The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Monthly Science: Minimal-Woo Cast Iron Pan Seasoning

    After trying several variations on a theme, our daily-use pan now looks like this:

    Cast Iron Pan - after weekly seasoning
    Cast Iron Pan – after weekly seasoning

    Those obvious wiping marks come from an oily rag in a hot pan. What could go wrong?

    The reflected light bar comes from the under-cabinet LED strip.

    The surface withstands stainless utensils, cooks omelets with aplomb, and requires no fussy KP:

    Omelet in cast-iron pan
    Omelet in cast-iron pan

    The low-woo seasoning recipe, done maybe once a week when the bottom has more gunk than usual:

    • Clean the pan as usual, wipe dry
    • Begin heating on medium burner set to High
    • Add 0.2 ml = 10 drops = 1 squirt of flaxseed oil
    • Wipe around pan interior with small cotton cloth
    • Continue heating to 500 °F, about four minutes
    • Carefully wipe oily cloth around pan again
    • Let cool

    Works for us and doesn’t involve any magic.