Cast iron skillet recommendations


 
Interesting read Joan, I’m really not too worried I use mine with the respect and care I was taught as a child.
That and I have a fine set of SS which does the bulk of day to day work.
Just used my carbon steel pan to do some Wiener schnitzel, well, pork schnitzel I had a tenderloin out and needed to use it or lose it. Turned out beautifully! Cleanup a snap.
 
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My wife has recently got into SolidTeknics pans. They started out in Australia, but have also begun producing pans here in the US. They actually don't produce cast iron pans, they're wrought iron pans, since piece. You treat them exactly the same, and they're wonderful pans. Pricey, but worth it if you take care of them, figuring you won't need another pan set in the future.

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This is one of their stainless pans, but the wrought iron pans share the same design. I do have to say that their handle design is one of the best things out there. The pan can be on the stove for hours, yet the handle is never more than just warm.

With all of that said, I have a Lodge 10" pan that I picked up years ago that is my workhorse that I use for everything meat related (my wife is a vegetarian so I try to segregate). I love that pan as well, although it's burned me more than the SolidTeknics pans. :)
 
Brad Olson said:
I see that their iron pans are preseasoned - I like that.
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Not all of them are. I think all that we've bought have been raw iron, actually coated in beeswax for protection during shipping. Soap and hot water, a little elbow grease and it's a completely clean slate. Now they are starting to offer a new quenched line, where they actually forge the pan, bring it to a specific temp and then quench it in cold oil. Basically creating an instantly seasoned pan. We don't have any of those... yet.
 
It is a widely-spread and long-held misconception that cast iron is porous. Its structure is such that, at the surface, there will be flakes of graphite visible (search "cast iron photomicrograph"). Any microscopic voids within the iron will be filled with graphite. If graphite at the surface is eroded away, there will only be microscopic pits left at the surface. There is nothing that opens and closes relative to temperature changes or that allows oil to penetrate or to be absorbed.

Edit: This reply seems out of context because it was in response to an earlier post that no longer exists.
 
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Lodge is not the only US manufacturer. Though they have a smaller line, the products from Smithey (N Charleston, SC) are far superior to Lodge, if more expensive, because their surfaces are polished smooth. If you want extremely well made CI in your arsenal, as I do, Smithey is the bomb. In all cases, proper seasoning (or reseasoning) with food grade pure flaxseed oil is a must. No other oil comes close to properly seasoning with flaxseed.
 
K Kruger said:
Lodge is not the only US manufacturer. Though they have a smaller line, the products from Smithey (N Charleston, SC) are far superior to Lodge, if more expensive, because their surfaces are polished smooth. If you want extremely well made CI in your arsenal, as I do, Smithey is the bomb. In all cases, proper seasoning (or reseasoning) with food grade pure flaxseed oil is a must. No other oil comes close to properly seasoning with flaxseed.
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I just fell in love with the Carbon Steel Farmhouse Skillet:

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Bravo. Yes, I have far more carbon steel pans than cast iron. I utterly loath stainless steel pans (especially All Clad but there are many others I refuse to use). I have nonstick anodized aluminum, cast iron and lots of carbon steel. Correctly seasoned (again, flaxseed oil) they are my favorites. The one pictured above I do not have but love the design.
 
So, I am a Lodge guy myself as well. I have the 10.5" griddle
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And, I have the 3.2 Quart Combo Cooker
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I love the combo cooker. It's a dutch oven and the lid is a skillet as well. It fits reasonably well in the GBS grate. This was part of my Memorial Day cook this year, chili dogs

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The Lodge pieces have been awesome. I use a pampered chef plastic scraper to clean under running water, then use a silicone scrubber and a few dabs of olive oil to reoil the surface.

And, they are very reasonably priced which is awesome since my wife prefers Staub for her cast iron choice in the kitchen and that definitely takes up the pricing slack. Ouch. Lol
 
Our son got that same combo cooker for his B-day. He loves it.
I got him the GBS grate so i'll let him know about your hack!:cool:

Tim
 
Absolutely NOTHING wrong with stainless if good quality. Love my All Clad stuff. Easy to handle and care for browns and sears as well as cast iron too. I actually use it more than my CI stuff. Though when I make fried chicken there is nothing like CI and my Lodge ALWAYS gets the nod
 
I gotta agree with Larry here, although I love my Lodge pieces, too. Fried chicken in the Lodge is, imho, the only way to roll. But my All Clad pan does whole chickens regularly in the winter, in the oven. I was skeptical at first, having cooked in a few restaurants that eschew anything All Clad due to price point. But I'm a convert now that I'm a home cook. Could not love my 12" All Clad pan more.
 
I love cast iron, along with carbon steel skillets...I have 2 inherited skillets, a no name(maybe wagner) no 8 10-5/8 and a griswold 11-5/8 ? I had some lodge skillets and sold them after using the no name skillet, it is machined smooth and food slides around in it and better finish than the lodges ive had ...its been camping many times and gets used so much it never leaves the stove top. The griswold needs restored but usable, probably from the 50s era? the no name Im guessing is from the 60s or 70s. I also have a de buyer carbon steel that is black after many uses, I prefer it for eggs as it is lighter and can flip an omelet ...it cooks just as well as cast iron but reacts to heat changes faster than cast iron.

I do still have a lodge #12 dutch oven with the feet, occasionally I will fire it up and cook chili or a roast on the patio with it.

Ive been looking at the fields, stargazer, smithey, butter pat skillets.
 
K Kruger said:
Lodge is not the only US manufacturer. Though they have a smaller line, the products from Smithey (N Charleston, SC) are far superior to Lodge, if more expensive, because their surfaces are polished smooth. If you want extremely well made CI in your arsenal, as I do, Smithey is the bomb. In all cases, proper seasoning (or reseasoning) with food grade pure flaxseed oil is a must. No other oil comes close to properly seasoning with flaxseed.
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Love that Smithey stuff, I’ve got 3 pans in my cart, need to just hit the button!! My wife will understand, right?
 
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