It is important to know how to season a ceramic pan so that you can make the most of its benefits, increase its lifespan, and have a better experience while cooking with it.
Seasoning cookware involves applying a non-stick oil or fat to the surface of a pan in order to protect it from rust and corrosion and to enhance the pan’s non-stick capabilities.
Make it a point to season a ceramic pan every time before using it for the first time, and continue to do so on a regular basis for the first few months that it is in use.
Contents
What Do You Need To Season a Ceramic Pan
Here’s what you need to get started when seasoning a ceramic pan.
- Your ceramic pan
- Soap
- Water
- A soft cloth or paper towel
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
*While vegetable oil is the best for creating a non-stick surface for your ceramic pan, you can use most of the oils. Think peanut oil, Grapeseed oil, lard, or canola oil.
Seasoning a Ceramic Pan (Step-by-Step)
Follow these steps for seasoning your ceramic pan.
Step 1: Clean the Pan
Before you start, you need to make sure that the ceramic pan you’ll be using is spotless.
To clean the surface of the pan without scratching it, apply some dish soap to the soft cloth, and then wipe it off. If your pan is brand new, you should try to avoid scrubbing it with an abrasive brush or sponge because doing so could scratch the surface of the pan.
After you’ve finished cleaning it, give it a good rinsing in water that’s been cleansed, and then use a new piece of a soft cloth to dry it.
Step 2: Apply Some Oil to the Surface of the Pan
Put a few drops of oil in the pan, and then use the very tip of your finger to spread the oil around so that it covers the whole surface. If you don’t feel confident using your fingers, you can always resort to using a paper towel instead.
If necessary, add more oil and continue to coat the surface thoroughly until it is completely covered. Take note that the oil you use absolutely must have a high smoking point in order to avoid disaster. Because butter and olive oil have such a low smoking points, it is best to avoid using them.
Step 3: Start Heating
Place your ceramic pan on a stovetop burner and let it on medium heat. Wait until it begins to smoke. The oil may take some time to start smoking so don’t be tempted to turn up the heat.
Let the oil heat slowly so that it can get soaked up into the surface of the pan as thoroughly as possible. Don’t forget to turn the pan periodically to prevent the pooling of oil.
Alternatively, you can set the oven to 300 degrees F and let the pan heat for about 20 minutes. This is best when you’re using a ceramic baking pan.
Although most of the ceramic pans are safe for oven use, make sure you check the instructions that come with it before putting it in the oven.
Step 4: Let it Cool
As soon as you observe that the oil has begun to smoke, remove the pan from the heat source and set it somewhere else so that it can cool.
Hold off until the temperature of the pan has returned to normal. Do not attempt to quickly cool it by putting it in the refrigerator or running cold water over it. Because of the sudden shift in temperature, the ceramic pan is in danger of suffering severe damage.
If the surface of the pan isn’t overly greasy and you have some time to kill, let the majority of the oil be absorbed into the pan before continuing. In most cases, the longer you wait, the more effectively the oil will fill in the gaps left by the pan’s imperfections. You will achieve the best results by utilizing this one easy tip.
Step 5: Dry Your Pan
When the pan has reached room temperature, wipe the surface of the pan with a clean paper towel to remove any excess oil that has accumulated there.
You may find that your pan has a slightly greasier feel to it than you are accustomed to; however, this is what makes it non-sticky. Because of this, you shouldn’t scrub it off or wash it off to get rid of the greasiness.
Step 6: Repeat the Process on a Regular Basis
In an ideal situation, you should repeat the procedure of seasoning the meat once every several months. On the other hand, this is contingent not only on the make and type of your pan but also on the length of time you have spent seasoning it.
If you have recently purchased a brand new ceramic pan, you should think about seasoning it once every month or two so at least for the first few months of use. This will ensure that the pan retains its nonstick properties. This will expedite the formation of a layer of seasoning that is more stable and long-lasting over a shorter length of time.
After the seasoning layer has been built up and you have observed that the food slides easily across the surface of the pan, you may choose to postpone the process until the food begins to stick on the surface of the pan more frequently than usual or until the characteristics of the ceramic coating begin to wear off.
In general, you should season your ceramic pan once every six months as a decent rule of thumb.
How to Take Care of Ceramic Pans
Even though seasoning is the most effective preventative measure you can take to keep your ceramic pans looking and functioning like new, there are other things you can do to take care of them and get the most out of them.
Use Safe Utensils Only
The proper maintenance of ceramic cookware requires the use of utensils that are less abrasive and more secure, specifically those crafted from silicon, plastic, or wood. The use of these materials will prevent the surface of your pans from becoming scratched during the course of their normal use.
If you want the best results, you should think about using spoons and spatulas made of rubberized silicone. These are the most pliable and accommodating to the surface of the ceramics.
Metal utensils have hard, sharp edges that can chip or scratch the surface of the pan, so it is imperative that you steer clear of using them at all costs.
Keep in mind that if the ceramic finish on your pan gets scratched, it will lose its ability to resist sticking to foods. Therefore, it is important to search for utensils that are not only safe but also extend the life of your ceramic pan.
Keep the Heat Low or Medium
When using ceramic pans that have been used before, the temperature of the stove should be kept between medium and low.
Increased temperatures not only increase the likelihood of discoloration and damage, but they also reduce the effectiveness of the nonstick coating on the pan. It only takes a few rounds of cooking at high temperatures for this to become a possibility.
The ceramic material already possesses remarkable heat conductivity, and a base constructed of aluminum or hard-anodized aluminum also works well for evenly distributing heat throughout the space. This indicates that you do not need to cook your food at temperatures that are significantly higher in order to achieve quick and even results.
If you are going to be using oil or butter, it is best to pre-heat your pan over low heat so that the oil can warm up before you add the food to the pan. This will ensure that the food cooks evenly.
Do NOT Use Cooking Oil Sprays
You may be tempted to use cooking oil sprays from aerosol cans because of how easy they are to use or how popular they are, but you should NOT do this when you’re cooking with ceramic cookware. This includes using cooking sprays that include olive oil or coconut oil.
There is a good chance that these cooking sprays include certain substances and chemicals that contribute to the formation of a sticky buildup on the top of the pan. On top of that, you probably wouldn’t want to put chemicals in your meals, would you?
These sprays are difficult to remove by washing or burning, and they will soon start to produce smoke. Scrubbing the surface of your pan to remove them will most likely result in the surface being scratched, scraped, or peeled. If you choose to use this method, you should be aware of the potential consequences. Its silky sheen will be destroyed in this process!
In light of this, seasoning your ceramic pan with oil is the most effective method to approach this situation.
Do NOT Wash Your Ceramic Pan in the Dishwasher
Hand washing the ceramic pan is the best way to clean it, even if the instructions that came with it said it could be cleaned in the dishwasher.
The majority of dishwashing detergents contain a variety of harsh chemicals, some of which may be too much for your pot or pan to handle.
It won’t take long for the surface to become unusable if you wash it in the dishwasher. In addition, the high-pressure spray of hot water that is applied to the pan by a dishwasher has the potential to remove the pan’s non-stick coating. Keep in mind that the surface of your ceramic pan could become chipped or scratched if it slides around in the dishwasher and comes into contact with other pans or the dishwasher itself.
To look on the bright side, cleaning the pan by hand with some mild dish soap, a gentle sponge, or a clean piece of cloth is not a difficult task at all. Cleaning a ceramic pan in this manner is a straightforward and speedy process, and if you dry it properly, you can maintain the surface’s appearance as well as its feel for a significant amount of time.
You might also be interested in reading: Can Cooking Pans Be Cleaned in the Dishwasher?
Avoid Drastic Changes in Temperature
Never allow your ceramic pan to go from hot to cold or vice versa in an excessively short amount of time.
Extreme shifts in temperature have the potential to inflict thermal damage on the surface of the non-stick coating. In the long run, the performance of the pan in terms of both heating and non-sticking will suffer.
When you are finished with the cooking, move the pan from a hot burner to a cool burner on the stove, and then wait until it has cooled to the temperature of room air before washing it. Under no circumstances should you ever put a hot pan in a sink that has running water in it.
Store Your Pan Safely
When it comes to storage, you should never stack ceramic pans on top of one another or place one inside the other.
Don’t forget to keep the circular cardboard piece that came with the packaging or a sheet of paper towel in between the pans. If you don’t have either of those, just use a sheet of paper towel instead. If you don’t have any of these items, you can get by with some worn-out washcloths if you need something to do the job.
You also have the option of hanging your ceramic cookware if the handles of the pans have holes in them. It’s possible you could use them as decorative pieces to spruce up the appearance of your kitchen.
How to Clean a Dirty Ceramic Pan
Even though it is not visible to the human eye, there will always be some quantity of protein residue left behind on the surface of the ceramic pan. This residue may or may not be visible. When you continue to use the pan without removing that layer, you enable it to build up and develop a noticeable brown coating. This may be prevented by removing that layer before each use.
Because of this, the coating’s non-stick properties will ultimately lose some of their effectiveness. The use of soapy water and a brush are unfortunately not sufficient to eradicate the unclean layer.
The following are two excellent methods for cleaning a ceramic pan that has become filthy.
Use an Acidic Product
When it comes to removing the protein layer from the ceramic coating, an acidic product can be of assistance. Pour some vinegar into the pan, then use a paper towel to spread it out evenly across the surface. Warm the pan over a heat setting of medium for about an hour.
Turning the heat up too high will cause the vinegar to boil, and then it will cook until it is completely dry.
Use a soft brush or scrubbing pad to thoroughly remove any dirt or debris from the surface. Even though the vinegar will leave a lingering smell on your pan for a few days, at least it will be as clean as new.
Try an Abrasive
It is possible to clean the surface of your ceramic pan with an abrasive such as Cif without causing any damage to the pan’s non-stick finish. Instead of using steel wool, try scrubbing the area with a scouring pad dampened with Cif and letting it do the work for you.
The use of a ceramic cooking pan that does not stick offers a high level of convenience in the kitchen. If you season it on a regular basis, you can prevent its performance from deteriorating with continued use, which will save you a significant amount of time and effort in the long run.
In order to ensure that your pan is properly seasoned and that you make the most of your time spent in the kitchen on a daily basis, be sure to follow the steps outlined above and make notes of the helpful hints.
FAQs
Why does food stick to my ceramic pan?
The non-stick performance of the ceramic pans can become compromised over time by the accumulation of food particles that have been left behind. Because of this, food tends to adhere, which makes it more difficult to clean.
Why is everything sticking to my greenpan?
Carbonization has a Sticky Characteristic
I’ll explain why. Carbonization results from overheating combined with oils. But don’t be concerned! You can remove them by using a melamine sponge, such as our Restore Sponge, for example.
What should you not put on a ceramic pan?
Do not use any utensils made of metal because they have the potential to nick or scrape the surface of ceramic cookware. Instead, use spoons and spatulas made of silicone or wood when you’re cooking.
Can you ruin a ceramic pan?
If you use a metal utensil that is too sharp or one that is made of materials that are too harsh on your pure ceramic cookware, the nonstick ceramic coating on the pots and pans may wear off sooner than planned. Although utensils made of metal or stainless steel are durable, the nonstick surface of your pan is readily marred by any of these materials.
Why can you not use olive oil in the GreenPan?
Some fats may be burned at lower temperatures than others, and oils that have been burned on might cause a pan to become sticky or begin to destroy the nonstick coating. Because of this, we do not advise using olive oil in cookware made of ceramic nonstick material.