How to season cast iron (?)

[Corwin C]

My wife cooks almost exclusively with olive oil and she has her own pan which she has great success with. I personally have better luck with crisco/lard. Use what works.

[TheresaD]

Since the topic has come up... I have a couple of skillets and a DO that need to be reseasoned. The thing I was wondering is whether or not you coat the ENTIRE piece, handle, outside, bottom, entire inside etc. I can't imagine that you would just do the inside but perhaps I'm wrong. Then again oiling the outside would probably mean that the oil on the outside would just burn once on the heat and oiling the handle would probably make it sticky or slippery...wouldn't it?? I've been meaning to ask this question for a while. What say you experts of CI??

[bobhenry]

I coat the entire piece and simply place a cookie sheet or some foil to catch the drips.

The cooking surface inside gets a heavier coating and possible multi passes but the seasoning is your only real insurance against rust. I guess a rusty handle wouldn't be slippery but it ain't near as pretty as a coal black well seasoned piece of iron.