How to Season Ceramic Pan (Step-by-step Guide)

Understanding how to season a ceramic pan is essential for maximizing its advantages, maintaining its durability, and improving your cooking experience. But how and why do we need to season a ceramic pan?

Cookware seasoning is the application of non-stick oil or fat to the surface of a pan to prevent corrosion and rust and enhance its non-stick properties.

Make it a habit to season a ceramic pan before using it for the first time and regularly do so for the first few months. So, here’s the step-by-step guide on how to season the ceramic pan.

Table of Contents

Materials Needed to Season a Ceramic Pan

Here’s everything you’ll need to start seasoning a ceramic pan.

Your ceramic pan

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Soap

Water

A smooth cloth or paper towel

* While vegetable oil is ideal for generating a non-stick surface for your ceramic pan, various oils may be used. Consider peanut, grapeseed, lard, or canola oil.

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Simple Step-by-step Guide for Seasoning a Ceramic Pan

To season your ceramic pan, follow these procedures.

Step 1: Scrub the Pan

Make sure your ceramic pan is totally clean before you begin.

Clean the pan’s surface carefully with dish soap and a soft cloth.

It is not advisable to scrub it using an abrasive brush or sponge, especially if your pan is new.

After cleaning it, properly rinse it with clean water and dry it with a new piece of a soft cloth.

Step 2: Rub Some Oil on the Pan’s Surface

Apply a few drops of oil to the pan and distribute it evenly over the surface with the tip of your fingertips. If you don’t want to use your fingers, you can use a paper towel.

If necessary, add extra oil until the whole surface is fully covered. Please keep in mind that the oil you choose should have a high smoking point. Because butter and olive oil have a low smoking point, they should be avoided.

Step 3: Start Heating the Pan

Place your ceramic pan on a medium fire on your cooktop. Wait till it starts smoking. It may take some time for the oil to begin smoking, so don’t be tempted to increase the heat.

Allow the oil to heat slowly so that it may absorb as much as possible into the pan’s surface. Remember to flip the pan regularly to avoid oil from pooling.

Alternatively, preheat the oven to 300°F and let the pan heat for 20 minutes. This works well with a ceramic baking pan.

Although most ceramic pans are safe to use in the oven, read the directions before placing them in the oven.

Step 4: Allow It to Cool

Remove the pan from the heat once the oil begins to smoke and put it aside to cool.

Allow the pan to cool to room temperature. Do not soak it in cold water or place it in the refrigerator to quickly cool it down. The quick temperature change puts the ceramic pan at risk of severe damage.

Let most of the oil be absorbed into the pan if the pan’s surface isn’t too greasy and you have to wait. Generally, the longer you wait, the better the oil will fill in the imperfections of the pan. The best outcomes will come from this easy method.

Step 5: Allow Your Pan to Dry

After the pan has cooled to room temperature, remove any excess oil from its surface using a clean paper towel.

Your pan may feel a bit greasier than usual, but this is what keeps it from sticking. So, don’t scrape or wash it away to remove the oiliness.

Step 6: Repeat the Procedure Regularly

Seasoning should ideally be performed every several months. However, this depends on the type of pan and how long you have been seasoning it.

If you just bought a new ceramic pan, try seasoning it once per month or two for the first few months of usage. This will result in forming a more permanent layer of seasoning in a relatively short amount of time.

Once the seasoning layer has formed and the food moves quickly, you may wait for the procedure until the food begins to stick to the pan’s surface more than usual or if the ceramic coating’s properties begin to disappear.

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How Often Should Your Non-stick Ceramic Pan Be Seasoned?

Ceramic frying pans must be reseasoned regularly. How often you do it is determined by how much you use the pan and how well you care for it.

When you observe food sticking to the pan’s ceramic non-stick surface, it’s a good sign that it needs another regular seasoning session.

Check to see whether your non-stick cookware still has a smooth surface. If it isn’t glossy and polished (it looks harsh and uneven), it may be time to reapply the non-stick oil coating.

You may, of course, season a ceramic pan after each use. Some cooks do this to permanently preserve it in perfect condition. It’s all depending on you.

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Additional Techniques to Improve the Durability of Your Seasoned Ceramic Pans

While seasoning is the most effective preventive technique for keeping your ceramic pans looking and performing like new, there are other methods to look for and make the most of them.

Only Use Safe Utensils

Ceramic pan care demands softer and safer utensils, ideally, those made of silicon, plastic, and wood. These materials will protect the surface of your cookware from scratches while in use.

Consider utilizing rubberized silicone spoons and spatulas for best results. These are the gentlest and softest on ceramic surfaces.

Metal utensils should be avoided at all costs since they have harsh, sharp edges that might chip or harm the pan’s surface.

Remember that if the ceramic coating on your pan becomes scratched, it will lose its non-stick properties. So, seek safe utensils that will extend the life of your ceramic pan.

Maintain a Low or Medium Heat

Always cook on medium to low heat while using seasoned ceramic pans.

Higher temperatures increase the chance of discoloration and damage and reduce the pan’s non-stick effectiveness. This may happen after just a few high-temperature cooking sessions.

The ceramic material has excellent heat conductivity. The foundation of aluminum or hard-anodized aluminum also helps in heat distribution. This means that greater temperatures aren’t required to cook your food fast and evenly.

If you’re using oil or butter, it’s ideal to preheat your pan on low heat to allow the oil to heat before adding your dish.

Avoid Using Cooking Oil Sprays

You may be intrigued to use cooking oil sprays from aerosol cans due to their ease of use or popularity. Still, you should NOT do so when cooking with ceramic cookware, even those containing olive oil or coconut oil.

Certain chemicals and substances in these cooking sprays are likely to cause a sticky buildup on the pan’s surface. After all, you wouldn’t want to put chemicals in your food, would you?

These sprays will not easily wash away or burn off and will ultimately start to smoke. If you use the scrubbing method to remove them, you will most likely damage, scrape, or peel the surface of your pan. Its shiny polish will be damaged!

As a result, seasoning your ceramic pan with oil is the best way.

Clean Your Ceramic Pans Properly

The first step towards reseasoning your ceramic pans less often is to clean them appropriately.

To sum up, use a soft sponge rather than an abrasive sponge or steel wool pad to remove harsh food residue; use baking soda and hot water to remove persistent food residue. Wash your pan with a mild dish detergent and warm water mixture.

After a few minutes following the proper warm soapy water cleaning procedure, it can prevent your non-stick coating from early damage.

Do Not Store Ceramic Pan on Top of Each Other

It is preferable not to stack your non-stick ceramic pans. Friction between the pan’s surface and the bottom of the other pan may destroy the non-stick coating. Instead, use a pan rack to hang your pans.

Suppose you’re limited on storage in your kitchen. You may stack non-stick pans if you insert a clean paper towel, dishcloth, paper bag, or paper napkin between them. This will keep the pans’ whole pan surface from wearing out.

Avoid Using Dishwasher to Clean Your Ceramic Pan

Even though the ceramic pan’s instructions state that it may be washed in the dishwasher, wash it by hand.

Most dishwashing detergents include harsh chemicals that your pan may not be able to tolerate.

Washing it in the dishwasher will quickly ruin its surface. Also, hot water pressure poured on a pan in a dishwasher might destroy the non-stick coating.

Not to mention that by sliding against other pans or the dishwasher, the surface of your ceramic pan may get cracked or damaged.

On the positive side, washing the pan by hand with mild dish detergent and a soft sponge or clean piece of cloth is very simple.

It’s a fast and easy method to clean a ceramic pan, and by drying it properly, you may keep the appearance and feel of its surface for a long time.

Safely Store Your Pan

When it comes to storing ceramic pans, never stack them on top of or inside one another.

Keep the circular cardboard piece that comes with the packing or a sheet of paper towel in between the pans. If you don’t have any of them, you may go along with some old washcloths.

Alternatively, if your ceramic pans have holes in the handles, you may hang them. They may be used as decorative items to enhance the appearance of your kitchen.

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Conclusion

A non-stick ceramic frying pan is an excellent convenience, and seasoning will ensure that comfort will last. A perfect non-stick coating can help keep burn spots away from your food and make cooking stickier foods like eggs much easier.

While it may take a bit more effort at first, seasoning can save you a lot of time in the long run when it comes to cleaning.

Remember to properly clean and care for your ceramic pan to last longer. So, we hope our advice has helped you season your ceramic pan and keep its dazzling beauty.