I always found that just cooking something with alot of fat (bacon, fried chicken, etc) was the easiest and most effective way to go.

(I did do these seasoning tips beforehand, but never really saw results until really cooking with it)

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I actually got rid of all my other frying pans (Revereware) after I used my first cast iron one. Nothing compares!

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I have a much-loved small cast iron frying pan that pretty much never sticks, and the only pan I've ever been able to cook pancakes in. Mind you, I've had it for at least 15 years. The best method of seasoning cast iron seems to be to keep using it for a very long time.

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Sweet! I just got a cast iron double-burner griddle that I need to season. Will check out the tips.
The other great thing about cast iron is if anyone breaks in the house while you're cooking, you can just clock them over the head with it.

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I have I would guess 150-200 pounds of cast iron cookware, camping dutch ovens added a bunch to the collection, weight wise! It took me a while as a young adult to learn that seasoning was simple and cleaning should not include abrasive methods. The exception is the two burner griddle Lindsey mentions. I do use a stainless brush built for the outdoor grill to scrub the ribbed side after grilling meat. It is about the only way to clean that surface. I cut the handle of the brush off so that it fits the palm of the hand and allows better scrubbing pressure. If I remove too much seasoning I re-season if necessary. One of my newest pieces is a cast iron wok which I love! I have been a cast iron "junkie" for 30 years.

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YES! Cast iron pans rule.

I think that the love for them must be genetic or something like that because people either love them or hate them, and it seems to me that people who don't like them right from the start never come to like them.

Here in Kyoto, Japan, where I live now, I don't have much use for cast iron -- they don't make sushi very well!

Peko

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Cast iron totally rocks! I agree that its good to do the initial seasoning steps but you don't really get it in good shape until you cook with it for a while.

I was never that big of a cast iron fan since it seemed too finicky to clean and maintain to me. But then we needed a big skillet and a high quality copper one was too expensive, so we just got the cheapest one in the store for "temporary" use; a big Lodge skillet for like $12. We've been using that for about 6 years now and I am a complete convert for cast iron, at least for pans, skillets, and dutch ovens if not for pots.

Taking care of it is really not a big deal; I think its typically less work than an equivalent non cast iron pan. We just wash it out by hand or brush with plain water, using a plastic scraper if necessary, then dry it out on the burner. If stuff is really stuck on (which is rare since it is a better non-stick than most pans billed as non-stick), we just let it soak in water for a bit before cleaning.

Also nice about cast iron is that it can be renovated, like an old house. If it gets scrubbed too hard or gets rusty or whatever you can always scour it down to bare metal with scotchbrite pads or an angle grinder with a wire wheel and start seasoning it anew. Try rejuvenating your teflon pan after it gets scratched!

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I also love Cast Iron cooking! I got the cutest little cast iron skillets for Christmas called "Skookies" They are a pack of two 7" cast iron skillets that you can make cookies on or pizzas or use them for fajitas. My Mom got them from a store here in Utah, but I did a google search for them to see if I could order more online. I found them at a couple different websites: www.outdoorcooking.com and www.campchef.com. These are a perfect gift for any cast iron lover!

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I love my dutch oven. We do dutch oven no-knead bread and vennison backstrap roasts in it. I tried very hard to season it, but it only worked with continual use. Go figure.

I do food recipes and gardening experiments at http://red-icculus.com

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I love cast iron! Most seasoning methods I've read suggest the use of vegetable oil or shortening, however, and time and again I've found that vegetable fats make for a sticky, gummy coating on cast iron.

Using lard instead of vegetable fat, with the same basic technique mentioned in the post from The Kitchn, works MUCH better. (FWIW: The shelf-stable lard you find in most stores these days is hydrogenated; seasoning cast iron is about the ONLY thing I'd use it for.) After repeating the process two or three times with lard, anc then cook with it a few times, and you have a coating that's practically perfect--no stickiness or thickness, and practically permanent unless you use oven cleaner or a motorized steel brush to remove it.

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I agree with Dave here...vegetable oils can give a sticky surface...the exact opposite of what you're looking for. Especially if put in the oven to season.

Also, for cleaning..Alton Brown recommends throwing in some coarse salt, like kosher salt and using that as a very mild abrasive with some paper towels to get out anything that's sticking and being done with it. You can also add a bit of oil to loosen things. No water involved. I've been doing it for years and it works great.

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