Seasoning - Right or Wrong?

[TheAlfheim]

Hi All,

I recently bought a de Buyer carbone plus steel pan. This is my first pan that requires seasoning. Ive followed the instructions and cooked a few things in it. Its developed a black circle in the middle of the pan. Is this part of seasoning? Or is this something which should be scrubbed off?

Photo:
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9669/frypan2.jpg

Thanks!

 

[binny]

Never scrub seasoned pans it'll remove the coating that was on it. Just use a sponge and wipe it off.

Black circle is normal its like using a wok and burning it so it gets black in the centre

 

[TheAlfheim]

Hi Binny,

Thanks for the feedback. I was a little concerned that there's just this black spot in the middle - I would've thought it would season more evenly (or, I could season it more evenly).

Ive since taken a better quality photo:
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1281/img59752small.jpg

If anyone else can chime in, I'd appreciate it

Thanks!

 

[Joshatdot]

Seasoning: preparing your frying pan
Clean the frying pan with very hot water and wipe it. Pour one centimeter of oil in the pan and heat it for 5 minutes. Next, thrown away the oil and wipe your pan with paper towels.

The more the pan is used, the better the performance. The darker it becomes the better it is for natural nonstick properties.

To me sounds a bit confusing on what the one centimeter of oil means. do you pour on 1 cm thick of oil in the whole pan .. or just a 1cm dot?

I know from seasoning CI pans you give it a through thin coat of shortening all over. Maybe with this pan you just use a 1cm dot and spread that all around the inside of the pan.

 

[GB]

1cm means 1cm thick, not just a little dot.

 

[Andy M.]

GB's right. The seasoning will only happen where the oil is. It's the oil that changes chemical composition and creates that black layer that becomes non-stick properties. So just do it again.

 

[TheAlfheim]

Hi...

When I seasoned the pan, I ensured it had a full coat on the base with vegetable oil. Could it be that I had the heat on my electric cook-top on high, so it created a hot-spot in the middle?

So just do it again.

Do I need to scrub back the pan? Or just put 1cm of oil in and heat it up?

Thanks!

 

[Andy M.]

I'd start with just adding more oil. The spot in the center of the pan doesn't look as though it's thick enough to be noticeable. Use a burner that's as big as or bigger than the pan bottom and let it get fully hot before putting the pan on it.. After reseasoning if there is still a problem, go down to shiny metal and start over.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If your pan has an oven safe handle, you can effectively season it by rubbing all over with a thin coating of shortening. place a cookie sheet under you pan to catch any drips. Now, place the pan into a 350 degree F. oven for a half hour or so. Turn off the oven and let everything cool. Remove the pan and rub s thin layer of oil onto the cooking surface and inner sides. Your pan should be ready to go.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[TheAlfheim]

Hi All,

Ive enjoyed the use of my pan, but I wonder if in my learning curve, have I killed the pan? Is there a way to bring this pan back to usefulness?

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9236/photo1wf.jpg

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[Dawgluver]

Hi All,

Ive enjoyed the use of my pan, but I wonder if in my learning curve, have I killed the pan? Is there a way to bring this pan back to usefulness?

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9236/photo1wf.jpg

Thanks,
Andrew

What kind of pan is it? If it's nonstick or teflon, it's trash. If it's SS, I've had success boiling a mix of baking soda and vinegar. Elbow grease and Barkeeper's Friend might help too.

 

[Somebunny]

Looks like it could be anodized steel. I think it could be scoured if it is.

 

[TheAlfheim]

Hi all...

The pan is a de Buyer carbon steel pan.

-Andrew

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Looks like it could be anodized steel. I think it could be scoured if it is.

Aluminum is anodized, on the outside only. Steel is galvanized. Both processes make it impossible to cook on those surfaces. Both are used to make the base metal (aluminum or steel), more resistant to corrosion. The anodizing process also hardens aluminum, making it more resistant to dings and scratches. The inside surface of anodized aluminum pans are either left as plain aluminum, or have a non-stick coating applied to them.

The carbon steel pan used by The Alfheim, should be seasoned as a cast-iron pan is seasoned. edible oil or grease of some kind is rubbed all over the pan. Heat is then applied to polymerize the fat, and create a durable, nearly stick free coating that protects the base metal (steel) from corrosion. It also makes a wonderful cooking surface as the patina (that's the baked on fat), becomes stronger and more stick-free as the pan is continuously used.

Though it doesn't seem so to the naked eye, or to the touch, both cast iron and steel are porous metals. When exposed to heat, and food, that porosity causes the food to stick to the metal like crazy. When the fat bakes in (seasons the metal), the pores are filled and the metal coated. This enables the food to slide on the slippery layer of polymerized fat that coats the metal. It also seals the metal from salt, water, and most importantly, oxygen. So the pan doesn't rust, and food doesn't stick.

Sounds like a good plan to me.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North