I used my cast iron pan for the first time and everything is stuck. Help?Updated 6 months ago

Cast iron pans are the choice of many chefs and can last a lifetime but they do need a little bit of love.

We would advise using quite a bit of oil and butter in the beginning to build a natural layer of patina (the more the better!) especially if the cookware has been cleaned, scrubbed or washed as these things take away the natural oils and fats. 

Once those fats and oils are heated a liquid forms and hardens the surface of the cookware. The process creates a natural layer of oils and the cookware gets better and better after every use. It does take a few uses for the pan to develop its patina, which will improve the non-stick layer.

You may find that some very delicate dishes stick to cast iron, before it develops its non-stick quality – such as fish, eggs or gyoza dumplings. 

The other thing you could do to speed this up is to re-season the pan to reinforce the patina. You can do this by following these steps:

1.        Wash the pan with soapy water and dry thoroughly.

2.        Add a thin layer of rapeseed, sunflower or canola oil to the dry pan. 

3.        After adding oil, heat the pan to a medium-high temperature on the stove. 

4.        After about 10-15 minutes when the oil has stopped smoking, the product is seasoned, black and ready for use. 

It is essential to dry your pan thoroughly to avoid any potential for rust to build up.

We have a full guide here on how to take care of your cast iron pan which also has instructions for a deeper clean if you need to restore the pan back to its original health. There are some great tips from Chef Jen below: