Many housewives wonder how to heat cast iron frying pan at home. This must be done before using it for the first time. Well, at least the manufacturers say this must be done. This must be done in order to clean the frying pan so that later you can bake pancakes, pancakes, etc. on it. Of course there may be reasons for this a large number of. In this article we will tell you how to carry out this process correctly so as not to damage the item or harm yourself.
Cast iron is considered very quality material and ideal for heat treatment food products. With all that, it has pores that are constantly clogged, and baking or frying in such a frying pan becomes not so a pleasant procedure. In addition, all food prepared in such a container acquires various unpleasant tastes. To avoid such problems, you need to periodically clean, or rather heat, the frying pan. During this procedure, all old oil or fat, as well as food residues, are burned, after which the dishes become suitable for preparing tasty and healthy food.
Why do you heat a frying pan?
The pan needs to be heated:
- After purchasing in a store. Sometimes new dishes may have stains from factory grease. Therefore, the pan must be heated in order to eliminate them.
- To cleanse. With prolonged use, carbon deposits from burnt oil and fat begin to form on the cast iron surface. It is very harmful to the human body and is not suitable for use in food. When calcined, the soot disappears.
- For cooking pancakes. Even our great-grandmothers used only heated pans to bake pancakes and pancakes. When heated, the pan becomes clean and suitable for cooking delicious food.
Thus, only you know why you need to heat a cast iron frying pan, but we will advise you on how to do it correctly. There are only 3 methods to accomplish the task.
Method 1: using table salt
This is the most popular method among housewives, as it is the simplest. It doesn't require any effort. You just need to first prepare the cast iron pan for baking. To do this you need:
- Wash well with detergents. Rinse thoroughly to remove foam. Wipe dry.
- Afterwards, carefully check that there are no remains of dried food or traces of burnt oil on the surface.
After all these manipulations, you can begin calcination. Pour 1 cm of salt onto the bottom of the pan. It is better to take a large one for these purposes, but if there is none, then any kind available, but without additives and not iodized.
Place a frying pan with salt on a hot stove. The entire calcination process lasts 20 minutes. If during this time it appears bad smell, don't worry too much, it's normal. When the process is completed, the salt can be thrown into the trash bin; it is no longer suitable.
But that is not all. You need to pour a little refined sunflower oil into the bottom of the already heated frying pan and put it back on the fire for 20 minutes. If there is no oil, then you can take lard. After 1/3 hour, drain the oil or fat, rinse under running water, wipe dry and then the dishes can be used.
You may ask, why salt? So, it is considered an absorbent by nature, which is why it absorbs all the nastiness from the bottom of the pan and makes it absolutely clean.
Method 2: using sunflower oil
This technique is much more extreme and dangerous than the first. Here you need to be extremely careful and attentive, because if you don’t keep an eye on the oil, it will flare up. But there is also an advantage of this method, it is fast and the effect is better. So let's begin.
First, clean, wash and wipe the pan dry so that no droplets of water remain. Pour sunflower oil into it (more). For such purposes, it is better to use refined oil, because it does not emit a smell (if the smell does not bother you, you can also use unrefined oil).
Next, place the frying pan on the stove, heat it and keep it for 30 minutes. Then we rinse the dishes under the tap. And then you can use it to cook delicious and healthy food.
Method 3: in the oven
This method is perfect for those people who are constantly busy and who do not have much desire to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and cleaning dishes. This method is less effective than the first and second. Let's start by preparing the pan for baking:
- You need to wash it with detergent under a tap with running water;
- Wipe dry;
- Take a clean cloth and lightly soak it in sunflower oil;
- Gently lubricate it with this cloth;
- You need to preheat the oven to 180 o C in advance.
Now everything is ready for the main process. Place the pan in the oven upside down. And leave it there for 1 hour. After this time, turn off the oven and wait until it cools down completely. This method can be called “lazy”, since less time is spent on it than on the first and second.
No matter how you heat the frying pan, remember: It is imperative to follow safety precautions and be extremely careful.
- Sunflower oil is a flammable substance, and if you do not take care of it, it will catch fire.
- You need to pour out the oil or used salt after it has cooled completely.
Which method should I use?
We will not insist or impose any of the above methods for calcining a frying pan; this should be the choice of the housewife. Only she knows which method is convenient for her and what she wants to get in the end.
A few secrets
- Sunflower oil for a cast iron frying pan is not only a non-stick substance, but also a kind of lubricant. If you heat the frying pan with this liquid from time to time, after some time nothing will stop burning on it.
- After calcination, the dishes can be rinsed under running cold water.
- If you have cookware made of real cast iron, then calcination for such a thing is simply necessary and a very useful procedure. This makes the pan much better. During calcination, the cast iron frying pan should not deform or crack; if this happens, you bought a fake (alloy).
- And, in the end, if your cast iron pan has a layer of enamel on it, there is no need to season it. In addition, these dishes can be washed in the dishwasher without any danger and food can be stored in it. And it is forbidden to store food in a simple cast-iron frying pan, or leave it with water or any other liquid, as this will lead to damage to the dishes.
Cook delicious and healthy food in a clean and well-seasoned frying pan! Bon appetit!
Video
A frying pan made of cast iron is an essential attribute of kitchen equipment. It is believed that food cooked in cast iron cookware is tastier and healthier. If you bought such utensils, do not rush to fry potatoes or steak on it right away. First of all, you need to properly heat the cast iron frying pan.
Why is calcination necessary?
The bottom of a new cast iron skillet is coated with a thick protective layer of sealant. It is necessary in order to protect the surface from the development of corrosion and damage during transportation of the dishes. If the sealant is not removed, then chemical composition will get into food, which can cause poisoning. In addition, if you cook directly on protective layer, then very soon the food will begin to stick to the bottom, which will lead to the formation of a dense burnt layer. And it is extremely difficult to remove it from cast iron. In addition, if you leave the sealant, the frying pan will stop performing its direct functions much sooner than the manufacturer promises. The fact is that due to the sealant it will heat up unevenly. In other words, you need to heat a cast-iron frying pan before the first use in order to clean the bottom of the pan from harmful factory chemical film and protect it from quick damage.
Popular methods
Before you start calcining, you need to wash the pan thoroughly. Make a soapy solution using non-abrasive detergent and warm water, soak a soft sponge in it and wash the entire frying pan. Then rinse the dishes under running water to remove any remaining foam. Wipe it dry with paper towels or napkins and let it stand for a while in a well-ventilated area so that not a drop of moisture remains on the surface. After this, you can safely begin the calcination procedure. There are several ways to do this. Choose the one that seems most convenient to you.
To calcinate a cast iron frying pan using the first method, you only need an oven. Preheat the oven to +200˚C and place the dishes inside, keep the frying pan in it for 3 hours. After this, turn off the heat and leave the kitchen utensils in the oven until they cool completely.
The second method is less time consuming than the first. Fill the bottom of the pan with table salt. Place the pan over high heat. While stirring the salt, keep the pan on the stove for 5-10 minutes, no more. Then turn off the heat, pour in the salt and leave the dishes to cool at room temperature. After this, wash the pan thoroughly with water without using detergent.
For the third method of calcining cast iron cookware, you will need an oven and any vegetable oil(sunflower, olive or corn). Set the oven temperature to +200 °C and place the frying pan in it. When the pan is hot enough, remove it and generously grease the bottom with oil. Use a pastry brush and oven mitts to avoid burning your hands. Return the pan to the oven, but this time place it upside down. Wait for the oil to burn out and turn off the heat. Do not remove the cookware until it has completely cooled down.
You can also heat a cast iron frying pan using the following method, which successfully combines the best of the previous methods. If possible, remove plastic parts from the product. Wash and dry the dishes. Heat it over high heat on the stove until the pan is smoking. When the smoke clears, rinse the utensils cold water. Don’t worry, high-quality cast iron will not suffer from such sudden temperature changes. Then put the frying pan back on the heat and pour a thick layer of salt into it. After stirring the salt for 10 minutes, remove it, wash the dishes and dry over the fire. Pour a little oil and spread it well over the warm bottom. Turn the pan over and leave it to dry naturally for 3-4 hours.
In order for the calcination of cast iron cookware to be successful, and for the cookware itself to serve you faithfully for many years, listen to the recommendations of experts.
- Remember that when calcining, thick smoke will form in the room where you do it. Open all the windows wide and, just in case, warn your neighbors not to call the fire department.
- When washing cast iron cookware, choose gentle detergents labeled “eco”. Aggressive cleaning gels and powders can clog into the pores of cast iron, and this will certainly affect the taste of the cooked food.
- Wash your cast iron frying pan regularly and prevent carbon deposits from appearing on it.
Knowing how to properly heat a cast iron frying pan, you will protect yourself and your loved ones from accidental food poisoning and significantly extend the life of your cookware. Do not neglect this procedure, even if it takes a little time.
If you decide to purchase cast iron cookware, know that before you start cooking in it, you need to carry out initial processing of the product.
Cast iron pans,braziers, cauldrons(cauldrons) and frying pans at the enterprise undergo mandatory factory preparation - that is, a safe oil film (which protects the products from burning) or machine oil is applied to the products.
Therefore, before using cast iron cookware for the first time, you must:
Clean the cast iron product with salt to remove dirt and various impurities.
Then you need to create on the surface of the product non-stick coating from vegetable oil (which under the influence high temperatures polymerizes, turning into film).
For this we need:
Paralon sponges (2 pieces);
Refined (important!) vegetable oil (ideal olive oil for frying without smell);
Coarse rock salt (a lot);
paper towels
There are two methods for preparing cast iron cookware for first use. We'll tell you more about them - all you have to do is choose the one you like best.
Before first use, we recommend that you first wash your cast iron cookware under hot water using a sponge or brush (non-metallic) without using any detergents. You can use regular or laundry soap.
Then you need to wipe the product dry and heat it.
Method1 .
The process of calcining cast iron cookware consists of two stages.
Stage first . The method of calcining cast iron cookware using kitchen salt - we clean the product from foreign impurities and grease.
It is necessary to pour salt into a cast iron pan so that it completely covers the bottom in a thick layer.
The burner must be turned on at a sufficiently high power.
Be sure to open the windows or turn on the hood.
It is necessary to heat the dishes for about 30 minutes, stirring the salt thoroughly.
After some time, the salt may darken - this is normal, as this means that it has begun to absorb factory grease and other impurities. The salt must be poured out and the product must cool down.
After this, the cast iron cookware must be washed under running hot water and then dried.
Stage two. The method of calcining cast iron cookware using vegetable oil creates a kind of non-stick coating.
After the first stage, pour vegetable oil into the cooled dry cast iron product and begin the calcination process for 20 minutes. For this procedure we use the average power of the burner.
Let the dishes cool - the cast iron product is ready for use!
Method 2 .
We unscrew the handles of the frying pans and stewpans so that they do not interfere.
Turn on the oven - let it warm up to 180 degrees Celsius.
A washed and dry cast iron product must be calcined over a fire in order to get rid of the factory coating:
We place the cast iron product on a large burner - the fire should be slightly below maximum. When the bluish smoke that appears disappears after a while, it means the fire can be turned off.
You will notice how the black color of the cast iron product begins to change to grey colour, which is more natural for cast iron cookware. Our preparation ensures that the coating becomes stronger and acquires a beautiful black color.
A hot cast iron product must be rinsed with plenty of cold water.
Cast iron is not afraid of temperature changes. During the production process, cast iron cookware is exposed to repeated exposure to high temperatures, so it is not subject to hardening.
If, after your actions, the cast iron product is deformed or a crack appears on it, it means that it is low quality cookware that should simply be thrown away.
To dry quickly, place the product on the fire. Then pour in kitchen salt and begin calcination - we have already described this process in the previous Method No. 1.
After the calcination process is completed, throw away the salt and rinse the cast iron product again with cold water.
After this, place the cast iron dishes on the prepared paper towels and dry them well.
Place the cast iron product on the fire for a few minutes, just a little, to dry completely.
After this, you will be able to see all the small imperfections on the dishes. This is normal - don't be alarmed.
And now that the dishes have been cleaned from production processing, we begin the process of soaking them in vegetable oil:
Lubricate each part of the product thoroughly with a sponge. The oil will be absorbed, disappearing right before your eyes.
Why are we doing this? Then, when the vegetable oil fills the imperfect rough surface of the cast iron product, under the influence of high temperatures it turns into a natural, shiny, perfectly smooth non-stick coating! So the game is worth the candle!)
The dishes, greased with vegetable oil, must be placed on a paper towel. Remove any spills with a new paper towel.
Dishes upside down bottom up(so that droplets of oil can drain!) place in a preheated oven to 180 degrees.
It is better to put film or foil on the bottom of the oven so that they can be easily removed if a few drops of oil do drain from the walls of the product.
Leave the cast iron cookware in the oven for three hours (the longer the better).
During this time, the vegetable oil will dry and turn into a durable film - a strong, durable, smooth non-stick coating. EIf you wish, you can repeat the oil impregnation and firing procedure again (but this is not necessary).
Now your cast iron cookware is ready for use!
As a result, you get cast iron cookware with a beautiful black color - this depends on the firing time and the quality of the oil.
The cookware may be yellowish, but this will go away after cooking in such a cookware several times.
N Our instructions on preparing cast iron cookware for use will help you enjoy cooking in cast iron frying pans and cauldrons.
As a result:
Nothing in cast iron cookware will not burn and stick (if, of course, you follow the rules for caring for cast iron products!);
Treated cast iron skillets, cauldrons and Dutch ovens will not become covered with rust;
Cast iron cookware will last you a long time!
Tips for caring for cast iron cookware:
Many modern women They believe that they should occupy one of the most important places in the kitchen of every housewife. There is no need to rush to abandon your grandmother's legacy. After all, cast iron frying pans are the safest in the kitchen for preparing a huge variety of dishes.
On such surfaces you can prepare perfectly smooth and thin pancakes, as well as meat, the crispy crust of which will arouse great appetite even before you taste it.
If you treat your cast iron frying pan with care and properly care for it, it will become an indispensable item in the kitchen for many years. To avoid disappointment while cooking, you need to prepare the surface of the pan for frying. To do this, they use a technique called calcination. There are many recommendations for calcining pans, either using only vegetable oil or adding salt.
Why heat a frying pan with salt?
This type frying utensils were popular both many years ago and today due to the material from which they are made. Cast iron is a porous metal. We don’t visually notice the pores on the surface of the product, but there is a huge chance that particles of food can get into them, forming unpleasant odors. As a result, food will begin to stick to the dishes and rust will appear. To solve this problem as quickly as possible, you need to heat a cast iron frying pan with salt. Also, quite often, manufacturers lubricate their products with machine oil, which needs to be disposed of. The point of your work is to clog all the pores formed during the heating of cast iron, artificially forming a non-stick layer.
How to properly season a cast iron frying pan with salt?
To start new frying pan Wash well with a sponge and a small amount of detergent. Don't forget that this is the only time it can be used. After you have washed the dishes, you need to dry them well and cover the bottom with a 1 cm layer of salt. The frying pan must be heated to low heat. big fire, stirring the salt occasionally until it turns brown in color. This process will take you about half an hour, then you need to throw away the salt and wash the dishware warm water and wipe well.
The next step is to heat the pan with sunflower oil for 20 minutes. This procedure is repeated twice with changing contents. After the pan has cooled, you can safely fry pancakes and cook meat on the treated surface.
It takes a little effort to heat the salt in a frying pan, but the results will surprise you. Food will not burn, and cleaning the surface will become much easier. Do not forget that when damp, such dishes are prone to rust, so you should make sure that there is no liquid left in them. In any case, after washing the frying pan, dry it and wipe it with oil. 
How to properly heat a cast iron frying pan in the oven?
Many newly purchased products are baked in the oven before first use. To do this, just wipe the surface of the pan with vegetable oil and, after tipping it over, put it in the oven. Calcination time is one hour at a temperature of 180°C. Then the frying pan is pulled out, left to cool and rubbed again with vegetable oil.
Now that you know how to heat a cast iron frying pan, it will forever become your good friend and assistant in the kitchen.
If you bought a cast-iron frying pan from the store, then to fully use it you should definitely heat it at home. The purposes for calcination can be different: to prevent food from burning, as required from the instructions from the manufacturers, for thorough cleaning, and others. This procedure should be approached seriously, observing all the rules and sequence of the calcination technology, so as not to harm yourself and others.
A frying pan made from real cast iron is a very high-quality product, ideal for heat treatment of food. A special feature of this material is the presence of pores, which, as the product is used, become clogged with food and oil. Subsequently, such clogging results in burning and sticking of food, which has a bad effect on the taste of the food and on the psychological background of a person, since cooking in such a frying pan becomes an unpleasant and exhausting procedure.
Thanks to calcination, the cast iron frying pan again acquires positive traits and properties. When the pan is heated, burnt oil and food particles that have clogged deep into the pores burn out. Therefore, this procedure should be carried out at least once every six months, and if this is your favorite frying pan, then it should be calcined once every 3 months.
In what cases should it be calcined?
There are several cases when you should season a cast iron skillet.
- New frying pan. “Industrial plaque” remains on its surface, a lubricant that adversely affects your health if eaten. At first glance, it is not visible, but after calcining the pan, you can cook calmly, since it is irrevocably removed.
- An old cast iron frying pan with carbon deposits. Nagar - accumulated for a long time burnt fat and oil, which is harmful to humans. Thoroughly calcining the pan will help get rid of this disease.
- For making pancakes and pancakes. Our grandparents knew this method of cleaning a cast iron frying pan. After calcination, pancakes and pancakes do not burn, but easily come off the surface.
Methods
Today, there are 3 main methods of calcining a cast-iron frying pan that are known and have been tested in practice and time.
Salt.
- Wash the pan thoroughly with dish soap.
- Rinse and wipe dry.
- View all work surface frying pans for the presence of dried food residues or burnt foods. If found, remove them.
- Pour salt into the pan, 1 centimeter thick. Salt grain size of great importance does not have. The main thing that salt was without additives and iodine content.
- Heat the frying pan with salt at maximum temperature for 15-20 minutes. There may be an unpleasant odor.
- After the salt has finished roasting, throw it away. It is no longer suitable for food.
- Pour sunflower oil into the pan until it covers the bottom. Leave on high heat for 20-25 minutes. It is also possible to use lard, fat, if there is no vegetable oil.
- After the procedure, drain the oil, rinse the pan without using detergents, and wipe dry.
The use of salt in this method of calcination is explained by the fact that salt is a natural absorbent; it absorbs all harmful residues from the surface of the frying pan, so salt after the procedure is not suitable for food.
A large amount of refined vegetable oil.
This calcination technology is more dangerous than the first. Be extremely careful and attentive and follow the directions. Negligence and inattention can cause a fire (since hot oil can burst into flames if not taken care of and cause harm to health).
- Wash the cast iron frying pan thoroughly to remove food residues with detergent.
- Wipe dry (there should not be a single drop of water, otherwise, together with the vegetable oil, the latter will start to “shoot”).
- Fill the pan maximum number oils
- Place on the stove, heat on average speed 30-35 minutes, making sure that the oil does not begin to boil intensely.
- After calcination is complete, drain the used oil and rinse the pan under running water.
- Wipe the working surface of the pan dry. You can cook.
Oven.
This method is suitable for people who do not have time to carry out all the actions described in the first two methods. But, unfortunately, he does not give this high results like other methods. Heating in the oven is only suitable for frying pans that do not have a wooden or plastic handle.
- Wash the pan thoroughly with dish soap.
- Wipe the work surface dry.
- Soak cotton fabric with a small amount of sunflower oil.
- Coat a cast iron frying pan well with a cloth soaked in it.
- Place the greased frying pan bottom up into a preheated oven (180-200 degrees). Heat it for an hour.
- After an hour, turn off the oven. Leave the pan there until it cools completely.
This method takes much longer, but there is much less hassle than in the first two methods of calcining a cast-iron frying pan.
Basic Rules
Even if calcining a vessel does not seem like a complicated procedure to you, you should still carefully study and adhere to the simplest but most important rules.
- Oil is a highly flammable substance! Be careful when heating it.
- Salt for calcination, it is advisable to use medium or coarse grinding. Salt must be without any additional substances.
- Used oil and salt should only be disposed of when the substances have cooled completely. Firstly, the effect of such a procedure is enhanced, and secondly, it is much safer.
Features of the procedure
Cast iron is very interesting material, which has its own exclusive properties that not all metals can boast of.
- When using the technology of calcining a cast iron frying pan, the vegetable oil used is a “lubricant”. And if you periodically heat a frying pan with it, regardless of whether the surface condition of the pan requires it or not, then after a series of such procedures nothing will burn on it.
- After the calcination procedure, using any technology, the frying pan can only be rinsed with water, without using any detergents, then the substance remaining on the surface will “work” a little more without your participation.
- If the cast iron is real, without any admixtures of other metals, then calcination will not harm the frying pan in any way, but on the contrary, will only improve its quality each time.
- If the frying pan becomes deformed or cracks after baking, then you were sold low-quality products; you can safely return it to the store (while keeping the receipt for the goods).
- Important!!! If a cast iron frying pan is coated with enamel, then it must not be heated! The enamel layer may be damaged.
- It is not recommended to store liquid food (soups, broths, gravies) in cast iron products. This can be explained by the presence of pores in the metal. If there is liquid in the pores for a long time, they will rust, and the dishes will “deteriorate from the inside,” which can no longer be corrected.
- Never use abrasive substances that contain chlorine to clean a cast iron frying pan!
With proper and careful use of cast iron cookware, it will last you for decades.