After I wrote about seasoning stainless pans, I started wondering if seasoning would also benefit my aluminum Omnia Stove Top Oven baking pan.
Haven’t heard of the Omnia? Read here. Want to buy one?
- Omnia Stove Top Oven on Amazon
- Omnia Stove Top Baking Oven from Sea Dog Boating Solutions (Note: Sea Dog Boating Solutions no longer sells the Omnia oven. But they do offer a few accessories. Click the link.)
Okay, time for some testing.
Seasoning a pan makes it considerably less likely to stick than if it is not seasoned, but it will not be totally “non-stick.” When called for in the recipe, you still have to grease it.
So I tried seasoning the baking pan for my Omnia (how I did it is below). Boy, did it ever work well! As you can see in the photo above, even the first slice of cake comes out of the pan easily.
How to Season the Omnia’s Baking Pan
To season the Omnia baking pan, begin by cleaning it very thoroughly. Run your fingers over the surface to find any minute particles of stuck-on food. Use a scrubby pad and a bit of baking soda or cleanser if needed.
Rinse and dry, then place 3 tablespoons of canola oil or vegetable oil in the baking pan. Do not use olive oil, as it has too low a smoking point.
Use your fingers or a paper towel to spread the oil over the entire inside of the pan, particularly the center cone.
Place the base plate and uncovered pan on a burner and turn it to high. Do not do this without the base plate – you will burn the pan. As the pan heats up, you can tilt it some to get oil over all the surfaces. Continue to heat the pan until the oil just starts to smoke.
Turn the burner off and carefully remove the pan from the base plate – it is very hot. Let the pan cool about 10 minutes until you can safely touch it. Use a paper towel or absorbent cloth to wipe the oil out of the pan. Do not wash the oil out.
Your pan is now seasoned and food will stick much less than if it were not seasoned, but I’m not going to call it “nonstick.” You should still grease (and flour, when called for in a recipe) the pan before baking in it.
Wash a seasoned pan with very mild soap and scrub as little as possible. If you really have to scrub at a bit of stuck-on food, it’s time to re-season the pan. How often this will occur will depend on how much you use the Omnia and the type of baking you do.
Enjoy your baked goods!
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Simonne says
I’ve tried to do this yesterday, but it didn’t really work out.
I had to turn the burner of, before the oil started to smoke, because there was too much heat developing above the pan and under the cupboard above my stove.
Make sure you have enough room before doing this!
Mike says
I am sorry but this didn’t work for us. Years ago on Ingrid we had an Omnia which we used very often. Recently we got a new Omnia and tried this seasoning method but it ended up with a very tacky surface, not at all non stick. It took me quite a while to remove the coating. I would say the clean aluminum with a spray/flour coating works fine, Mike
Carolyn Shearlock says
If it got sticky, my guess is that you had an oil with some impurities or didn’t wipe the oil out thoroughly after seasoning it. Heating it again should have allowed you to clean the oil easily. I’ve done this on many aluminum pans and never had a problem so I have to think it was something in the oil — I’ve always used canola oil.
Connie Lacelle says
I’m looking forward to winning this 😉
Bill says
What about seasoning it in a hot oven, the same way an iron skillet is seasoned? Is there any danger that it would warp in the high heat (I usually season skillets at 450)?
Carolyn Shearlock says
I haven’t tried it. I doubt that it would warp — my aluminum cookie sheets don’t — but I couldn’t guarantee it. It doesn’t warp with the high heat on the stove. Right now, I don’t have an oven that can get that hot available to test it.