Cast Iron Skillet Seasoning

A well-seasoned cast iron skillet improves the more you use it. That's the opposite of how most products work. The seasoning is a layer of polymerized oil bonded to the iron at high heat, creating a naturally nonstick surface that builds up over months and years. A new skillet is rough and gray, and everything sticks to it. After maybe 30 or 40 uses, the surface turns glossy black and eggs slide around like they would on Teflon. Teflon degrades and flakes off after a few years. Cast iron seasoning keeps getting better. I bought a 12-inch skillet at a hardware store for $25. The weight surprised me, nearly 8 pounds empty, but that mass is what holds heat so evenly. You have to dry it immediately after washing and rub a thin coat of oil on it, which takes about 30 seconds. I find the maintenance ritual satisfying unlike loading a dishwasher is.