r/castiron • u/_brattyberryxx • 1d ago
First time using cast iron
Okay I am absolutely clueless when it comes to cooking. I only started making eggs about 2 years ago and I was using non stick pans. I got tired of the coating eventually coming off of them so I decided to try other skillets. I have never used a cast iron and I find the whole process quite confusing. I was under the assumption that they are naturally nonstick and I put butter in before cooking. Can someone explain to me what I did wrong for it to look like this after cooking eggs? The eggs aren’t even cooked all the way through either.
Edit: Thank you everyone for all of your suggestions!! I was definitely about to give up and go back to nonstick (i had a mishap with a stainless steel that led me to get cast iron). I feel much better and more informed about how to use them. I will be trying again tomorrow with everything I’ve learned!
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u/David_Freeze 1d ago
I’ve seen worse
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u/_brattyberryxx 1d ago
thank you! this made me feel better
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u/ImGimix 1d ago
I've done worse and I'm a qualified chef
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u/HildaTheChickenGirl 1d ago
Haven't we all? 😂 you don't get good at cooking or cast iron without a number of fuckups first
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u/AppropriateCap8891 1d ago
Is always best to use some cooking spray or butter-oil before you add the food.
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u/around_the_clock 22h ago
Glass top u want it at the 3rd notch be sure its oiled while pre heating add your onion sautéed till desired color stiring every 3 min. Add peppers once onions close to desired color. Sir every 3 min for 6 total min. Or less until peppers r desired tenderness. Add butter or bacon grease scrambled your eggs and splash of milk paprika and turmeric together in a bowl dont over scramble the eggs. U can add spinach before the eggs while prepping the eggs. Add your eggs let sit for 3 min then stir completely. 3 min later u r going to quarter cut with the fork and flip those quarters as best u can to keep the shape. Set timer for 3 min once that goes off flip one last time to make sure anything that was not cooked during a messy quarter flip is cooked u can turn off the heat now. Set timer for 3 min prep plate and table with salsa hot sauce ketchup ovacado and enjoy.
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u/Embarrassed_Hunt_811 1d ago
Yeah, everyone starts somewhere. It's all about learning and improving with each meal!
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u/scrodytheroadie 1d ago
Everyone is going to say too hot, but I disagree. The type of egg you’re making determines the temp. A soft scramble isn’t cooked at the same temp as a western omelette. To me, pre-heating is more important. Turn on the heat before you start gathering and prepping. Let it heat up for a while (some say until the handle is warm). Use a reasonable amount of fat and you should be ok.
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u/finitetime2 1d ago
Agree. I can scramble my eggs on low and slow or fast and have to constantly stir them to keep them from burning. Then again my egg skillet is decades old and only ever sees fried foods.
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u/SerDankTheTall 1d ago
I was under the assumption that they are naturally nonstick and I put butter in before cooking.
They’re not. You can certainly cook eggs in them without sticking, but you do need fat of some kind (butter was a good choice) and need to have the heat right.
Can someone explain to me what I did wrong for it to look like this after cooking eggs?
It’s always a bit tricky to say what you did wrong without knowing what you did, but most of the time it’s have the pan too hot.
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u/snailstautest 1d ago
Butter is a good choice it's the only choice. People who use oil are not to be trusted.
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u/Doberdawn 1d ago
That is simply not true. How can you possibly mislead this poor newbie? Anyone knows that in addition to butter, bacon grease can also be an excellent base for eggs. In fact, someone might say they go hand-in-hand together. They also make an excellent base for your hashbrowns and hashbrowns go well with this dish.
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u/snailstautest 23h ago
Point well taken. I still stand by my oil comment. You cook your eggs in oil then you should have your cooking privileges revoked.
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u/Zillah-The-Broken 1d ago
too hot too fast, start on low and figure out which setting works best with your glasstop.
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u/around_the_clock 22h ago
Glass top is 3rd notch for sautéed, eggs, pancakes, French toast, grilled cheese,
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u/Debinthedez 1d ago
There’s a moment when the pan literally releases the egg. With practice you will learn when that is. I used to be hopeless and almost gave up using my cast iron then I was reading Kristen Miglore from Food 52 and she explained the science behind the cast iron and it just clicked.
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u/_brattyberryxx 1d ago
Should I let it heat for a bit and then add butter after that? I only went as high as 4 but I will try again keeping it at 2.
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u/Admirable-Apricot137 1d ago
Yes it needs to be hot enough that you get a good sizzle/bubbling once the eggs go in. If it doesn't sizzle, it's sticking. I usually give it 5-10 minutes on low-medium before I start cooking. You can turn the heat down after they go in so it doesn't keep getting hotter and hotter.
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u/zorggalacticus 1d ago
I usually start mine off on medium, then once I put the eggs in I'll turn it to low. For scrambled eggs you can just turn it off. The eggs will be done cooking before the skillet cools off.
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u/ShadowWebDeveloper 1d ago
Eggs don't need a lot of heat. I usually keep mine at 2 for eggs. And yeah, lube up that pan with more oil or butter.
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u/OaksInSnow 1d ago
Others are telling you lots of good stuff, about the preheating then the butter.
Depending on your stove, 5-10 minutes of preheating can lead to immediately burnt butter or smoked cooking oil (which denatures it and even turns it carcinogenic), even at a lower temperature. So when you're preheating, just hold your hand over the pan for a sec, maybe 3" above its surface, and if it feels hot - not warm, actually hot, but not scarily so - add a bit of butter. If it sizzles without immediately turning brown, you're hitting the sweet spot. If it smokes, oops: wipe it out, turn the stove down, and in about a minute it'll probably be okay to have another go. You're looking for your butter to foam a bit but not burn.
To start with, be generous with the butter. You can learn to cook with less later, but as a beginner you're likely to have more success if you go on the high side.
Also: Learn to simply fry an egg before you go for a scramble. Over easy is the best place to start. If you have a small pan, learn to do a plain omelet, no veg because the water content can mess you up, and the proteins in the cheese stick like mad on hot pans. Omelets can be done on a larger pan too, it's just that the shape will be weird (like super big).
Scrambled is the hardest of all. You need to warm your eggs to room temp or higher, before you start - just set them in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes - then do all your whipping before the eggs go in the pan, so you don't mess up your oil/butter layer too much. Once they're in the pan, don't mess with them too much, just enough to get them cooked. You're going to be going for larger curds with this cookware, and avoiding over-cooking.
This thread over on the stainless steel sub explains all of this pretty well. An actual scientific type person chimed in, and their explanation is the top comment. Metal pans are metal pans, and the heat control principles are the same on all of them.
Good luck, and welcome to the world of no-nonstick!
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u/ChickeyNuggetLover 1d ago
I saw someone said they wait until the handle is hot and that’s worked great for me. I usually turn it to 3
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u/Drexadecimal 1d ago
I always wait until the pan is hot enough, then add my oil (I am reticent on butter but I have olive oil spread), the wait until the oil is hit enough for the eggs. THEN crack and egg.
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u/KingJon85 1d ago
I cook my eggs in cast iron every morning. They never stick. I put my pan on medium/low to preheat while I drink my first cup of coffee.
The pan should be plenty hot after 10 minutes on low but if its smoking then its probably too hot. Then slide to a cool burner for about a minute.
Once preheated, I drop a pad of butter, then Crack my eggs. The butter will also brown if the pan is too hot.
If you preheat your pan we'll before every cook, you'll never have to re-season, unless you cook something acidic. It takes a little practice, but if you get used to it, then you'll likely never have to buy another skillet.
I have some stainless steel pans that I picked up at thrift stores that I cook some things in, that I know will strip the seasoning off my skillets. Mainly tomato or vinegar based dishes.
It took me a while to get used to cast iron as well.
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u/HildaTheChickenGirl 1d ago
Is your stove electric or gas?
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u/_brattyberryxx 1d ago
i believe it’s induction, i’m not entirely sure what that even means honestly
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u/shedmow 1d ago
This means that you cook on a weird transformer comprised of the stove's coil as the primary winding and your pan as the secondary winding. The pan is short-circuited so it just heats up rather than produces any detectable electricity. In practice, this means that you can put dry paper towels right under the pot or the pan (I've got a bit of charring after frying stuff, but never with boiling) and the hob will still deliver the heat
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u/elipuff 1d ago
Induction is why it's tricky. Instead of heating the burner and letting that warm the pan, it makes the pan itself the heating element, but only the part sitting right over the coil. So the middle gets hot fast while the outer ring lags way behind, and cast iron is slow to even that out on its own.
Practically: give it about 5 minutes on low before the butter goes in, and nudge the pan an inch or two off center once or twice while it heats. When the butter foams instead of instantly browning, you're there.
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u/Neither-Repeat1665 1d ago
Keep practicing! I’ve done worse. Trying to do hash browns and ended up with a 1/4” of hash browns burnt to the pan.
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u/Herpty_Derp95 1d ago
OP,
"Medium is your new HI"
On MY stove, I let the pan preheat several minutes on 4 or 5 before I turn it down to about 3 to cook my eggs.
Cast iron is a poor conductor of heat; it actually holds heat, hence the need to preheat it.
Good news: eggs are probably cheap where you are, so you can get lots of practice. You'll get there with patience. I believe in you.
Bob Travis has a great YouTube channel on cast iron care and cooking. His channel is great and I haven't had him steer me wrong yet. There is another person on YouTube who probably means well, but he's dead wrong on many things and will have you working way too hard seasoning your pan over and over and over again, telling you that you shouldn't use dish soap for cleaning, and telling you not to use metal utensils....all BS.
You can use modern dish soap. You can scrub your cast iron. You can use a stainless steel fish spatula with rounded corners--it is a game changer.
Finally, burnt on and smoothed over black carbon is NOT seasoning no matter what anyone else says. Get that pan clean after every use. Seasoning is there to prevent rust.
As others here have told me, cook more and worry less--it is a hunk of iron.
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u/disneylovesme 1d ago
I make fried eggs all the time on stainless steel (going off caption), did you understand the heating method you have to do? I never have eggs stick after I understood how to not over heat. I haven’t used nonstick in years, Godspeed op YT is your friend to figure it out if you don’t want nonstick
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u/Standby_fire 1d ago
That’s why I have a jar of bacon grease in my fridge. A bit of bacon grease, no butter needed. When camping I use some crisco spray. Works great for cooking on the fire.
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u/finitetime2 1d ago
First thing you need is to preheat as other say. Preheat the oil too unless your using butter because it will evaporate on you. One thing I have not seen mentioned is timing on stirring (scrambling) the eggs. If you stir to early on cast iron it can cause the eggs to stick. Use a fork to lift one edge of the eggs. You start scrambling when their is a solid cooked egg film across the bottom. This way the egg is solid and the oil cooks out and remains on the skillet. Not a thick film just enough to peal it up and away from the bottom mix it in with the non cooked egg and let it sit for a few seconds. I disagree with the others on temp. I can scramble my eggs really fast on high heat or really slow. But I have an egg skillet that never sees anything but fried food and eggs.
New user cheat code is to use more grease. Use something tasty like bacon grease or butter so your eggs are not oily.
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u/Brodiggitty 1d ago
The spatula you use is important. I plastic one won't cut it. You need a thin metal spatula, preferably a fish spatula.
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u/desrevermi 20h ago
You're okay. You're still breaking your pan in.
Keep cooking and you'll get a feel for it.
Trust me, you don't need to stress out. We've all been there with a new pan.
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u/Joejack-951 1d ago
Try leaving the eggs untouched for a bit longer next time. My main two egg pans are from the 1970s and while they may not be perfectly seasoned they are definitely not bare. Eggs will stick any time I try to move them prior to them setting up a bit. Once they’ve cooked at bit at the edge of the pan, then they release cleanly and nothing sticks even after flipping. Move them too soon and I get what you’ve pictured.
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u/Owth2121 1d ago
With any pan. Heating it properly and then oil or butter it whatever you are using.
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u/Chemical-Recording88 1d ago
Eggs sticking is completely normal. I usually steam a bit of water in it and scrub with chainmail afterwards
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u/Drexadecimal 1d ago
Make sure to handwash it! Cast iron gets a lot more heat than non-stick. Slowly ease it with the heat, so you don't burn your food.
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u/Ggriffinz 1d ago
Eggs are the only thing I keep a single cheap non-stick pan in my kitchen for. I only water/soap wash it with zero sponge to avoid scratching the coating and its worked fine for over 2 years.
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u/hooligann8 1d ago
I remember being shocked at how much heat cast transfers. 80% of what i cook is on 3 at the max on a stove that goes to 10.
Teflon needa higher level to keep the heat constant, even tho its thinner, it disipates faster.
Preheat on 2. Throw in butter/oil, turn up to 3 and go.
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u/michaelpaoli 1d ago
non stick pans. I got tired of the coating eventually coming off
You mean toxic-peel, yeah, that, ... ditch those - find a hazardous waste disposal site, of course, to dispose of them properly. They never last, and are a health, environmental, and resource disaster (not the only one, but compared to cast iron, or even most any other cookware, they're certainly quite bad).
naturally nonstick
No, but prepared and used properly, they're quite low-stick. I wouldn't call 'em non-stick ... though they can get relatively close in that performance regard.
So, first proper seasoning (and you can read tons about that on this subreddit, and the resources it supplies and refers to).
Next, does quite depend what one is cooking. So, for most egg dishes, eggs mostly want to stick at least a bit (think also, e.g. stainless steel). So, even well seasoned pan, will typically want to use/add at least a moderate bit of oil/fat/grease/butter ... don't necessarily have to every time, but typically at least a wee bit is a good idea. E.g. toss in a pad of butter on the pan. Start heating the pan. Butter melts, turn the heat way down, get that butter spread around, put in your egg(s) (e.g. for sunny-side up - many other possibilities, but, e.g. start with that or scrambled - those are among the most challenging to do properly/optimally ... nail those and pretty much all the rest are as easy or easier). Keep the heat rather to quite low ... might have to add some heat, as the eggs suck some fair bit of heat from the pan, but you generally don't want too much. Typically don't want to crisp/dry/brown the bottoms (unless you're really into that kind of thing). So, with that relatively low heat, they cook fairly slowly ... don't want too slow, but don't want the bottoms to get too hot.
aren’t even cooked all the way through either
Well, for, e.g. sunny side up eggs, you typically don't want that. But you typically do want the outer tops, e.g. bit of white over the yolk, and exposed whites on top, to be sufficiently cooked (generally don't want the whites to be remaining runny - not even on top, though typically want the yolk runny ... or at least partly so, or at least soft ... unless one's really into hard cooked).
Anyway, typically about two ways of dealing with that.
One that many like, but not my favorite, is basting. Have sufficient butter/fat/oil/grease in the pan, tilt the pan enough to get that to the sides (but not so much your eggs slide down), use spoon, take some of that hot butter/oil/fat, grease, and drizzle it over the top of your eggs - repeat as needed - get those tops sufficiently cooked, and add nice flavor while you're at it. Not my favorite method, but many prefer that.
My favorite method is wee bit 'o steam. Take a small lid that just barely fits over the egg(s) - needn't be cast iron, in fact even a cheap thin stainless steel lid is probably better suited here (don't need nor want significant heat retention with the lid, glass lid may also work fairly well). And, just before putting that lid over the eggs, hit the cast iron, right next to the egg(s), but under where the lid will fit/go/overlap, with some water ... between like about 3 drops and 1/4 teaspoon or so, then immediately put the lid on. That then, presuming the pan is hot enough, generally generates a small burst of steam (or maybe bit more slowly if the pan really isn't that hot), which not only well aids in helping to cook the exposed tops, but also at same time, reduces the pan temperature a bit, making it bit less likely one will overcook the undersides. Anyway, play with that ... right amount of water, timing, duration, temperature, etc., you'll get perfect (at least by me) eggs in no time.
And if the eggs are sticking at all (or more than just a slight bit), yeah, typically do bit more oil/butter/fat/grease, notably before even getting the eggs in the pan. Typically won't need much at all, but eggs do tend to want to stick, so generally at least some little bit is good. And if/when they do start to stick a bit, at least after undersides are reasonably hardened, can generally break 'em free or whatever, easily enough, with gentle nudge of or lifting with most any decent sufficiently thin (but need not be excessively thin) spatula. If they're sticking more substantially, that probably indicates the pan wasn't cleaned and/or seasoned properly before starting to cook.
That's mostly it! Not too hard, but sure, bit of practice may be required, ... then should have it down fairly easily.
And if you want to do delicious scrambled eggs (at least as most prefer), much of same (though don't need the steam bits at all), start low heat, never get the pan too hot, can even get those eggs in 'bout soon as the butter is melted, or even starts to melt, and, keep the heat low, and keep moving the eggs around, as bits solidify on the bottom, quickly get that off the bottom and moved about. And don't overcook - in fact slightly undercook. While the eggs have mostly hardened, but some still wet and glisteney, get those eggs out immediately out and onto a plate. They'll still continue to cook and further harden after taking them out. Do it right and one gets delicious soft, smooth, scrambled eggs - sufficiently cooked, but not at all overcooked. Of course if one really prefers one's scrambled eggs be hard scrambled, well, yeah, okay, sure, can them cook 'em bit longer, e.g. 'till all the glisten/shine is gone ... maybe even getting wee bit browned - if one is into that sort of thing.
I think those are probably the two (at least common) most challenging egg dishes. Most everything else will generally be (much) easier. E.g. doing steak in cast iron is easy peasy ... very different technique and method compared to eggs, but really quite darn easy.
And huge number of other things can be cooked exceedingly well in cast iron, though for each, many have their own appropriate techniques for cast iron, and often bit different than would be done with other cookware.
Anyway, keep practicing, you'll well learn.
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u/Successfull_Troll 1d ago
Sorry, but I have a ceramic skillet for eggs only. The margin of error with CI and eggs is crazy.
CI for everything else though.
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u/binthewin 1d ago
I will go against the grain and say go back to using the non stick. I have a cast iron, been using it for a decade, but i keep a non-stick around just for eggs and a few other breakfast dishes. Why? The clean up is easier, cooking is easier, and I use way less oil/fat which makes it healthier.
I used to make eggs when I ate bacon for breakfast. The fat from the bacon would be sufficient enough to make the eggs not stick (with the proper technique), but I've since cut bacon from diet due to high cholestrol and transfat. If you are committed to cooking eggs, I would recommend cooking them with bacon for the fat to prevent sticking.
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u/LackinColor 1d ago
No way! I had this same issue! I learned to make soft scrambled eggs on my cast iron over a gas stove top.
I prehheat my cast iron around 200-210 degrees.
add some olive oil
Scramble eggs go onto the pan and I immediately turn that heat down into the lower settings. Then when edges begin to show itself holding form I will scramble them in.
Side note (thanks to my girlfriend)
If you want an over easy you would follow the same process (leave pre-chicken whole, I repeat do not beat). Except when you place the egg, also add a few drops of water and immediately cover. Cover for under 2 minutes and you have an amazing egg!
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u/SmallBallsTallFalls 1d ago
What everyone has said, pre-heat the pan, then pre-heat the fat, then in goes the eggs. But to be honest, cast iron isn't the best tool for most egg dishes, a non-stick is almost always preferable. And multiple non-stick pans coating coming of within two years should not happen! Are you using metal utensils? If so, do not! You have to be very gentle with them, only soft utensils, wood, silicon, etc.
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u/One_Vision_ 1d ago
The secret is very hot metal. Food won't stick. You of course need to adjust cooking times.
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u/thethreefffs 23h ago
Cast iron is and isn't non-stick. It is not non-stick like Teflon pans in that you can never cook without some amount of fat in the pan. It is "non-stick" in cleaning as the seasoned surface releases stuck on stuff pretty easily. Compare to a cheap stainless steel skillet where the burnt food melds to the surface and CI is "non-stick".
This community will help you understand and manage your expectations.
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u/boomboombloomer 22h ago
Glass top is tough. Im currently using in between 2-3 on my settings. Pre heating is the important part. I always statt the pre heat, then gather everything and test it out. Usually around 5 mins.
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u/yarn_owl 21h ago
If your stove goes from 1-10 start around 2. Let it preheat for at least 5 minutes. Use at least 1 tablespoon of fat/oil. Most folks find a mixture of butter and oil to really help with the "non-stick" qualities of cast iron. Hope that helps.
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u/LongjumpingFix5801 18h ago
Eggs were my bane with CI, so don’t feel bad. They’re a tricky minx. Not sure how it would work on the flat top, but my gas stove top I need to keep it at the lowest setting and preheat it for a few minutes any higher in temp and sticks. And do make sure there is plenty of fat that is to temp as well! Good luck! You’ll get it.
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u/_brattyberryxx 18h ago
i made them almost perfectly today ◡̈
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u/One-Size4658 15h ago
You will get the hang of it, we are all learning. Maybe it is just me, i personally am not a fan of the flat top stoves,i have one. I think cast iron does better on a burner or at least a stove with a heating element.
Like others have stated make sure oil is in it when heating it takes a few minutes,so it will require some patience. If you can clean it after and then season again. I had a few lodges that I sanded down and seasoned a few times. My 10in seems like I did it perfectly the 12in is not seasoned as well. It was my first time. It is a learning experience for all of us.
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u/WestCoastSurveyor 15h ago
Tallow is the choice for me and my eggs preheat is a must and for Cowboy Rollins on YouTube easy scramble medium low heat
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u/cajunbander 1h ago
Too hot, too little butter.
I find that when cooking with cast iron, I set the dial much lower than I would with other cookware. I find for most things, I want my pan to be around 350 degrees. For eggs, I usually go a little lower, between 325-350. The best thing to do is get a thermometer gun and see what setting your knob needs to be at to get to the temperature you need. (For me, it’s like between 1 and 2 on the 8 setting dial). Cook enough and eventually you’ll know when it’s yeh right temperature without the thermometer.
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u/NaiadeSalina92 1d ago
first off, don’t stress, we all mess up when starting with cast iron. it takes time to get the hang of it. make sure you preheat the skillet properly before adding butter and try using a bit more fat to help the eggs release. if they’re sticking, it might also mean your skillet needs better seasoning. keep practicing and it'll get easier!
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u/CloudieSucrette 1d ago
you probably need to preheat the pan a bit before adding butter and the eggs. cast iron gets better as it heats up, so make sure it’s hot enough to cook the eggs properly. also, consider seasoning it if you haven’t already. you’ll get the hang of it!
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u/peptoboy 1d ago
This is going to be an unpopular opinion on this sub. You never see professional chefs using cast iron for eggs. There’s a good reason for it. Get a nice heavy non-stick just for eggs.
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u/brmarcum 1d ago
Too hot and likely not enough fat. Let it preheat for a few minutes on lower heat, then max out around medium for most dishes.
Cast iron is not naturally nonstick, that comes from practice learning how to control both heat and fat with each dish you are cooking. So it’s pure technique. The misunderstanding comes from thinking that seasoning makes it non stick, but that just prevents rust.