You can follow these instructions to season your cast iron pan, which we published in this helpful article (there's a video, too!):
- Heat your oven to 400ºF.
- Place a piece of foil on the middle rack to catch any drips coming off the pan.
- Lightly coat the cast iron pan with a neutral oil that has a high smoke point: canola oil, vegetable oil, and grapeseed oil are great options. Rub the oil all over the pan—both inside and outside—with a paper towel.
- Position the pan upside-down on the piece of foil in the oven.
- Leave in the oven for an hour.
- Turn off and let it cool.
- When cooled down, rub another light coat of oil all over the pan.
- Store for future cooking adventures.
The next phase of the seasoning process is the buildup of food and oil remnants that carbonize on the surface when you cook over high heat. Just be sure to dry your skillet and apply a light layer of oil after use. With use, the seasoning layer will mature and darken. You can also follow the above steps to re-season the pan, which will help to quickly mature the seasoning layer.
As you're breaking in your skillet—and before the seasoning layer has fully matured—you might notice a bit of the seasoning coming off, or some patchy spots. Not to worry, as this is totally normal and won't affect its performance.