How do you clean, season and care for a new cast iron frying pan?

Season, clean and care for a new cast-iron frying pan by covering the surface with cooking oil, baking it for an hour, and removing the remaining oil with paper towels. After using the pan, scrub off stuck-on food with a nonmetal brush, and rinse it with water.

1. Coat the pan with oil

   Thoroughly coat the cooking surface of the cast-iron frying pan with cooking oil.

2. Bake the pan

   Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the oil-coated pan in the oven, and bake it for one hour.

3. Dry the pan

   Remove the pan from the oven, and wipe the remaining oil with dry paper towels.

4. Scrub off food

   After using the pan, pour coarse salt onto the areas with burned- or stuck-on food. Scrub the pan with a nonmetal brush. Use only mildly abrasive tools when cleaning the pan to keep from harming the finish.

5. Rinse the pan

   Rinse off the remaining food with hot water. Do not allow water to soak in the pan, as this can ruin the seasoned surface.

6. Store the pan

   After cleaning the pan, rub a small amount of cooking oil into the surface, and cover it with a paper towel before putting it away.

7. Reseason the pan

   If the surface begins to get rusty or sticky, scrub off the finish with steel wool, and repeat the seasoning process.