Is The Blue A Coating On This Pan?

No! The blue on your carbon steel pan is not a coating. It is the result of a heating treatment called "annealing" that protects the pan from oxidation during transit. This blue color will change drastically over the first month of cooking including completely fading away.

Your pan also comes with a layer of vegetable oil to protect it. Please wash your pan with soap and water (this is the only time you should use soap) before beginning your seasoning efforts. This will get rid of the layer of vegetable oil. However, any leftover vegetable oil on the surface of your pan will aid in your initial seasoning efforts.

Sommelier Approved

“I'm looking for a glass that enhances the wine to the point that the wine overtakes the glass and the glass sort of falls away and you get to have a full, beautiful experience of what’s in your glass. I think this glass does that beautifully.” - Sarah Thomas, Advanced Sommelier

Avoid: Heating your pan up too quickly can lead to thermal shock, which is when you rapidly change a pan's temperature. This can warp the cooking surface of your pan.

Solution: Heat up your pan slowly. Start your induction or glass stovetop on a low setting and leave it heating for a minute, and then slowly increase the temperature. It’s very important to follow this process each time you use your pan. While carbon steel can take high heat, it doesn’t always need it!

Have An Induction Or A Glass Stovetop?

Why Does My Pan Have A Scratch/Mark?

If your pan arrives with a scratch mark or there are a few scuffs on the surface of your pan, do not worry! The vegetable oil on the surface of the pan can often show marks from the manufacturing and shipping process. These are purely cosmetic and will actually help with the seasoning process by allowing fats and oils to set in.

The Stovetop Seasoning Method

Wash your new pan with soap and warm water. The residue on your pan is a vegetable oil applied to prevent corrosion during transit and to aid in the initial seasoning process. Any oil that remains after your initial wash will bake into your first seasoning. After drying your pan, place it over a stovetop burner and turn the heat to low. Doing this will allow any excess moisture to evaporate from the pan. Increase the temperature to medium-low, and using a paper towel or dish towel, apply a very thin layer of high smoke point oil or Made In Seasoning Wax to the entire surface of your pan.

Gradually increase your stovetop temperature to medium-high until the oil begins to smoke. Let the pan sit on the burner for around five minutes, making sure to rotate as needed to ensure the pan is heated evenly. Let the pan cool on its own. Congratulations! You have completed the first step in seasoning your pan. To make your pan slicker, cook with fattier foods or repeat this process. Avoid cooking delicate items such as fish, vegetables, and eggs until you have developed a well-formed patina (after 3-5 applications).

The Oven Seasoning Method

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place it on the bottom rack of your oven.

Wash your new pan with soap and hot water. The residue on your pan is a vegetable oil applied to prevent corrosion during transit. Any oil that remains after your initial wash will bake into your first seasoning. After you dry your pan, place it over a stovetop burner and turn the heat to low. Doing this will allow any excess moisture to evaporate from the pan. Increase the temperature to medium-low, and using a paper towel or dish towel, apply a very thin layer of high smoke point oil or Made In Seasoning Wax to the entire surface of your pan. After applying the wax or oil thinly and evenly to the inside and outside of the pan (excluding the handle), wipe off the excess a couple of times with dry paper towels until the pan looks dry. There will actually still be a micro-thin layer of oil still on the pan.

Once the layer of oil is applied, place it upside down in the oven. The foil-lined baking sheet will catch any oil drippings. Leave the pan in the oven for an hour, and after one hour, turn the oven off and let the pan cool on its own in the oven, taking caution with the hot pan and handle.

Congratulations! You have completed the first step in seasoning your pan. To make your pan slicker, cook with fattier foods or repeat this process. Avoid cooking delicate items such as fish, vegetables, and eggs until you have a well-formed patina (after 3-5 applications).

How To Clean Your Pan After Use

All you need to do to clean your carbon steel pan is to wipe out any excess oil from your pan, while using coarse salt to free any stuck food residue. This will keep your pan’s seasoning intact. You should NEVER put your carbon steel pan in the dishwasher as this will strip the seasoning and cause rust to develop.

However, if there are stubborn pieces of food stuck to your pan, add a bit of water to cover the bottom of your pan and gently bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Once the water reaches a boil, scrape at the food bits with a wooden or rubber spatula. Once your food is no longer stuck, dump out the water, and thoroughly dry your pan.

Return your pan to the stovetop and heat it over medium-low to get rid of any residual moisture. Failing to dry your pan thoroughly could result in your pan rusting. Add a thin layer of a high-smoke point oil or Made In Seasoning Wax to the pan, and spread the oil using a paper or dish towel over the interior until you have an even coating. Leave your pan over heat for a minute and tilt it over the burner to ensure the wax covers the full surface of the pan. Your pan is now clean and seasoned!

How To Clean Your Pan After Use

The Blue Layer Is "Coming Off"

Carbon steel cookware starts as a silver-hued alloy of 99% iron and 1% carbon. Before this is shaped into cookware, we apply a thin layer of vegetable oil and then put these sheets through a high-heat baking process known as annealing. The annealing process darkens the metal into the blue you can expect our carbon steel pans to arrive with and works to protect from corrosion in transit and aids in the initial seasoning.

This blue color will change drastically over the first month of cooking. The blue will disappear or fade as the oil and fat from your cooking incorporates into your seasoning. It can also be scrubbed off or removed with acidic foods like tomatoes, wine, or citrus. This is normal and is a good reminder to reseason your pan if you start to see the silver metal of your carbon steel pan.

Sommelier Approved

“I'm looking for a glass that enhances the wine to the point that the wine overtakes the glass and the glass sort of falls away and you get to have a full, beautiful experience of what’s in your glass. I think this glass does that beautifully.” - Sarah Thomas, Advanced Sommelier

Problem: Not drying your pan thoroughly on the stovetop or leaving it wet will cause rust to develop. If you notice rust, do not worry! It can easily be fixed, since it’s a byproduct of the high iron content.

Solution: If you notice rust on your pan, scrub it away with soap and water. If you find that this isn’t working, steel wool can easily remove any remaining rust. Afterward, you’ll need to thoroughly dry and reseason your pan. Please refer to the above-mentioned stovetop or oven seasoning methods to proceed.

Rust Has Developed

A Dried Out Surface

A dried out surface can occur if you haven’t used your carbon steel pan for an extended period of time. If you know you aren’t going to be using your carbon steel cookware, make sure to apply a thin layer of oil to the surface to keep it from drying out. However, if you notice that your cookware is dried out, go through either of the two seasoning methods mentioned above. You can also choose to cook naturally fattier foods, like bacon or steak. This will help season the pan while also providing you with delicious food.

Too Much Oil Used

Too much oil in the seasoning process can cause the surface of your pan to become sticky and splotchy. The best way to avoid this is to make sure you use a very thin layer of oil for seasoning. Dip a paper or kitchen towel into your Made In Seasoning Wax or oil before applying it to the interior surface. After each time you cook, be sure to use a paper or kitchen towel to wipe out any excess oil or grease that has accumulated. If your pan is too sticky, add coarse salt to the surface of your pan and use a towel to scrub the surface. This will smooth out the pan and get rid of any residue.