Cast Iron Skillet


 

a palombo

New member
Would like to get a nice one and preferably one I can use with the smoker.

Outside of buying something on Ebay, what brand do you recommend?

What should I look for?

THANKS!
 
i also have many lodge pans, however, i've read more and more about old Griswold & Warner pans...
i am not sure if they are still in production, butt from what i understand, Griswold & Warner are the best.
NOT that Lodge makes junk!
I love ALL my pans and they ALL smile when in use!
icon_smile.gif
 
I think Lodge is about the only one left. My Dad has I think a Wagner CI skillet and that thing is twice as nice as my Lodge. I keep a lookout for older CI pans but haven't found one that didn't cost an arm and a leg.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Solak:
I keep a lookout for older CI pans but haven't found one that didn't cost an arm and a leg. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Which is exactly why I use Lodge.
 
I ordered a 12" lodge skillet from Target a few years back and got 3 in a box. Must have been a mistake in the numbers or something. Took a few cooks, but they're now well seasoned.
 
If buying new, Lodge is the only brand that I would buy. It's the only North American brand sold nowadays.

Old cast iron is the way to go though. They were smooth and better made back in the day. I have an old Brockville Canadian made pan that I use everyday.

Drop buy some thrift stores, I found mine for $10.
 
i have old griswolds and wagners. also have new lodge pans.. love em all!!. Just get one and use the heck out of it. they just get better with each use
 
Keep an eye open at flea markets and junk stores. I regularly find old Wagners here in the $30 - $40 range.
 
I have several different Lodge pans. Very happy with all of them. I will also say, they have great customer service. I had a crack develop in one of the larger pans, and I called and they immediately sent out a replacement, no questions asked.
 
I LOVE cast iron cooking in every respect. Regular everyday cooking, BBQ/Grilling, camping, etc... Main meals, appetizers, sides, desserts. Anything you can cook in any other type of pan or pot I do in cast iron and love almost everything about it.

I have both old and new pans and dutch ovens all in daily use. If you want "easy" buy the pre-seasoned Lodge-Logic line of cookware. I have had "decent" luck with it but prefer to season my own usually. BUY THROUGH AMAZON WITH THE LINK ON THIS SITE !!!!

I, though, prefer finding old pans at flea markets and/or garage sales or in the internets and cleaning them up and re-seasoning them myself. Takes a little work but not too hard by any means. Clean them up with 4-aught steel wool (this removes the grease and rust and surface blemishes), heat your grill up to blazing hot and stick the pan directly in the coals for a bit to burn off the old seasoning and crud that is left (can also do in the self-clean cycle of the oven too if you wish). At this point you should have raw metal so be careful to not get it wet or you get rust quickly (easily removed but still). Then simply season again and it is like brand new. You can do this over and over and over.

USE THEM A LOT. The more you use them and care for them properly (NO soap EVER - any stubborn burnt on stuff that won't come out with just water you can use a little bit of coarse salt and water in like a paste!!!!!) the more seasoned they become. I have several that are as close to non-stick as you can get without buying non-stick.

Eh - sorry - I ramble, but you really cannot go wrong with cast iron. If cared for properly it will be something you can will to the kids and they to theirs and they to theirs....!!!!
 
Do a search and buy the old Griswold if you think you'll ever want to use it on your stove top or in your oven. It's made of much better ore, lighter, and hand finished to a glass like surface. Do not buy Griswold with a heat ring if you are going to use it on a glass top surface. However, it will be fine for a grill or oven.
Older Wagner is also good. There are also older no name, made in the USA skillets that are very good.
If you decide on Lodge - season it yourself and make sure it is made in the USA-not China.
I use Oven Cleaner to restore my old cast iron because high heat can warp and/or crack cast iron.
 
I have a couple of old pieces I got from my grandmother and they are great. Also have a couple of Dutch ovens from Lodge and they are nice also. Check the second hand stores and just keep looking. They are worth the effort.

Mike
 
a,

You've gotten great advice. You can't go wrong almost any way you go. Still, I vote with the ebay voices. The only CI I have are the 5 pans I've been given by family since I got married 15 years ago. The best of the bunch is the Griswold, but I'm keeping them all. I'm in the market for another and it will definitely be an ebay purchase of something old school. It's nothing at all negative about Lodge; I'd love it if I had it. But sometimes old school is better school, but not always. Just get some CI and get cooking!
 

 

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