Ensure all sides of the griddle have been scrubbed down before rinsing and drying. You might need to repeat this step if your pan has recently been used or has been gathering dust for a while.
Your pan must be completely dry before beginning! Even the tiniest bit of water can cause your cast iron griddle to rust, and we need to avoid this at all costs.
Once dry, preheat the oven or cooktop to the desired heath. Roughly 400 degrees Fahrenheit should suffix ed, but more on that later!
If you have any water left in the griddle, placing it over a medium heat burner will evaporate off, allowing you to place the oil rub on to season your pan! Ensure the pan is cool when you do this to avoid burning yourself!
Take a small drop of oil and rub it on your pan using a paper towel. You need to coat the entire pan with a thin layer of oil, including the sides, bottom, handle, and top.
Avoid any excess oil and wipe this away! Too much oil can leave you with a sticky pan at the end, not what you want when you are cooking food!
Once the oil is on and the excess wiped away, your pan should look nearly dry. Now it's time to place your cast iron griddle upside down on the middle rack of your oven.
Ensure your oven is set to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and, ideally, has been preheated. It's best to place a baking tray or a sheet of foil on the bottom oven rack to catch any oil drips from the pan.
Providing you have only applied a thin layer of oil, you shouldn't notice too many drips.
Bake the cast iron griddle in the oven for one hour. Once the hour has passed, turn the oven off and allow it to cool with the door closed.
This can take a while, and it's best to leave the pan in the oven to avoid burning yourself. Once the pan has completely cooled, you can remove it from the oven.
It’s best to repeat the process twice more! Don’t clean the cast iron griddle; instead, apply another coat of oil rub, bake and allow it to cool.
If you’ve got the time to repeat the process more than twice, then crack on!
But if not, twice is more than enough. You will need to re-season your griddle after it's been used a few times anyway.
Once finished, your cast iron griddle should be a glossy black color and have a shine to it. This will allow you to cook on your griddle pan without food sticking to it!
Generally, once it needs to be reseasoned, it should lose its shiny black color, or patches of the seasoning will have worn off.
At what temperatures should I season cast iron?
When seasoning cast iron, you should aim for a 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, especially if your cast iron cookware is used in the oven.
Ideally, you want your oven preheated before you season your cast iron and put it in to ensure the high temperature has been reached and your cooking will run smoothly!
Once the oven is preheated to anywhere between 400-500 (we aim for 450), you can season your cast iron cookware and place it in the oven.
Depending on the oil you are using, it can get pretty smokey in the kitchen; make sure it is well ventilated before you begin! Keep your doors and windows open and run any fans you have to avoid setting off your smoke alarm!
There are some exceptions to the 400-500 Fahrenheit rule, though.
For those using a cast iron skillet and vegetable oil, it’s best to work no higher than 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Different oils have different smoke points, so heating your vegetable oil too high will cause it to burn and leave you with disappointing food and potentially damaged cookware!
It’s always worth checking the smoke point of your oil before preheating any ovens or cast iron pans so you can select the correct temperature.
You might not notice much of a difference, but when it comes to cooking delicious meals, why not go the extra mile?
Remember, this often needs to be done multiple times throughout the cooking process when it comes to seasoning your cast iron cookware.
You will need to ensure the heat is maintained for you to correctly season your cast iron cookware and continue to enjoy cooking and eating delicious meals!
Usually, keeping the oven at the same temperature will ensure the pan stays at the right heat, but if your cooking instructions differ, then it's best to follow these.
Do you have to season a cast iron griddle?
Yes, if you want to avoid rust or damage, you must season your cast iron griddle! While cast iron is durable and a firm favorite in kitchens worldwide, there is a downside.
The material is highly reactive, meaning that leaving even the tiniest amount of water in your cast iron pan or griddle can leave you with a rust spot.
If left untreated or not properly maintained, your cast iron griddle can quickly become a haven for rust and destined for the bin! To avoid this and protect your pan, it needs to be seasoned.
As we have already looked at, seasoning your cast iron griddle develops with each layer you use, adding to your meals’ flavor and protecting the griddle from rust and other damage.
Season your griddle with thin layers of oil that will harden each time you cook for protection and a tasty seasoning for your meals!
Not only does seasoning your griddle protect it, but it also helps deliver tasty food without causing you too much stress!
If your cast iron griddle isn’t seasoned correctly, food can stick to the bottom of the griddle, leaving you prying with your spatula and stressed when cooking!
Cast iron griddles are typically not made with non-stick coatings, so you need to season your griddle to create this non-stick quality and cook your food with ease!
Once seasoned, you should notice that you can easily flip, move, and remove your food from the griddle, making cooking even more enjoyable!
As crucial as seasoning your cast iron griddle, you also need to ensure that it is appropriately cleaned between uses.
Failing to do so can impact not only the performance of your griddle but also the taste of your food!
You will notice that food will stick to the pan; there might be uncleaned leftovers from the last time the pan was used, all impacting the taste of your food!
Be sure when you use your cast iron griddle, it is appropriately seasoned each time and cleaned accordingly between uses to ensure your protective layer of seasoning works and your food still tastes delicious!
For those who find the thought of seasoning your cast iron griddle a living nightmare, it’s worth looking at other options!
You can purchase cast iron cookware pre-seasoned and coated, removing the need for you to season them! It is worth noting that these pre-seasoned griddles will often need to be re-seasoned if used frequently.
No matter the option, at some point, you will need to season your cast iron griddle!
How do you season a double-sided cast iron griddle?
To season a double-sided cast iron griddle, you can follow the steps outlined earlier and repeat them on both sides! Ideally, you want both sides to be seasoned and coated in oil to create a non-stick bottom perfect for cooking!
Start with the griddle being completely cleaned and thoroughly dried on both sides. Use a wet brush and dish soap to clean all of the griddle, including both sides, then rinse and dry.
You want the griddle to be completely dry before you get to work.
Once dry, take a small amount of oil, and using a dry tissue, rub the oil over the entire griddle. Remember to do both sides of your griddle to ensure it is all completely covered. Wipe off any excess oil as you go.
You will want a thin coating over the entire griddle (both sides) to ensure that a non-stick surface is created.
Once all of your double-sided cast iron griddle has been coated in the oil rub, it's time to bake it!
You will want an oven preheated to 400-500 degrees Fahrenheit. 450 degrees is ideal, and place your griddle in!
Place it upside down with a layer of aluminum foil or a baking tray on the rack underneath to catch any excess oil that might drip down.
Leave the griddle in the oven for an hour with the door closed. As a double-sided griddle is usually larger, it can sometimes take longer for the oil to harden.
Once the oven has cooled, you can inspect the griddle. If the oil has not fully hardened and your griddle does not have a glossy black color, then turn the oven back on and place the griddle in until you see results.
Why do you season a cast iron pan upside down?
Cast iron pans are seasoned upside down to ensure they are seasoned correctly!
Placing your pan upside down ensures any excess oil runs off (remember to place a tray underneath to catch any excess oil) and allows more oil to stay on the bottom of the pan.
Seasoning a cast iron pan upside down provides the pan with a good seasoning on both the top and bottom of the pan, making cooking easier and ensuring that all of your pan is adequately seasoned.
Seasoning the pan upside down also ensures you can cover the whole pan or griddle entirely in an oil rub!
You don’t want to miss any parts and end up with an improper coating, do you? An upside-down pan will also take the rising heat and retain it, ensuring that the oil is baked and the layer of seasoning is created and maintained.
