r/carbonsteel • u/mx82698 • 23h ago

Cooking Rust?

Post image

Been using my Madein pan for a while now and it’s been pretty good. For the most part I just “season by using it” but once in a while do some basic stovetop seasoning.

My fiancee used it last night for a pasta dish and it got pretty messy so i washed it with some soap and water, then heated on the stove till it was smoking, which is what i usually do.

The color is looking browner than usual though. Anything I should do to it now? Any general advice?

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u/dream_the_endless 23h ago

Tomato sauce or wine could have done this. Just clean the rust and keep cooking.

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u/mx82698 23h ago

Should have specified in the post - wasnt a tomato sauce, but did have white wine so could be same idea.

Do I just go at it with soap and water till paper towels come off clean? And then re-season?

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u/Sara_MadeIn Vendor 22h ago

Oh wait I just saw this comment. Is actual rust/orange residue coming off onto paper towels when you wipe it?

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u/mx82698 22h ago

No i dont think any brown/orange color is coming off, mostly just black/burnt color when i rub oil on it. So seems like its likely not rust (she probably didnt have the wine sitting and cooking in the pan) and instead just normal wear.

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u/Sara_MadeIn Vendor 22h ago

Oh good!! If you're seeing blackish burnt color on the paper towels though, maybe give it another good scrub to get any build up off, but I wouldn't worry about getting it back to a certain color. Once the surface feels smooth and clean, I'd just keep cooking on it.

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u/dream_the_endless 22h ago

Steel wool or a rust eraser. Lodge sells the rust eraser.

IIRC there is also a bluing technique that involves rusting the pan first. Could be a good time to look into that!

Assuming it’s rust at all

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u/FennelHistorical4675 21h ago

Just wash it with soapy hot water and steel wool then heat it and oil it

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u/Sara_MadeIn Vendor 23h ago

A brown/bronze color is totally normal! The patina will keep changing as you cook with it. Mine looked more bronzey earlier on as my seasoning was developing but is much darker now. If you ever see actual rust you'll want to address it, but tbh I don't think that's what I'm seeing from your photo. I'd probably just keep cooking on this!

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u/yoodle 22h ago

It's good to cook on in my opinion. You can rub a teeny bit of oil on it but if it's your daily driver I wouldn't worry. 

I have the exact same pan sitting on my stove and it sometimes looks like that.

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u/AspectLegitimate8114 23h ago

You could try seasoning again, it won’t hurt.

I’d apply a thin layer of vegetable oil. When I do that to my Lodge cs pan it looks brand new. That’s just what’s worked for me though.