide to be a rebel like me.
You want to choose an oil that has a high smoke point. Coconut, avocado, and lard (if using frequently) are the healthiest options, but almost any cooking oil will work. See post above in the how to season cast iron section for more oil options that are good choices.
What happens if you don’t season cast iron?
If you do not season cast iron you will be left with a porous surface that is not non-stick. This will make the pan hard to clean and may make the pan rust. It is very important to season new cast iron skillets and continue to build up its seasoning over time.
A little bit of rust on cast iron is ok and can usually be scrubbed and cleaned off of the surface and then re-seasoned. Make sure to avoid practices like leaving your cast iron wet and letting it soak to avoid more serious rust issues. Always dry cast iron immediately and store it in a dry area free from moisture.
What is your opinion of cast iron pans that have a ceramic coating, such as LeCreuset? Thank you.
Hi from Belgium!
I don’t know what to do without my cast irons. I live in another country as my mom and we stay extended periods of time with her. I honestly strugle with her non sticks and plastics.
Also i love how little i do need for my home cooking. You put these on induction, in oven or even chic on my dinner table.
Great post, Lisa
Hi Lisa,
thank you for your lovely videos and posts!
I got my hands on a cast iron skillet here in Germany. It has a wooden handle.
How should I season it? Can you put it into the oven with a damp towel wrapped around it?
Love, Sierra
Hi Lisa,
I cleaned up my old cast iron last night, coated it with coconut oil and put it in the oven at 450 and in about 20 minutes my whole house was a smoke fest?! What in the world did I do? Can I use another oil rather than coconut?
Thank you!
So are you saying that with proper seasoning, there should still be a dark shiny luster even after rinsing with water and drying thoroughly? Mine always looks dull and slightly rusty maybe? They are nonstick sometimes, but I feel like things are sticking too easily. Meat juices, residue when sauteing veggies, eggs, and potatoes. Should I reseason them? and how do you get rust off?
Do I have to put them in the 450 degree oven upside down or right side up? I have had others say to put upside down. Please let me know your thoughts on this as I want to get busy with seasoning my pans.
I have one of my mom’s cast iron pans! It’s one of my prized possessions!
My neighbor just recently bought one at a garage sale – her first – and I told her she wasn’t a good Southern girl without a cast iron pan. LOL. I’m from Detroit but my mom was from Virginia, so I know all about cast iron. And you can’t make a good fried chicken without one!
After washing my iron skillets I put them back on the burner and let them dry over the heat. No rust. No dirty towels.
I sooooooo enjoy receiving your emails/updates. Thanks,
Hello Lisa;
Thank you for this information. I tried seasoning with three different oil. I’m having the best luck with Flax oil.
I have older cast iron and love them. However i purchased a few new pieces for my son. The inside – cooking surface is rough and not smooth like my older pans. They are brand names – are they poorly made? Anything I can do to get that smooth finish?