Once you have received and unpacked your new iron pan, you will probably be eager to start cooking, as there are many delicious dishes that can be prepared in such a pan.
But before you start making perfect steak crusts or frying vegetables, your cast iron or carbon steel frying pan needs to be seasoned in oil to build up a protective layer that provides natural non-stick properties.
There is a method that is best for getting your new iron pan off to a good start – and the first step is to choose the right oil.
Below, we discuss which oil is best for seasoning your iron pans and which oil you should use for frying.
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The best oils for seasoning your new cast iron pan – and building up natural non-stick properties
To get the best seasoning/burn-in for your cast iron pan, choose a flavourless oil with a high smoke point. We recommend choosing an oil such as rapeseed oil, grape seed oil or sunflower oil and avoiding oils with a low smoke point. This means that you should AVOID butter, sesame oil and your good extra virgin olive oil when building up seasoning on your iron pan.
The cheapest oils are often the best here - you should generally avoid cold-pressed oils for frying and seasoning.
1. Our favourite: Grape seed oil
Grape seed oil is a little more expensive than the other two oils in this article, but if you can get hold of it, it's definitely our favourite! It has a smoke point of around 216 degrees and gives a strong seasoning, and it's also really good for frying.
2. Easiest to find: Refined rapeseed oil
When you think of cooking oil, rapeseed oil is probably one of the first that comes to mind. The taste is relatively neutral and the smoke point is around 204 degrees, making it ideal for your cast iron pans. Please note that you should use a cheap refined rapeseed oil - not the fancy, cold-pressed variety, which has a much lower smoke point.
3. Highest smoke point: Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil has the highest smoke point at around 230-250 degrees, depending on how refined the oil is. This also makes it a really good choice – and, like rapeseed oil, it is available in most supermarkets.
Which oil is best for seasoning iron pans?
Although rapeseed oil and sunflower oil are perfectly fine for seasoning your iron pans, we always recommend grape seed oil.
Which oil should you avoid for seasoning?
When seasoning carbon steel pans, avoid oils that have a strong flavour and a low smoke point. These include linseed oil, sesame oil and olive oil. You should also avoid using butter.
Why is it important to season your carbon steel pan with oil?
‘Seasoning’ – i.e. seasoning your iron pan in oil – is extremely important for cooking, cleaning and general maintenance. It is much easier to clean the frying pan once it has built up a good non-stick coating from the oil, and the coating of “burnt” oil protects the pan from corrosion and rust.
Once you have built up a good seasoning on your iron pans, you will find that they combine all the best features of cast iron, non-stick and regular steel pans.
Although treating iron pans with oil may seem like a tedious task, you won't regret it – the reward comes immediately in the form of a versatile, strong frying pan that will last for many years. Now that you know which oil to treat your pan with, remember to check out our guide on how to season your cast iron pan with oil.
