What should you do when you receive a new pot

What should you do when you receive a new pot(suitable for new POTS, rust-proof and non-stick)

Prepare

Tools: warm water, hard sponge, dishwashing liquid, kitchen paper, cooking oil, stove, oven (optional). New cast iron POTS come with anti-rust industrial oil and must be thoroughly washed before cooking.

Step 1: Thoroughly clean and remove the factory anti-rust oil

Heat the entire pot with warm water and add a small amount of detergent. Use a hard sponge to scrub it vigorously both inside and out, ensuring that the rim, bottom, and crevices of the pot are all thoroughly cleaned. Rinse off the foam. Dry-heat the entire pot over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes until the pot body emits a slight smoke, evaporating the residual moisture and oil inside. Turn off the heat and let it cool down until it is no longer hot to the touch.

Step 2: Initial thin oil film maintenance (Core step)

Take a small amount of cooking oil, dip kitchen paper in the oil, and evenly and thinly apply it to the inner and outer walls of the pot and the rim of the pot, leaving only a thin layer of oil film. Wipe off all the excess oil (if the oil is too thick, it will stick to the pot and make it black and sticky). Heat the gas stove over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, maintaining a slight smoke throughout the process to allow the oil to polymerize at high temperatures and form a rust-proof and non-stick carbonized film. Turn off the heat and let it cool naturally. At this point, the surface of the pot will develop a matte black film, and the first layer of film curing is completed.

Step 3: Repeat the film maintenance and thicken the protective layer (2-3 times will yield better results)

After cooling, wipe off the surface oil with a dry paper towel. Do not wash with water. Apply a thin layer of oil again, heat over low heat until smoke rises and then cool. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times. The more times you use it, the less likely the pot is to rust and the less sticky it becomes.

For advanced oven cooking (suitable for large-capacity deep stew POTS), after washing and drying, apply a thin layer of oil and wipe off any excess grease. Turn the pot upside down and put it in the oven. Bake at 200℃ with both upper and lower temperatures for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and let the oven cool completely. Take it out and use it directly without washing.

For the first cooking, give priority to foods with high fat content: fried pork belly, fried bacon, and stir-fried fatty pork. The fat can further consolidate the oil film. Avoid cooking acidic ingredients (tomatoes, vinegar, lemons) for the first time, as acidity can damage the newly formed thin oil film.

For daily maintenance (to extend the pot's lifespan), immediately dry the water over low heat after washing, and then apply a thin layer of edible oil for storage. Do not soak in clean water for a long time and do not wash in a dishwasher. Slight rust: Brush off the rust with a steel wool ball and go through the boiling process again to fix it.