As you may already know, our pans aren't coated, but we do lovingly season them! Our cookware contains no toxic, synthetic coatings that will harm your health or the planet. Instead, our pans possess a healthy, forever-renewable surface that can be enjoyed for generations.
With Quenched™, we've done the oven seasoning for you. Our AUS-ION™ range is seasoned the good, old-fashioned way using a technique in line with what traditional blacksmiths called 'Quenching'. This means you can get straight to cooking right from the bag!
What is 'Quenching'?
Quenching is a type of metal heat treatment process. The primary forms of quenching are oil, air, water, and brine. Traditional blacksmiths often used water to quench metal rapidly and cool it down. However, quenching with oil cools the metal at a slower rate, providing more control and helping to prevent warping.
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How do we achieve the 'Quenched' seasoning finish?
We introduced our Quenched range in 2021, and it quickly became loved by professional chefs and home cooks alike. Quenched™ pans come sandblasted with a strong seasoned foundation, so you can get cooking straight away.
The process involves sandblasting each skillet, then heating it to a precise temperature before quickly dunking it in a chilled tank of rice bran oil. The oil instantly transforms into a strong, inert, non-toxic, natural cooking surface. We use non-GMO rice bran oil for its high smoke point. We don't heat the rice bran oil — we have patented a new way to season iron that heavily reduces pollution by dropping a very hot pan into cooled rice bran oil to create the needed reaction.
Dunking a hot pan into cold oil creates some turbulence, which can result in some colour variations on the pan. Remember, this is real, natural seasoning, not a synthetic coating!
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What is seasoning?
In simple terms, seasoning is layers of oil that have been effectively baked onto the surface of a pan through a natural process called polymerization. Seasoning is built when fats and oils polymerize during cooking, forming a protective layer on the pan's surface. Seasoning provides exceptional, easy-release (nonstick) properties and enhances the flavour and effectiveness of your cooking.
Our AUS-ION™ Quenched™ eliminates the need for at-home oven seasoning. Your seasoning and nonstick surface will continue to build and get better the more you cook! A healthy layer of seasoning (patina) will typically become dark in colour, so never fear if your pan's surface develops in unique ways. Our pans are made to be workhorses, not beauty queens!
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Why do you season with rice bran oil?
The rice bran oil we use is non-GMO and offers a high smoke point, allowing us to season our pans securely from the start. You can continue to build your seasoning by cooking with any oil or fat, but rice bran oil is our top choice.
What about our pans that don't come seasoned?
If you'd like the freedom to season yourself from the start, we offer AUS-ION RAW. Like our nöni™ ferritic stainless steel range, these pans don't go through the shot-blasting and seasoning process; their surface remains smooth and bare. The Raw range requires some keying to rough the surface slightly before an initial oven season. RAW typically results in a smoother texture once seasoned, which some iron cookware enthusiasts prefer.
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Is seasoning necessary?
You can season your pan as much or as little as you like. Seasoning provides many cooking benefits and helps protect your iron pans from corrosion. While our AUS-ION Quenched™ range comes seasoned for you, seasoning is a process you can continue to build upon by regularly cooking with fats and oils.
It's never been easier to switch to healthy, sustainable iron cookware! Using the innovative 'quenching' method with non-GMO rice bran oil, we ensure your wrought iron cookware is ready to use right out of the box and free from toxic synthetic coatings.
