Best Oil For Seasoning Cast Iron [2023] – Tested & Reviewed

The best oil for seasoning any cast iron set is grapeseed oil due to its high smoke points and its versatility. Other options include vegetable oil and peanut oil. The oil you use is dependent on the amount of heat you plan to use and the flavors you like.

Cast iron can last for the duration of a lifetime, or, in some families, many generations if it’s maintained appropriately. It is essential to season your cast iron before making the first use of it and over the years and months of use is essential.

There are a variety of reasons to recommend grapeseed oil as a seasoning for your cast iron. However, in the end, many alternatives could meet your needs and requirements even better.

If you’re searching for our recommendations of the top oil to season cast iron, it’d require La Tourangelle grapeseed oil from Amazon. Experts have weighed in, and all agreed that this was the best thing you could get.

We’ve listed the best oils to season cast iron and laid out why you should select each oil or why you shouldn’t.

If you own a cast iron pot that you’ve been seasoning for many months, years or even generations, and it’s still performing for you, continue working on it. If you don’t enjoy the way it tastes or moves across the skillet, it could be time to change the oil.

If you’ve bought an all-new (or completely new) pan and have never used it before, there are plenty of options when it comes to the type of oil you’ll apply.

There are pros as well as cons for the majority of them however we’ve listed our opinion of the best 9 oils to season cast iron, as well as the reasons why you may want to consider each.

1. Grapeseed Oil For Seasoning Cast Iron

I recommend: La Tourangelle Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is among the most well-known oils that are used to flavor the cast iron of professional cooks as well as cast iron experts.

It comes with it has a very high smoking temperature which allows the use of high temperatures to warm the pan rapidly and strengthen the bond between the pan and oil.

Grapeseed oil is essential in the neutral range in flavor and aroma which makes it ideal for adding flavor to your cooking pan so that whatever you cook with it will be fresh.

It’s also widely acclaimed that grapeseed oil is healthy and also moderately priced which makes it attractive for obvious reasons.

2. Flaxseed Oil For Seasoning Cast Iron

I recommend: Barlean’s Organic Fresh Flax Oil

Flaxseed oil gained a lot of attention to season cast iron after a prominent blog wrote about it a couple of years back.

The oil has an extremely lower smoke level and, to make up for the fact that it is not able to make a seasoning agent at temperatures above it is recommended to be seasoned six times over an hour each at a low temperature of 225F.

It works well however, after several tests by third parties, it has proved to be as revolutionary as initially thought.

Unfortunately, flaxseed oil isn’t always readily available, and it’s at the higher end of the scale. It also has a pungent smell that’s not appreciated by anyone.

Flaxseed oil bonds to cast iron well providing an oily finish that food can slide off of, without sticking. If you cook with your cast iron pan frequently and frequently, flaxseed oil can be a good choice to season cast iron.

It also drys naturally and naturally. This is an added benefit for cast iron, which is extremely sensitive to moisture.

It’s a great oil to use during the first seasoning process of your cooking pan when you’ve got the time to do several seasons over hours. Be careful to purchase only flaxseed oil as if you mix it with other oils, it can cause smoke to be distorted and will not season well.

You might want to use a distinct kind of oil to use for everyday use.

The flavor won’t be detected in the case of seasoning, however, since it’s a seed oil it’s ideal for pans that are regularly used. If you use your cast iron only every time, it may become rancid in your cupboard and emit the smell of oil painting.

Make sure to clean your pan thoroughly. refresh it with a little seasoning at the time you intend for it to be used again if this occurs.

It’s our pleasure to have a break from our list of 9 top oil for seasoning cast iron, to mention Cowboy Kent Rollins on YouTube who has a fantastic video that explains why flaxseed oil and olive oil are his two most-loved oils to season cast iron. Enjoy!

3. Avocado Oil For Seasoning Cast Iron

I recommend: BetterBody Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil

Avocado oil has a remarkably high smoke point, which is 520F. This, by itself, is both a benefit as well as a disadvantage.

The drawback is that to add it to the pan you need be able to heat the pan to 525F before making the addition of the oil. Being in the presence of a pan that hot can be dangerous under any conditions. Incorporating oil into a hot pan will increase the risk levels.

However, it’s possible to flavor a pan using avocado oil then the possibility of cooking it at a temperature sufficient to rupture the bond that has been formed is very unlikely.

Avocado oil has also been noted because of its health benefits. It’s a neutral oil however it’s higher in price than the other choices that are on this list.

When you are a professional cook or are equipped with serious kitchen equipment and strict requirements, then avocado oil can make cast iron taste deliciously seasoned.

But, the potential risks can deter ordinary cast iron pan users from considering this option.

4. Canola Oil For Seasoning Cast Iron

I recommend: Happy Belly Canola Oil

Canola oil as well as other vegetable oils, including blends and oils made from soy are among the most sought-after oils used to season the cast iron industry for two primary reasons:

1. They’re cheap and readily accessible everywhere
2. They can handle excellent smoke points and can be able to withstand temperatures up to 105 degrees.

The reason they’re so cheap and have such great smoke points is that they’re highly sophisticated.

It is better to make use of canola oil, soybean oil, or any other vegetable oil to make seasoning than it’s used to cook with.

Particularly when it comes to the exterior of your pot that rarely is in direct contact with food items, and must be well-seasoned and secured.

This is why vegetable oil or canola oil is a great option to season cast iron.

5. Olive Oil For Seasoning Cast Iron

I recommend: Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil has a wonderful flavor, delicious aroma, and numerous health advantages.

The majority of people have olive oil stored in their kitchen cupboards It’s easily accessible in every supermarket and affordable. These are just a few benefits of making use of olive oil to spice the cast iron you have.

It also has it has a lower smoke point, however. If you opt to use olive oil as the seasoning for your cast iron pan, it is necessary to use it at lower temperatures over longer intervals of duration.

To make sure that you’re not heating your olive oil too much using an oven is a good method to regulate the temperature so that it’s warm enough that the pan can take the seasoning, but not so hot that you burn the oil. 350F is the ideal temperature.

If you’re not very cautious during the initial seasoning of your pan, the olive oil won’t bond to the cast iron. Moreover, when you cook it at a temperature higher than the smoke point of olive oil of 375F it will start to disintegrate and break off, which isn’t ideal.

6. Seasoning Cast Iron Using Tallow or Lard

I recommend: Tenderflake Pure Bakers Lard

If you’re looking to go traditional, you can season casting iron by seasoning it with Lard.

In the past in the past, this was the most easily accessible source of fat to keep casting iron from getting rusty and keep the easy-to-clean sheen.

It’s still perfectly effective if there aren’t any dietary or ethical or personal justifications for to use of animal fat.

Make use of tallow or lard to add flavor to your cast iron, simply by melting a small amount in a hot pan, then pressing on the cast iron.

The reason that rendered animal fat doesn’t perform is if you do not use the pan frequently. Lard can turn rancid over time If your pan is left for a long time in the pantry it may develop a smell.

If you keep your pot upside down or cover it with the lid, it’ll be more likely to create an unpleasant smell which can be transferred to food items.

If you make use of the seasonings of tallow or lard for the cast iron you have, be sure to use your pan frequently and keep it in an area with enough airflow.

7. Coconut Oil For Seasoning Cast Iron

I recommend: Nutiva Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is among the most popular option to season cast iron.

It has become a very sought-after oil in the last 10 years because of its health benefits. You can buy it in large “club-sized” vats at an affordable price.

If you love coconut, its scent and the slight taste are delightful. If you don’t enjoy coconut, then you don’t have a gallon in your pantry.

However, the question remains: can coconut oil condition cast iron?

You can indeed apply coconut oil to season cast iron, but it has a rather low smoke point, which means you must be cautious when you first begin to season.

It is important to heat the pan to approximately 350F before adding the coconut oil and then buffing it into the pan thoroughly. The temperature must be close to that of your chosen oil’s smoking point. select however it shouldn’t over it significantly.

If it is well seasoned it will cook excellent. If the seasoning does not take into account, when cooking food that is heated greater than the point at which coconut smokes oil, it’ll begin to degrade that carbonization layer.

If you do not cook at high temperatures frequently coconut oil can be the ideal solution to season cast iron, particularly when you are using it frequently and have it in your kitchen.

If you cook frequently at high temperatures or do not pay focus on heat then you might want to spice up your cooking by using an oil with an increased smoke point, for example, grapeseed oil. I would highly recommend using La Tourangelle Grapeseed Oil.

The greatest risk when using peanut oil to flavor casting iron is the fact that you’ll need be very careful about making use of it to cook meals for people who are allergic to peanuts.

8. Peanut Oil For Seasoning Cast Iron

I recommend: La Tourangelle Roasted Peanut Oil

While it may be absorbed into the very pore inside the saucepan, the odor may be transferred to your food preparation and can trigger an allergic reaction.

If you’re not suffering from an allergy and aren’t concerned about cooking for someone else shortly Peanut oil is a great oil to flavor casting iron.

You should verify whether your oil is refined or not because they differ in smoke points, and must be seasoned at different temperatures.

In all aspects, peanut oil is an oil of middle range to season cast iron. It’s not too expensive or difficult to locate however it’s certainly not the cheapest.

It has a moderate to a high smoke point that is about 450F in the case of refined oils and is used extensively in cooking to cook for deep frying which is why you could have it on hand.

9. Seasoning Cast Iron by Rubbing It With Butter or Ghee

I recommend: Original Grass-Fed Ghee by 4th & Heart

Like lard, seasoning cast iron by using butter is a quick and delicious way to spice your skillet throughout regular use But you should ensure that you’re making use of genuine butter that’s non-salty.

Margarine and butter substitutes are not the best options to season cast iron. Always stay clear of anything that has salt to flavor your skillet, though you can certainly cook it with salt.

Making use of butter as your first seasoning won’t provide as consistent the black patina that some of the oils listed on the list above, however with time, it will begin to develop. It’s not the most ideal choice but if it’s the only thing you have available and you frequently use it in your cooking, it can be effective.

Ghee’s seasoning is very similar to butter, with one major distinction: It has a more intense smoke point. When butter is at the upper temperature of the optimal cooking range at 300F Ghee will be able to hold temperatures up to 475F. However, it’s not an evenly-spaced season.

Based on your preferences depending on your priorities, you can choose to rank them differently. hopefully, this article provided you with the information you need to determine which priorities you should be putting into choosing the appropriate oil to coat your cast iron, and the chart can be an effective guide for you to use.

The Best Method To Season Cast Iron

This article is mostly on the oil that is used for seasoning cast iron. It’s recommended to consult the pan’s manufacturer to get their suggestions regarding what best to season.

Some experts suggest that you season up to six times at a low temperature before making use of the product, whereas other experts suggest the seasoning process should be limited to 3 times at temperatures higher will work the best.

No matter how you prepare to cast iron the very first time around, keep these tips to keep in mind for long-term success:

• In the beginning, for a few applications cook fatty meats, or roast vegetables in oil frequently.
• Do not attempt making delicate delicate items like egg or salmon until the pan is used at least 10 times
• Beware of highly acidic ingredients like vinegar, tomatoes, wine, or citrus
• Clean your pans using boiling water don’t soak them for any length of time and only use soap when you’ve prepared something delicate or highly fragrant
• Be sure to make sure to dry cast iron thoroughly and quickly, and take into consideration buffing with a tiny amount of oil after each use

Please take note when seasoning anything cast iron is very different from seasoning griddles or other pots and pans.

How To Recondition Cast Iron

After each usage of the cast iron skillet and you must ensure that you dry and clean it thoroughly. Food particles don’t adhere to the cast iron as it does to stainless steel, therefore it is quite simple to just use a towel and a little soapy water to get rid of any food remnants.

Once you’ve got it clean, you’ll need to ensure it’s completely dry. It is recommended to heat the pan that’s clean over the flame to ensure that all water has evaporated before placing it in storage. The water that is absorbed by an iron skillet can result in the pan rusting.

So long as the pan is dry and clean before storage, you may decide to apply a bit more oil on the surface every when you make use of it or heat the oils in your pan before you use it next time.

Regardless, frequent use is the best method to ensure that your pan is well prepared.

FAQs

What Is The Ideal Oil To Cook With Cast Iron?

Cooking with cast iron is distinct from seasoning the cast iron, and is different from cooking in stainless steel, or even cooking in a non-stick pan.

What is the ideal oil to cook using cast iron? Any oil you love.

This is among the most significant advantages of casting iron. The heat is evenly distributed and food items are not likely to stick to it.

It can handle extreme heat and even tough cooking utensils. The only thing to keep an eye on is when you put oil into the pan that’s red hot because it could result in an unintentional splash.

How Do You Prepare A Cast Iron Grill For Seasoning?

The oils you be used to seasoning a grill made of cast iron are the same ones you would apply to season the cast iron pan, however, the method is slightly different.

It’s simpler to utilize the heat from your oven rather than utilize the grill itself to cook and season the cast iron grills.

1. The oven should be heated to 200F and heat the grates for 15 minutes.
2. With oven mitts, take the oven grates and raise the temperature to 450F.
3. With a paper towel or microfiber cloth, cover each grate with a light coat of oil you prefer (reference the article above)
4. Return the grates to the oven for one hour, at high temperature, to let the oil set.
5. Let your grates cool for at minimum one hour before repeating the entire process 3 to five more times.

Yes, spicing up an iron grill can be a time-consuming task however, it’s well worthwhile to safeguard your grill from damage and to provide the highest quality food in the long run. It’s much faster and less time-consuming, so long as you keep the cleanness of your grill by regular use.

The grills on your grates have become dirty or sticky due to prior use, follow these simple steps:

1. If they’re not rusted but sticky, turn up the stove then cook until the iron turns to char. This makes it simpler to scrape off
2. If they’re sticky, but not too rusty, put them in the large bin of washing that is filled with a solution of vinegar and water (1 1 part of vinegar for four parts of water)
3. After you have completed steps 1 or 2. Make sure that the grates are cool enough to be handled and then dry them with an extra-large microfiber cloth or a paper towel.
4. Sprinkle the grills with the oil you prefer to make it easy to re-season them

How Often Should You Refresh Cast Iron?

This is the first opportunity to apply the seasoning to the cast iron you have is the most crucial and you should make certain it’s properly seasoned before using it without any questions or excuses. Then, you can reseason it only whenever it is necessary. Regular usage keeps it fresh.

If you’re working with cooking equipment for camping or any other reason, only use your pan only a couple of times per year, and be sure that it’s cleaned thoroughly and dry before placing it in storage. Reseason it only if find that rust has formed.

What Is The Best Oil to Season Carbon Steel?

Although your carbon steel pan is already seasoned It’s an excellent idea to season it the same way you would with a cast-iron skillet.

Flaxseed oil is now the most talked-about oil to discuss as well. Canola oil is likely to be the most widely used oil because of its high smoke point, however, all of these oils listed above will work with carbon steel just the same way as to cast iron.

How Do You Season An Old Casting Iron Dutch Oven?

Dutch ovens made of cast iron do not typically use as much as a pan made of cast iron as they’re more frequently used for cooking outdoors and are susceptible to conditions of weather. Because of this, you might encounter corrosion issues more frequently.

When you’re making a seasoning for a cast iron dutch oven, make sure you choose an oil that doesn’t become rancid. Seed oils or anything else that has to be kept in the refrigerator like butter or lard can cause an unpleasant smell or taste in your dutch cooker even if it’s not being used often.