Is it absolutely necessary to season a carbon steel pan?
I am buying my first carbon steel pan and am new to the whole "seasoning" process for pans. I realize that pans by default stick, and you need to "season" them, however can't you just use oil? Is it absolutely necessary for me to season my carbon steel pan or can I just use oil?
Best Answer
I would never leave it unseasoned.
Carbon steel rusts. If you just cook with sufficient oil, and let it cool down with the oil still inside, and then clean gently (preferably without any soap), the inner bottom will indeed session itself with time, as tfd mentioned. But the rest of the pan will be exposed to the air and will create a layer of rust. If you don't use it frequently enough, or if you prepare acidic food in it before it has gathered some seasoning (and most vegetables are acidic), you will get rust on the bottom too, before seasoning has had time to build up on its own.
Ingesting rust is not an immediate health risk, but it is better to avoid it. Our bodies weren't designed for it, and you might end up with too much iron in your diet. It is also porous, so the pan would be hard to clean well. And it looks really shabby to have a rusty pan in the kitchen.
And if this is your first "normal" pan after years of non stick, you might be amazed at the amount of oil needed to prevent food from sticking. It looks terrifying to our modern "fat is bad" eyes. And you still have to be careful, despite the oil. With time, you will learn to cook the right way, but having it seasoned first certainly helps.
There is no law requiring you to season, but to me, the above reasons are enough to always season.
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Quick Answer about "Is it absolutely necessary to season a carbon steel pan?"
Just like cast iron, carbon steel needs to be seasoned—this is the process that polymerizes fats heated in the pan and bonds them to the cooking surface, forming a coating that protects against rust and helps food release more easily. The good news is that seasoning carbon steel is quick and easy.Can I use carbon steel pan without seasoning?
There are a couple of reasons to season a carbon steel pan (the same reasons and techniques apply to cast iron). First, bare carbon steel will rust if exposed to moisture and humidity; seasoning acts as a barrier to water, preventing the pan from rusting on a humid day.Can you cook with unseasoned carbon steel?
Most carbon-steel pans will arrive from the manufacturer with a waxy coating that should be removed prior to cooking. This is because carbon steel, without the protection of a proper seasoning, will rust. The coating protects the new, unseasoned pans from rusting while in transit.Do you need to season bottom of carbon steel?
Before cooking with your new carbon steel pan, you'll need to apply a base layer of seasoning. This will be the beginning of the pan's natural nonstick coating, and it'll help protect the pan from trapping moisture, which can cause rust.What happens if you dont season pan?
You don't understand seasoningSeasoning makes your skillet release food easily, clean up quickly and remain stain- and rust-free. Some cast-iron skillets, including those made by Lodge, come pre-seasoned. You'll notice they have a smooth, non-greasy, softly lacquered surface.an EASY guide to SEASONING CARBON STEEL pans (2 METHODS)
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Answer 2
No it is not absolutely necessary
By just using oil and cooking with it, you will over time "Season" the pan. It's just not a great way of doing it
You will get better results following the basic steps documented on SA or elsewhere e.g. What's the best way to season a cast iron skillet?
Basically all you need to do is; clean the pan, oil it, heat it to a high heat. That's not too tricky, is it?
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