Hi everyone. I am new to this forum but find it and the article wonderful and love the discussion. I am 73 and have had a 12 inch cast iron skillit on my stove all my adult life. I also have a lot of other sizes and they are all like friends to me. Honestly, as far as seasoning, I always started by cleaning well and wiping down with whatever fat was available, probably shortening in those days, and put in the oven on a medium heat over night. I never really thought about it much, and knew it would season up more with use. It (they) did.
At first I used them on lower heat to gently increase the layers of seasoning, but I always use them the same way whether high heat or low heat. Heat up the pan then add the fat or not and then the item to be cooked. Hot pan, cold oil, then add food. Nothing will stick. Never heat up the fat/oil with the pan.
The pan almost never leaves the stove. When I am through cooking, while it is still hot, I quickly wipe out with some damp paper towels, and wipe with some oil. I use olive oil these days, but any thin layer will do. As it cools it is re-creating any season layer that might have been lost by cooking or wiping out with moisture. Occasionally I have to use a few tablespoons of water to soften something crusted on and use the square end of the pancake turner to scrape it up, then I rinse under the faucet and may even, sometimes, give a quick scrub with a scotchbrite side of the kitchen sponge, rinse, then back to the warm stove to wipe dry and add the thin swipe of oil, turn off the heat and let set. Dinner and served hot, and the skillet is clean and protected. It becomes part of the meal making standard practice.
I never leave it in the sink and if I do have to do a quick swipe with the sponge or scraper, I do it while holding on to the handle and just set the front edge in the sink to brace it. Same with dutch ovens etc. Most of the times it doesn't leave the stove and I don't really care how it looks to anyone else. That's where it stays. It gets used a lot, so if anyone wants food, they will go along with it. I have stuck it in the oven if I needed the burner for something else, but be sure to swipe it with oil when not using it.
I love the idea of using the self cleaning oven for cleaning off older, crusted iron pieces. Thanks to the creator of that idea.
Thanks to all contributors on this. I would never use chemically treated surfaces to cook on. Even the chemical companies have admitted that it is bad, yet they are permitted to make them. I get it, but I don't like it. Pass on the word and pass on how easy it is to use cast iron. Hopefully we will affect the health of the future generations.
