Realized I was over-oiling my cast iron for years, thanks to a sticky pan

I've had this same skillet since college, and I always wiped oil on after every wash. Last week I made eggs and they stuck so bad I had to scrape them off. My buddy who cooks on an old Lodge told me to stop adding oil every time and just dry it on the stove. So I stripped it down with vinegar and salt, gave it one thin coat, and now it's actually nonstick. Anyone else spend a decade doing the extra step that was making things worse?

1 comments

1 Comment

karen2755d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that sticky egg pain is real! So wait, were you actually coating it with a visible layer of oil every time or just a light wipe? Cause I gotta ask, did your buddy explain why the extra oil was the problem? I thought more oil meant more nonstick but apparently it just turns into that gummy layer that grabs everything. Also, how long did you have to heat the vinegar and salt mixture to get it fully stripped down? I've been scared to do that to mine cause I dont wanna mess up the seasoning that took years to build.