random thoughts – Day 1,206 – (Thursday) – seasoned

In April 2022 I was deep in a months-long search for a new 10-inch fry pan with a lid to replace a non-stick pan in use for decades that had become knicked and scratched. It was not an easy task. 

The fry pan I loved had straight sides, and the ones found online and in stores had sloped sides, were too large to fit on my stove with any other cookware, or didn’t come with a lid. And they were often expensive.

"Pre-seasoned" frying pan.

Finally, a pan that seemed to fit the bill was found at Kohls.com. Cast iron, with a lid, handle cover, affordable, and the golden words in the product description that clinched the deal, and I quote, “This 10-inch cast iron fry pan comes with a durable, pre-seasoned coating made to last years of cooking.” [sic].

The pre-seasoned cast iron wonder was ordered, and when it arrived, there was a buzz of excitement in The BungaLowell. I imagined using the new pan to prepare supper that same day or the next. I read “The Care & Keeping Guide” that accompanied the pan because yes, I read (or at least scan) user manuals and terms and conditions. The air went out of the balloon with the words, “Though NutriChef Cast Iron Cookwares [sic] are pre-seasoned, we still recommend to season them [sic] before first use.” Ugh. Seriously? And what is with the quirky language with this company?

The seasoning process, in case you’ve been lucky to never have to do it, involves rubbing a thin coat of oil over the entire surface of the pan – inside, outside, and even the handle – and then heating it in the oven at 400-degrees for one hour, then leaving it in the oven to cool. This needs to be done three times. Three hours of seasoning for an allegedly pre-seasoned pan. Am I a sucker, or what?

It is not an exaggeration when I say it took a more than a year for the seasoning process to happen. The summer months were a hugely unappealing time to run a 400-degree oven for an hour with no payoff like brownies or a cake at the end of the time. It seemed like a better idea to wait for cold weather and enjoy the heat from the oven.

The fry pan sat on the back burner of the stove waiting for the seasoning process until fall. When the colder season arrived, the cast iron seasoning began. Not being the dedicated housewifey type, this was not handled in an expeditious manner. It stretched out over several months, and finally concluded some time after the one-year anniversary of the delivery of the pan.

Perfect grilled sandwich.

By the time it was seasoned and ready for use, the silicone handle grip had been misplaced. It’s still only been used a few times. On June 15, it was used for a perfectly grilled sandwich. At least twice it has inspired some colorful cuss words when scrambled eggs stuck to it. 

According to “The Care & Keeping Guide,” cast iron shouldn’t be soaked, washed in the dishwasher, cleaned with soap, or scrubbed with steel wool, “as these may strip the pan’s seasonings.” After the process of seasoning it, there is no way I'm risking ruining it. 

This is turning out to be one heck of a high maintenance item. It kind of reminds me of an old boyfriend. Or the fancy gold-trimmed English bone china service from the first wedding that sits in a cabinet.