Care, Cleaning & Seasoning

Seasoning is simply thin layers of oil baked onto iron (polymerised) to build a natural, renewable non-stick surface that improves with use. Your Quenched™ AUS-ION™ arrives pre-seasoned, so no at-home oven seasoning is required — though a little stovetop seasoning makes it even more non-stick. nöni™ never needs seasoning. Full steps: Seasoning Guide.

Quenched™ is real, developed seasoning, so your pan is ready to cook and fairly non-stick already (with good heat and fat control), and it keeps improving. Like all iron it can rust if left wet or unused, and acidic foods can strip seasoning — but it's always an easy, renewable fix. See the Care page.

Usually one of: heat too high (iron is very conductive — medium is the new high), not enough fat, young/thin seasoning, rough carbonised patches, or moving food before it has formed a crust. Lower the heat, add fat, and do a little stovetop seasoning. Full troubleshooting and cooking tips: Seasoning Guide.

That's completely normal and expected. Naturally seasoned iron is almost always patchy — what matters is how it cooks, not how it looks. The colour evolves with what and how you cook. There are no health or performance implications.

Not at all — surface rust is superficial and easy to fix. Scrub it off with a scourer, steel wool or fine sandpaper, then re-season and dry thoroughly after each use (ideally on a warm stovetop). Step-by-step: Care page.

Almost certainly not — our cookware is practically indestructible. Scratched or stripped seasoning? Re-season and keep cooking. Uneven base from fast heating? A little pressure restores the concave. Genuinely dented? A rubber mallet, a clean and a season will sort it. Scratches are purely cosmetic with no health or performance impact. If in doubt, email info@solidteknics.com.

By design. Like all good iron and steel pans, ours have a carefully engineered slight concave so the metal can expand when heated without warping. More on the concave.

Usually young or under-maintained seasoning, or a touch of rust — both more noticeable with acidic foods. Cook regularly with fats and oils, season when needed, and dry and store dry. It settles as your seasoning develops.

No more than any other iron pan. Well-seasoned iron leaches almost none, and the small amount is harmless. For boiling, acidic or slow-simmered foods that suit iron less, we recommend our nöni™ stainless range.

Pitting can be normal and the pan stays perfectly safe — the chromium quickly reforms a protective oxide layer over the pits. Common causes: coarse salt added before water boils, hard water, or humid/salty environments. Add salt only once water is boiling. nöni™ Care.

These are harmless watermarks from minerals (calcium/magnesium) in tap water. Remove them with a little vinegar and bi-carb, or boil a 1:3 vinegar:water solution in the pan, cool, then wash and dry. nöni™ Care.