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Just read that a well-seasoned cast iron pan is actually non-stick because of polymerized oil, not the metal itself
I found this out in a footnote of a library book on kitchen chemistry. I always thought the smooth surface was the key, but it's the baked-on oil layer that does the work. Has anyone else had a moment where the science behind the seasoning clicked for them?
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the_julia1mo ago
Oh man, the "baked-on oil layer" thing blew my mind too. I spent years babying my grandma's old pan, scared to scrub it, thinking I'd ruin the metal. Then I watched a video where someone stripped one completely bare and re-seasoned it from scratch. Seeing that shiny black coat build up from just oil and heat was a total lightbulb moment. It finally made sense why a little stuck-on food isn't the end of the world.
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My first cast iron pan looked like a science fair volcano project for a solid month. I was convinced I'd broken cooking.
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