What's your oil?

You've cooked your meal, you've cleaned your cast iron, now it's time to place oil on your CI. What oil is in your arsenal?? And do you coat the external?

Always curious what others do, and why.

Thanks,

Joseph
 
Regular olive oil. I keep some on the counter in a repurposed balsamic vinegar bottle. I almost always wipe the inside, usually with the burner on to boil off any water the towel missed. I'll give the outside a quick wipe down if it looks like it could use one, which is rarely.
 
This is a real "loaded" question that I was confused about for years. Not to say my answer is correct but here is my experience...
when seasoning a cast iron skillet I use grapeseed oil at different tempts for at least 4 seasonings.....The first cooking is done with bacon. After that each use with the iron I let it sit till warm then use warm water to break up any hard crust left with cooking. Using a lodge scrapper to remove any particles works amazing well. Dry it quick with a paper towel and let it sit upside down on your stove medium high burner for a minute. Once hot I use lard to wipe a layer all over the pan than wipe it off with a paper towel and put it back on the stove up side down at a medium high temp till a light smoke appears. This has kept my user pans nice and black and ready for every day use for years.
 
..The first cooking is done with bacon. Once hot I use lard to wipe a layer all over the pan than wipe it off with a paper towel and put it back on the stove up side down at a medium high temp till a light smoke appears.

Got to love the bacon and lard. One in the same.
 
Cooking and wipe down after cooking both done with sunflower oil. Sometimes olive oil, and sometimes avocado oil. Mostly sunflower though.
 
I use olive oil on the cooking surface and if there is not enough on the towel to do the outside, I have used a shot of regular cooking spray.
 
I, a newb use crisco as the initial seasonings, and use olive oil in use.
More of a user than anything.
Happy to change from the crisco though.
 
I do what I suspect our ancestors did after cleaning and drying. Nothing. Think about it, their oils and fats were for cooking, not for making cast iron pretty.

Hilditch
 
When I was growing up, we cooked in a large cast iron frying pan. It wasn't washed every day, just wiped out. When it got really dirty, we washed it and dried it using paper towels. If I remember right, there was so much crud and so black, we could have left it soak and have it not rust. Never oiled it afterward either.
 
I've only been using CI regularly for around 6 months....so yeah, I'm a newby. But, I've found lard works great to lightly coat the skillets after they've been allowed to cool for a few minutes. I am a neat freak and want them cooking and looking proper, so I do this after every use. (My pans are all relatively newly re-seasoned). Bacon, bacon, bacon, and lard for new pieces!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
Food (?) for thought: My theory is that putting a coating of oil or lard on cast iron after it has been washed will soak into the seasoning and carbon thus making it softer and more susceptible to damage. Putting a coat on just before cooking is at the other end of the scale and will help build strong seasoning if you use the piece long and hot enough to burn off the impurities.

I never coat my pieces after washing. I only coat them before cooking if I’m trying to build seasoning, and then only on the inside.

Hilditch
 
So many opinions and probably all good. I am about to try Crisbee since it sounds interesting and I am working with some pieces of CI which needed to be cleaned.

Have used Crisco but it does smell up the house (and that leads to discord).

Found organic flax but it has organic rosemary extract and "Lignans" dietary supplement. It is going back to Trader Joe's.
 
So many opinions and probably all good. I am about to try Crisbee since it sounds interesting and I am working with some pieces of CI which needed to be cleaned.

Have used Crisco but it does smell up the house (and that leads to discord).

Found organic flax but it has organic rosemary extract and "Lignans" dietary supplement. It is going back to Trader Joe's.

Whatever oil you use to season try the directions on the site regarding the wiping with a cloth towel and the temps. It works very well.

All of use have fallen for more oil is better theory. Your cooking will help the seasoning process. Great luck to you and enjoy
 
Um, what oil.
Witch ever one I may have recently bought:) I do change up once in awhile but to start with to season I'll use Crisco or lard if I have it. After that I don't have a go too oil. A lot of time after cooking all I have to do Is wipe it out and in many cases I don't need any additional oil added. ( I think I might have add some of the skillets are fairly well season now) in the beginning it does seem to need to be fed I little oil after cooking.

What doesn't come out clean I'll hit with the spatula to shave smooth and when I wipe that out the residual oil on the paper towel takes care of the dry looking spot or two for lack of better words.

Steve,
 
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