Avoid acidic foods and super high heat Your cast iron can withstand heat - a lot of heat. A cast-iron skillet can withstand heats of up to 1500°F, which is much hotter than your oven could ever be. The seasoning will only burn off at about 800°F, so don't worry that you will damage your pan by cooking with high heat.
Comments Section You can absolutely heat damage cast iron. It turns a weird pink colour... The iron will hold up as long as it can heat up and cool evenly and somewhat slowly. The metal will expand and contract with the temps and as long as that can happen evenly and not too fast you'll be okay.
When cast iron is heated too quickly some parts of the metal can expand faster than others and that can lead to warping (often noticed when a pan wobbles slightly on a flat surface). Low, gradual preheating prevents damage from uneven expansion.
Cast iron is one of the only pieces of cookware that you can easily take from kitchen to campfire. And that's a big part of why we love it! Because it can withstand high temperatures (up to 650˚ F, in fact!), it's a great option for almost any heat source.
Granted, only a very high temperature could physically damage this durable tool. Lodge, a popular brand that makes cast iron products, says its pans can safely heat up to 650 degrees Fahrenheit, while some Staub-brand cast iron skills can handle up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
The sudden heating or cooling of iron can cause your pan to warp and crack.
Put the oiled pan in a preheated 450°F (230°C) oven, and leave it there for 30 minutes. It may get a little smoky, so keep your kitchen well ventilated. It's during this time that the oil will polymerize and form the first of several hard, plastic-like coatings you'll be laying down.
Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Ovens
Use it to broil, braise, bake, or roast in the oven up to 500° F, and sauté, simmer, or fry on any stovetop.
The reddish color you see on the pan above isn't just rust: it's heat damage to the metal that is irreversible, and it's difficult to build good seasoning on top of it. Some people like to clean their cast iron in an oven set to the cleaning cycle.
Cast iron undergoes annealing, a process in which it is heated to a controlled temperature and then cooled gradually to relax and standardize its internal structure. The cast iron becomes softer and less likely to shatter or deform as a result, making it simpler to manufacture.
If you left your pan on the burner too long, coat the skillet all over with a thin layer of seasoning oil. The next few times you cook in your pan, go a little easy on it. Cook foods that will help add seasoning (here are some suggested recipes). After a few weeks of frequent use, your pan should return to normal.
Oil Residue & Splotchy Seasoning
This sticky situation can occur when you season your pan with a little too much oil, or if some oil hasn't fully polymerized and turned into seasoning yet. Unwanted oil residue is an easy thing to tackle: if these spots are sticky, heat your pan over medium heat for a few minutes.
If you notice your cast iron pan starting to crack, you should start looking for a replacement. Several potential problems arise when your cast iron pan begins to crack. Heat will make the metal expand and contract, growing even the tiniest of fractures.
Common cooking oils like olive oil will gradually produce seasoning, but won't be as effective as grapeseed oil. Canola, other vegetable oils, and shortening are a little better.
Signs Your Cast Iron Is Damaged
Additionally, if your pan heats beyond its maximum temperature, it may crack, though this is more likely to happen if you don't allow it to cool properly before washing.
The melting point of iron alloys and the melting point of steel, occur at higher temperatures, around 2,200-2,500 Fahrenheit (°F) / 1,205-1,370 Celsius (°C). Melting points of Copper Alloys (including bronzes, pure copper, and brass) are lower than iron, at ranges around 1,675-1,981°F / 913-1,082°C.
Cast iron pans can leach a sizeable amount of iron into your food, exceeding dietary intake in some cases. Acidic foods will contribute to much more leaching while an old, heavily-seasoned pan will leach much less iron than a newer one.
That's why our simple cleaning steps have you rub oil into your pan after each use to ensure the seasoning remains for quality cooking. You can also season your cast iron cookware in the oven. This method adds a more thorough layer of seasoning onto the entire pan, strengthening the bond to the iron.
If the oil gets too hot, it can burn and stick to the nonstick coating, which then deteriorates over time. If the oil is smoking then it's too hot," Hansen explains, repeating that: "The key to correctly heating your pans is timing, as mentioned previously.
Do not try to use nonstick sprays like Pam to season your cast iron skillet, as they contain other ingredients that aren't good for your pan.
Bare cast iron can typically handle over 500 degrees Fahrenheit; high-fired ceramic is rated to about 500 degrees Fahrenheit; enameled cast iron can be heated to around 450 degrees Fahrenheit before it could start to damage the enamel coating.
Lard and bacon are the best seasoning oils
A proper seasoning fills in the tiny crevices and pores in the surface of your cast-iron pan with a hydrophobic, plastic-like layer.