Cast iron seasoning is polymerized oil, a hard coating built through repeated heating cycles. Most home cooks understand this intellectually but practice it wrong: they oil their pan, wipe off most of it, then bake it. The result after 10 cycles is a thin, sticky layer that actually makes cooking worse, not better. That's not seasoning; that's buildup. Professional-grade cast iron comes pre-seasoned because manufacturers use industrial ovens and specific oils heated above 450°F repeatedly. Home seasoning rarely reaches this temperature. The fix: use your oven's highest temperature (usually 500–550°F), apply a paper-thin layer of neutral oil (grapeseed or avocado work best; flaxseed is too unstable), and bake for one hour. Cool completely in the oven. Repeat this cycle five times before cooking on it regularly. Each cycle builds permanent hardness, not stickiness. "Most people season cast iron with the wrong amount of oil. Less is always correct." After those initial five cycles, regular cooking builds seasoning faster than any maintenance routine. Fry potatoes, sear meat, cook bacon. The more you cook in fat, the faster the seasoning develops. Stop overthinking it once you've built the foundation. A well-seasoned pan should have a matte, almost gunmetal finish—not glossy, not sticky, not shiny. If yours looks slick, you've over-oiled it.