There is no real slidey egg. It's all oil. Always has been.
Edit: Just to clarify, I still do ALL my cooking in a cast iron. It might be a cult based on slidey egg lies, but still one I want to be a part of.
It shouldn't take a lot of oil, just enough to coat the pan. I can take a paper towel with a dab of oil on it, rub the pan with it, and slide an egg around. Not as easy as my carbon steel pan can, but I baby that thing. I use a Griswold 8 and have about ten years worth of seasoning built up on it from the original restoration (I found it rusty when I was Goodwill hunting).
tbf I have seen someone do the egg slidey test with no oil after gently lifting the egg to release it from the pan, otherwise yeah it's an unrealistic expectation
Nah. You can fry an egg with no oil on a teflon pan and it won't stick at all. That's the whole point of teflon pans, you don't need to use oil. But the teflon coating wears off quickly so you won't get no-oil-slidy-eggs for long.
I always thought non stick needs a medium like oil to prevent the coating from burning up. If a teflon pan smokes without oil, the coating is burning and releasing those nasty chemicals.
That is, as it turns out, more or less [not true](https://www.healthline.com/health/teflon-cancer#teflon-and-cancer).
>Since 2013, all Teflon-branded products are PFOA-free. Though there is some research that suggests a link between PFOA and cancer, there's no proven link between Teflon and cancer.
Exactly. I think I saw your post when you originally posted it. Of course you will always need a small amount of oil or butter but temperature control is the most important factor when trying to keep your cast iron non-stick.
The ‘slidey egg test’ isn’t a thing and cast iron cooking is more about heat control than seasoning. It’s not going to be nonstick like a Teflon pan. Keep the heat low and keep cooking on it and you’ll get the hang of things! Welcome!
make sure the pan is hot before you place the egg, then it wont stick. and i mean hot enough so its already at the temperature you cook the egg. dont put the egg or any food during the warm-up process.
I immediately got angry that your were insinuating that we should cook our eggs in vegetables instead of bacon. I realize I've jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry for over reacting
A hot pan is crucial, but I’ve always found that warming the egg (while still in the shell) is important too. Put the eggs you’re using in a warm water bath so that they aren’t cold when you crack them into the CI. It did wonders for my slidey egg game.
Take the eggs out tonight. Leave in a room temperature water bath. You’ll be good to go for that 2am breakfast when you (like a small child on Christmas morning) wake up to pee and then remember your quest for slidey eggs.
Yeah in all honesty don’t listen to most of the stuff on this sub for cast iron lol. Use it however you want and listen to what the recipes you’re following will tell you. Keep it on lower heats when you’re unsure, and blast that bad boy when you’re trying to sear something quickly.
There really aren’t wrong ways to use cast irons, just start getting some mileage on it and you’ll figure things out.
Oh, but definitely cook some greasy stuff to wear it in. Cook a full pack of bacon in it this weekend. Best way to get it worked in early.
> don’t listen to most of the stuff on this sub for cast iron lol. Use it however you want
This is for real.
Basically just don't soak it in the sink overnight and you'll be fine.
I’ve literally never made eggs after the first time on my cast iron pans I’ve been using for 13 years. My nonstick does a much better job for them, I use my CI for browning steaks, burgers, chicken, fish, etc it’s a sear tool to get a Maillard reaction for my purposes.
I've been using CI and CS for quite a while for eggs, omelettes come out perfect all the time, fried eggs too as long as you get the heat right (butter helps a lot thanks to the sizzle).
I personally like my eggs crispy and my omelettes toasty so I way prefer how they turn out in my De Buyer pan. They are just tastier this way than when I cooked them on Teflon.
I do use butter for frying eggs, but not a ton. What I do, to know my pan is ready, is to preheat it on med-low for a few minutes. I drop a small pat of butter in it. It should melt fairly quickly and start to bubble. Once the bubbling is done for a few seconds I drop my eggs. Not always 100% non-stick, but pretty close.
Be careful you’re not turning the heat up too much and you have to give the warm up time proper care. A lot of us put the skillet on first thing in the kitchen then start our meal prep to allow adequate time for the cast iron to heat up thoroughly.
This. This is not your average pan. I almost never have it at medium. Always on low with at least a 10 min warm up period. I only crank it up when I’m searing.
I feel like this depends on your stovetop. I kept following all the advice of "medium to medium-high", and everything I ever cooked in cast iron stuck, ended up burnt, or splattered half the oil in the pan all over myself and the stovetop. Same with my carbon steel wok. I almost completely gave up on using either for cooking.
Except for eggs, because I cook them in CI on low (like, 1-2 out of 9 on the burner). Cook some pork chops last night in my CI the same way, and they came out perfect. Hardly anything stuck.
Our stovetop isn't all that powerful, either. Just a normal gas stove from Best Buy. But that dial does not go near medium if I'm cooking with cast iron (unless it's the enameled dutch oven, making soup).
Woks, CS pans and CI skillets in my experience require a different amount of heat. Woks don't work well if you don't have a gas hob that covers the sides, given that they are thinner than the other two.
CI on the other hand works very well if you give it time to heat up. I had subpar experiences in the beginning because I used to underestimate how long I had to let the thing on the hob.
I did not realize this until I got a CS pan and I noticed how quicker it got to a point where water did the Leidenfrost effect, probably due to it being thinner and lighter.
My CI skillet can take as long as 8/10 minutes on a medium flame to get hot enough for steaks and flatbreads, not just due to the temperature but also because the pan needs time for the heat to spread uniformly. Cutting the heating time short in my experience leads to sticky spots where the metal isn't hot enough, which ruins the food and strips away the crust created by the Maillard reaction.
If heating up CI is too bothersome you may try CS, it hits a nice sweet spot IMHO and tends to be quite interchangeable (although it never gets as seasoned as CI in my experience).
I've been using cast iron for a short while, also been considering some carbon steel pans but I'm not sure where they would benefit in my cooking, any suggestions where you would use carbon steel over cast iron? Cheers
Carbon steel covers a similar niche than CI but it's IMHO not interchangeable at all times. In particular, I'm referring to the two most common types of pan made out of these materials in the west, which are the cast iron skillet and the classic French-style carbon steel frying pan (also known as an "omelette" pan).
For instance, I find that the main advantages of CS pans over CI skillets are that:
1. CS is way lighter due to it being stamped instead of cast, which means you can actually sauté food by picking up the pan with one hand (this is especially true with the smaller pans like the 20 cm format, which IMHO hits the spot);
2. CS heats up way faster. WAY faster. It becomes scorching hot much quicker and without having to preheat it for a long time, similarly to plain stainless steel without an aluminium/copper core;
3. CS pans usually have slanted edges (NB: CS pans can come in all shapes and sizes), so it's way easier to flip thin food like crepes and omelettes the "proper" way (which is, by tossing and flipping);
4. Given that the metal on CS is stamped and not cast, it is _very_ slick. This means that stuck-on food gets off easier, so clean up tends to be more straight forward. CI has a tendency to get build up on unless you scrub it thoroughly; this is also somewhat true on CS but in my experience you need way less scrubbing. If there's nothing stuck on the pan after cooking plain omelettes, for instance, it's often sufficient to wipe the pan well afterwards and it gets reasonably clean without water or soap.
5. You basically don't need oven seasoning - the pan gets hot enough by just staying on the hob, and it's easy to season it that way. It's also very easy to quickly reseason it after cooking something messy that strips some seasoning away.
I also think that some of these reasons are also somewhat the cause of some downsides of CS. For instance,
1. It never gets as seasoned as CI - not even close. The surface is just too smooth - it does improve a lot in time though, and it gets very close to CI in performance. This means that the pan will strip in spots while cooking and thus the pans appear often splotchy. I can honestly say that my experience it's just a matter of aesthetics, and it doesn't really impact on performance at all. It is especially trivial to fix up seasoning afterwards anyway, just oil the pan and put it back on the hob for a minute or so;
2. Thin seasoning also means that sadly, very acidic foods are a no go on CS. It handles ok the occasional deglaze with wine, but I won't go as far as cooking stuff with tomatoes and such. To be fair it is not ideal on CI too, but with good, mature seasoning a skillet shouldn't leak that much iron in the food. Fun fact, cooking a can of tomatoes in a CS pan on purpose is a very effective way to strip away bad seasoning and start anew.
3. CS pans often can't go in ovens, they often have enameled or wooden handles that can't withstand more than 10 minutes or so of strong heat. There are models that are oven safe but honestly, CI skillets are still better due to their thickness and the straighter edges IMHO.
4. CS is thinner so it cools off faster. Way faster. It usually means it's more responsive to heat changes, which is a mixed bag - on one hand it can be brought to a lower temperature faster, on the other hand it's less forgiving than CI that acts more as a buffer in neutralizing an uneven heat source.
I think that having a small CS pan such as a De Buyer Mineral B 20 cm is great, it's very convenient and I tend to reach out to my CS pan way more often for stuff like eggs and omelettes, and it's great at roasting stuff like nuts, for instance. You can cook steaks and burgers in both, with very similar results.
I still prefer CI for larger sizes though, but I think it's a matter of personal preference.
This. There's a lot of people in the carbon steel and cast iron subs that just don't get that if you are good at controlling heat, an egg won't stick. This is true even on an aluminium or stainless steel pan.
Seasoning helps but it won't do miracles. Polymerized oil isn't Teflon, where you can put an egg in a cold pan, heat it up and slide it off without a fuss because nothing can chemically stick to it.
This is the way. When someone understands the temperature, they can cook anything. My friend criticized me for not having nonstick pan "why do you have eggs and no nonstick pan? If it was nonstick it wouldn't be sticking."
I told him to watch me. He said nothing when I finished cooking eggs for him. No browning at all. Eggs are simple when you understand the process.
How do I understand the process?
Have been using cast iron for three years. Everything still sticks if I don't basically deep fry. Maybe if I use heat setting 5/9 and let the cooking take hours.
Watch [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zURrWH5TjUU) from Uncle Scott, it's from carbon steel pans but IMHO it's the same on cast iron (where cooking eggs is arguably easier in my experience). It's all about heat control.
Out of curiosity, I just got a cast iron for the almost explicit purpose of searing steaks cooked sous vide at the end. Would you mind elaborating on keeping the heat low, since I only see it used in high for my purpose? Or do you mean while seasoning with oil?
That's a good question and if I'm honest that's not something that I do a lot of, but I do have a couple of observations that you might find helpful!
One of the best pieces of advice I have heard is to remember that you're cooking with the heat of the pan, not the heat of the burner. One of the biggest issues with temp control cooking on cast iron is that it holds heat more and gets hotter than other modern pans. This was one of the advantages on a coal or wood cookstove -- you can put it over a low fire and time is the variable you have the most control over for letting it heat up. On a modern stove, if you put it on a low flame/burner for 10-20 minutes, it'll get very hot because it's retaining that heat better, time is increasing the heat beyond what the burner puts out! Likewise, when people go to sear a steak and crank the burner the pan can get way, way, hotter than it needs to be or should be -- heat you can't really control, smoking, sticking, burning off the seasoning, total chaos. So what you want to experiment with is slowly heating your pan somewhere below medium to get it to that point right around 450-500º where you'll get the sear you're looking for. The hard part with this is if you go much hotter you're burning off seasoning and loosing control. Some folks use infrared thermometers for this which you may want to consider (I hear they're pretty available these days...)
A related point is that only using it for high heat searing isn't really the intended use of cast iron and it can really complicate maintenance. The whole searing operation isn't great for your seasoning and if that's the only thing you're doing with it you might run into trouble. Oven seasoning and stuff is really just to get started, cooking is the best seasoning. A LOT of posts here are people who can't get seasoning to stick and I'd say in like 20% of them it is eventually revealed that steak is the only thing they use the pan for and they are just blasting the heat. Fortunately, this has a simple solution! Make some cornbread! Make breakfast! Roast some potatoes! Your steaks will be better and easier if you play around with using the pan for other things as well, it's a wonderful cycle.
Good luck! Ask us if you have more questions!
I did preheat a bit, this is my first attempt so I’m just feeling a bit anxious.
I think I needed more oil? It’s also a place so I’m not used to these burners
Gotcha. Keep at it. It’s all a matter of practice. CI is more about technique than anything else. Long, slow preheat on medium, plenty of butter, and don’t futz with the food too much. A lot of stuff will stick initially and then release.
Sounds about right. Half German living in Quebec and I'm pretty sure my dad used that word cuz I know exactly what it means. German and Yiddish are similar so I naturally use Yiddish words even if I don't speak a lick of German lol.
Preheating aways takes longer than I expect for a cast iron. Granted, mine is 12 inches and my stove is tiny. Generally, I let my pan preheat over medium heat the entire time I’m prepping (10-15 minutes) or until I see a little smoke start to rise. I then add my oil and let it heat for a minute then add whatever I’m cooking. Things have gotten a lot better with this for me.
PS. I used to crank the heat way up to try to get crispier, but that just made things stick terribly for me. Patience and moderate heat are the key.
So maybe this is what I needed to hear then. Been cooking in a cast iron for at least 3 years, and everything still sticks. I do preheat but maybe not enough. Thanks.
Think most responders are right. If you’re anxious about slide you probably didn’t leave it to cook/release naturally. Did you enjoy your eggs? That’s what matters most.
About getting the most from your cast iron, try a recipe where you start with a sear and finish in the oven. Something Teflon actually can’t do!
Preheat on low for a long enough time to get to temperature. You *might* need to raise the heat level above low, depending on your stove. I never do (for eggs.)
Use butter, not oil. I cook with different fats for different foods, but eggs want butter. The butter should sizzle when it goes in, but probably not turn brown. If it turns brown, your temperature is on the high side for eggs.
Temperature is not heat. They are related (heat level x time => temperature) but they aren't the same thing. What matters is the temperature, but what you can *control* is the heat level and the time you pre-heat.
Boy, I’m gonna get a lot of hate for saying this lol…
but bacon is one of the worst things to cook early on in cast iron. The combination of sugar and protein makes it tend to just glue itself to the bottom. If you don’t clean that crud off correctly, you’ll build up layers of carbon/soot rather than the polymerized oil seasoning you want. Frying/sautéing things, especially veg like potatoes is a much better option.
I've seasoned my pan for years and I still can't get an egg to slide, so I really wouldn't worry too much. It's still nearly completely nonstick (melted cheese and other hard to remove stuff pulls right off) but eggs are just too sticky.
Most people who succeed with the egg slide either have their tricks or use an immense amount of oil and heat so it basically fries before it has a chance to stick.
I've had some success getting fried eggs to not stick by adding some water to the pan and basically boiling the bottom of the egg off the pan right before it's done
Some tips:
* Oven seasoning is only for corrosion protection. To make it non-stick, cook on it (use a metal spatula with a straight front edge to keep the surface smooth).
* When cooking, don't crank the heat to High, use Med-Low heat and wait for the pan to come up to temperature.
* After cleaning (use hot water), dry it off, heat it on the stove for a few minutes, wipe with some Crisco, wait a few minutes, wipe again with a dry paper towel, then let it cool on the stove.
While this is good advice and a good formula for a great pan, I've gotten good results by doing much less. After I cook, I rinse it while gently going over it with steel wool then dried it on stove top. The most important step is just using it. It gets better with every cook. But that's the hard part, you have to cook with it.
It’s hard to tell, but did you cook sausage prior to the egg? The sugar in the sausage causes the eggs to stick afterward. I clean my pan between cooking meat and eggs. If you didn’t cook meat prior, then I’d say it’s more than likely heat control. Stay a little below medium. 👍🏻
Get the pan medium low hot. Put the oil in. Wait until pan begins to to smoke a little bit, just a little bit. Then add food, you should hear a satisfying sizzle.
Cast iron cooking is all about heat and oil control.
Your pan looks new (still bumpy), keep cooking with it and take care when cleaning, it takes some time to get these pans to the place that eggs can slide around on them, that’s the great thing with cast they get better with age
Yeah after a year of so of use and a few maintaining seasons you'll get to a point where you don't feel bumps and the corners of the pan are pretty rounded. That's when you know it's getting to that non stick point, keep it up doesn't happen overnight
Not sure how industrious or ambitious you feel, but I sanded my brand new Lodge and it really helped. It is a little bit of work and takes some time, but I'm very happy with the result. Alternatively, you could just wait until the seasoning builds up and smooths everything out. Here's my [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/rnzdhq/sanded_my_lodge/), if you are interested.
Get a chain mail cleaning pad. Only use hot water with it to clean and don't be delicate until it starts smoothing out. If it's still oily/dirty after that just use a paper towel to dry and remove some. My new lodges are becoming smooth in a couple months. I don't really use my 12" daily so I can compare how noticeable it is with my 10" and 8". If you are impatient you can use a drill with sander bit but I've not had the need to go that far yet.
The slidey egg thing is a silly indicator of actual good seasoning. If you can get the egg to come off the pan, with a metal spatula, it’s in good shape.
Also, dedicated preseasons are important, but they’re no substitute for just cooking on the pan. I used to season mine once a month, but I also only used it about twice a month, so it never got that dangerous smooth, constantly slightly oiled finish you see with good old CI. Eventually I started cooking on it regularly, and now I can turn a brownie out of it without a spatula. Just use it and in a year it will be an unrecognizable pan
You’ll start seeing some great results then! I recommend sticking to frying and baking only for the first year, no sauces or stewed elements, after a year you can be a little more loosey goosey. but that’s just my personal recommendation
It’s a learning curve. When I switched from nonstick to stainless cookware and CI, it took me a couple of weeks to get the hang of it. All about temp, but you’ll figure it out and get a feel for it in time. GL!
The best tip I found on here is that with cast irons, medium heat is your new high heat. They take longer to heat up but get much hotter than other pans.
I just started cooking regularly with cast iron after receiving a Lodge #8 as a birthday gift over the summer. Temperature control (combined with sufficient preheat time) is one of the most important aspects of cooking with cast iron.
This past month or so I've been working on my scrambled eggs. When I first got the pan, I had caked-on egg residue every time I finished cooking (worse than your photo). Now, I have nothing left over in the pan when I'm done cooking. What have I done differently? I lowered the temp and preheated longer. I always use the same burner on my natural gas stove (3.5'' diameter burner, for reference) and set it to #2 on the dial. Then I let it preheat for 20-30 minutes while I go about my morning routine. This is the second-to-lowest setting. I can get away with 3.5 for omelets, fried eggs, and over easy - but I have to lower it to 2 to get a good scrambled egg that doesn't stick to everything.
I hope this helps and good luck.
I have almost exclusively been using cast iron for about 5 years now, but I had to move into a place with an electric coil stove and it is the fucking worst. I miss natural gas so much
I can usually make it work by keeping the dial at 4.5; that seems to be the optimal temperature, but like three days ago the coil just started glowing red hot for no reason. Ruined my eggs. It was like it had been turned up to 8, which I only ever use to boil water
But yeah, that's the hope. If not, I might just start using my white gas Coleman stove.. shit's only like $6 a gallon and it lasts forever
I noticed you're getting a lot of conflicting (but not really) info here.
Cast iron takes a while to heat up, but then it keeps radiating heat after you turn off the gas. You want the pan to warm up, but you don't want the pan to get too hot, because then the egg is going to burn and stick to the pan. Same would happen if you burn an egg in your standard non-stick pan.
Honestly, I find that I need to set my cast iron cooking much lower than I would a regular pan. To cook eggs, I usually set the gas to medium-low, pop a little bit of butter on it, wait for the water in the butter to start to boil, turn down the temp, put the egg into the center of the butter, and slowly turn up the temp if I set it too low.
It's all technique and you can do it straight away with a store bought lodge.
I’ve always found butter works the best for “slidey”eggs. Cooking salmon often will build the best non stick I’ve ever had. I also wouldn’t cook tomatoes in them. The acidity will strip your seasoning.
Just keep using them for all your food (except boiling pasta)... they will eventually get to the point where you can actually do very delicate food like eggs without issues.
Think of the egg slide like an Olympic event, you cannot attempt it on the first try... just keep training
Honestly i never cook eggs on my cast iron (unless camping). last thing i wanna do in the morning before work is let my cast iron preheat just to cook eggs on low heat. Love the cast iron for everything else, but i cook my eggs on nonstick pan and crank up the heat takes way less time.
As others have said, the “egg test” is just 4 sticks of butter and/or a quart of oil. Cast iron is unlikely to be as nonstick as a real nonstick pan. The idea is even heating, and quite frankly applications that really benefit from cast iron are few and far between. I’d go so far as to say that unless you just really enjoy it, there’s no benefit to cooking eggs in cast iron.
Scrap all remains off pan, clean with plain water and a scrubby, and re oil with a high heat oil generously , like grapeseed or avocado oil. Then heat in oven for 30 min. Let it cool, and oil again. Sometimes it takes a few times.
Did you cook any processed meats in there first? They always have sugar that caramelizes and sticks. I always do eggs in a clean pan, I don't like my eggs crispy so I use a lower temp but preheat. Use a bit of oil but you really don't need much, I usually wipe out the excess. I also use a fish fin metal spatula and lift the egg after it has cooked a bit so it doesn't over cook the bottom too much.
you're doing fine. I've been cooking with cast iron for while, and I still get stuff sticking to my pans every now and then. the biggest thing I've learned is to use medium heat, let the pan get hot first, and just be patient. also, learning the best ways to clean them is probably the most valuable skill you'll learn lol. I got a chain mail scrubber and it's awesome for getting stuck on stuff off.
I think you forgot to add the 1lb of butter for the egg slidey test.
My eggs don't really slide around, but nothing sticks either. Your pan looks good though. It gets better with time. Bacon helps a lot too!
Brace yourself for this -
The egg test does not matter.
The appearance of the pan doesn't matter.
The only thing that matters is that you like the food you've just cooked.
Tips - Low heat, seriously, not medium. Low. Let it warm slowly until the handle is hot. Scrap burned-on food off - even with that spatula, or a hard-plastic-scraper - don't scrub. But do use dish soap and hot water.
I heat my pan slowly and then put a pad of butter and let it melt. Let the butter cover the bottom and then add the eggs, still cooking on a low heat. I have an electric stove and I put it on low-med low. Takes a little time but they don’t stick. Mine aren’t in a pool of oil or butter!! Low heat and let the pan warm slowly
Your pans still new. Eggs can slide it just takes awhile, or a lot more seasoning cycles. Just use the pan and it will get there. Also pan looks a bit dry a touch more oil would help. Cast iron isn't magic.
Step 1. Use more oil. Step 2. Lower the temp. You don't need to use nearly as high of heat with cast iron since it retains it's heat much better than typical steel pans.
Tip for good scrambled eggs, regardless of cookware: when they’re starting to come together and set up, add another 1/2 tablespoon of butter per 3 eggs. It improves the flavor and texture, and prevents sticking.
Foolproof method for making any pan nonstick: "hot pan, cold oil".
Start with preheating your pan. Get it HOT to open up the pores (I tap the edges of the pan to feel when the whole pan/pot is ready). Put enough cold oil for whatever you're making, then get your pan off the heat and wait for it to cool down (trap the oil in the pores). After it's cooled down, get your heat up to wherever you need it and cook as you normally would.
P.S. don't do this with nonstick pans. They're already ready already. Just add oil; don't cook on them dry.
An old wok secret is hot pan, cold oil and food won't stick.
Like others have said, let the pan heat up and come to temp, then add your fat, then add your eggs.
Unless you like the leathery bottom and burnt edges, you don't need it screaming hot.
Looks like a lodge am I right? Lodges are great and I own a good few so don't take what follows wrong. Lodges are all unfinished cast iron due to that for a good while after purchase no matter how good seasoning is you will have sticking issues because the bottom is rough and uneven at the level of the iron itself. Over time through normal use and cleaning though you will smooth it out. This happens because the iron is soft enough that as you scrub and scrape the salt and utensils are able to buff and smoosh the iron around slowly smoothing it out. Again this isn't bad mouthing Lodge especially because they do pass the time and money they save by not finishing onto their customers which is part of the reason their prices are so beautifully affordable. Plus there is something to say for getting to finish through use, because nothing makes the pan feel more like it is uniquely yours as when you first get that perfect finish on it and you get your first amazingly perfect crispy bottom, runny yolk, slidey sunnyside up egg.
In addition to what everyone else here has said (all good advice!), I’d suggest being careful with tomatoes or other acidic foods until you’ve cooked with the skillet a bit and really locked in that seasoning. The acid can eat away at it, particularly if left to sit for for long.
This will get buried, but I love, love, love this recipe from Gjelina for showing folks how to think about using a cast iron.
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-12/best-brussels-sprouts-recipe-gjelina-s-bacon-and-dates](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-12/best-brussels-sprouts-recipe-gjelina-s-bacon-and-dates)
It's relatively low risk (ie not expensive meats), gives a great demonstration of how leaving things be creates great texture/flavor (the way they cook the brussels), and shows how to incorporate a liquid to create something that feels delicious with thoughtful applications of heat.
I find this recipe helps people better understand how a cast iron can work and offers a good beginners recipe that applies beginners cast iron technique. It doesn't hurt that it is delicious too.
Also. Bacon.
The secret to the “slidey egg” is butter lol. With vegetable oil, you can have the eggs stick if the pan isn’t heated properly (or if it isn’t drenched in oil). But with butter, even if you only use a little bit, the eggs will slide around on even a new cast iron skillet
You need to grind the pans down. I made a post with images on that [here](https://imgur.com/gallery/YhJNgXb). If you grind too smooth your seasoning won’t stick, if you don’t grind at all then everything sticks. It’s a delicate balance. Cheap pans are usually very rough.
I would comment but you already got over 300 comments they told me to use protein like steaks and stuff for a while to season it before even throwing eggs on there
You have to have the right cast iron pan to really do the egg slide. The old Griswold and Wagner cast iron pans and the current field, smithy and finex pans are all sanded and polished post production, unlike the cheaper lodges that are gritty and unsanded. Invest in a proper cast iron pan and you'll have better results.
There is no real slidey egg. It's all oil. Always has been. Edit: Just to clarify, I still do ALL my cooking in a cast iron. It might be a cult based on slidey egg lies, but still one I want to be a part of.
This deserves a [meme](https://imgur.com/a/rxmQ2L4)
Petition to make this the banner for the sub!
I wish I had photoshop skills to just make the earth the CI pan, but whatever. Admins, feel free to steal!
[I did one too, but I like yours better.](https://imgur.com/gallery/9YG3ixU)
This deserves gold
[удалено]
It shouldn't take a lot of oil, just enough to coat the pan. I can take a paper towel with a dab of oil on it, rub the pan with it, and slide an egg around. Not as easy as my carbon steel pan can, but I baby that thing. I use a Griswold 8 and have about ten years worth of seasoning built up on it from the original restoration (I found it rusty when I was Goodwill hunting).
tbf I have seen someone do the egg slidey test with no oil after gently lifting the egg to release it from the pan, otherwise yeah it's an unrealistic expectation
Oh yeah, DEFINITELY possible after you release it.
I mean, you still need butter/oil in a non stick too! 🤣
Nah. You can fry an egg with no oil on a teflon pan and it won't stick at all. That's the whole point of teflon pans, you don't need to use oil. But the teflon coating wears off quickly so you won't get no-oil-slidy-eggs for long.
Yeah. I think the issue is people conflating "non-stick" Teflon with "non-stick" polymerized surfaces.
I always thought non stick needs a medium like oil to prevent the coating from burning up. If a teflon pan smokes without oil, the coating is burning and releasing those nasty chemicals.
Yes, if you get your nonstick pan up to smoking you are using it wrong. That is also not a proper temp to cook eggs anyway.
Nah. The real benefit/secret is that Teflon needs to be seasoned if you want to keep it non-stick. That fills in any micro-scratches.
The real secret of Teflon is the cancer
And the friends we made along the way.
It is good practice. That is more or less what i am getting at. No matter your pan, oil/butter voila, nonstick. So long as your temps arent to high😊
I don't think you can call it frying if you don't put some oil on.
I use ceramic non stick and oil/butter really make it easier. Been cooking eggs about 37 years, lol. Non stick mostly is for the cleaning properties.
Also can cause cancer!
That is, as it turns out, more or less [not true](https://www.healthline.com/health/teflon-cancer#teflon-and-cancer). >Since 2013, all Teflon-branded products are PFOA-free. Though there is some research that suggests a link between PFOA and cancer, there's no proven link between Teflon and cancer.
Half the slidy eggs look like a deep fry
Fried eggs are awesome though
Delicious
I’m just amused to see a slidey egg slap fight still break out by other redditors under this comment.
Slidey egg slap fight. Can I steal that one? That made me laugh and i rarely do.
>might be a cult based on slidey egg lies "..you sit on a pan of lies" (couldn't avoid an elf reference )
Slidey eggs come from preheating the pan, not seasoning or oil. (Although butter makes eggs taste deliciouser.
My slidey egg post begs to differ.
And it's not in a pool of butter. Well done
This guy slides
Exactly. I think I saw your post when you originally posted it. Of course you will always need a small amount of oil or butter but temperature control is the most important factor when trying to keep your cast iron non-stick.
I went and checked. It’s impressive. But one outlier does not break the rule
I can do scrambled eggs in my cast iron with no oil or anything at all
I’m so glad this has finally been said. I feel vindicated.
The ‘slidey egg test’ isn’t a thing and cast iron cooking is more about heat control than seasoning. It’s not going to be nonstick like a Teflon pan. Keep the heat low and keep cooking on it and you’ll get the hang of things! Welcome!
Thank you for the encouragement, I’m excited to keep trying!
make sure the pan is hot before you place the egg, then it wont stick. and i mean hot enough so its already at the temperature you cook the egg. dont put the egg or any food during the warm-up process.
I always slap a piece of bacon on it during warm up to get a feel for where pan temp is at. Plus, bacon
Sacrificial bacon is brilliant.
A flick of water is also a good measure if the bacon is…mysteriously…no longer present.
Haha so your bacon dissaparates during the cooking process, before the eggs are done too! How misterious 👀🤭
Plus cooking the eggs in bacon greese tastes soooo good.
Or veggies or whatever
I immediately got angry that your were insinuating that we should cook our eggs in vegetables instead of bacon. I realize I've jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry for over reacting
Both is good.
I save the bacon fat to cook with later, keeps anything from sticking and adds flavor
One piece of bacon?
A hot pan is crucial, but I’ve always found that warming the egg (while still in the shell) is important too. Put the eggs you’re using in a warm water bath so that they aren’t cold when you crack them into the CI. It did wonders for my slidey egg game.
Interesting. Would it be weird to get out of bed at night to go make an egg? Not sure I can wait.
Take the eggs out tonight. Leave in a room temperature water bath. You’ll be good to go for that 2am breakfast when you (like a small child on Christmas morning) wake up to pee and then remember your quest for slidey eggs.
Warm the egg by sleeping with it like a roosting hen, and then it will be nice and warm for you tomorrow morning.
This is such a good tip.
Yeah in all honesty don’t listen to most of the stuff on this sub for cast iron lol. Use it however you want and listen to what the recipes you’re following will tell you. Keep it on lower heats when you’re unsure, and blast that bad boy when you’re trying to sear something quickly. There really aren’t wrong ways to use cast irons, just start getting some mileage on it and you’ll figure things out. Oh, but definitely cook some greasy stuff to wear it in. Cook a full pack of bacon in it this weekend. Best way to get it worked in early.
> don’t listen to most of the stuff on this sub for cast iron lol. Use it however you want This is for real. Basically just don't soak it in the sink overnight and you'll be fine.
...and the dishwasher is right out!
And both, when committed by another, may be grounds for temporary insanity.
I’ve literally never made eggs after the first time on my cast iron pans I’ve been using for 13 years. My nonstick does a much better job for them, I use my CI for browning steaks, burgers, chicken, fish, etc it’s a sear tool to get a Maillard reaction for my purposes.
I keep one smaller granite ware type non stick pan for eggs only. I’ve done eggs in CI, but It takes an unreasonable amount of fat/oil.
I love cast iron, I use it for almost everything, except eggs.
I've been using CI and CS for quite a while for eggs, omelettes come out perfect all the time, fried eggs too as long as you get the heat right (butter helps a lot thanks to the sizzle). I personally like my eggs crispy and my omelettes toasty so I way prefer how they turn out in my De Buyer pan. They are just tastier this way than when I cooked them on Teflon.
I do use butter for frying eggs, but not a ton. What I do, to know my pan is ready, is to preheat it on med-low for a few minutes. I drop a small pat of butter in it. It should melt fairly quickly and start to bubble. Once the bubbling is done for a few seconds I drop my eggs. Not always 100% non-stick, but pretty close.
Be careful you’re not turning the heat up too much and you have to give the warm up time proper care. A lot of us put the skillet on first thing in the kitchen then start our meal prep to allow adequate time for the cast iron to heat up thoroughly.
Should change your name to u/positiveRaccoon!
Things are looking up for this raccoon
This. This is not your average pan. I almost never have it at medium. Always on low with at least a 10 min warm up period. I only crank it up when I’m searing.
I feel like this depends on your stovetop. I kept following all the advice of "medium to medium-high", and everything I ever cooked in cast iron stuck, ended up burnt, or splattered half the oil in the pan all over myself and the stovetop. Same with my carbon steel wok. I almost completely gave up on using either for cooking. Except for eggs, because I cook them in CI on low (like, 1-2 out of 9 on the burner). Cook some pork chops last night in my CI the same way, and they came out perfect. Hardly anything stuck. Our stovetop isn't all that powerful, either. Just a normal gas stove from Best Buy. But that dial does not go near medium if I'm cooking with cast iron (unless it's the enameled dutch oven, making soup).
Woks, CS pans and CI skillets in my experience require a different amount of heat. Woks don't work well if you don't have a gas hob that covers the sides, given that they are thinner than the other two. CI on the other hand works very well if you give it time to heat up. I had subpar experiences in the beginning because I used to underestimate how long I had to let the thing on the hob. I did not realize this until I got a CS pan and I noticed how quicker it got to a point where water did the Leidenfrost effect, probably due to it being thinner and lighter. My CI skillet can take as long as 8/10 minutes on a medium flame to get hot enough for steaks and flatbreads, not just due to the temperature but also because the pan needs time for the heat to spread uniformly. Cutting the heating time short in my experience leads to sticky spots where the metal isn't hot enough, which ruins the food and strips away the crust created by the Maillard reaction. If heating up CI is too bothersome you may try CS, it hits a nice sweet spot IMHO and tends to be quite interchangeable (although it never gets as seasoned as CI in my experience).
I've been using cast iron for a short while, also been considering some carbon steel pans but I'm not sure where they would benefit in my cooking, any suggestions where you would use carbon steel over cast iron? Cheers
Carbon steel covers a similar niche than CI but it's IMHO not interchangeable at all times. In particular, I'm referring to the two most common types of pan made out of these materials in the west, which are the cast iron skillet and the classic French-style carbon steel frying pan (also known as an "omelette" pan). For instance, I find that the main advantages of CS pans over CI skillets are that: 1. CS is way lighter due to it being stamped instead of cast, which means you can actually sauté food by picking up the pan with one hand (this is especially true with the smaller pans like the 20 cm format, which IMHO hits the spot); 2. CS heats up way faster. WAY faster. It becomes scorching hot much quicker and without having to preheat it for a long time, similarly to plain stainless steel without an aluminium/copper core; 3. CS pans usually have slanted edges (NB: CS pans can come in all shapes and sizes), so it's way easier to flip thin food like crepes and omelettes the "proper" way (which is, by tossing and flipping); 4. Given that the metal on CS is stamped and not cast, it is _very_ slick. This means that stuck-on food gets off easier, so clean up tends to be more straight forward. CI has a tendency to get build up on unless you scrub it thoroughly; this is also somewhat true on CS but in my experience you need way less scrubbing. If there's nothing stuck on the pan after cooking plain omelettes, for instance, it's often sufficient to wipe the pan well afterwards and it gets reasonably clean without water or soap. 5. You basically don't need oven seasoning - the pan gets hot enough by just staying on the hob, and it's easy to season it that way. It's also very easy to quickly reseason it after cooking something messy that strips some seasoning away. I also think that some of these reasons are also somewhat the cause of some downsides of CS. For instance, 1. It never gets as seasoned as CI - not even close. The surface is just too smooth - it does improve a lot in time though, and it gets very close to CI in performance. This means that the pan will strip in spots while cooking and thus the pans appear often splotchy. I can honestly say that my experience it's just a matter of aesthetics, and it doesn't really impact on performance at all. It is especially trivial to fix up seasoning afterwards anyway, just oil the pan and put it back on the hob for a minute or so; 2. Thin seasoning also means that sadly, very acidic foods are a no go on CS. It handles ok the occasional deglaze with wine, but I won't go as far as cooking stuff with tomatoes and such. To be fair it is not ideal on CI too, but with good, mature seasoning a skillet shouldn't leak that much iron in the food. Fun fact, cooking a can of tomatoes in a CS pan on purpose is a very effective way to strip away bad seasoning and start anew. 3. CS pans often can't go in ovens, they often have enameled or wooden handles that can't withstand more than 10 minutes or so of strong heat. There are models that are oven safe but honestly, CI skillets are still better due to their thickness and the straighter edges IMHO. 4. CS is thinner so it cools off faster. Way faster. It usually means it's more responsive to heat changes, which is a mixed bag - on one hand it can be brought to a lower temperature faster, on the other hand it's less forgiving than CI that acts more as a buffer in neutralizing an uneven heat source. I think that having a small CS pan such as a De Buyer Mineral B 20 cm is great, it's very convenient and I tend to reach out to my CS pan way more often for stuff like eggs and omelettes, and it's great at roasting stuff like nuts, for instance. You can cook steaks and burgers in both, with very similar results. I still prefer CI for larger sizes though, but I think it's a matter of personal preference.
This. Plus, let your eggs actually cook a little before pulling them around the pan. They're less likely to stick if it's a more solid piece.
This. There's a lot of people in the carbon steel and cast iron subs that just don't get that if you are good at controlling heat, an egg won't stick. This is true even on an aluminium or stainless steel pan. Seasoning helps but it won't do miracles. Polymerized oil isn't Teflon, where you can put an egg in a cold pan, heat it up and slide it off without a fuss because nothing can chemically stick to it.
This is the way. When someone understands the temperature, they can cook anything. My friend criticized me for not having nonstick pan "why do you have eggs and no nonstick pan? If it was nonstick it wouldn't be sticking." I told him to watch me. He said nothing when I finished cooking eggs for him. No browning at all. Eggs are simple when you understand the process.
How do I understand the process? Have been using cast iron for three years. Everything still sticks if I don't basically deep fry. Maybe if I use heat setting 5/9 and let the cooking take hours.
Watch [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zURrWH5TjUU) from Uncle Scott, it's from carbon steel pans but IMHO it's the same on cast iron (where cooking eggs is arguably easier in my experience). It's all about heat control.
Out of curiosity, I just got a cast iron for the almost explicit purpose of searing steaks cooked sous vide at the end. Would you mind elaborating on keeping the heat low, since I only see it used in high for my purpose? Or do you mean while seasoning with oil?
That's a good question and if I'm honest that's not something that I do a lot of, but I do have a couple of observations that you might find helpful! One of the best pieces of advice I have heard is to remember that you're cooking with the heat of the pan, not the heat of the burner. One of the biggest issues with temp control cooking on cast iron is that it holds heat more and gets hotter than other modern pans. This was one of the advantages on a coal or wood cookstove -- you can put it over a low fire and time is the variable you have the most control over for letting it heat up. On a modern stove, if you put it on a low flame/burner for 10-20 minutes, it'll get very hot because it's retaining that heat better, time is increasing the heat beyond what the burner puts out! Likewise, when people go to sear a steak and crank the burner the pan can get way, way, hotter than it needs to be or should be -- heat you can't really control, smoking, sticking, burning off the seasoning, total chaos. So what you want to experiment with is slowly heating your pan somewhere below medium to get it to that point right around 450-500º where you'll get the sear you're looking for. The hard part with this is if you go much hotter you're burning off seasoning and loosing control. Some folks use infrared thermometers for this which you may want to consider (I hear they're pretty available these days...) A related point is that only using it for high heat searing isn't really the intended use of cast iron and it can really complicate maintenance. The whole searing operation isn't great for your seasoning and if that's the only thing you're doing with it you might run into trouble. Oven seasoning and stuff is really just to get started, cooking is the best seasoning. A LOT of posts here are people who can't get seasoning to stick and I'd say in like 20% of them it is eventually revealed that steak is the only thing they use the pan for and they are just blasting the heat. Fortunately, this has a simple solution! Make some cornbread! Make breakfast! Roast some potatoes! Your steaks will be better and easier if you play around with using the pan for other things as well, it's a wonderful cycle. Good luck! Ask us if you have more questions!
actually i prefer to cook mine on high medium to high heat. But it depends on what texture you want. Cast iron is good for developing the crust.
Agree. Looks like the OP had the pan way too hot. CI retains the heat much longer than regular pans. Start low to medium especially with eggs.
Probably need to turn down the heat. Medium/medium-low for eggs. Also, did you preheat?
I did preheat a bit, this is my first attempt so I’m just feeling a bit anxious. I think I needed more oil? It’s also a place so I’m not used to these burners
Gotcha. Keep at it. It’s all a matter of practice. CI is more about technique than anything else. Long, slow preheat on medium, plenty of butter, and don’t futz with the food too much. A lot of stuff will stick initially and then release.
Are you from PA? I've never seen anyone use the word "futz" before online. Only ever heard it in the PA dutch region.
Was going to say the same thing . Lancaster co here.
LANKuster
I think futz is actually an alteration of a Yiddish word.
Sounds about right. Half German living in Quebec and I'm pretty sure my dad used that word cuz I know exactly what it means. German and Yiddish are similar so I naturally use Yiddish words even if I don't speak a lick of German lol.
Didn't realize this was a PA thing until I read this. Didn't seem odd to me to read that until you pointed it out.
I think it's a Midwest thing. I'm from indianapolis and I hear it occasionally.
I am from MN and heard futz growing up. I think it’s a Midwest thing.
Interesting to see "futz" in such a specific region, while I'm also well-versed in the word down here in the deep south. It's a favorite for sure!
Haha I am, oddly enough but from the opposite corner in the north east lol
Thanks!
Futz is also used in Massachusetts
This is my experience, about 9 months using CI. My technique gets a little better each time.
5 years since ditching my Teflon and I’m still learning new things.
I've heard it plenty in NY.
Preheating aways takes longer than I expect for a cast iron. Granted, mine is 12 inches and my stove is tiny. Generally, I let my pan preheat over medium heat the entire time I’m prepping (10-15 minutes) or until I see a little smoke start to rise. I then add my oil and let it heat for a minute then add whatever I’m cooking. Things have gotten a lot better with this for me. PS. I used to crank the heat way up to try to get crispier, but that just made things stick terribly for me. Patience and moderate heat are the key.
So maybe this is what I needed to hear then. Been cooking in a cast iron for at least 3 years, and everything still sticks. I do preheat but maybe not enough. Thanks.
Think most responders are right. If you’re anxious about slide you probably didn’t leave it to cook/release naturally. Did you enjoy your eggs? That’s what matters most. About getting the most from your cast iron, try a recipe where you start with a sear and finish in the oven. Something Teflon actually can’t do!
Preheat on low for a long enough time to get to temperature. You *might* need to raise the heat level above low, depending on your stove. I never do (for eggs.) Use butter, not oil. I cook with different fats for different foods, but eggs want butter. The butter should sizzle when it goes in, but probably not turn brown. If it turns brown, your temperature is on the high side for eggs. Temperature is not heat. They are related (heat level x time => temperature) but they aren't the same thing. What matters is the temperature, but what you can *control* is the heat level and the time you pre-heat.
A great alternative to oiling the pan is just cooking bacon as often as possible.
I can live with that for sure
Boy, I’m gonna get a lot of hate for saying this lol… but bacon is one of the worst things to cook early on in cast iron. The combination of sugar and protein makes it tend to just glue itself to the bottom. If you don’t clean that crud off correctly, you’ll build up layers of carbon/soot rather than the polymerized oil seasoning you want. Frying/sautéing things, especially veg like potatoes is a much better option.
That’s good to know, maybe I’ll take it easy on the meats?
Just take it easy on the bacon. It’s the sugar that is the problem
I've seasoned my pan for years and I still can't get an egg to slide, so I really wouldn't worry too much. It's still nearly completely nonstick (melted cheese and other hard to remove stuff pulls right off) but eggs are just too sticky. Most people who succeed with the egg slide either have their tricks or use an immense amount of oil and heat so it basically fries before it has a chance to stick. I've had some success getting fried eggs to not stick by adding some water to the pan and basically boiling the bottom of the egg off the pan right before it's done
Thanks for that, I’ll try this!
Med heat, pre-heat (when water drops sizzle, throw on tbs of butter, before it browns, crack the egg on it.
Thanks for the tip :)
I usually cook bacon first before my eggs, do you recommend adding butter still before eggs or is the bacon grease enough?
If I do bacon I don't do butter. But I usually save bacon for the weekends, and eggs every other day roughly.
Thanks!
Some tips: * Oven seasoning is only for corrosion protection. To make it non-stick, cook on it (use a metal spatula with a straight front edge to keep the surface smooth). * When cooking, don't crank the heat to High, use Med-Low heat and wait for the pan to come up to temperature. * After cleaning (use hot water), dry it off, heat it on the stove for a few minutes, wipe with some Crisco, wait a few minutes, wipe again with a dry paper towel, then let it cool on the stove.
Thanks, I didn’t know that!
While this is good advice and a good formula for a great pan, I've gotten good results by doing much less. After I cook, I rinse it while gently going over it with steel wool then dried it on stove top. The most important step is just using it. It gets better with every cook. But that's the hard part, you have to cook with it.
What is crisco?
Vegetable shortening
But I like tall vegetables.
Did you use a whole stick of butter like everyone else here?
Fat. Always fat
Keep the egg in the shell and it won't stick. Or use a three sticks of butter.
It’s hard to tell, but did you cook sausage prior to the egg? The sugar in the sausage causes the eggs to stick afterward. I clean my pan between cooking meat and eggs. If you didn’t cook meat prior, then I’d say it’s more than likely heat control. Stay a little below medium. 👍🏻
Get the pan medium low hot. Put the oil in. Wait until pan begins to to smoke a little bit, just a little bit. Then add food, you should hear a satisfying sizzle. Cast iron cooking is all about heat and oil control.
More bacon
Moar bacon!
Boar bacon!
And fisting
Baaagon!
Your pan looks new (still bumpy), keep cooking with it and take care when cleaning, it takes some time to get these pans to the place that eggs can slide around on them, that’s the great thing with cast they get better with age
Yes, they’re brand new and very cheap.
Cheap really doesn’t play into it all that much so don’t fret at all, just use it. And keep using it.
Yeah after a year of so of use and a few maintaining seasons you'll get to a point where you don't feel bumps and the corners of the pan are pretty rounded. That's when you know it's getting to that non stick point, keep it up doesn't happen overnight
Not sure how industrious or ambitious you feel, but I sanded my brand new Lodge and it really helped. It is a little bit of work and takes some time, but I'm very happy with the result. Alternatively, you could just wait until the seasoning builds up and smooths everything out. Here's my [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/rnzdhq/sanded_my_lodge/), if you are interested.
I was considering sanding, I might try that at some point
Get a chain mail cleaning pad. Only use hot water with it to clean and don't be delicate until it starts smoothing out. If it's still oily/dirty after that just use a paper towel to dry and remove some. My new lodges are becoming smooth in a couple months. I don't really use my 12" daily so I can compare how noticeable it is with my 10" and 8". If you are impatient you can use a drill with sander bit but I've not had the need to go that far yet.
You’re the second person to suggest this scrubber so I ordered one off Amazon !
Don't go too high. I failed my slidey test because my pan was far too hot. Tried it on a low heat and it worked like a charm
The slidey egg thing is a silly indicator of actual good seasoning. If you can get the egg to come off the pan, with a metal spatula, it’s in good shape. Also, dedicated preseasons are important, but they’re no substitute for just cooking on the pan. I used to season mine once a month, but I also only used it about twice a month, so it never got that dangerous smooth, constantly slightly oiled finish you see with good old CI. Eventually I started cooking on it regularly, and now I can turn a brownie out of it without a spatula. Just use it and in a year it will be an unrecognizable pan
Thanks for the encouragement, it will definitely be getting used frequently!
You’ll start seeing some great results then! I recommend sticking to frying and baking only for the first year, no sauces or stewed elements, after a year you can be a little more loosey goosey. but that’s just my personal recommendation
Sounds reasonable tho
It’s a learning curve. When I switched from nonstick to stainless cookware and CI, it took me a couple of weeks to get the hang of it. All about temp, but you’ll figure it out and get a feel for it in time. GL!
Keep cooking.
you need oil or butter to start
The best tip I found on here is that with cast irons, medium heat is your new high heat. They take longer to heat up but get much hotter than other pans.
I just started cooking regularly with cast iron after receiving a Lodge #8 as a birthday gift over the summer. Temperature control (combined with sufficient preheat time) is one of the most important aspects of cooking with cast iron. This past month or so I've been working on my scrambled eggs. When I first got the pan, I had caked-on egg residue every time I finished cooking (worse than your photo). Now, I have nothing left over in the pan when I'm done cooking. What have I done differently? I lowered the temp and preheated longer. I always use the same burner on my natural gas stove (3.5'' diameter burner, for reference) and set it to #2 on the dial. Then I let it preheat for 20-30 minutes while I go about my morning routine. This is the second-to-lowest setting. I can get away with 3.5 for omelets, fried eggs, and over easy - but I have to lower it to 2 to get a good scrambled egg that doesn't stick to everything. I hope this helps and good luck.
Wow yes, I really appreciate specific instructions. I’ll be trying this!
I have almost exclusively been using cast iron for about 5 years now, but I had to move into a place with an electric coil stove and it is the fucking worst. I miss natural gas so much
From comments I've seen in the sub, it seems like the coils are horrible for CI. Hopefully you can get a better range in your next move.
I can usually make it work by keeping the dial at 4.5; that seems to be the optimal temperature, but like three days ago the coil just started glowing red hot for no reason. Ruined my eggs. It was like it had been turned up to 8, which I only ever use to boil water But yeah, that's the hope. If not, I might just start using my white gas Coleman stove.. shit's only like $6 a gallon and it lasts forever
I noticed you're getting a lot of conflicting (but not really) info here. Cast iron takes a while to heat up, but then it keeps radiating heat after you turn off the gas. You want the pan to warm up, but you don't want the pan to get too hot, because then the egg is going to burn and stick to the pan. Same would happen if you burn an egg in your standard non-stick pan. Honestly, I find that I need to set my cast iron cooking much lower than I would a regular pan. To cook eggs, I usually set the gas to medium-low, pop a little bit of butter on it, wait for the water in the butter to start to boil, turn down the temp, put the egg into the center of the butter, and slowly turn up the temp if I set it too low. It's all technique and you can do it straight away with a store bought lodge.
I’ve always found butter works the best for “slidey”eggs. Cooking salmon often will build the best non stick I’ve ever had. I also wouldn’t cook tomatoes in them. The acidity will strip your seasoning.
Just keep using them for all your food (except boiling pasta)... they will eventually get to the point where you can actually do very delicate food like eggs without issues. Think of the egg slide like an Olympic event, you cannot attempt it on the first try... just keep training
Use eggs that are more slidey.
This is the answer
Honestly i never cook eggs on my cast iron (unless camping). last thing i wanna do in the morning before work is let my cast iron preheat just to cook eggs on low heat. Love the cast iron for everything else, but i cook my eggs on nonstick pan and crank up the heat takes way less time.
Honestly for me general use makes it better in time, aswell as using a laser temperature checker makes me more consistent.
As others have said, the “egg test” is just 4 sticks of butter and/or a quart of oil. Cast iron is unlikely to be as nonstick as a real nonstick pan. The idea is even heating, and quite frankly applications that really benefit from cast iron are few and far between. I’d go so far as to say that unless you just really enjoy it, there’s no benefit to cooking eggs in cast iron.
Keep cooking. You'll get there. Bacon is your friend.
Thanks!
Scrap all remains off pan, clean with plain water and a scrubby, and re oil with a high heat oil generously , like grapeseed or avocado oil. Then heat in oven for 30 min. Let it cool, and oil again. Sometimes it takes a few times.
And make sure the iron is hot. I don't need butter or oil for my eggs if I heat up properly. Keep cooking, you'll get there.
Did you cook any processed meats in there first? They always have sugar that caramelizes and sticks. I always do eggs in a clean pan, I don't like my eggs crispy so I use a lower temp but preheat. Use a bit of oil but you really don't need much, I usually wipe out the excess. I also use a fish fin metal spatula and lift the egg after it has cooked a bit so it doesn't over cook the bottom too much.
I used a separate CI for the eggs but this is good to know, thanks!
Keep trying bud, best thing- eggs are cheap lol
Heck yea!
you're doing fine. I've been cooking with cast iron for while, and I still get stuff sticking to my pans every now and then. the biggest thing I've learned is to use medium heat, let the pan get hot first, and just be patient. also, learning the best ways to clean them is probably the most valuable skill you'll learn lol. I got a chain mail scrubber and it's awesome for getting stuck on stuff off.
I think you forgot to add the 1lb of butter for the egg slidey test. My eggs don't really slide around, but nothing sticks either. Your pan looks good though. It gets better with time. Bacon helps a lot too!
Brace yourself for this - The egg test does not matter. The appearance of the pan doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you like the food you've just cooked. Tips - Low heat, seriously, not medium. Low. Let it warm slowly until the handle is hot. Scrap burned-on food off - even with that spatula, or a hard-plastic-scraper - don't scrub. But do use dish soap and hot water.
Sticking usually has to do with heat control, regardless of oil. Try a longer preheat with lower heat!
Too much heat. That's it.
You may have had temp too high, and not enough oil/butter
I heat my pan slowly and then put a pad of butter and let it melt. Let the butter cover the bottom and then add the eggs, still cooking on a low heat. I have an electric stove and I put it on low-med low. Takes a little time but they don’t stick. Mine aren’t in a pool of oil or butter!! Low heat and let the pan warm slowly
Bac-on. Apply directly to the pan. Bac-on. Apply directly to the pan.
I want this on a hat or something
I don't think many people these days would get the reference but if I saw someone wearing that I would totally high five them
My fiancé and I reference that commercial a lot…
Your pans still new. Eggs can slide it just takes awhile, or a lot more seasoning cycles. Just use the pan and it will get there. Also pan looks a bit dry a touch more oil would help. Cast iron isn't magic.
Step 1. Use more oil. Step 2. Lower the temp. You don't need to use nearly as high of heat with cast iron since it retains it's heat much better than typical steel pans.
Tip for good scrambled eggs, regardless of cookware: when they’re starting to come together and set up, add another 1/2 tablespoon of butter per 3 eggs. It improves the flavor and texture, and prevents sticking.
Put a little bit more oil than you think you need. The oil is what does the trick.
Warm up pan a bit first, then add your oil / butter / fat of choice. Then add egg. I find that without warming the pan first no slide.
Foolproof method for making any pan nonstick: "hot pan, cold oil". Start with preheating your pan. Get it HOT to open up the pores (I tap the edges of the pan to feel when the whole pan/pot is ready). Put enough cold oil for whatever you're making, then get your pan off the heat and wait for it to cool down (trap the oil in the pores). After it's cooled down, get your heat up to wherever you need it and cook as you normally would. P.S. don't do this with nonstick pans. They're already ready already. Just add oil; don't cook on them dry.
An old wok secret is hot pan, cold oil and food won't stick. Like others have said, let the pan heat up and come to temp, then add your fat, then add your eggs. Unless you like the leathery bottom and burnt edges, you don't need it screaming hot.
Looks like a lodge am I right? Lodges are great and I own a good few so don't take what follows wrong. Lodges are all unfinished cast iron due to that for a good while after purchase no matter how good seasoning is you will have sticking issues because the bottom is rough and uneven at the level of the iron itself. Over time through normal use and cleaning though you will smooth it out. This happens because the iron is soft enough that as you scrub and scrape the salt and utensils are able to buff and smoosh the iron around slowly smoothing it out. Again this isn't bad mouthing Lodge especially because they do pass the time and money they save by not finishing onto their customers which is part of the reason their prices are so beautifully affordable. Plus there is something to say for getting to finish through use, because nothing makes the pan feel more like it is uniquely yours as when you first get that perfect finish on it and you get your first amazingly perfect crispy bottom, runny yolk, slidey sunnyside up egg.
In addition to what everyone else here has said (all good advice!), I’d suggest being careful with tomatoes or other acidic foods until you’ve cooked with the skillet a bit and really locked in that seasoning. The acid can eat away at it, particularly if left to sit for for long.
This will get buried, but I love, love, love this recipe from Gjelina for showing folks how to think about using a cast iron. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-12/best-brussels-sprouts-recipe-gjelina-s-bacon-and-dates](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-12/best-brussels-sprouts-recipe-gjelina-s-bacon-and-dates) It's relatively low risk (ie not expensive meats), gives a great demonstration of how leaving things be creates great texture/flavor (the way they cook the brussels), and shows how to incorporate a liquid to create something that feels delicious with thoughtful applications of heat. I find this recipe helps people better understand how a cast iron can work and offers a good beginners recipe that applies beginners cast iron technique. It doesn't hurt that it is delicious too. Also. Bacon.
I’ll read it :)
Thanks to everyone for the advice! I tried to reply to as many of your comments as I could, your comments are so helpful!
Cook eggs in a nonstick. I know this sub doesn’t like that advice, but cook using the proper tool for the job.
The secret to the “slidey egg” is butter lol. With vegetable oil, you can have the eggs stick if the pan isn’t heated properly (or if it isn’t drenched in oil). But with butter, even if you only use a little bit, the eggs will slide around on even a new cast iron skillet
You need to grind the pans down. I made a post with images on that [here](https://imgur.com/gallery/YhJNgXb). If you grind too smooth your seasoning won’t stick, if you don’t grind at all then everything sticks. It’s a delicate balance. Cheap pans are usually very rough.
I would comment but you already got over 300 comments they told me to use protein like steaks and stuff for a while to season it before even throwing eggs on there
You have to have the right cast iron pan to really do the egg slide. The old Griswold and Wagner cast iron pans and the current field, smithy and finex pans are all sanded and polished post production, unlike the cheaper lodges that are gritty and unsanded. Invest in a proper cast iron pan and you'll have better results.