Mastodawn

Clay_pidgin May 23, 2025

New to this. How oily should my pan be between uses?

https://sh.itjust.works/post/38531522

New to this. How oily should my pan be between uses? - sh.itjust.works

I’ve only bought the pan a week ago and used it three times. Hot dogs, eggs, and steak. When I’m done I clean it with a scrubby sponge and once with a little bit of detergent, then put it on the stove to dry quickly. Then while it’s hot I smear maybe a teaspoon of vegetable oil on it with a paper towel “brush”. In between uses it’s wet with oil, as you can see in the picture. How much residual oil should there be? I had the impression that it would be dryer. Also, how much should I scrub? I am not going to leave crust of beef on there, but I also don’t think it’s supposed to be scrubbed back to new smoothness.

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WFH May 23, 2025

That’s the neat part. You don’t need anything between cooking sessions. If you always cook with a bit of fat, the seasoning will build up over time and will keep the pan protected from rust. I deliberately reseason maybe a couple times a year.

The truth is, cast iron and carbon steel don’t need excessive babying. My only tools to keep mine in top condition are a flat spatula and a thick bristled brush (natural fibers, no plastic as it could melt). After cooking, I always do the following :

Deglaze the pan over high heat and unstick everything left with the spatula
rinse, scrub with the brush, rinse again
dry with a dish rag
store somewhere dry
repeat the next day

No need for soap, reheating, constant seasoning upkeep or oiling. If your seasoning isn’t flaking off, which it shouldn’t, it’s good to go. Even a few rust stains or gouges in the seasoning can be brushed off and seasoned over.

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Clay_pidgin

This sounds doable. Thank you!