Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron 5pc Set | $90 | Amazon
So you’ve decided to get into cast irons, and now there’s a $60 off 5pc bundle of Lodge cast irons that includes a 10.5" griddle, 10.25" skillet, 10.25" grill pan, and a 5qt dutch oven with cast iron cover before you, all pre-seasoned and ready to go. You want to buy it, but you’re scared you won’t know how to take care of it. Luckily, you’ve got the oldest member (age means I’m extra authoritative about cast iron) of Deals Team Six over at The Inventory to help you out with all the latest tips and tricks on cast iron maintenance!
Alright, first thing you’re going to want to do after you get your brand new cast irons is give them a good, long, soapy soak. Stick them in your bathtub and pour an entire bottle of dish detergent concentrate, so you can really scrub off—using a coarse steel wool, obviously—all the machine oil that they come with. They put that on at the factory, you know. Then you’re going to want to take them, still wet, and put them in a dark, cool place. After about a week, pull them out and look at them. Have they turned orange? That’s the seasoning coming to the surface—Lodge uses a mix of paprika and turmeric, with a touch of cayenne. Take your pan and cover it with vaseline, then cook no less than five tomatoes in it. The acid from the tomatoes will put microscopic grooves and divots in the pan so the flavors from your food will really soak into it. Now put the pan in the freezer—with the tomato leavings still on it—and remove it in another week. Now you’re ready to go! Just cook whatever you want in it, and every third cook, wash it by filling it with soapy water and boiling that until it’s gone, scraping periodically with a metal fork or chef’s knife to really shave off the upper layer of crust that will try to develop.
By the way, don’t do any of that, please. Just let Cowboy Kent Rollins tell you how to do it.