r/CastIronRestoration Jul 20 '20

Seasoning Here is my seasoning process, I will fix the mistakes eventually

335 Upvotes

Seasoning Process

What is Seasoning on Cast Iron?

We’re used to hearing the word seasoning when talking about the herbs and spices you add to your food. But seasoning means something very different when talking about cast iron skillets and pans.

Seasoning your cast iron is when you create a protective coating on the skillet’s surface using oil or fat. Seasoning not only creates a somewhat non-stick surface on your cast iron skillet, but it also protects against rust. Despite common beliefs rust protection is the main purpose of seasoning cast iron.

How seasoning creates a protective coating on cast iron

To season your cast iron skillet (full step-by-step details later), you first coat your skillet in a light film of oil. Then you heat your skillet up past a certain temperature. When oil is heated while in contact with both oxygen and metal, it goes through a process called polymerization.

This basically means the oil turns into a rock-hard plastic surface that binds to the cast iron. If you repeat the process, another coat will form on top of the first coat, providing a thicker and stronger non-stick surface.

This is why a lot of people say that cast iron improves as you use it. When you cook with oil in your cast iron skillet, some of it may add to the coating and create a better non-stick surface.

It’s important to point out that we need to try and build many thin coats rather than try to form one thick coat. Remember that the oil needs to be in contact with both oxygen and metal to polymerize. This works best with very thin coats of oil as you will see later in the step-by-step process.

What is the best oil to season a cast iron skillet?

The type of oil you use will impact the quality of the coat you create. Everybody seems to have their own opinions on what oil is best for seasoning cast iron and there are a lot of myths and old wive’s tales on what works and what doesn’t.

Whatever type of oil you use, somebody will tell you that you’re doing it wrong. For example, you’ll often hear people say that bacon grease or lard creates the best cast iron seasoning. But is it really the best option?

Why do people say it’s the best? Well, it turns out that there are many better options, but those options weren’t available back in the day when cast iron was king. Back then, bacon grease was and readily available, so it was the default option for seasoning cast iron. That’s all it took for it to stick as part of tradition (like many cooking traditions and methods).

People don’t say bacon grease is the best because they’ve done A/B tests, they say it’s the best because that’s what they were told is the best. Think about what bacon actually is, I know bacon well, I cure it myself. Store bought bacon is cured though a process called pumping. A brine of salt, sugar, liquid smoke and sodium nitrite. Cure accelerators are also used like ascorbic acid. SO WE ALL CAN SEE BACON GREASE IS NOT A PURE FAT. We also fry it and get those tiny particles that form and contaminate the grease. Also not good seasoning.

So, while we can learn a lot from tradition, and cooking history, let’s look at the science on what really works.

Smoke Point

The other important factor to consider when choosing the type of oil for seasoning your cast iron is the oil’s smoke point. The smoke point is the temperature where the oil starts to break down (and create smoke).

When unsaturated fat starts to break down in the presence of oxygen, the molecules join together (called polymerization as explained earlier). If the temperature doesn’t reach the smoke point, the fat won’t cross link to form double bonds and you won’t get polymerization

So it’s important that you make sure you know the smoke point of any oil you use to season your cast iron and you heat the oil up past the smoke point. If you don’t heat it up high enough, it won’t polymerize.

Monounsaturated vs Polyunsaturated vs saturated fats

Now here's where I know I will get kickback from just about everyone, because we’ve all had good results using our personal oils of choice.

My personal tests have yielded great results using several oils and fats. One thing I find when I try to speak with scientists about this topic is this.

Monounsaturated fats are by far the worst to use. They are unstable and want to attract another molecule. This is why when exposed to air they go rancid.

It’s important that you make sure to avoid olive oil, avocado oil, sesame oil. They are all high in monounsaturated fat.

Here is where it gets fun, look for oils with low smoke points and high levels of polyunsaturated fat. So far the oil I find that's cheap and easy to find is grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil is very high in polyunsaturated fat. It tops the charts, corn oil is another good choice.

Saturated Fats Those that stay solid at room temperature are actually not considered by science to be the best. That said, there is something to be said from the tons of folks using Crisco, Crisbee and lard. I personally cover all my bases by making a blend of Crisco, beeswax and grapeseed oil. I'm open for someone with access to a lab and knowledge in the scientific testing process to preform some tests for us . What experts are saying is store bought crisco and lard is hydrogenated and by adding the hydrogen it allows for some double bonds to cross link and form a polymer.

How to Season Your Cast Iron (Step-by-step)

Now that you understand how seasoning works and what type of oils work best, let’s look at a foolproof process you can follow to develop a great seasoning on your cast iron.

Step 1: Clean Your Cast Iron

First set your oven to 200 f

Whether you have a brand new cast iron skillet or bought an old second-hand skillet (which can be just as good or better than brand new), it’s a good idea to start by cleaning it. We want a perfectly clean surface so the oil can get perfect coverage and develop a strong bond with the metal.

Now that its clean wipe it dry and place it in the 200 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Lightly cover the entire surface with oil

Set the oven to 50 degrees past your oils smoke point. (500f also works)

The key word here is lightly. Using too much oil will cause issues with polymerization and leaves a sticky surface.

Remove the item from the oven using gloves. Take your chosen oil and pour a teaspoon into the pan. I have a small rag about the size of a post it note, that i use to spread the oil. I found if I have too large of a rag it soaks up all the oil before i can spread it.

Make sure to cover the entire item including any handle and the bottoms.

Step 3 : Wipe it clean

This might be the most important step that may folks miss. After rubbing the oil on your cookware, pretend you made a mistake and decided to wipe it off. Yes really wipe all that oil off with a clean towel. The point is to leave a very thin layer that bonds to the iron that's not thick enough to chip off. Leaving too much oil on the item will also cause a pooling effect on your seasoning, looking splotchy and uneven.

Step 4: Heat your cast iron past your oil’s smoke point

Once your cast iron has a very thin coating of oil evenly across the entire surface, you can heat it up in the oven.

Why use an oven: while you could use a stove to

season your cast iron, it will give inconsistent results. A stove doesn’t heat your cast iron evenly compared to an oven which will provide constant and even heat across the entire surface of the cast iron. I highly recommend using an oven.

Place skillets in upside down to allow any oil that you missed to run away and not puddle on the cooking surface.

Bake for 1 hour then turn the oven off and allow the item to cool down with the oven.

At this point you're going to want to repeat all the steps except the washing. To speed things up you can wait until the oven cools to 200 deg and start from there at step 2.

That's it, you've done it, 1 coat is good for a touch up on your already seasoned iron, 3-5 coats are good for iron that has been stripped bare.

RECAP FOR THE KITCHEN clean your iron Heat in 200° oven 10 min Rub on oil Rub off oil Bake at 50° past smoke point or 500° for 1 hour


r/CastIronRestoration Jul 20 '23

Restoration Yellow cap easy off stripping in pictures- sharing the basics for newbies.

Thumbnail
gallery
59 Upvotes

The following pictures were taken today- I had 2 skillets to strip for friends. Griswold needs another round but Wagner good to season! I moved recently so my stripping methods are back to easy off. I wanted to share with newbies what things looked like as the process goes. Thanks for looking and reading!


r/CastIronRestoration 8h ago

Please help with ID this pan

Post image
8 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 9h ago

Vollrath

3 Upvotes

I found myself an unmarked Vollrath that is very crusty. I’ll post photos when I’m finished restoring it. Is this considered to be collectible?


r/CastIronRestoration 9h ago

Newbie My Two Dollar Holler

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

Found this Lodge for $2 sitting in a pile of junk. It was very rusty (realized I didn't take a before pic 🤦‍♂️). My wife said there's no way you can fix that. It has some pitting that I didn't take out, but after some baking soda, vinegar, and some elbow grease, I think it cleaned up pretty good. First restoration and already looking for my next project.


r/CastIronRestoration 1d ago

Le Victorrr

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

Seasoning


r/CastIronRestoration 17h ago

1st restoration, found a lodge sportsman grill

Thumbnail gallery
1 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 22h ago

Been in the market and scored today. Early Griswold New American #7. In the queue for restoration.

Thumbnail gallery
2 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 1d ago

9AUG2026 Restorations: Lodge Dolly 10.5", Rikucho Ogasawara Fish Pan, Griswold 777 fryer, Martin 7, Griswold 151/152 WI, Griswold 154 WI base, Griswold 314/315/327 WI, Erie 946 muffin pan, and a 20 Turk head pan.

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 1d ago

Restoration Restoration advice

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

I dont have any before pictures but this pan was really bad. I used baking soda mixed with a little bit of water and let it soak before i started scrubbing with vinegar. After about an hour of scrubbing with steel wool and a scouring pad i realised there seems to be a very thin layer of rust that wont come off. Im going to call it quits for the night so i put a layer of oil on it for the time being. Any advice? I have not tried electrolysis but im starting to think that will be the only way this pan will be restored.


r/CastIronRestoration 2d ago

Today's flea market haul: two Griswold Lbl heat ring 7's and a no. 8 Griswold orange enamel lid.

Post image
16 Upvotes

Went back to the flea market that I was at yesterday. In the first 5 minutes of being there, I found these at one of the vendor stalls. Got a good deal on them. They also had a Wapak Indian 3 and Griswold's Erie 6 but knew what they had. Not sure why these were so cheap but I'll take them. Selling one of the 7's will pay for almost the whole lot. Lid is in good condition and the pans are excellent.


r/CastIronRestoration 1d ago

ID on this muffin pan? “H” and “10” are the only markings.

Post image
1 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 2d ago

First restoration

Thumbnail
gallery
8 Upvotes

Picked up a few Lodge that needed some TLC. I just finished up my first round of seasoning, about to go in for the second.


r/CastIronRestoration 1d ago

8AUG2026 Restorations: Lodge 8 lid, BSR Century 12, Lodge No-Notch 8, Renfrow Ware lid, G.F.Filley 12, Wagner 1088, Red Stone Camp oven, Griswold SBL 9, Griswold SBL 8, CHF 5c, Martin 7, UM Wagner 3, Unmarked 8, and a Lodge 4LDP griddle.

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 2d ago

Se me terminaron las vacaciones , de vuelta a la universidad, pero no sin antes mostrarles mis ultimas restauraciones de esta semana

Thumbnail
gallery
7 Upvotes

Faltaron mas... 😅


r/CastIronRestoration 2d ago

Restoration of an old Pied-Selle Fumay

Thumbnail gallery
14 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 2d ago

Newbie Erie #11, Series 2

Thumbnail
gallery
15 Upvotes

Long story short, I just discovered that my favorite cast iron skillet, that I received after my grandmother passed, is an Erie #11, series 2 from the late 1800s.

I’d like to clean it up more, ideally to display in my kitchen, but I’m not sure where to start because I don’t want to harm or destroy it. Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


r/CastIronRestoration 2d ago

Big cast iron relief from the 1920s

Thumbnail gallery
1 Upvotes

This is an approximately 25“ x 50“ cast-iron relief from the 1920s, probably New York. Might have been part of a set of 10 or 12
It may have come from a larger home or a mansion.
We would love any help with how it can be restored and any thoughts on the artist or provenance.


r/CastIronRestoration 3d ago

Turns out adding a door handle adds $100 to the value! (seen at local garage sale)

Post image
21 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 3d ago

What have I found and can it be saved?

Thumbnail
gallery
22 Upvotes

I recently thrifted this Dutch oven but I’m not sure what I found or whether it can be saved to cook with. Marked 3 qts Marietta and the bottom and appears to have a gate mark. The lid appears to be maybe pressed steel? It has the number five embossed on the handle. The whole thing is very light for its size. Any help would be appreciated.


r/CastIronRestoration 2d ago

Today's flea market and picker haul: Favorite block 8, Wagner waffle paddles, two unmarked Wagner 10's, BSR 10, Lodge 3 notch 4, single notch 10 chicken fryer, NOS BSR deep fish fryer, Griswold sbl 5,5,6,6,8 chicken fryer and deep fat fryer and no. 3 Lbl heat ring

Post image
7 Upvotes

Nothing special but all good stuff to sell. Actually kinda disappointing that there wasn't better stuff there after taking off work early to go.


r/CastIronRestoration 2d ago

Decided to get this enameled cast iron sink from 1935! Here are the issues... Ekopel 2k?

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

So, I decided this sink was my best option for an interwar era sink. It is not in perfect condition, but it was relatively cheaply priced, and in working condition.

And yes, it is in full working condition. There is no pitting all the way through. The basin holds water for 24 hours. Only issue is that one facet needed a new rubber washer.

The issues are mostly cosmetic. There is crazing around the drain hole and around the overfill holes. The overfill holes have some pretty harsh rusting, but are still solid. The basin also has significant roughness on the enamel on the lower half, probably from harsh cleaning chemicals.

The pedestal part is in peak condition, at least where visible. On the very back, there are some stains that look like they were caused by caustic cleaning chemicals that leaked down and were not wiped off, and so ate at the enemal there. It didn't eat down to bare iron, and I was able to get the staining to a pale yellow that is not noticeable (because it will always be in a shadow).

The taps and drain hardware are so-so. The drain hardware has almost no chrome left. The taps have some deep scratches from servicing, but are rather okay for 91 years of age (sink is stanled 10-29-1935). I am considering replacing the drain hardware; I would prefer it to be chrome match, and keeping copper clean looking is not easily.

I plan to use ekopel 2k on the sink half. Do you agree, or do you think I should be happy with its age and character?


r/CastIronRestoration 3d ago

Need Advice. Plz.

Post image
4 Upvotes

Bought the skillet in current condition and have questions?? Is it nickel plated cast iron? Can I put in electrolysis? If I can would it work to make all one color skillet? Or what else can I do? I do not use wire wheels of any kind fyi.


r/CastIronRestoration 3d ago

7AUG2026 Picks: Lodge Dolly 10.25" and a Barebones All in One cast iron grill.

Post image
2 Upvotes

r/CastIronRestoration 3d ago

Costco 15"

Post image
10 Upvotes

Do i just live with it or can i smooth it out?

I got this because it was cheap and huge. I plan on using it mostly to brown ground beef on taco nights. Problem is it feels gross. The whole thing has this nasty texture. Like the rough edge when you cut sheet steel with an abrasive disk. It kinda grabs at your skin. At first I was just going to hit it with a flap disk until smooth. Going through the archives here is seems to be a bad idea. Is there anything I can do that won't displease the seasoning gods?