Once you make the decision to buy and use a cast iron pan, maintenance is very important.
Unlike Teflon coated non-stick frying pans, cast iron pans (at least skillets and griddles) need a high degree of tender loving care. However, once your pan has been used a few times, it will develop its own non-stick surface, and will last you much longer than a conventional frying pan or dutch oven/casserole dish.
However, before you get started with using the pan, you can do some artificial seasoning of it. The following steps outline this process, and the video on the right will show you a slightly different approach.
Seasoning your pan
Remove all packaging from your new cast iron pan
Wash the pan down in warm, detergent free water. Do not use any metal/wire wool on the man, just a sponge or brush is sufficient
Take a small knob of butter and rub it all over the inside of the pan
Heat up your oven as high as it will go
Place your pan upside down on a shelf, ensuring there is something to catch the drips from the butter
After several minutes, take out the pan, let it cool, and reapply the butter and repeat the process
Cleaning your pan
When you come to wash the pan, let it cool slightly before rinsing it under hot water and scrubbing with a sponge or brush. Do not use a metal scourer/wire wool, and make sure the pan is not straight off the ring or out of the oven before putting it under water (it could crack).
You can let the pan dry naturally, or pat it dry with a cloth or towel. Again, do not scrub it dry, as the seasoning will be lost.
Never put your pan in a dishwasher!
You will undo all of your hard work from seasoning the pan, and potentially ruin it forever (the salts from the dishwasher tablets do not play nicely with the iron pans).
Finally, one important thing to bear in mind with your cookware is that these pans really will last you a long, long time provided that you look after them. There is much to be said for modern, Teflon style non-stick pans, but if you truly want the feel of authentic cooking, then you should look no further than a well seasoned, good quality and reliable cast iron pan.
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