I was seasoning my cast iron pan wrong for 6 years until a line cook saw me do it

Kevin Wells · 2026-10-07T13:35:04.540874+00:00

I worked at a diner in Boise for 3 years and always seasoned my pan right after washing it while it was still hot on the burner. A new line cook watched me do it and asked why I was rushing the oil on before the pan cooled down. He said the oil just sits on top and gets gummy instead of soaking in, and that I should warm it for 10 minutes at 200 degrees in the oven instead. I tried it his way on my 12 inch skillet and the next morning my eggs slid around like they were on ice. Six years of doing it wrong and all it took was one guy watching me for 30 seconds. Anyone else have a habit they picked up early that turned out to be backwards?

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I was seasoning my cast iron pan wrong for 6 years until a line cook saw me do it | Chefs - Guest Forum