Have you just received a carbon steel frying pan through the door - or are you considering getting one?
Either way, it's important to get started properly with this pan so you can enjoy the many benefits of this fantastic kitchen tool!
The key to getting started with carbon steel is to build a good first layer of "seasoning" - this is the treatment that should ensure natural nonstick. Our frying pans come completely raw, which means you have control over building the perfect nonstick surface before you start cooking.
When you cook in the pan, you build even more seasoning on it, because you burn oil in through cooking. The more seasoning you build up, the better nonstick effect you get – which means your pan gets better and better with use.
One of the most common questions we get from customers is about how to properly treat an iron pan/carbon steel pan, so we've created a comprehensive guide below:
(If you have a 5-ply frying pan, it doesn't need seasoning. See how to use it here.)
What is seasoning?
To get a smooth surface that cooks food evenly and avoids burnt-on food, rust and corrosion, you need to treat your new pan in a process called "seasoning" - this involves coating the pan with a thin layer of oil. This oil fills the pan's small surface pores and makes it possible to achieve natural nonstick.
As you cook, the fats and oils in your food will continue to fill these pores and build up a layer of "polymerized" oil that creates a smooth surface.
Our iron pans have relatively small and shallow pores. This means you'll get a solid layer after your first seasoning, and you'll have a super smooth surface within a few treatments. In comparison, raw cast iron pans have deep pores. This means you need to spend more time building up your seasoning to make the surface smooth.
Your first seasoning
Your first seasoning is crucial for getting the full potential out of your carbon steel pan. The good news is that it's not as difficult to treat carbon steel as, for example, raw cast iron.
There are many, many ways to build up seasoning. We're big fans of the stovetop-to-oven method, which gives perfect seasoning using the technique below:
- Wash your new pan thoroughly with hot soapy water and rub off any oil residue. The coating on your new pan consists of dried oil, which we apply to protect the pan and prevent it from developing rust during transport. If the pan looks scratched, it's just the protective oil - it doesn't matter and will disappear when the pan is thoroughly cleaned and seasoned.
The protective layer of oil is not dangerous to consume - but feel free to take your time removing it, as it can prevent your seasoning from bonding properly to the surface.
- Place your iron pan over very low heat for 2-3 minutes to open the iron's pores and ensure all water has evaporated.
- Remove the pan from the stove, and use a piece of kitchen paper to apply a very thin layer of oil or care wax over the entire inside and outside of the pan. You may notice that your kitchen paper turns dark when you dry the raw pan or oil it. This is normal with raw carbon steel and has no significance.
- Dry the pan again with a fresh piece of kitchen paper to ensure you have a very thin layer of oil - the pan should actually look completely dry.
- Carefully place the oiled pan in the oven, and place it upside down on the middle rack.
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Turn your oven on to 230°C. The oven temperature should be slightly above the smoke point of your oil or wax - we usually use grapeseed oil or our care wax and heat the oven to 230°C, but if you use an oil with a higher smoke point, the oven should be hotter.
- Let the pan sit in the oven for one hour at 230°C.
- Some smoke may come off along the way - that's perfectly fine.
- After one hour, turn off the oven and let the pan sit in the oven until it has completely cooled.
- Your pan is now ready to use - or you can repeat the process a couple more times if you want a stronger seasoning. If you give your pan multiple layers of seasoning, you don't wash the pan between each - you just apply a new layer of oil on top.
You may notice that some seasoning comes off when you use the pan, or that you don't think the nonstick effect is as effective at first. This is completely normal. When you cook in the pan, you build up even more seasoning, so the pan gets better and better over time.
NOTE: You can expect your pan to change color as you season it and cook on it over time. Embrace the process - that's what makes your iron pan different from all others!
