How to Restore and Season a Cast Iron Pan

Written By: Mikhail Keyes

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How to Restore and Season a Cast Iron Pan

Difficulty

Very easy

Steps

Time Required

2 - 3 hours

Introduction

Cast Iron Pans are a wonderful cooking tool but they require care to function well. They can be damaged by excessive heat over extended periods of time and by the process of oxidation causing them to rust. In this guide, you will learn how to remove the damage and restore your cast iron to a “like-new” state.

Tools

Step 1

Soak your pan in a roughly 50/50 mix of distilled white vinegar and water for about an hour.
You can wait longer if the rust is particularly bad.

Step 2

Remove the pan from the vinegar solution.
Immediately apply baking soda to the pan to neutralize the acidity of the vinegar.
Start to wipe away the rust with steel wool.

Step 3

Scour your pan inside and out with steel wool until either the rust or the white heat-damaged area appears black.

Step 4

Thoroughly dry your pan and place it over medium flame or in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 5 to ten minutes to allow it to completely dry.

Step 5

Apply a generous amount of oil to the pan and rub it all over with a paper towel, making sure to hit every nook and cranny.
This process will remove the thin film of rust left by step 4.

Step 6

Use a clean paper towel to thoroughly wipe off the pan.

Step 7

Repeat steps 5 and 6.
Place the pan upside down in an oven and turn it up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or as high as it will go.
Once the oven reaches that temperature leave the pan in it for one hour.