How to Buy, Use, and Care for a Cast Iron Pan

People love to get weird about cast iron pans.

Some fear them, some fetishize them, but everyone has an opinion about them.

Be not afraid: Cast iron is cheap and hard to permanently damage beyond repair.

What is cast iron?

This furnace runs over 2,000 degrees F and it can hold 10 metric tons of liquid iron.

It takes 45 minutes for a 22,000-pound charge of metal to liquify.

The molten level is then cast in molds made of sand, water, and clay.

Sand has a surprisingly high melting pointeven higher than ironallowing it to keep its shape as the iron sets.

If you buy a Lodge pan, youll immediately notice the rough texture.

It creates a surface texture that allows the seasoning to adhere to it.

As you use your cookware over time and continue to season it, the pan will become smoother.

Snag a vintage pan if you’re able to find one, but dont panic if you cant.

A nubbly modern pan will perform beautifully with consistent use and proper care.

Lodge was the first company to start selling pre-seasoned cast iron back in 2002.

Lodge pre-seasons their pans by spraying them with soybean oil and baking them at a high temperature.

All you have to do is give it a quick wash and start cooking.

Ive never bought a brand new one.

Besides the pan given to me by my stepmom, I source my cast iron from Goodwill.

If you dont feel like scouring secondhand shelves, I recommend Lodge as a starter pan.

(Honestly though, you probably wont need or want to.)

(Dont believe me?

Read Kat Kinsmansiconic pieceon restoring a pan she found in an old chicken shed.)

Before using your new pan, follow the manufacturers first use instructions.

Now youre ready to get cooking.

For fatty foods, a quick swipe with an oily paper towel will be enough.

For something more prone to sticking, like eggs, drizzle in enough oil to just coat the bottom.

You want the oil to shimmer, but not smoke.

Once your pan and oil are hot, reduce the heat a bit and add your food.

As far as utensils go, anything is fair game, even metal.

Then I put it back on the burner on low, straighten up the rest of the kitchen.

It looks better when Im done cooking with it than I did when I started it.

You should avoid soaking your pan, however.

(Ive never had to use one, but I love it as a concept.)

The best way to keep your cast iron in shape is touse itboldly, and without reservations.

(They say it can smell fear.)

With enough use, youll be frying eggs and baking cornbread in your cast iron pan in no time.

Set the pan upside down in 450-degree oven, with a sheet pan underneath it to catch any drips.

Bake the pan for an hour, then turn the heat off and let it cool with the oven.

The more you cook with your cast iron pan, the better it will behave.

And if all else fails, you could always wash (or scour) and repeat.