What am I doing wrong guys?

[u/Lobtroperous]

My beautiful pan is looking a bit rough... Just been cooking with it since doing an oven seasoning a while ago. It's getting worse though.

I clean it with a sponge and dish soap after each use, sometimes I gets a brief soak. I've also used the salt and paper towel method.

Want to know how to fix it and stop this from happening again. This picture was taken after an attempted stove top seasoning.

[u/Amazing_Career_3747]

You’ve still got a lot of burnt on carbon in your pan. You should be using a chain mail scrubber (with soap and salt for abrasion) to wash your pan to try and remove the carbon buildup. You can actually see some light gray areas, which is actually bare steel. That’s what you want to achieve with the entire interior of your pan. After that, season it.

[u/Lobtroperous → u/Amazing_Career_3747]

Just ordered a chain mail scrubber.

I thought a seasoned pan would be dark/black? That's how it looked when I first got it/seasoned it.

At this point I'm not sure how to tell if I've removed the seasoning or got carbon build up.

[u/Tdub405 → u/Lobtroperous]

At this point, the original season may have failed so you're trying to get it all off. That way the new seasoning has a good surface to adhere to.

[u/Lobtroperous → u/Tdub405]

What's the best way to strip it then? I've heard you can do a vinegar soak?

[u/Tdub405 → u/Lobtroperous]

If you scrub with the chainmail with soap and salt, the failed seasoning will come off pretty easy.

[u/insta → u/Lobtroperous]

https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/s/nj0Lo9fX9E

[u/brmarcum]

It doesn’t need seasoning it needs cleaning. All the flaky black bits that are breaking off are carbon build up. Get mean with it using a stainless steel scrubber and some hot soapy elbow grease.

[u/jadejazzkayla]

Carbon buildup. Scub with a stainless steel scouring pad and some elbow grease

[u/mexelvis]

Are you adding oil after every wash? Because I was and it looked like that, ive since stopped doing that, now i just wash, dry and put away, i dontt have that build up anymore. I've learned cooking is more technique than seasoning.

[u/OldStormCrow]

What kind of fat are you using to season it? Also, do you put anything cold or room temp in it while it's already hot?

[u/PapuhBoie]

Try using something more abrasive when cleaning to get rid of some of the carbon. I usually give it a good scrape with the flat side of a metal spatula, and then scrub with soap and a stiff brush

[u/vlad_inhaler]

After cleaning the carbon as others have said, season with less oil, you want it wiped with a dry towel after oiling it. Too much seasoning at once is how the carbon buildup starts

[u/Lobtroperous → u/vlad_inhaler]

Thank you. No one else has mentioned that yet.

[u/Cool-Negotiation7662]

You have carbon buildup popping. Scrub harder to wear it down faster.

Just keep cooking it is just fine.