BuzzyWaxx Cast Iron Seasoning Review

New products in the world of cast iron seasoning don’t come around terribly often.  There are a few items out there aside from the various oils that can be used on their own such as Camp Chef’s Cast Iron Conditioner, Lodge’s Seasoning Spray, and of course, Crisbee’s various seasoning products.

Each have their merits.  Lodge, of course, would recommend their seasoning spray while Camp Chef would recommend their conditioner.  The relative newcomer in the area is Crisbee.  The folks at Crisbee blended palm and soybean oil with beeswax to create “pucks” of seasoning to make things a bit easier to handle.

This summer, another player came onto the market.  Enter BuzzyWaxx!

BuzzyWaxx, founded by folks with a love of all things cast iron, is a proprietary blend of grapeseed oil, canola oil, and locally sourced beeswax.  The BuzzyWaxx tag line “Made for Cast Iron People, by Cast Iron People” is evident by a quick visit to their partner sites Dutch Oven Daddy and Cast Iron Community.   Their years of knowledge cooking with, restoring, and caring for cast iron shines. They are truly “all-in” on cast iron, and it shows.

I recently received some BuzzyWaxx to try out, as I’ve been a fan of Crisbee for quite a while, and I’m always interested in new options to put a good layer of seasoning on an old cast iron skillet.  I have to say, after using BuzzyWaxx a few times, I’m a fan!

The Product

I received my BuzzyWaxx prior to it being fully released to the public, so I can’t comment fully on their packaging as you would receive it today.  From social media posts by the folks at BuzzyWaxx, it appears that they are wrapping with “cling-wrap” style plastic, and sealing it with a BuzzyWaxx sticker.  Being a new company, with a new product, I expect that this will change in the future once they have and opportunity to refine some of the details of their product, and how best to distribute it.  At this point, if nothing else, their packaging helps to keep the cost of their product reasonable, and is adequate for what is needed.

As mentioned above, BuzzyWaxx is a blend of grapeseed and canola oils.  These two high smoke point oils are known to provide the dark, non-stick finish that most people associate with cast iron cookware.  The beeswax, known for protecting iron from rust, also helps bond the oils together for an even distribution.

In addition to the even distribution, the beeswax helps support their local North Carolina apiaries, as they source their was from the Albemarle Bee Company.  This support of other local companies is commendable, and is encouraging to see.  In the age of the internet, where you can almost always get something cheaper from random Chinese producers, they’ve chosen to keep it local.

BuzzyWaxx Use

Like other products in the category, using BuzzyWaxx is pretty straight forward.

1. Heat your iron.
2. Apply the product.
3. “Cook” at high temp.
4. Cool slowly.
5. Repeat.

BuzzyWaxx recommends 480-500 degrees (due to the high smoke point oils) for an hour to an hour and a half, and then letting it cool enough to start the process again.  Do that three times, and you’re ready to cook!

Following their process is pretty straight forward.  If you’ve ever seasoned cast iron using the standard recommended procedures, it’ll come pretty naturally to you.

In addition to initial seasoning, BuzzyWaxx can be used to protect your cast iron after use.  Once you’ve cleaned your skillet, just put it back on the burner on low heat.  Melt a little BuzzyWaxx and wipe it around.  Let it cool, and you’re ready for next time.

Personal Observations

There’s a lot to love about BuzzyWaxx.  It’s inexpensive, easy to use, and lasts forever.

The discs they sell are the size of a muffin tin around, and just over an inch thick.  I was skeptical about how far they would go, but their website says one disc is enough to “season multiple pieces several times over”.  I seasoned two number 8 skillets and a number 3 skillet three rounds each, as well as some touch-up here and there on a few other pieces.  After all that, I have used about a third of a disc.  Their “multiple pieces several times over” statement is completely accurate, even given my propensity to use FAR too much.

It can be a bit messy to use, but so can all the other oils and options that are out there.  A bit of a mess is inherent in slathering a piece of metal with oil.  My one complaint, if it’s really a complaint at all, is that it seemed very soft.  At “room” temperature (75º F), it was much softer than Crisbee, causing a bit of a mess and slight deformation.  I’m not sure that’s their fault though, as I don’t know how one would make beeswax more “solid”…  And, again, it’s no more messy than using liquid oil.

Pros and Cons

First, the pros:

• Convenient
• Blend of high smoke point oils
• Reasonably priced
• Effective
• Very dark finish

Now the cons (sort of):

• Can be a bit soft at room temp.
• Packaging could use some work
  • On a side note, it appears they are working on packaging.

Final Thoughts

BuzzyWaxx, for a newcomer to the market, is well on its way to cementing itself as a solid alternative to the options that are out there. The fact that it is made in the USA, with local (to them) beeswax is great.  The finish is amazing.  As they continue to develop their business, I see it just getting better over time.  These are people that have collected and cared for cast iron cookware for years, and I don’t see that slowing down.

For $14 (shipping included) for 4 discs, you almost cant go wrong.  BuzzyWaxx puts out a solid product at a reasonable price, and in this day and age, it’s nice to see.

If I had some input, my biggest suggestion would be to make it a “cleaner” product, and provide different options for application like some of their competitors.  In the end, that’s really trivial. For the price and performance, I don’t think you could ask for a better deal than what they’re offering.

Head over to http://buzzywaxx.com and take a look.