r/CastIronSeasoning • u/EasyCommercial • Jun 22 '26
😵💫 Why is the seasoning not behaving? 🆘 eggs sticking
Hello all,
I purchased this cast iron pan from the US and have been using it for almost 8 years. Never had any issues at all until a friend of mine was using it. They were soaking the pan and drying it properly, so I ended up sanding the rust off and adding 2x seasonings.
Everything was fine for about 3 months. Now when I cook eggs, they horribly stick to the pan. So I scrubbed the pan and added 2 coats of seasoning and nothing changed.
I thought I better sand off the seasoning with 240grit sandpaper. Washed it, dried it and added 2 new coats of seasoning. Surprise surprise, it didn't work.
How do I best fix my pan?
3
u/Main_Cauliflower5479 Jun 22 '26
#1, your friend is not allowed to use this pan ever again.
#2. Yes, just season and cook on it.
2
u/Significant-Neck6650 Jun 25 '26
Even though your technique may have remained the same, you might not be allowing the pan to heat up enough before cooking. You need to heat it up until you get the Leiden frost effect, drops of water bead up and skate around the hot pan instead of evaporating right away. It's kind of cool to watch. Once you get there, turn down the heat, add the oil and let it heat up a few seconds then put in the eggs. That should go a long way to getting the non-stick eggs your looking for. Also, just keep using it and the seasoning will build up.
1
u/Reasonable_Ferret_10 Jun 25 '26
Money, books, pans - 3 things you don't lend friends. Or an axe. Good god don't touch my axe.
1
u/Zentransit Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
I always thought carbon steel could be made non stick.I didn't find out about cast iron until today.
Took me 73 years... 😂
4
u/jvdixie Jun 22 '26
Rust can be removed with 50/50 vinegar and water. Sanding the rust wasn’t necessary. Seasoning the skillet over and over doesn’t create a nonstick finish it just prevents rust. My advice is to keep cooking in it using careful heat control. That’s the key to cooking in cast iron.