What Does Pre-Seasoned Mean?

When your Field Skillet arrives, fresh out of the box, it's ready to cook with. We recommend giving it a quick rinse and drying it in case any dirt or debris gets on it during shipping. But as for seasoning, an extra layer is not required before you start your first cook.

With that said, cast iron gets better with use. True nonstick performance develops over time, as you build up many thin layers of seasoning from everyday cooking. So while your pan is ready to cook fresh out of the box, it's not the best version of itself. In fact, it will only get better, and more seasoned, each time you use it.

Before each Field Skillet leaves our foundry, every pan is finished with multiple coats of organic, cold-pressed grapeseed oil to create a base seasoning. This starter seasoning protects the iron and gives you a head start, but it's just the foundation.

As you cook, each meal adds microscopic oil layers that bond to the surface. Over the first few weeks and months, those layers interlock and gradually transform your skillet into your pan. Eventually, it will become a slick, virtually nonstick skillet that can even tackle delicate and acidic ingredients with ease.

For your first couple of cooks, you'll want to choose dishes that naturally help your skillet build seasoning:

• Anything fried in oil or fat (eggs, potatoes, chicken cutlets)
• Sautéing onions or other vegetables in oil
• Roasting veggies in the oven
• Cornbread and other baked goods that contain a lot of butter

These foods leave behind tiny amounts of well-bonded oil, strengthening the surface with every cook.

Cooking something lean (like fish or chicken breast) in the early days? Use a bit more fat or oil to help things along.

See also: Best Recipes for Building Cast Iron Seasoning

The bottom line is this: Keep cooking and cook often. View each time you cook as a chance to build another layer of seasoning, and before long, your Field Skillet will be as naturally nonstick as it is durable.

No, we don't offer unseasoned pans. Raw iron is extremely susceptible to moisture and rust during the shipping process, so all Field Skillets arrive pre-seasoned.

This pre-seasoning is no longer oil but has been converted to a polymer (a hard seasoning layer) and bonded to the iron.

If you prefer to season your pan differently, you can strip the existing seasoning with a 50/50 vinegar water bath and re-season from scratch. See our guide to oven seasoning for instructions.

Explore our favorite break-in recipes and seasoning tips right here, and reach out anytime for a little more guidance at help@fieldcompany.com.