Cast Iron seasoning

[CHNeal]

Ok Im in.Just ordered a puck.

[bbqLuv]

Oil.

[RiverJeff]

Good old fashion LARD!

[acorgihouse]

I use avocado oil, but some of my cast iron was from my mom and grandmother. They were straight bacon grease, from the jar that sat on the back of the stove. I've been told, since, that bacon grease has too much salt and other preservatives, but boy, those pans are still good!

[Donw]

While my wife takes care of the cast iron using flaxseed oil or a paste I make up from beeswax and flaxseed oil I would instead follow my grandmother’s method simple three step method:

Fry your chicken in lard in it.
Fry your bacon in it.
Fry your fatback in it.

Then repeat weekly

[RichieB]

I ordered the puck. I've been using grapeseed oil. We willl see if this makes a difference.

[58limited]

Bacon grease. Just like mom and grandma.

[WayneT]

Jeez, this is tmi for CI imho. I just put two coats of canola on my Weber CI griddle and this is what it looks like now.



After scrubbing it with salt then hot water and Dawn, I started the seasoning process all over, intentionally. I’m using Kenji’s method - canola oil, paper towel, 450F oven for 30 mins. The area circled in red is slightly elevated from the rest of the pan. I.e., it’s like a build-up on the pan. What, if anything, should my next step be? I have canola and avocado oils as wells as bacon grease.

[texastweeter]

So is it a casting error or a build up of seasoning?

[WayneT]

texastweeter Dang if I know. I scrubbed the hell out of that thing with kosher salt and that raised area did not come off. It’s just barely perceptible but it’s there. I went ahead and did one more coating of canola followed by another 450F 30 min polymerization bake. It’s pretty smooth overall so I guess I’ll roll with it.

[texastweeter]

Yeah you should be fine. Only way to know would be to strip it bare. If no issues doesn't matter.

[FireMan]

I haven’t seasoned my CI in years, ditto with my woks. Give ‘em a drop or two of olive oil or avacado after cleaning. Cook with Nothin but bacon grease, BUTTER, lard & duck fat.
One exception, when my good friends “helped” me out & cleaned one of my woks. Used avacado oil to bring it back. Other than that I have no need to reseason. If’n ya cook right & clean em right ya shouldn’t have to mess with em. No disrespect to anyone. I don’t like messin with em, so I don’t.

[Spinaker]

I guess, I can't tell from the picture. You should be able to tell if it is a cast defect. or just seasoning. If it is the seasoning, the extra layer is no big deal at all and completely normal. That will even out. If it doesn't, that is no big deal anyway. To me, this looks like uneven seasoning, not actually the casting being uneven.

Just keep cooking with it and don't fret. It is cast iron, not something with crazy tolerances that won't work if it is not perfect.

[texastweeter]

Thats what I was thinking. Seasoning upside down and going with whisper thin layers helps a lot. Long chain polymerization for the win.

[Michael_in_TX]

For fun, I picked up a puck, too. $14 total at Amazon. Arrived in six hours (!).

I have a 12" pan that I use infrequently, and for whatever reason, the seasoning isn't just as far along as I think it should be. I wonder if this will help. At the very least, it'll cut down on my use of avocado oil.

[Spinaker]

It works better than avocado oil. With that high smoke point, it is much harder to break down, which is great for cooking with, not the best for seasoning. I think you will like the results with Crisbees.

[Michael_in_TX]

Spinaker One thing I really liked about watching the videos is that on a hot pan, you just tap it for just under a second to get the right amount. I always have a habit of using too much avocado oil on my pans so I am hoping it will also help with that.

[Thunder77]

Grape seed oil

[Michael_in_TX]

I've been using my Crisbee puck for several cooks now. This thing is legit! I am finding it easier to use than avocado oil and while I still am using a bit more than I should, I am using way less than the oil I was previously. I no longer get that 'excess oil' film I tended to get before.

I also like how you get just a bit darker black sheen than with oil, at least in my experience.

The only thing I've had to adjust is that I can't wait for the pan to cool down as much as I was when I was using oil. The Crisbee puck needs more heat to melt it. You want the pan hot -- still hot enough you need an oven mitt to handle it -- but not hot enough you risk burning yourself through the towel you're using.

I've been using painter's cloths from Home Depot and they work like a dream.

[Finster]

I also bought the puck based on this thread. So far, so good. But, in hindsight, I would have bought the Crisbee Stick instead. Seems easier to use with not having to touch the substance with your fingers...

[RichieB]

+1 Attjack. Also very happy with the results. Did the final piece last Friday, griddle used on outdoor cookers.

[Finster]

That makes sense. Thanks.
I've been keeping mine in the plastic wrap it came in inside the tin.... PITA..

[Attjack]

Finster Toss the plastic before you have an incident and melt it.

[RogueCookers]

I use Bacon Grease