How to Season a Carbon Steel Pan in 7 Simple Steps

Carbon steel pans, like cast-iron skillets, have some stick to them, but if you season them properly, they become a non-stick frying pan in which you can quickly cook salmon, eggs, veggies, and more. Follow these steps to season a carbon steel pan:

1. 1. Get airflow moving. Before you begin, open your windows or turn on the air vent. You will create some smoke while seasoning the pan, so you’ll want to help air circulation. (When you cook on high heat for future uses, you should similarly open windows for airflow.)
2. 2. Remove the protective layer. If you are working with a new carbon steel pan, it may come with a protective coating. Before seasoning your pan for the first time, remove this layer, which is added to help prevent rusting. Check the instructions that come with the pan; the process generally entails some form of scrubbing with dish soap and hot water.
3. 3. Dry and heat the pan. After removing the protective layer, fully dry your pan and immediately put it on your stovetop. Turn the stovetop up to medium-high heat, letting the pan heat for a couple of minutes until it is dry. This step helps your pan stay clear of future rusting.
4. 4. Add a layer of oil. Take a paper towel and wet it with a few drops of neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil. Wipe the cooking surface of the pan, coating it in a thin layer of oil. Wipe off any drips or excess oil.
5. 5. Continue to heat the pan. Heat your pan over medium-high heat. Put on oven mitts— depending on the make of the pan, the handle may heat up. The silver base of your pan should start to turn a golden brown. Move the pan around, so it cooks evenly, and after ten minutes of cooking, during which the pan will smoke, remove the pan from the stovetop’s heat.
6. 6. Repeat the oiling and heating process three times. After the pan cools, repeat the oiling and heating process three times to build up an even seasoning layer. As your pan cools, it may still be too hot to touch, so you can use tongs to move the oiled paper towel around to re-season the pan. Repeating this seasoning process will turn your pan dark brown and then black, which builds up a protective coating and ensures your food won’t stick and will cook evenly.
7. 7. Test out your pan. Cooking will naturally build up the pan’s patina, increasing its durability and longevity. Add a little bit of oil, move it around to coat evenly, and crack an egg over low heat. After an initial seasoning, your cookware should resemble nonstick pans, making it easy to remove the egg from the pan once cooked. After a few uses, your carbon steel pan can even double as a smaller wok.

Alternatively, you can also use the oven method by coating your carbon steel pan with oil and then heating it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, place the pan on a baking sheet, and leave in the oven it for 10 minutes. Before using this method, check to ensure that your pan is oven-safe.

For seasoning carbon steel pans, use a neutral oil with a medium smoke point. These oils include canola oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, and corn oil. Avoid using oils with a distinct taste, such as butter, olive oil, and peanut oil, which can impart flavors into the protective layer of the pan. Also, avoid using flaxseed oil to season carbon steel pans because it flakes off.

Carbon steel cookware heats up very quickly, so exercise caution when cooking with low-smoke-point oils, as cooking oils beyond their smoke point can affect the taste of your food.

For the stovetop method, heat your carbon steel pan at medium-high heat for ten minutes. This is enough time and heat to transform the thin layer of oil into a new protective coating. To season a pan in the oven, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

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