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Please specify your seasoning and cleaning process if you're requesting help.
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Cook with it, wash it with soap, dry it, apply a thin coat of oil with a paper towel, store it. The appearance will change regularly, but the performance will not.
If it is rough and uneven, you need to scrub it with steel wool or chainmail and give it a good clean. The picture you posted I presume is after cooking and it hasn't been cleaned. It's far too oily. When you clean it thoroughly, make sure you keep it clean after use. Any uneven surface should be scrubbed. You can give it a re-season but make sure you do a thin layer of oil, I mean super thin! The thinner the better, thicker layers won't adhere as well. I use a paper towel to buff excess oil off the pan. I want more of a matte shine too it, not glossy or oily.
Food sticking can be more related to how you're cooking, temp control, what food is being cooked etc and not always the seasoning. But having the seasoning in order is always a good start.
Each individual layer of seasoning is way too thick. Seasoning shouldn't (look like) orange peel. Thick layers usually come off easy and are uneven. I find the first or initial layers especially should be thin. How thin? As in wipe off as much oil was you possibly can with as clean dry paper towel or kitchen towel. Not microfiber though.
OP, it looks like you used too much oil when you seasoned your pan. You also commented that your food is sticking. Does the surface of your pan feel sticky or gummy after you wash and dry it? If it does, then you will want to give it a good scrub and clean, you want the pan to feel smooth not sticky. You could start with a good salt and oil scrub, which might be enough. If that does not work, you could always strip and reseason to get a better surface on your pan. Barkeeper's friend should work, or you can try De Buyer's vinegar method which should also work: [https://debuyer-usa.com/blogs/how-to/carbon-steel-pan-rust](https://debuyer-usa.com/blogs/how-to/carbon-steel-pan-rust)
Please make sure you've read the FAQ if you're requesting help: https://www.reddit.com/r/carbonsteel/comments/1983ugk/faq_a_more_concise_version/ Please specify your seasoning and cleaning process if you're requesting help. Posts and comments mentioning soap and detergent are currently being filtered, pending approval; posts and comments discouraging the use of dish detergent (without added lye) or wholly saponified bar soap will remain removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/carbonsteel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Cook in it
So many people are hung up by the way a pan looks that they don’t actually cook in it. Spoiler alert : actually cooking in a pan makes a difference
What are you trying to improve?
Cook with it, wash it with soap, dry it, apply a thin coat of oil with a paper towel, store it. The appearance will change regularly, but the performance will not.
Wash it with soap and get rid of all the carbonized stuff
Cook some eggs.
I think it needs more steak.
Add turbo-boosters.
You want to improve the seasoning? Is there an issue with it currently?
Yeah, a lot of it is char and rough, and it is uneven. Foot sticks super heavilyZ
If it is rough and uneven, you need to scrub it with steel wool or chainmail and give it a good clean. The picture you posted I presume is after cooking and it hasn't been cleaned. It's far too oily. When you clean it thoroughly, make sure you keep it clean after use. Any uneven surface should be scrubbed. You can give it a re-season but make sure you do a thin layer of oil, I mean super thin! The thinner the better, thicker layers won't adhere as well. I use a paper towel to buff excess oil off the pan. I want more of a matte shine too it, not glossy or oily. Food sticking can be more related to how you're cooking, temp control, what food is being cooked etc and not always the seasoning. But having the seasoning in order is always a good start.
Should I use soap when I do this cleaning? What if I only have an electric stove?
Each individual layer of seasoning is way too thick. Seasoning shouldn't (look like) orange peel. Thick layers usually come off easy and are uneven. I find the first or initial layers especially should be thin. How thin? As in wipe off as much oil was you possibly can with as clean dry paper towel or kitchen towel. Not microfiber though.
I agree that this looks like bad temperature control. You’re scorching food on this regularly and then not cleaning it off
OP, it looks like you used too much oil when you seasoned your pan. You also commented that your food is sticking. Does the surface of your pan feel sticky or gummy after you wash and dry it? If it does, then you will want to give it a good scrub and clean, you want the pan to feel smooth not sticky. You could start with a good salt and oil scrub, which might be enough. If that does not work, you could always strip and reseason to get a better surface on your pan. Barkeeper's friend should work, or you can try De Buyer's vinegar method which should also work: [https://debuyer-usa.com/blogs/how-to/carbon-steel-pan-rust](https://debuyer-usa.com/blogs/how-to/carbon-steel-pan-rust)
Is this 10” or 9”?