A min of 8 seasoning with avocado oil. Friend of mine grandmother passed he gave me all of her cast iron pans 😊 in the late 70s still use them today ❤ I think of Mrs mills every time I use them 😊
I have 2 pieces that are under 40 years; griddle anda super nice skillet. The other 13 pieces are all over 100 yrs. About 4 I know3 to be from very early 1800's an d one is from mid-1700;s
Bought a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet. Got lazy and tried to season while cooking on the stove top. Always had issues with food sticking. Finally, I pulled up this video and started over. After a good scrubbing until it was clean and smooth, I put the skillet through 4 cycles of stove to oven to cool and repeat. It looks and feels much better. One tip missing from the video is how long to leave the skillet in the 400°F oven. I left it in an hour based on a 2nd video I watched. I enjoy your work, Kent. Happy to be a part of your family.
I seasoned my pan, a good few times, worked good, but then i washed it and it just lost a lot of it. I had seen controversy over soap ect, but i used just a dab...it just made the pan lose its water resisting or beading effect, eggs wouldnt cook not stick ect. Stopped that, basically have no issues. VERY new cast iron user.
Ok thanks thats good. I have no oven so been smoking the oil on the stove for like 5 minutes. Nowhere near an hour. Lol. Then adding a wipe of oil again. Maybe I should do a campfire so I can leave it for longer. And DBE hotter I guess too. I got it second hand and removed most of the black lumps but left some ...I might have to use a sander to get it off. Should I start over and sand it right down to metal or just try to seal the lumps😂? Thanks for anyone advice.
@horacethecheese initially, I did sand it down smooth. But have since watched videos that suggest if you sand it too smooth the seasoning won't stick. I didn't find that to be the case.
@kevincharles3309 ah cool. I gave mine a sanding back with my rotating brand new sander and it took the crud off and I got baking fat similar to cirdvo and kept blasting it on thw stove top till it stopped smoking which I hadn't realised I was supposed to wait that long did it about 4 times and I'll do some more tomorrow before I give it an egg to handle and see how it goes. It was actually pretty good with the black crust on it I half wish I hadn't cleaned it at all . But figured it was somone elses 40 year old dinner and it gave me a bit of a shudder.
Great video! I've seen people find 150 plus year old rusted cast iron and totally restored them. Couldn't give me any other type of cookware..Cast iron is what I prefer.
I saw your guide to restoring a cast iron skillet a couple of months ago, and again today. I've used what you've shown on the video to clean and season my wifes inherited french cast iron skillet. It was handed down from her grandmother, so it has a few years wear and tear. And now, it looks brand new, ready to cook for many years more. Greetings from Denmark. 🙂
You are helping a lot, you doesn't even know that. Your videos are not just about new skills, I can learn, but I like that mood glaring out from them. Thank you cowboy Kent - your fans from Slovakia :)
You taught a Yankee well. My skillets are now better than Teflon. Have a few very old Lodge skillets from the 60's. They spent decades in storage. The grape seed oil made the difference. But hey, my son is a cowboy. Thanks to the Semper Fie fund. They saved his life. They take combat vets and train em to run/rope cattle, black smithing, etc. He and a group ran 2000 head 75 miles from Montana to Idaho in 3 days. That's good time. Today he makes cowboy boots and many other tannery items. He hand carves leather. The twin 6 iron gun belt He made was incredible. He always was and is artist/ bad ass.
If you wanted to donate to a veteran fund that has no corporate interest with ceos of said funds draining millions in donations and puts everything towards its cause with real results, SEMPER FIE FUND. It's an older couple with big hearts for our vets. They saved my sons life. I'm a real vet father,no bullshit. My son went through hell at 18-22. Picking up parts of his friends so nothing is left behind for the enemy. That will alter you. I thank God he came home. Yet, thank God even more for the couple that started the Semper Fie ranch. Look it up. It's not just corporations taking 90%. It's an actual physical ranch. And they fly these vets all over the west to run cattle. God bless them. Gives them a new sense of purpose, life. A vet donation goes the farthest direct to the vet with them... look it up yourself.
Thank you Kent your the best cowboy ever you have taught me alit of things I didn't know before we love you both God bless the USA the military the veterans one veteran which is here with us were very proud of grandson active military proud to be Americans
Thank you so much, Kent. My mom's big Lodge skillet is flaking just like the one in this video. She's out for the day, so I'm hoping to surprise her when she gets back.
THIS IS IMPORTANT ! I have just used a 10 pound sledge hammer head to grind course salt into cast iron; I bought it at a flea market. It works great! I just spin it, and it always has 10 pounds of pressure on it! It doesn’t have to be a 10 pound hammer, but you get the point. Good luck.😎
I'm an old hand at seasonin my skillets and other cast irons but I got to tell you i do that I didn't know you could over-season. Also loving the ball cap!
I grew up in a house where my momma cooked soapy water in her pan every time she cleaned it. I hated cooking in cast iron. Once I moved out I did the seasoning method but had one pan that never would hold its seasoning. Had a tip come my way that said after you finish cooking use hot water as hot as you can get it to clean your pan, (no soap), and then heat it up on the stove until you get it too hot to touch the rim and then wipe it down with fresh oil. After that I have never had a pan loose seasoning and my wife was happy that no soap but high heat made it safe to use in her mind. Ima try the Grape Seed as I use peanut currently. Early on I used olive oil and I would get flaking after a few weeks. Keep up the great work Rollins Family! Edit: grammar
The hot water works on these cast iron griddle tops. It's the best way to handle cleaning. After cooking, you keep the burners up and you squirt water on, and then scrape away. Let the moisture evaporate, and then spread a thin layer of oil on it to smoke off. Turn it off and wipe down. It's ready for tomorrow, and the seasoning just gets better.
Thanks to your tips I've reclaimed cast iron as a favorite cooking vessel. I even began with the palm sander method you've demonstrated to restore a skillet. Nuthin' better for frying either.
Hey Kent. I'd like you to try something I learned from wok cooking that carries over very well to cast iron. The Chinese have a saying.. 'hot wok, cold oil'. Basically, you get your DRY wok (or cast iron) SMOKING HOT, and THEN pour in a enough oil to coat, rotating the pan to cover. (This creates a very good non-stick surface). I think you'll be amazed and will have a new trick for your chuck wagon. I've found fried eggs cooked this way are slick as snot. You do have to turn the heat back down to where you want to cook after you rotate the pan, but it's like night and day. Never stick.
Got my first cast iron and had some trouble getting the seasoning started, washed out the old seasoning i tried and followed kents advice and now my fried eggs are SLIDING gracefully across the pan. Thanks kent
Kent, I've slowly recovering from one ot the worst colds I've ever had. I've been sick for nearly two weeks. When I'm laying down, I've been binge-watching your videos because of your positivity, the "good vibes" are bringing me some joy when I feel yucky and weak as a kitten. 💚 Now if I could just decide which brand of cast iron skillet I want to order. 😄
Wishing you well, Shauma, and that you feel lots better soonest. Two weeks is a long time for a cold. Did you test for covid? Also he does have a good video comparing several brands :~)
Man U must have known I’m dealing with this on a 12” lodge right now 😂. I did as u did being I’ve seen other videos on the subject u have posted here before . I’ll get busy on 3 more times now. Thanks Cowboy!
I have one cast iron fry pan, my dad taught me how to look after it & I just love it for some things. Got it back in the '80's a a 2nd hand store. Dad said the best cast to buy is made in the US of A or Canada. I'm from Ontario, Can & I love cooking outside, you have a great set up. I'm moving from southern Ontario, Lindsay up north approx 5 1/2 hours to the north, so my summers won't be as long I'd imagine. We still BBQ in the winter & got a new one to go, with a burner, so weather shouldn't stop us! I still love broiling my pk chops & chicken pcs but BBQ taste so much better. Love you videos!
I have used cast iron for years; I have been fortunate to have gotten older already seasoned pieces, so I have never really known how to properly season a piece properly. Thank you for this very informative video, I know I will need this info eventually..
Kent, this video was very informative. I only have Stargazer cast iron skillets, and I am beginning to see some flaking. Now I know how to fix it. Thank you, neighbor. Pops Allgood
I just got my first cheap Lodge pan. Although I seasoned it before watching your video, I have to say that it's by far the best pan I've owned. It holds heat really well, has a nice thick bottom so it cook evenly and when seasoned it doesn't even let burnt cheese stick. The first meal I cooked was a huge omelet and it basically fell out of the pan. If you can cook scrambled eggs on something and clean it with a paper towel... it's a win
Lodge pans hold seasoning well. In my experience, the rougher cast pans are easier to season, maybe it's just me. I had a Lodge Blacklock series pan and it was a pretty decent skillet. Edit: hat-tip if you can pull off scrambled eggs. I won't even try them in an iron pan anymore.
@@lancekoller5284 That's why they make them rough now,the oil sticks when they spray it on as it goes through the assembly line. The story goes that it saved them from bankruptcy.
I gave my cast iron all arounder skillet 6 coats of grapeseed oil over a period of 3 days (i had some free time) and it came out magnificent! Thank you Cowboy Kent.! I bought silicone instruments, so as to not ruin the seasoning, as well. It repels water like a ducks feathers.
Great tips on re-seasoning that Stargazer skillet. I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you wearing a baseball cap instead of your cowboy hat. The beag and maj were definitely looking for a treat! God bless you cowboy Kent! Cheers y’all!
I have a Smithey that had considerable flaking going on since new. I changed my seasoning oil to avocado oil and it's completely cleaned up. Now I just need something to cut it's weight and it'll be a great piece.
I had my own and inherited my mothers and grandmothers cast iron. I still use it!!! Some things can ONLY be cooked in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven!
Great update to this very important subject!!! 400F. is where it all happens! I've had flaking with lard seasoned pans in addition to other fats, so it isn't so much the fat as much as it is the pan itself-- I have a number of cast iron pans and season them together in groups, I've found that some pans are just prone to flaking and do not take seasoning well, and others take the seasoning quickly and strongly. The ones that are "problems" seem to have much smoother cooking surfaces and are less porous than the others. The pan matters!
You hit the nail square on the head, Mike. I believe that the rougher finish of new Lodge skillets, seasoned with a high smoke point oil such as grapeseed (my #1), oven-baked onto the skillet is absolutely the key to locking-in bulletproof seasoning. It's hard as hell, never flakes, and you can hit it with metal spatulas all day long. It's a joy to use because it's very well-behaved. I can't speak for the reliability of lard specifically, but we've got a winning combination here with grapeseed and Kent's techniques. I feel you're very right about the pan finish being extremely important because smooth-sanded surfaces have much less for the seasoning to key into. Controversial, sure, because cast iron discussions tend to be, but I have no issues whatsoever, ever, ever, with the reliability of my seasoning. Not one. I'm sticking with it because it works. As I've said before, absolutely bulletproof.
Love the video Kent.. finally someone with a video that did a close up and showed what the seasoning looks like as it's going.. the first time I did it I thought I messed something up or didn't use enough oil.. now that I've seasoned a few I know that's just normal
I couldn't get a decent seasoning in my new cast iron cookware until I did this. I had some oil from deep frying that I was going to replace. I filled the frying pan with the oil and heated it until just short of smoke. Let it cool and repeat when it cools off five or six times. It worked better than I expected by far.
Cowboy, your love and knowledge of cast iron has been so inspiring to me. My collection keeps growing and almost every time I get the chance, I'm looking in the cast iron section of the store. Recently, I found Lodge's Chef line of cast iron. The skillets have a more rounded corner where sides meet the bottom. Also, they seem lighter in weight. Also, the local antique mall usually has some cast iron pieces priced right. Thank you Kent. I am no longer afraid to cook in cast iron, and I am able to properly care for the old stuff that was handed down to me.
Kent watched your video and after I went and checked my iron. Glad to say everyone was good that's because I do exactly as you say to clean. Never use any metal utensils when cooking and always reseason after drying on the stove. I hope you gave Maj and beag a treat your pup's are so cute.
Nice and easy 👍 I remember finding your channel years ago while doing some restoration on a few old pieces of cast iron. Helped a lot. It's been awesome to see how far your channel's come since then. Wishing you continued success brother!
I like to reseason mine every 6 to 8 cooks to make sure the seasoning stays best as I can. In a few years, maybe 3 or 4 if it starts flaking or looking bad I like to put cast into a fire pot filled with hot, red coals and rake them around and on top of it and let it stay until the next day. It will remove all the seasoning, and I'll start over from scratch. Lately, since watching your methods, though I have found my cast stays right and perfect following your method. Cooking in oil every so often helps, too, and leaving clean oil in there for the rest of the day, then pouring the oil out and wiping it down, heating it up until it smokes a little, and wiping it around to make sure there's no pools of oil left. My wife hates dealing with cast but I LOVE my cast. And loving it the right way will keep it lasting for a lifetime, as you said. Some family member will get mine when I'm gone and I hope they get it in perfect shape and keep it that way. Take care, brother. Love your vids...especially the ones you cook GREAT food in.
It's not really as complicated as it sounds. Think of it like this: Everytime you use it, you're seasoning it more. Basically, it's like the grates on your bbq grill. The black stuff stays on, but you clean the big stuff off. Give it a good scrub with an old credit card or plastic/wood scraper to get the stuck-on stuff off and just rinse it with water. Everyone says not to use soap, but as long as you don't let it soak in soap, it will be fine. Just make sure that you get all of the soap out before the next step. Here's what I do after each use. Start heating it over medium-high heat. Once it starts to get hot, using whatever oil you just used to cook with, wipe it with a cotton rag to form a thin coat. Once it starts to smoke, (I let it smoke for about 30 seconds) then pull it off and give it a quick wiping with the same rag to "even it out" (I just use the same oily rag, and store it on my bacon grease container in the oven. Just remember to take it out before you turn your oven on. Lol!) Then let it cool. Eventually, you will be able to see your reflection in the bottom of your pans. It sounds complicated, but it only takes about 5 minutes or less, and then you just have to let it cool before putting it away. Mine never leaves the stove top because it gets used almost every day. Sometimes 2 or 3 times! You can use this same process to season carbon steel woks as well. Happy cast iron cooking! P.S. (edit) If you have one of those "clean freak" mothers or spouses, keep them as far away as possible! They will do everything they can to destroy your seasoning. Lol!
Thank you so much salmon, for setting up the tips on how to take care of my cast iron cookware. But we all know that Shannon is the brains behind this operation. I think that's a given. So thank you so Shannon. To be honest the entire world wants to see more of beautiful cute your face in front of your camera
Flaking or not this is a very good demonstration of tuning up/reseasoning a cast pan in general. Only thing I can add is try to do it in fall/winter when an oven going all day is appreciated.
Thanks. Exactly what i was wondering that even after removing rust how come my pan had iron finish instead of black, like everyone else. This explains so well. Great.
Edit: Just finished 5 rounds over 2 days.. not sure if I wanna cook or hang ‘em up on the wall for display. 👍👍 Until now, I’ve yet to find a video that clearly states how this is a repeat process and shows the TRUE results after one round of seasoning. Most throw a coat of oil on for shine and take a thumbnail photo! This is the best tutorial. (Heading back in for round two)
Oh Man, Kent would beat me with a spoon, I started with a 4 inch right angle grinder and a knotted wire cup wheel, 6 or 7 seasonings and its still working great! Had a 50's aluminum gas stove griddle that lost its nonstick coating, with some careful work I was able to make it look just like a well seasoned cast iron slab and lasted another 12 years.
Great video once again, thank you. I do much of my seasoning a tad differently because I've been gifted with an old school education. I'm apt to render a bit of fat back or leaf lard in my iron on a wood stove in any and all of my iron ant given time of need and continue that through the year as best I can. Granted, July ain;t a good wood stove month so I have to hoof it a bit. As a side note, I don't get the winter dry skin plague when using my high end hog fat over most commercial oils for cooking. Y'all results may differ. Best to you, Shan and the crew as always.
I like your cast iron videos, my mom cooked with them when I was young and made some great food, especially her fried potatoes. The only thing is that sometimes I get lazy or busy and forget to clean and re-season it right away. But thanks for all your lessons.
No need to clean nor re-season a cast iron pan right away. Do it when you have time, and if you have to re-season often, you are doing it wrong! Good seasoning lasts for generations.
This is a good, but I sure thought I saw you show put the skillet on the burner and when it starts to smoke pour in some oil and rub it in, turn off the heat and let it cool. That's what I started doing and it seems to be working well. I was oiling then put into the oven. Thanks for all the good meals and tips.
I have one skillet that is pretty much dedicated to cooking bacon. I leave the bacon grease in it after every batch, and eventually it gets to the point where I'm literally deep frying bacon in bacon fat, until it gets so full that I have to start over, at which point I strain the fat, store it in the fridge for other uses, clean out the skillet, and re-season with grapeseed oil in the oven just as you recommend.
Great video! To season or reseason cast iron, make cornbread. Then, make cornbread. Then, make cornbread twenty more times. Cornmeal and buttermilk are still pretty cheap. Don't clean between makings, but it will stick at first. After a bit of torn-up cornbread, you will get a gloss black pan. Grandmaw got her seasoning from the repetition of fat and heat, not counting glazes of marvel oil.
Thank you sir for all the years of what you do from the kindness of your heart. You and Shan are genuine and I thank you. I have cast iron I cook with and I also have some old cast iron I picked up at yard sales that need a lot of TLC, rust and other stuff. You have motivated me to go back, I have a lot of your vids saved and restore them all because I enjoy cooking in them when I feel like cooking. God bless y'all and I think I will check out your cookbooks.
I know the concept is the same but it would be awesome to see this technique applied to a griddle, especially with so many cooking on griddle surfaces these days. Thanks Kent! 👍
I got an old lodge Dutch oven that was flaky, pitted, and had what looked like roofing tar in it. After a good scraping and sandblasting, and following Kent's instructions, it came back to life. I certainly can't fix the pits, but it's a wonderful pot to cook with now.
I also have a dish oven that's pretty well pitted... brown and orange. Not sure what they cooked in it. It was a freebie. I can't sand blast it, any other ideas? It's a mess and I've tried steel wool
@@darciemerriweather1206 for something in that state, sandblasting is ideal (in my opinion) That said, very coarse steel wool is great. *IF* that's not aggressive enough, a cupped wire brush in a drill will work well, but that's also very aggressive.
@@darciemerriweather1206 If you really want to remove all the crud and start fresh, check out Kent's video on complete reseasoning using the oven's clean cycle.
I'd like to propose a challenge, Kent; 100 layers of oven-baked seasoning on a basic, un-refinished, brand new Lodge skillet. It should only take about 2 months if doing 2 coats a day with some breaks in between. You can do it, Cowboy!!! 😅
I love my cast iron cooking utensils. As always this is very good advice. Thank you for the well-described direction on how to repair flaking on cast iron. I have listened to your advice for a long time but this was new for me as to how to use the right lard or oil to properly season my cookware. God Bless you and Shannon and the dogs. Best Regards..
Well, you made me feel a bit better. I've been cooking for 37 years with a skillet that was my mother's and her mother's before her. It is about 70 years or so old, if not older. I don't ever remember my mother reseasoning it and I have never had to. It's always been so beautiful and performed so well, nice and smooth inside. Then about a couple months ago I noticed the seasoning started coming off and some even on the bottom of the pan surface. I thought I had somehow done something wrong. I still don't really know why after all this time it started coming off. It gets cleaned and oiled after every use like it always had. Is it possible that hubby forgetting it on the burner after cleaning could cause the seasoning to start popping off? (Thank goodness for my nose!) Anyway that's what led me here, glad I found your video. Hey from Mississippi!
The number of cast iron seasoning videos and tutorials out there that all have different information infuriate me. I never could understand why it didn't work for me and it's probably because I never put it in the oven more than once or twice. I'll have to try it again now.
Great job Kent and Shannon, always nice to see you reminding folks about the lint free cloths to season things with. Stay safe and keep up the good work and videos. Fred.
This is how I season mine. Cast iron in 200 F oven for thirty minutes. Remove. Wipe thin layer of oil. A lot of the commercial cast iron seasoning mixes used to use grapeseed but switched to soybean oil bases for higher smoke point temperatures. Wipe with lint free towel very thin coating of oil on both sides of cast iron. Put the cast iron back into the oven upside down and turn up to 400 degrees. Once oven is at 400 bake for an hour then turn the oven off. I do a minimum of three times when seasoning. When cooking you can just wash with soap and water and put on the stove and heat up to evaporate all remaining water. Then just use the lint free cloth and wipe a very thin layer of oil on the cooking surface only. Then turn off the heat and let it cook and you are done. No need to do both sides in maintain mode.
Just got 3 cheap cast iron pans at goodwill today. Not sure the brand because they are not marked, but I’m sure they are modern because they are rough as sandpaper and are not seasoned at all. Seasoning them now and I’m hoping it smooths out the cooking surface. I have a old BSR I love because it’s smooth as glass and seasoned really well.
Happy Lords day to you, Kent, and Shannon! I’ve got some cast-iron that I need to clean up after I have my reverse shoulder replacement surgery, but I have wonderful videos to guide me. Thank y’all so much for that. May God bless.
Kent, I love your cooking videos! If I can offer a bit of advise... add one more step. After you oil the pan, put it in the oven between 250 and 300 for 15 or 20 minutes then pull it out and wipe it again. If you do this, you wont have any splotches after the final bake at high temp. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for another great video filled with such useful information. I have one pan that is 90% glossy and smooth. It has little raised points for the other 10%. What are those and how do I fix it?
It depends if you’re talking about the texture of the pan material, there might be one part of the pan that is smooth (for example, the base of the pan) and another part that is rough (such as the walls of the pan). If you mean inconsistency at a part of the pan you would expect to be smooth also, it might be burnt food material stuck there, so you should do a few cycles of Re seasoning like this video shows.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
"It's not because you're a bad person"
Oh thank god! That's all I needed to hear, thank you.
…but you’re still a bad person.
lol jk jk
@@rhsking05 There's the pot calling the kettle black◼
Well my dear departed Grandma from Abilene TX appreciate’s you taking that hat off in the kitchen…! Thank you
A min of 8 seasoning with avocado oil. Friend of mine grandmother passed he gave me all of her cast iron pans 😊 in the late 70s still use them today ❤ I think of Mrs mills every time I use them 😊
I have 2 pieces that are under 40 years; griddle anda super nice skillet. The other 13 pieces are all over 100 yrs. About 4 I know3 to be from very early 1800's an d one is from mid-1700;s
Bought a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet. Got lazy and tried to season while cooking on the stove top. Always had issues with food sticking. Finally, I pulled up this video and started over. After a good scrubbing until it was clean and smooth, I put the skillet through 4 cycles of stove to oven to cool and repeat. It looks and feels much better. One tip missing from the video is how long to leave the skillet in the 400°F oven. I left it in an hour based on a 2nd video I watched. I enjoy your work, Kent. Happy to be a part of your family.
I seasoned my pan, a good few times, worked good, but then i washed it and it just lost a lot of it. I had seen controversy over soap ect, but i used just a dab...it just made the pan lose its water resisting or beading effect, eggs wouldnt cook not stick ect. Stopped that, basically have no issues. VERY new cast iron user.
Ok thanks thats good. I have no oven so been smoking the oil on the stove for like 5 minutes. Nowhere near an hour. Lol. Then adding a wipe of oil again. Maybe I should do a campfire so I can leave it for longer. And DBE hotter I guess too. I got it second hand and removed most of the black lumps but left some ...I might have to use a sander to get it off. Should I start over and sand it right down to metal or just try to seal the lumps😂? Thanks for anyone advice.
@horacethecheese initially, I did sand it down smooth. But have since watched videos that suggest if you sand it too smooth the seasoning won't stick. I didn't find that to be the case.
@kevincharles3309 ah cool. I gave mine a sanding back with my rotating brand new sander and it took the crud off and I got baking fat similar to cirdvo and kept blasting it on thw stove top till it stopped smoking which I hadn't realised I was supposed to wait that long did it about 4 times and I'll do some more tomorrow before I give it an egg to handle and see how it goes. It was actually pretty good with the black crust on it I half wish I hadn't cleaned it at all . But figured it was somone elses 40 year old dinner and it gave me a bit of a shudder.
@@horacethecheese the hour was in the oven. Not on the stove top. I have no idea whether an hour on the stove top will also work.
Kent is either cooking up something good to eat
and showing you tips on keeping your kitchen
accessories clean and working, Thank You.
🤠🌅🌄
Great video! I've seen people find 150 plus year old rusted cast iron and totally restored them. Couldn't give me any other type of cookware..Cast iron is what I prefer.
I saw your guide to restoring a cast iron skillet a couple of months ago, and again today. I've used what you've shown on the video to clean and season my wifes inherited french cast iron skillet. It was handed down from her grandmother, so it has a few years wear and tear. And now, it looks brand new, ready to cook for many years more.
Greetings from Denmark. 🙂
You are helping a lot, you doesn't even know that. Your videos are not just about new skills, I can learn, but I like that mood glaring out from them. Thank you cowboy Kent - your fans from Slovakia :)
Clean with coarse salt, use grapeseed oil, and oven bake the seasoning as Kent says. I have never experienced flaking even once. It's bulletproof.
Works well it does
@Cowboy Kent Rollins it certainly does! Thanks Kent! Fantastic channel!
How long do you keep it in the oven?
@@hawk5410 I do one hour, then turn off the oven, leaving the skillet to cool in the oven, which can take a few hours.
Seems like that's a lot of salt to waste.
You taught a Yankee well. My skillets are now better than Teflon. Have a few very old Lodge skillets from the 60's. They spent decades in storage. The grape seed oil made the difference. But hey, my son is a cowboy. Thanks to the Semper Fie fund. They saved his life. They take combat vets and train em to run/rope cattle, black smithing, etc. He and a group ran 2000 head 75 miles from Montana to Idaho in 3 days. That's good time. Today he makes cowboy boots and many other tannery items. He hand carves leather. The twin 6 iron gun belt He made was incredible. He always was and is artist/ bad ass.
If you wanted to donate to a veteran fund that has no corporate interest with ceos of said funds draining millions in donations and puts everything towards its cause with real results, SEMPER FIE FUND. It's an older couple with big hearts for our vets. They saved my sons life. I'm a real vet father,no bullshit. My son went through hell at 18-22. Picking up parts of his friends so nothing is left behind for the enemy. That will alter you. I thank God he came home. Yet, thank God even more for the couple that started the Semper Fie ranch. Look it up. It's not just corporations taking 90%. It's an actual physical ranch. And they fly these vets all over the west to run cattle. God bless them. Gives them a new sense of purpose, life. A vet donation goes the farthest direct to the vet with them... look it up yourself.
@@mattmonaghan5502Semper Fi devil
Thank you Kent your the best cowboy ever you have taught me alit of things I didn't know before we love you both God bless the USA the military the veterans one veteran which is here with us were very proud of grandson active military proud to be Americans
Thank you so much, Kent. My mom's big Lodge skillet is flaking just like the one in this video. She's out for the day, so I'm hoping to surprise her when she gets back.
It was a joy getting to meet you in Charleston. Thank you so much for being so genuine and kind!
"It's not because you're a bad person". Thank you, I really needed that reassurance
THIS IS IMPORTANT ! I have just used a 10 pound sledge hammer head to grind course salt into cast iron; I bought it at a flea market. It works great! I just spin it, and it always has 10 pounds of pressure on it! It doesn’t have to be a 10 pound hammer, but you get the point. Good luck.😎
I'm an old hand at seasonin my skillets and other cast irons but I got to tell you i do that I didn't know you could over-season. Also loving the ball cap!
Thank you I really needed this tutorial. I have a couple of cast iron skillets that need this treatment.
It works well
Even if i never do anything in these videos, you always make them worth watching Kent!! Thank you!
I grew up in a house where my momma cooked soapy water in her pan every time she cleaned it. I hated cooking in cast iron. Once I moved out I did the seasoning method but had one pan that never would hold its seasoning. Had a tip come my way that said after you finish cooking use hot water as hot as you can get it to clean your pan, (no soap), and then heat it up on the stove until you get it too hot to touch the rim and then wipe it down with fresh oil. After that I have never had a pan loose seasoning and my wife was happy that no soap but high heat made it safe to use in her mind. Ima try the Grape Seed as I use peanut currently. Early on I used olive oil and I would get flaking after a few weeks. Keep up the great work Rollins Family!
Edit: grammar
The hot water works on these cast iron griddle tops. It's the best way to handle cleaning. After cooking, you keep the burners up and you squirt water on, and then scrape away. Let the moisture evaporate, and then spread a thin layer of oil on it to smoke off. Turn it off and wipe down. It's ready for tomorrow, and the seasoning just gets better.
Thanks to your tips I've reclaimed cast iron as a favorite cooking vessel. I even began with the palm sander method you've demonstrated to restore a skillet. Nuthin' better for frying either.
Hey Kent. I'd like you to try something I learned from wok cooking that carries over very well to cast iron.
The Chinese have a saying.. 'hot wok, cold oil'. Basically, you get your DRY wok (or cast iron) SMOKING HOT, and THEN pour in a enough oil to coat, rotating the pan to cover. (This creates a very good non-stick surface). I think you'll be amazed and will have a new trick for your chuck wagon.
I've found fried eggs cooked this way are slick as snot. You do have to turn the heat back down to where you want to cook after you rotate the pan, but it's like night and day. Never stick.
Thanks for the tip
Got my first cast iron and had some trouble getting the seasoning started, washed out the old seasoning i tried and followed kents advice and now my fried eggs are SLIDING gracefully across the pan. Thanks kent
Kent, I've slowly recovering from one ot the worst colds I've ever had. I've been sick for nearly two weeks. When I'm laying down, I've been binge-watching your videos because of your positivity, the "good vibes" are bringing me some joy when I feel yucky and weak as a kitten. 💚 Now if I could just decide which brand of cast iron skillet I want to order. 😄
Wishing you well, Shauma, and that you feel lots better soonest. Two weeks is a long time for a cold. Did you test for covid? Also he does have a good video comparing several brands :~)
There are lots to watch. 😊
Man U must have known I’m dealing with this on a 12” lodge right now 😂. I did as u did being I’ve seen other videos on the subject u have posted here before . I’ll get busy on 3 more times now. Thanks Cowboy!
I have one cast iron fry pan, my dad taught me how to look after it & I just love it for some things. Got it back in the '80's a a 2nd hand store. Dad said the best cast to buy is made in the US of A or Canada. I'm from Ontario, Can & I love cooking outside, you have a great set up. I'm moving from southern Ontario, Lindsay up north approx 5 1/2 hours to the north, so my summers won't be as long I'd imagine. We still BBQ in the winter & got a new one to go, with a burner, so weather shouldn't stop us! I still love broiling my pk chops & chicken pcs but BBQ taste so much better. Love you videos!
I LOVE COOKING WITH CAST IRON!
Apologize if this is weird
Your accent is so cute it's like a warm hug
I have used cast iron for years; I have been fortunate to have gotten older already seasoned pieces, so I have never really known how to properly season a piece properly. Thank you for this very informative video, I know I will need this info eventually..
Kent, this video was very informative. I only have Stargazer cast iron skillets, and I am beginning to see some flaking. Now I know how to fix it. Thank you, neighbor.
Pops Allgood
I just got my first cheap Lodge pan. Although I seasoned it before watching your video, I have to say that it's by far the best pan I've owned.
It holds heat really well, has a nice thick bottom so it cook evenly and when seasoned it doesn't even let burnt cheese stick.
The first meal I cooked was a huge omelet and it basically fell out of the pan.
If you can cook scrambled eggs on something and clean it with a paper towel... it's a win
Lodge pans hold seasoning well. In my experience, the rougher cast pans are easier to season, maybe it's just me. I had a Lodge Blacklock series pan and it was a pretty decent skillet.
Edit: hat-tip if you can pull off scrambled eggs. I won't even try them in an iron pan anymore.
@@lancekoller5284 That's why they make them rough now,the oil sticks when they spray it on as it goes through the assembly line. The story goes that it saved them from bankruptcy.
After about 2 years I did notice my seasoning was kinda getting flakey/thick in parts, this was a good video for me.
I gave my cast iron all arounder skillet 6 coats of grapeseed oil over a period of 3 days (i had some free time) and it came out magnificent! Thank you Cowboy Kent.! I bought silicone instruments, so as to not ruin the seasoning, as well. It repels water like a ducks feathers.
Great tips on re-seasoning that Stargazer skillet. I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you wearing a baseball cap instead of your cowboy hat. The beag and maj were definitely looking for a treat! God bless you cowboy Kent! Cheers y’all!
God bless you as well
I love cast iron but I mostly only use it when I go camping. I did adopt a cast iron wok recently and plan to start using cast iron more again.
I have a Smithey that had considerable flaking going on since new. I changed my seasoning oil to avocado oil and it's completely cleaned up. Now I just need something to cut it's weight and it'll be a great piece.
I had my own and inherited my mothers and grandmothers cast iron. I still use it!!! Some things can ONLY be cooked in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven!
Great update to this very important subject!!! 400F. is where it all happens! I've had flaking with lard seasoned pans in addition to other fats, so it isn't so much the fat as much as it is the pan itself-- I have a number of cast iron pans and season them together in groups, I've found that some pans are just prone to flaking and do not take seasoning well, and others take the seasoning quickly and strongly. The ones that are "problems" seem to have much smoother cooking surfaces and are less porous than the others. The pan matters!
You hit the nail square on the head, Mike. I believe that the rougher finish of new Lodge skillets, seasoned with a high smoke point oil such as grapeseed (my #1), oven-baked onto the skillet is absolutely the key to locking-in bulletproof seasoning. It's hard as hell, never flakes, and you can hit it with metal spatulas all day long. It's a joy to use because it's very well-behaved. I can't speak for the reliability of lard specifically, but we've got a winning combination here with grapeseed and Kent's techniques. I feel you're very right about the pan finish being extremely important because smooth-sanded surfaces have much less for the seasoning to key into. Controversial, sure, because cast iron discussions tend to be, but I have no issues whatsoever, ever, ever, with the reliability of my seasoning. Not one. I'm sticking with it because it works. As I've said before, absolutely bulletproof.
Love the video Kent.. finally someone with a video that did a close up and showed what the seasoning looks like as it's going.. the first time I did it I thought I messed something up or didn't use enough oil.. now that I've seasoned a few I know that's just normal
I couldn't get a decent seasoning in my new cast iron cookware until I did this. I had some oil from deep frying that I was going to replace. I filled the frying pan with the oil and heated it until just short of smoke. Let it cool and repeat when it cools off five or six times. It worked better than I expected by far.
Cowboy, your love and knowledge of cast iron has been so inspiring to me. My collection keeps growing and almost every time I get the chance, I'm looking in the cast iron section of the store. Recently, I found Lodge's Chef line of cast iron. The skillets have a more rounded corner where sides meet the bottom. Also, they seem lighter in weight. Also, the local antique mall usually has some cast iron pieces priced right. Thank you Kent. I am no longer afraid to cook in cast iron, and I am able to properly care for the old stuff that was handed down to me.
Cook in cast-iron, an NEVER be scared! Only way to get a seasoning. If you need soap, use it!
Kent watched your video and after I went and checked my iron. Glad to say everyone was good that's because I do exactly as you say to clean. Never use any metal utensils when cooking and always reseason after drying on the stove. I hope you gave Maj and beag a treat your pup's are so cute.
Nice and easy 👍
I remember finding your channel years ago while doing some restoration on a few old pieces of cast iron. Helped a lot. It's been awesome to see how far your channel's come since then. Wishing you continued success brother!
Thanks so much
@@CowboyKentRollins You're very welcome 👍
I like to reseason mine every 6 to 8 cooks to make sure the seasoning stays best as I can. In a few years, maybe 3 or 4 if it starts flaking or looking bad I like to put cast into a fire pot filled with hot, red coals and rake them around and on top of it and let it stay until the next day. It will remove all the seasoning, and I'll start over from scratch. Lately, since watching your methods, though I have found my cast stays right and perfect following your method. Cooking in oil every so often helps, too, and leaving clean oil in there for the rest of the day, then pouring the oil out and wiping it down, heating it up until it smokes a little, and wiping it around to make sure there's no pools of oil left. My wife hates dealing with cast but I LOVE my cast. And loving it the right way will keep it lasting for a lifetime, as you said. Some family member will get mine when I'm gone and I hope they get it in perfect shape and keep it that way. Take care, brother. Love your vids...especially the ones you cook GREAT food in.
Thank you. Brand new to using cast iron. I need all the advice I can get.
It's not really as complicated as it sounds. Think of it like this:
Everytime you use it, you're seasoning it more. Basically, it's like the grates on your bbq grill. The black stuff stays on, but you clean the big stuff off. Give it a good scrub with an old credit card or plastic/wood scraper to get the stuck-on stuff off and just rinse it with water. Everyone says not to use soap, but as long as you don't let it soak in soap, it will be fine. Just make sure that you get all of the soap out before the next step.
Here's what I do after each use. Start heating it over medium-high heat. Once it starts to get hot, using whatever oil you just used to cook with, wipe it with a cotton rag to form a thin coat. Once it starts to smoke, (I let it smoke for about 30 seconds) then pull it off and give it a quick wiping with the same rag to "even it out" (I just use the same oily rag, and store it on my bacon grease container in the oven. Just remember to take it out before you turn your oven on. Lol!) Then let it cool. Eventually, you will be able to see your reflection in the bottom of your pans.
It sounds complicated, but it only takes about 5 minutes or less, and then you just have to let it cool before putting it away. Mine never leaves the stove top because it gets used almost every day. Sometimes 2 or 3 times!
You can use this same process to season carbon steel woks as well.
Happy cast iron cooking!
P.S. (edit)
If you have one of those "clean freak" mothers or spouses, keep them as far away as possible! They will do everything they can to destroy your seasoning. Lol!
@@toddcunningham3213 No clean freaks in my house. Thank you for the great advice.
"It's not because you're a bad person..." That had me cracking up! Thanks for the amazing content!
Wish me luck I will try and rescue my neglected cast iron skillet. Thanks Kent I need all the tips I can get
Glad to help
I have a really old Isaac A. Sheppard pan that is my absolute favorite to cook in but boy does this need done. Thanks for the great video!
Thank you so much for this lesson in fixing the seasoning. I have a pan that is a family heirloom, over 100 years old, and I have to do this.
Stargazer was a good choice for this video, 'cause mine does love to flake on the sides...
Thank you so much salmon, for setting up the tips on how to take care of my cast iron cookware. But we all know that Shannon is the brains behind this operation. I think that's a given. So thank you so Shannon. To be honest the entire world wants to see more of beautiful cute your face in front of your camera
Good afternoon from Syracuse NY brother and everyone else thank you for sharing your adventures in cooking
Thanks Earl for always watching
I try not to miss your videos my friend
OH thanks, I'm still a bit new to cast iron cooking so this saves me a search should it begins to flake *hug*
Flaking or not this is a very good demonstration of tuning up/reseasoning a cast pan in general. Only thing I can add is try to do it in fall/winter when an oven going all day is appreciated.
Yeah, I wouldn't do this in July down here in the south.
Thanks. Exactly what i was wondering that even after removing rust how come my pan had iron finish instead of black, like everyone else. This explains so well. Great.
Love this cowboy's life lessons. Cheers from China💕💕💖🇨🇳🇺🇸🇨🇳🇺🇸🇨🇳🇺🇸
Another great video Kent! Our outdoor kitchen is being built next month...can't wait!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, for each seasoning of my cast iron pans. Thank you for the fourth seasoning too. I thought once was enough. John T.
Edit: Just finished 5 rounds over 2 days.. not sure if I wanna cook or hang ‘em up on the wall for display. 👍👍
Until now, I’ve yet to find a video that clearly states how this is a repeat process and shows the TRUE results after one round of seasoning. Most throw a coat of oil on for shine and take a thumbnail photo! This is the best tutorial. (Heading back in for round two)
Oh Man, Kent would beat me with a spoon, I started with a 4 inch right angle grinder and a knotted wire cup wheel, 6 or 7 seasonings and its still working great! Had a 50's aluminum gas stove griddle that lost its nonstick coating, with some careful work I was able to make it look just like a well seasoned cast iron slab and lasted another 12 years.
Great video once again, thank you. I do much of my seasoning a tad differently because I've been gifted with an old school education. I'm apt to render a bit of fat back or leaf lard in my iron on a wood stove in any and all of my iron ant given time of need and continue that through the year as best I can. Granted, July ain;t a good wood stove month so I have to hoof it a bit. As a side note, I don't get the winter dry skin plague when using my high end hog fat over most commercial oils for cooking. Y'all results may differ.
Best to you, Shan and the crew as always.
Thanks, Kent, for looking at my (over-seasoned) Wagner cast iron skillet at the El Segundo Yeti store. We love your cook book!
I like your cast iron videos, my mom cooked with them when I was young and made some great food, especially her fried potatoes. The only thing is that sometimes I get lazy or busy and forget to clean and re-season it right away. But thanks for all your lessons.
No need to clean nor re-season a cast iron pan right away. Do it when you have time, and if you have to re-season often, you are doing it wrong! Good seasoning lasts for generations.
Thank you, Kent. I’ve tried some similar methods, but this one worked perfectly for me. You are much appreciated.
This is a good, but I sure thought I saw you show put the skillet on the burner and when it starts to smoke pour in some oil and rub it in, turn off the heat and let it cool. That's what I started doing and it seems to be working well. I was oiling then put into the oven. Thanks for all the good meals and tips.
Thanks for the advice Brother Kent - useful and appreciated!
thanks for watching
I like that ball cap you're wearing there Kent. I need me one of them.
At yeti.com
Kent how did you know my skillet was flaking. Thank you for the tutorial ❤
You'll see some small black flakes coming off. I have this exact pan and it's a pain to get seasoning to stick to it.
I cook cast iron all the time. I have some from the 1850s and the are great. They have been past down there my family.
Lucky you! The older the better, same as people.
I have one skillet that is pretty much dedicated to cooking bacon. I leave the bacon grease in it after every batch, and eventually it gets to the point where I'm literally deep frying bacon in bacon fat, until it gets so full that I have to start over, at which point I strain the fat, store it in the fridge for other uses, clean out the skillet, and re-season with grapeseed oil in the oven just as you recommend.
Great video! To season or reseason cast iron, make cornbread. Then, make cornbread. Then, make cornbread twenty more times. Cornmeal and buttermilk are still pretty cheap. Don't clean between makings, but it will stick at first. After a bit of torn-up cornbread, you will get a gloss black pan.
Grandmaw got her seasoning from the repetition of fat and heat, not counting glazes of marvel oil.
Thank you sir for all the years of what you do from the kindness of your heart. You and Shan are genuine and I thank you. I have cast iron I cook with and I also have some old cast iron I picked up at yard sales that need a lot of TLC, rust and other stuff. You have motivated me to go back, I have a lot of your vids saved and restore them all because I enjoy cooking in them when I feel like cooking. God bless y'all and I think I will check out your cookbooks.
I know the concept is the same but it would be awesome to see this technique applied to a griddle, especially with so many cooking on griddle surfaces these days. Thanks Kent! 👍
Just buy a non-stick griddle.
My grandpa taught me this trick about 30 years ago. I can say from experience that it works
best thing to cook with
I got an old lodge Dutch oven that was flaky, pitted, and had what looked like roofing tar in it.
After a good scraping and sandblasting, and following Kent's instructions, it came back to life. I certainly can't fix the pits, but it's a wonderful pot to cook with now.
I also have a dish oven that's pretty well pitted... brown and orange. Not sure what they cooked in it. It was a freebie. I can't sand blast it, any other ideas? It's a mess and I've tried steel wool
@@darciemerriweather1206 for something in that state, sandblasting is ideal (in my opinion)
That said, very coarse steel wool is great. *IF* that's not aggressive enough, a cupped wire brush in a drill will work well, but that's also very aggressive.
@@darciemerriweather1206 If you really want to remove all the crud and start fresh, check out Kent's video on complete reseasoning using the oven's clean cycle.
I'd like to propose a challenge, Kent;
100 layers of oven-baked seasoning on a basic, un-refinished, brand new Lodge skillet.
It should only take about 2 months if doing 2 coats a day with some breaks in between.
You can do it, Cowboy!!! 😅
I love my cast iron cooking utensils. As always this is very good advice. Thank you for the well-described direction on how to repair flaking on cast iron. I have listened to your advice for a long time but this was new for me as to how to use the right lard or oil to properly season my cookware. God Bless you and Shannon and the dogs. Best Regards..
Well, you made me feel a bit better. I've been cooking for 37 years with a skillet that was my mother's and her mother's before her. It is about 70 years or so old, if not older. I don't ever remember my mother reseasoning it and I have never had to. It's always been so beautiful and performed so well, nice and smooth inside. Then about a couple months ago I noticed the seasoning started coming off and some even on the bottom of the pan surface. I thought I had somehow done something wrong. I still don't really know why after all this time it started coming off. It gets cleaned and oiled after every use like it always had. Is it possible that hubby forgetting it on the burner after cleaning could cause the seasoning to start popping off? (Thank goodness for my nose!) Anyway that's what led me here, glad I found your video. Hey from Mississippi!
You are the master! I learn so much from you....and I love your accent. So charming!
Thanks Kent! - This should also work for any flat top griddle (like a Blackstone, or Camp Chef). - Cheers!.
Happy Sunday to all. God bless you and Shannon. Thanks you you sharing your wonderful knowledge
The number of cast iron seasoning videos and tutorials out there that all have different information infuriate me. I never could understand why it didn't work for me and it's probably because I never put it in the oven more than once or twice. I'll have to try it again now.
God bless you and your family Kent!
Great job Kent and Shannon, always nice to see you reminding folks about the lint free cloths to season things with. Stay safe and keep up the good work and videos. Fred.
Thank you! I am preheating my oven right now and prepping my flakey pan!
Going to try this out. I have this exact pan and mine also has trouble with seasoning.
Great advice. I cook only in cast iron and cook everything in it. That said the finish takes a beating from time to time.
As always thank you for sharing. Wishing you folks the very best
How long do you “bake “ the skillet in the oven at 400 before you turn off the oven and let it cool in there?
Kent replied to the same question lower down....he says 1 hour
This is how I season mine. Cast iron in 200 F oven for thirty minutes. Remove. Wipe thin layer of oil. A lot of the commercial cast iron seasoning mixes used to use grapeseed but switched to soybean oil bases for higher smoke point temperatures. Wipe with lint free towel very thin coating of oil on both sides of cast iron. Put the cast iron back into the oven upside down and turn up to 400 degrees. Once oven is at 400 bake for an hour then turn the oven off. I do a minimum of three times when seasoning. When cooking you can just wash with soap and water and put on the stove and heat up to evaporate all remaining water. Then just use the lint free cloth and wipe a very thin layer of oil on the cooking surface only. Then turn off the heat and let it cook and you are done. No need to do both sides in maintain mode.
Just got 3 cheap cast iron pans at goodwill today. Not sure the brand because they are not marked, but I’m sure they are modern because they are rough as sandpaper and are not seasoned at all. Seasoning them now and I’m hoping it smooths out the cooking surface. I have a old BSR I love because it’s smooth as glass and seasoned really well.
Happy Lords day to you, Kent, and Shannon!
I’ve got some cast-iron that I need to clean up after I have my reverse shoulder replacement surgery, but I have wonderful videos to guide me. Thank y’all so much for that. May God bless.
Hope you heal fast and God bless you
Thanks Kent & Shan, I needed this for a couple of our pans. I'll be working on ours over the next few days.
Kent, I love your cooking videos! If I can offer a bit of advise... add one more step. After you oil the pan, put it in the oven between 250 and 300 for 15 or 20 minutes then pull it out and wipe it again. If you do this, you wont have any splotches after the final bake at high temp. Keep up the good work!
That sounds like something worth trying.
Thank you for your content and teaching moments
Thanks Papa Kent!! You are my go to for cast iron/BBQ anything!
Thanks Kent!
Thanks for another great video filled with such useful information. I have one pan that is 90% glossy and smooth. It has little raised points for the other 10%. What are those and how do I fix it?
It depends if you’re talking about the texture of the pan material, there might be one part of the pan that is smooth (for example, the base of the pan) and another part that is rough (such as the walls of the pan). If you mean inconsistency at a part of the pan you would expect to be smooth also, it might be burnt food material stuck there, so you should do a few cycles of Re seasoning like this video shows.
How you going Kent, good to see you!
I’m good
That was so easy to learn and see. I appreciate the lesson on the flaky skillet to get it back looking good. 🤠
That… was awesome! Thanks for sharing Kent!!
Love seeing you using that Stargazer!!!