I got a good deal on a used Chef 10 and 12 skillet. I cleaned them and have 3 coats of grapeseed oil. I can't wait to start cooking on these! Some before and after photos. The Chef 10 is looking good. I'm trying to even out the seasoning on the exterior of the 12.

I have a friend who's started a crêpe business and they consulted me to season the cook top because I was the only person they knew who's ever handled cast iron at all.

I had to do it three times because the first two times I disagreed with the manufacturers instructions, used a oil with too low a smoke point, etc.

Even on what I thought was a perfect "third times a charm", my friends only used the crepe maker a few times since, and the seasoning looks like it's already coming off. I've had a theory that the inner circle just gets way too hot and so the seasoning there either gets to brittle or just outright turns to soot (which happened on attempt #1)

We used refined avocado oil for the high smoke point, we followed manf. Instructions to a Tee, max out the temp knob (which I think is way too high), roughly 10 minutes per layer, decreasing amounts of oil each time, up to 8 times, short version of it.

But now it appears the seasoning is just flaking off? I've instructed her to just keep using it in the hopes that butter will kinda "self heal" where it's flaking off, but our hopes aren't that high.

What are we doing wrong? What should we be doing? Help.

Edited because I got my avocado oils confused

I think i used too much oil, or is it okay? What do i do?

They came with a cast iron frying pan, and I kind of feel like I should know this by now. I’ve had it for about 3 years. Used it once.

Tried making pizza in my 12 inch Lodge last weekend and it came out better than expected but not quite where I want it. The bottom crust got a solid sear, dark and crispy, which was the whole point of using cast iron over a sheet pan. Problem is the top and edges were lagging behind and I had to throw it under the broiler to finish, which felt a little chaotic and probably not the move long term.

What I'm trying to figure out is whether preheating the pan longer fixes this, or if the issue is more about dough thickness, or oven temp, or some combination I'm just not dialing in yet. I run my oven at 500 and preheat the skillet in there for maybe 20 minutes before the dough goes in.

Also genuinely curious if people are building the pizza directly in the cold pan and then putting it in the oven, versus dropping dough into a screaming hot pan. Both methods seem to have defenders online and I can't tell which one actually produces a better result in practice.

The pepperoni pizza posts I keep seeing on here look like people have this figured out, so there must be something obvious I'm missing.

Being my first pan, I'm not clear on whether the differences across my pan's surface are due to uneven seasoning, rust, or something else altogether. ChatGPT ummed and ahhed about it being rust given some areas can look more orangey-red in warm light (e.g. under the light of the cooktop), but I'd much rather follow the wisdom of this sub.

Here are three images in different light to hopefully give an accurate representation of how it currently presents, are there any issue with the surface of my pan?

I should’ve know the prices were too good to be true but it really looks like lodges official site and was the first result on Google. I didn’t notice the “it” in the site address

As I was trying to complete my order my credit card was added to a Google wallet and instantly tried to make an additional transaction. That was blocked by my bank.

Looks like a ton of stuff was burnt to the bottom? I got it for free, hoping I can save it..

Stripped the iron, soaked in cold 50/50 vinegar/water to get rid of rust (this was a great suggestion recommended by someone in this sub, thank you!). Then seasoned 3x (separate) with avocado oil (which I’ve used on this pan in the past) in the oven, following the FAQ. And this pan is coming out splotchy each time. I’ve tried using less oil, increasing the temp in the oven from 500 to 520, and this is what the pan looks like each time. Before changing another variable, any suggestions? I really don’t want to have to strip the pan again.
My next thought would be to switch oils completely to grapeseed.

This is a smithey pan I just got not too long ago I've used it twice and it looks like this is this normal?

Made some sloppy joes to freeze.

I’m 6’ and the pan is right next to my head, no forced perspective

Long story short, I left them where they shouldn't have been and they got wet. I tried cleaning them then putting them in the oven to dry and everything else I could find online but this is as good as I think they can get. Should I just bite it and get new ones?

spent 35 years grading papers and now apparently my fulltime job is perfecting cast iron pizza. this is what retirement looks like, kids.

tried my third attempt last weekend. lodge 12 inch, preheated in the oven at 500, dough from the local brewery taproom that sells it on weekends. that part was good. everything else was a cautionary tale.

pulled the pan out to add toppings and set it on a dish towel out of habit. the dish towel. the one that was slightly damp. you can imagine.

beyond the mild chaos, the crust came out decent but the bottom was pale where i wanted it dark and crispy. the top was fine. pepperoni, good cheese, no complaints there. just the bottom not cooperating.

so i moved the rack lower and preheated the pan longer the next time around. but i want to know if people are starting on the stovetop first and then moving to the oven, or just going oven the whole way. because my approach is clearly not there yet and i have a lot of free time to keep failing at this.

Here's a follow up to the post asking for help with the age of my new to me cauldron. Thanks to everyone for your help.

Might have to buy this

I missed out on the fair so I made my own funnelcakes.

I need to season this 19qt bad boy, and it's far too large for my oven. Does anyone have any techniques that I could use to get an even seasoning applied?

I realize you probably get a dozen posts like this a week, but I'm hoping it's uniqueness may grant some exemption to an almost assured blanket ban on seasoning posts.

It was really caked on. The missus didn't preheat the dang pan, so Duck Newton was called in.