How To Season a Frying Pan – Nonstick & Cast Iron, Quickly!
Seasoning a frying pan is one of the most important part of cooking food. A seasoned frying pan will make it easier to cook eggs, pancakes, and other foods because it has been made non-stick. Seasoning also helps avoid the need for using too much oil or butter in your cooking.
Pre-seasoned pans are easy to care for, but many frying pans and skillets need proper seasoning.
Related: How to clean a frying pan?
What is seasoning?
Seasoning means coating the cooking pan in oil and heating the pan until all of the visible and nonvisible bumps are gone, making for easy removal of food from its surface.
How to season a frying pan?
Follow these 10 simple steps to season your frying pan!
- Put your frying pan to the side and take all of the cooking oils or butter out of it.
- Take a one-inch cube of butter and cut it into four pieces. If you don’t have butter, use cooking oil.
- Place the four pieces of butter on top of the pan and allow it to melt over medium heat.
- Once all of the butter is melted, continue cooking for about 3 minutes while spooning some of the butter that’s pooled in the middle over the edges.
- Turn off your oven and allow your frying pan to cool completely.
- Wash your pan in warm soapy water and dry with a paper towel.
- Put your frying pan into the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Take your pan out of the oven and cook an egg in it to check if all of the seasonings is evenly distributed.
- Use a paper towel to wipe off any excess grease from your pan after cooking the egg, and then re-season it again if it’s needed.
- You may have to repeat this process several times before your pan is properly seasoned, but this seasoning will last longer than a pre-seasoned frying pan.
How to Season a Non-Stick Frying Pan
A nonstick frying pan is an essential kitchen tool for any cook. Seasoning your pan will make it last longer and work better, so I’ll show you how to do that right here!
I’m sure many of you are wondering why a seasoned nonstick frying pan is preferable to one that’s not been seasoned.
The answer is simple: seasoning improves the durability of the cooking surface by filling in tiny scratches on the aluminum or steel with a thin layer of oil, which makes food less likely to stick. Plus, if something does stick after being greased correctly, it will be much easier to clean up because there won’t be any leftover bits stuck inside (or under) the coating. This means less scrubbing and more time spent
Follow these five simple steps to season your nonstick frying pan!
- Clean your frying pan thoroughly and dry it well.
- Pour about 2 teaspoons of oil into the pan and wipe it up with a cloth or paper towel until it’s completely dry.
- Place the frying pan on medium-high heat and wait for 5 minutes, during which time you should not touch it or move it in any way.
- Put 1 tsp of butter in the pan and let it melt, then swish it around gently to ensure even coverage.
- Turn off the heat and allow it to cool before using it again!
How to Season Cast-Iron Frying Pan?
You just purchased your new cast iron frying pan, now its time to season it before the first use.
To season it properly, you need to follow the following five steps carefully.
- Use hot, soapy water to clean the pan. If there are any stubborn bits, you can scrub with salt. Rinse thoroughly.
- Once the pan is rinsed, heat it until water has evaporated. Drying off a dish or pan over the stove is an effective way of removing any remaining moisture and ensuring it’s spotless. Even after drying with a towel, you should also do this before putting away your pan.
- Drizzle some oil into the pan, and rub it in thoroughly with a paper towel. You want to get this thin layer of oil rubbed onto any area that could come into contact with your food. This includes spots like the handle and bottom of the pan.
- Oil your pan and preheat your oven to as high as it will go. Place foil in the bottom rack to catch any drips of oil; then place the oiled pan in, face down and let it cook and bake for about an hour.
- Repeat the process 3-4 times, and make sure every time you put a thin coat of oil on the surface. If you don’t apply a thin coat, the surface of the pan will come out sticky.
Tips:
- Always put the pan face down in the oven so that excess oil can drip off.
- Use a foil beneath the pan for cleaning the dripping oil easily.
- Use your pan regularly in your cooking, it will help develop and maintain its own nonstick surface.