Care for your steel
How to season your pan
In order to season your cookware you will need paper towels or dish towels and a high smoke point oil of your choice. Some examples of high smoke point oils are coconut, grape seed, avocado oil.
There are two preferred ways to season your carbon steel. First method is a thorough oven seasoning which takes about an hour. Or the stove top method which is a quick an easy way to get that non-stick layer.
Stove top seasoning instructions
Wash your pan
This is a great time to wash and scrub off any build up from cooking. Try to avoid using anything really abrasive like a steel scrubber but the back of the sponge will be fine. Also it is ok to use a little bit of soap at this stage if you would like, but we do not recommend using soap with daily use. After washing your pan make sure to dry it off with a dish towel.
Put your pan on the stove top
Turn on your burner to medium-high heat and place your dry washed pan on the burner. Here let it heat up until you start to see some browning occur on the surface of the steel. When the browning appears on the surface, move your pan around the burner with the intent of spreading the browning evenly. NOTE: You really want this pan to start smoking and you will noticeably see the bottom of the pan to start changing color to dark hues.
Apply the oil
Now that your pan has started to brown up, it is a good time to apply a thin layer of high smoke point cooking oil to the pan. Take your dish towel or paper towel with some oil on it and coat the entire pan with a thin even layer.
Smoke point
While the oil is being evenly applied to the pan, it will have started smoking. The smoking of the oil is what we want, that is the oil bonding to the steel surface. At this time turn down the burner to a lower heat to avoid excessive smoking from the pan. It may also be a good idea to have your kitchen fan running or to ventilate your kitchen. Let the pan continue to smoke and let the oil burn into the pan.
Cooling time
Take your pan off the hot burner and then let it sit to cool on the stove top. Try to avoid taking your hot pan and running it under water, it could potentially cause it to warp.
Oven seasoning instructions
Pre-heat oven
Turn on your oven and set it to 500-550 degrees.
Wash your pan
This is a great time to wash and scrub off any build up from cooking. Try to avoid using anything really abrasive like a steel scrubber but the back of the sponge will be fine. Also it is ok to use a little bit of soap at this stage if you would like, but we do not recommend using soap with daily use. After washing your pan make sure to dry it off with a dish towel.
Place pan in oven
Put your pan in the oven dry without any oil on it. Set a timer for 45 minutes to an hour (we prefer an hour).
Pull out your pan
After your pan has been baking for about an hour, take it out and promptly apply a thin layer of high smoke point oil evenly to the surface with your dish towel. Make sure to coat every surface of the pan including the handle, as this will also protect the pan from rust.
Let cool
Stick your cookware on your stove top or let it cool down in the oven after your have turned your oven off.
After purchasing a new pan we recommend seasoning after use the first 5 to 10 times depending on your cooking style to help build up a strong seasoning base.
Cook with oil or other healthy fats! Eggs will stick if there is nothing to grease the surface.
each pan seasons develops its own black/bronze patina, might even look splotchy at first! but with each season it will develop a more even look.
too much oil is a bad thing. it will build up and cause the seasoning to flake. take the time to wipe a thin even layer when applying the oil.
cook with some healthy fats when you first get your pan. that will help build up the seasoning.
preheating your pan before you cook will activate the non-stick seasoning, and help your food from sticking to the pan.
unless there is a lot of food build up, gently washing your pan with a dish towel or the soft side of the sponge is preferred to maintain your existing seasoning.
We do not recommend using steel wool to clean your cookware, it is very aggressive on the seasoning and usually will strip the pan down to bare metal.
thoughts on seasoning
The benefits of Carbon Steel
Carbon steel pans are not to dissimilar than their cast iron counterparts. The pans are made from iron, they are naturally non-stick, durable, and you can cook over any type of heat source. However, Carbon steel out preforms where cast iron pans have many limitations.
Due to the the nature of the steel that we work with, we are able to create a more ergonomic pan that is easier to handle around the stove top. The first thing you will notice picking up an Independent Ironware pan is that they are lighter than any cast iron skillet. Each pan features a long handle that is hand riveted to the cooking surface, this allows the handle to remain cool, even when cooking for long periods of time. The thinner material allows to the pan to heat up and cool down more efficiently; one of the features that lets your food cook with an even heat and allows the food to brown up nicely.
Each piece of cookware that we produce is pre-seasoned with a layer of organic coconut oil. This is the initial seasoning that lets the oil bond to the metal for the first time and keeps the pan protected until it gets to you. A good seasoning is essential to having a pan that is maintained and preforms well. This will allow the pan to have the desired non-stick surface where food will slide around with ease. Each seasoned pan develops its own unique black/bronze patina that ages and gets better with use and time.