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I have about a dozen pans, they're all I use. People get bent out of shape over this. Put the pan in the sink after use and run hot, hot water over it until no more oil sheen comes off on the water. Use a non-soapy scrubber to remove any grit or rough patches. A small amount of detergent can be scrubbed around the pan to remove fish oil or particularly heavy or burnt oil. Then, rinse it out again with lots of hot water.<br />

The idea is to get a slick, burnt-oil sort of surface on the bottom and sides of the pan so that it acts as a non-stick covering. This is a very, very hard formation of oil that isn't going to be ruined by a bit of soaking or soap. If your 'seasoning' comes off with a dunk in the kitchen sink, then you're doing it wrong. Here's how to do it right:<br />

*The pan must be completely cleaned of oil. Self clean cycle in the oven, or put it in the coals of the BBQ pit, or leave it in the oven at 500 degrees for a few hours. Anything in the oven will result in the whole house filling with acrid smoke.
*Scour with a wire brush and steel wool.
*Wash all particles away. DRY IMMEDIATELY or it will rust right away and you'll have to scour and wash again.
*Now you have a pan like it came from the foundry. Coat all over with vegetable oil, and put in the oven at 350 upside down. Put a cookie sheet on the next rack down to catch the oil that drips off. Let it cook for several hours. The first couple of hours will produce some smoke.
*After it cools you'll see that the whole pan is covered in a rubbery coating. Don't rub this off! It isn't much harder than an eraser.
*Coat with oil again, put in the oven.
*This is repeated until the pan has a nice blackish hard surface all over.
*Now put a thin layer of standing oil in the bottom of the pan - an eighth of an inch or so. Put the pan into a 350 degree oven again. This part created a thicker coating on the working surface of the pan. Make sure that the pan is sitting level! Otherwise the oil will pool and harden on just one side.
*As long as you're not cooking over 425 degrees, you can just leave pans to season on the bottom rack of your oven for month or so. The first layer of oil has to be examined to make sure that there aren't any bare metal spots left. If so, just wipe with an oily paper towel and put back in the oven.
*Lastly, the first couple of things you cook in the pan are important. I like to use some old potatoes and onions. They will pick up any oiliness or bits of char that may be on the surface. *Nicely brown a couple of batches of potatoes and onions, then throw them out!

I've got cast iron pans from about 4" across to over two feet. They're all I use.<br />


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