How To Season Gotham Steel Pan – Buying Guide

How To Season Gotham Steel Pan?

For many, the idea of seasoning a pan is a completely unfamiliar concept. Unless we grew up in a house where cast iron skillets were being used, you probably never saw anyone “season” a pan. So, your first question is likely going to be “what is seasoning?”. We’ll tackle that in this article.

Your next question is likely to be “why should I season any non-stick pan?”. It probably seems a bit counter-intuitive given the non-stick characteristics of a Gotham Steel non-stick pan. We’ll walk through the benefits of seasoning, even on non-stick surfaces.

Before that, let’s talk a bit about what makes Gotham Steel cookware and bakeware so good.

First, these pans are built on a titanium steel core that heats quickly and evenly. No matter what you are preparing, quick and even heating are critical and they are the hallmarks of any high-quality cookware.

The titanium core also cools quickly and that can be just as important as quick heating. Fast cooling means your food stops cooking faster too so your perfect dish doesn’t wind up overcooked after you remove it from the heat.

Gotham Steel 9.5 Ultra Pan

• Exceptional Non-stick performance
• Even heating for even cooking
• Comfortable ergonomic design

While significantly important, the real distinction here is the ceramic copper non-stick surface that makes every Gotham Steel pot or pan in my kitchen so important. They really are non-stick, even on the rare occasion when I got distracted and burned something I was cooking (it happened twice). Even then, clean up was a snap and the pan was completely undamaged.

That non-stick quality has meant that I have been able to drastically reduce the amount of oil, butter, and lard that I was using for many stove-top dishes. It’s also allowed me to stop coating my baking pans without worrying about what I’ve baked, sticking to the sides and bottom of the pan. Foods come out of my baking pans just as easily as they went in.

The one caveat in all of this is the need to show these Gotham Steel pan the right kind of love and that starts and ends with proper seasoning. Here are the answers I’ve promised you.

What Is Seasoning?

Seasoning is the process of adding a thin layer of oil to the surface of any cookware to help keep food from sticking and on a non-stick surface. It’s also a process that helps keep non-stick surfaces performing as they were intended.

The truth is, even non-stick surfaces wear out over time, and when used a lot, that can happen soon unless the surfaces are properly and regularly seasoned. That thin layer of oil adds just enough additional protection to keep the pan at peak performance.

On Gotham Steel pans, you could certainly get away with not seasoning, or at least not seasoning as often, but why. The process is so quick and simple that it essentially costs you nothing to take this little bit of extra care, especially when that care is likely to extend the life of pots and pans you are going to come to love as much as I love mine.

Follow these simple steps and enjoy them.

First Seasoning

1. After unboxing your Gotham Steel pan give it a quick inspection. Make sure nothing has been damaged in transit. I have seen a few reports where pots and pans have been damaged in transit. The good news is, Gotham Steel seems to be very good about replacing damaged products so you’ll be safe as long as you report it right away.
2. Next, give your pan a good wash. You do not want to use any abrasives or harsh chemicals for this, now or ever. Just a wet cloth or soft sponge and some dish soap will be all that’s needed to get this job done.
3. Now dry the pan thoroughly. Any kitchen towel or paper towel will get this done for you. A completely dry surface will make the next step more effective.
4. Drizzle a few drops of canola or vegetable oil into the pan and using a paper towel or food brush, spread it over the entire non-stick surface.
5. Now put the pan on the stove with the burner set to medium heat. Keep an eye on it. When you start the see the oil steam off the surface this step is finished.
6. Do not wash the pan again. Let it cool and wipe it clean with a dry paper towel. You pan is now ready.

Continued Seasoning

1. While not critically important, it is a good idea to continue seasoning your Gotham Steel pans to ensure the non-stick surface keeps performing for you. I typically do this about once a month but I do know others that do it after each use. I don’t think you need to be that vigilant but it certainly can’t hurt to do it more often.
2. After use, wash your pan properly and then follow the same steps you performed for the first seasoning. It’s no more complicated than that. My pans have probably been seasoned 10 times at this point and they are performing like they are brand new.

Some Final Tips

Seasoning is designed to leave a nearly imperceptible sheen of oil on the surface of your pan. It’s this sheen that adds a layer of additional protection to your non-stick surface. To do that effectively required heating to a medium-high temperature. Using olive oil doesn’t accomplish that since it smokes off at relatively low temperature and will burn off quickly and completely. Stick with canola or vegetable oil and you’ll get this job done well.

When cooking with Gotham Steel pots and pans, you don’t need to turn the heat up as high as you might have with other cookware. Because the heat quicker and more evenly, you can turn the dial down a notch or two and get better results. I normally take my cooking temps down by one step so if the dish I’m preparing would normally cook on high, I set my burner to medium-high. I do the same for the dishes I am baking. If the recipe calls for 450F I’ll turn the oven down to 400F with confidence.

I mentioned earlier that I managed to burn food on two occasions when I got distracted. In both cases, the pan I was using cleaned easily but I was pretty certain that the seasoning has burned off as well. So, in both cases, I seasoned the pan again after I cleaned up the mess.

Conclusion

When I first received my Gotham Steel pans, I hadn’t even considered the need to season them. I certainly hadn’t done that with the pans I’d used before I was introduced to these wonders. It just seemed odd as I thought about a surface that was already designed to be non-stick.

As I thought about it a bit more, it started to make sense in terms of the long-term wear and tear on these pans. I’m stirring, scooping, mixing, and spooning with every dish I prepare and that has to have some impact on the non-stick surface eventually. It makes sense that seasoning will help reduce that wear and tear.

I love my Gotham Steel pots and pans (I have the complete set), and I want them to last so why not add a bit of extra protection, especially when it’s so easy to accomplish. I’m guessing this simple seasoning step will add years to the life of this cookware. I certainly hope so given how much I love cooking with them.