How to Season a Ceramic Frying Pan

We all know that cast-iron cookware needs to be seasoned, but you might not have known that ceramic cookware does too.

Ceramic coatings are natural and have fantastic non-stick properties right out of the box. However, if you season your ceramic frying pan, you can enhance its non-stick properties even more and also increase the lifespan of your frying pan.

If you want to know how to season a ceramic frying pan, we have a step by step guide coming up.

 

When to Season a Ceramic Frying Pan

Before we tell you how to season your ceramic frying pan, let’s look at when you should season your pan.

Ideally, you should begin the seasoning process before you use the pan at all. You should then continue to season the frying pan frequently in the following few months.

As the layer of seasoning develops, you can relax. When you notice food sticking a bit more than usual, top up your seasoning.

Right, now you know when to season, let’s find out how to season a ceramic frying pan, shall we?

 

How to Season A Ceramic Frying Pan

What you’ll need:

• Water
• Soap
• A paper towel or soft cloth
• Your ceramic frying pan
• Some cooking oil (vegetable oil is perfect, but you can also use peanut oil, lard and canola oil).

1. Wash the pan

You’ll want to wash your frying pan before use anyway, but washing before seasoning is really important. Seasoning creates a barrier between the frying pan and your food.

The last thing you want is for your barrier to contain stuff from the packaging your pan was in. Just use the soft cloth and a bit of soap and water to clean it. Once clean, dry it thoroughly and it’s on to the next step.

 

2. Add some oil to the frying pan

A tablespoon of the oil of your choice is more than enough. Spread the oil over the inner surface of the pan. You must coat the entire inner surface. Use more oil if necessary.

Stick with the oils we mentioned above too. The oil you use must have a high smoking temperature. Olive oil, for example, has a low smoking point and so isn’t suitable.

 

3. Heat the pan

Place the pan on your hob and set it to a medium heat. Leave it there until the oil begins to smoke. Now, this will take a while, so don’t be tempted to turn the heat up. It is supposed to take a while. The oil must heat up slowly, that way, it will soak into the surface.

To prevent the oil from pooling, move the pan around and keep coating the sides with the oil already in the pan. No need to add more oil, just keep the oil moving as the high increases.

You can also season a frying pan in the oven. Most ceramic frying pans are oven safe but do check first. The same rules as above apply.

 

4. Cool the pan

Once the oil has started to smoke, remove your ceramic pan from the hob. Let the pan cool down until it has reached room temperature. Do not cool the pan off quickly. This step allows the oil to really soak in.

 

5. Dry the pan

Once the pan has cooled to room temperature, wipe away any oil left in the pan. Your pan will likely feel a bit greasy, this is normal and shouldn’t be washed away.

 

6. Repeat the process

For brand new frying pans, repeating the seasoning process every month or two is a good idea. However, how often you should season your ceramic pans depends on the pan itself and how often you use it. Still, if you’re noticing more sticking than usual, season the pan again.

We love ceramic frying pans and pots here. Want to see our favourite ceramic frying pans? Well, explore our roundup of the best options here. We have all the cookware articles you need on here to find your perfect cooking arsenal.