Cast Iron Skillets
orangegato
Posts: 6,572 Member
I am interested in getting a cast iron skillet, but was wondering if there is any real benefit from spending a lot of money to buy one of the newer artisanal type skillets? The less expensive ones are made by Lodge or Staub. And the expensive ones made by Finex or Field claim to have a smoother surface and are better. Anyone know anything about this? thanks
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Lodge is my go to8
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Meh, my Lodge one was $12 new and it has served me very well. They require a little more care than normal pans, but the flavor and ability to stick it in the oven is great.
Maybe buy the less expensive one and see if you use it? Mine doesn't stick, so not sure what the benefit to a smoother surface would be :shrug:.2 -
Any cast iron skillet that is seasoned properly is generally stickless and improves with age. Rusty used ones you might find at a thrift stores can be reconditioned as long as they are not badly pitted.
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I looked for one at thrift stores, and the beat up rusted ones were only about a dollar less than a new one! I was surprised.1
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I wouldn't buy a rusted one, as rust in your food isn't good. I agree, go with a cheaper one and see if you use it.0
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Another Lodge fan here. I have 4 pieces I use regularly (12" skillet, chicken fryer, 8" skillet, and 6" skillet) in addition to my Dutch oven for camping. Most of my pieces are at least 30 years old and well used. I don't like using anything else.
The chicken fryer (deep skillet with a lid) is perfect for things I brown on the stovetop and roast in the oven and I use some of the others in the oven too. Nothing like baking cornbread in a cast iron pan. You preheat it, butter it, pour in the batter and bake. Perfect texture with a nice crust.0 -
We just have a regular one and it's awesome. Especially for steaks!1
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I love mine for cooking steaks and fish. The important thing is after you season it to never let soap ever touch it. After cooking just rinse with hot water and wipe it out. Give it a coat of vegetable oil to prevent rust and you are ready for the next meal.4
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Lodge is fine. Just do your research so you know how to season it and take care of it. Don't wash it with soap..EVER.1
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Lodge is good to go. Also consider their carbon steel pan - I use this more frequently than my cast iron. IT has many of hte same properties and is easier to wield.
YOU CAN DEFINITELY USE SOAP WHEN NEEDED. Use a little bit of soap and very hot water. I use soap 100% of the time when cooking fish or other stuff with potentially super stinky oils.
Soap is 100% fine. It's an old wive's tale that it ruins the seasoning. Those people just enjoy unhealthy, rancid oil sitting on top of the seasoning.
http://www.lodgemfg.com/use-and-care/cast-iron-lets-cook
As far as surface: A glassy, smooth surface has great non-stick properties. However, once your rougher lodge is properly seasoned (the oil has polymerized,) it's just fine. (They come seasoned these days anyway, so.) Just wash the pan ASAP and don't let it sit, it'll be fine.
You can use plastic scrapers (lodge sells some) to get the stuck on stuff off.4 -
Lodge is the way to go. Inexpensive but great quality. It's kind of easy to wreck the initial seasoning it comes with but just put a little oil on it with a paper towel and let it sit in a hot oven for a few minutes after using it for the first several uses and it will develop a nice seasoning that even my hubby, with his SOS pads, can't wreck totally.
Of course, if you find an old rusty one at a yard sale, there are plenty of sites explaining how to bring it back to life. The new ones will never be as non-stick as the old ones because of changes to how they are manufactured. Old ones were hand polished and had smoother surfaces than the new ones.1 -
Lodge is good to go. Also consider their carbon steel pan - I use this more frequently than my cast iron.
YOU CAN DEFINITELY USE SOAP WHEN NEEDED. Use a little bit of soap and very hot water. I use soap 100% of the time when cooking fish or other stuff with potentially super stinky oils.
Soap is 100% fine. It's an old wive's tale that it ruins the seasoning. Those people just enjoy unhealthy, rancid oil sitting on top of the seasoning.
http://www.lodgemfg.com/use-and-care/cast-iron-lets-cook
Don't use soap, It's NOT an old wive's tale, The soap will get in the pores of your iron and then your food will taste like soap.7 -
HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »Lodge is the way to go. Inexpensive but great quality. It's kind of easy to wreck the initial seasoning it comes with but just put a little oil on it with a paper towel and let it sit in a hot oven for a few minutes after using it for the first several uses and it will develop a nice seasoning that even my hubby, with his SOS pads, can't wreck totally.
Of course, if you find an old rusty one at a yard sale, there are plenty of sites explaining how to bring it back to life. The new ones will never be as non-stick as the old ones because of changes to how they are manufactured. Old ones were hand polished and had smoother surfaces than the new ones.
In 50 years the new ones will be as good as the old. Regular care and maintenance is why the old one's are better.1 -
The other thing I love about my Lodge cast iron is that I can pour water or something else into the hot pan to deglaze it without running the risk of it warping from the sudden temp change. These things are pretty close to indestructible. The worst thing you can do to it is get a thick coating of meat bits and oils stuck to it. If you do, just use steel wool to clean it and then re-season it.0
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Nope, sorry....if I found someone washing my skillet with soap, I'd throw them out. We'll have to agree to disagree. If I cook something sticky in mine, I wash it with water, Kosher salt and elbow grease only. And some good heavy paper towels.6
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I have my mother's old Lodge pans (my mother died more than 20 years ago) and I love them. So versatile and really easy to clean (I've never used soap on them).0
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I'm 53 years old. I have a new(er) Lodge skillet and a skillet that belonged to my own mother before I was born. I have no idea what brand the "antique" skillet is, but it doesn't get more seasoned than continual use and good care for 60 or so years. The Lodge is almost as good...sticks a bit more, but that's to be expected.
The way I care for my cast iron is simple. A plastic scouring pad (the mesh kind), occasionally a nylon scraper (Pampered Chef) to clean off the pan with VERY hot water, dry over the burner, thin layer of olive oil wiped on with a paper towel. If something is really stuck on, put water in the skillet and boil it stovetop to loosen it up prior to cleaning. I'm not going to say I've never touched it with soap...but it's been a rare and very quick swipe.0 -
I figure it's a balance in happy living at our house. Hubby leaps up and does the dishes after supper. I hate doing dishes. He is a clean freak about dishes so it's either insist I clean the cast iron or occasionally renew its seasoning because he just can't help himself and grabs the SOS. I'll "let him" scrub that pan. LOL0
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I have a little experience with this topic. First, I am officially an old man and have been cooking on cast iron my entire life. The cast iron my mother cooked with was handed down to me. Lodge is a good brand for a starter and your first pan. It is inexpensive and will last a long time. Newer Lodge cookware seems rougher to me. The claim is that this is somehow better. Second, I personally think, it is worth the adventure of hunting down an old Griswold or Wagner skillet in a thrift store. Check the flatness of the bottom with the edge of a credit card and pass on any that show light under it. If it is in decent shape at a reasonable price, less than $50 dollars, buy it. I have reclaimed old rusted 'orange' cookware by running it through a DIY electrolysis tank, scrubbed it up and taken the item down to bare metal. The I have lovingly re-seasoned it to BLACK and better than new condition. My one old timer's tip is to use Crisbee Cast Iron seasoning. I have NO affiliation to them except as a satisfied customer. They are first, a small family owned company and have a proprietary blend of oil and beeswax for their product. It will run circles around any kind of oil or solid shortening, bar none. I suggest the stick for its convenience. (DAMHIK) You can find them online and Amazon, I think. Google 'Crisbee Video' and watch a demo. Once properly seasoned cast iron is no more difficult to care for and easier than some pans. Cast iron will bring joy every time you cook on it.7
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I have Lodge, Staub and Le Creuset skillets, dutch ovens and grill pans. I have not found too many differences between them and have found that as long as you take good care of the pan, the brand doesn't matter too much.2
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I hate new cast iron... everything sticks for me no matter what I do. I find nice smooth cast iron skillets at garage sales and thrift centers. Let someone else break them in for 50 years, lol4
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Can you use cooking spray on one? I don't really want to add a lot of butter or oil to food.0
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No, I don't think you should use cooking spray on them.0
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TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »Can you use cooking spray on one? I don't really want to add a lot of butter or oil to food.
post below yours says not to add cooking spray but my understanding is that w/ a hot and seasoned cast iron skillet, food should not stick so no need for that I guess.....0 -
midlomel1971 wrote: »No, I don't think you should use cooking spray on them.
Why not? It is no different than pouring a little oil in except that you use less to cover the same area.5 -
Unless the propellant is just air, usually it's not. I wouldn't due to the interaction/reaction of the propellant with the metal...Just like with the soap.1
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Cooking spray can leave a sticky residue on any pan and IMHO it's even worse on a seasoned cast iron pan. If you want to spray on your cast iron, use a pump spray just just uses air and oil but not any other ingredients.1
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I've had my Lodge for over 20 years now and it's so well seasoned it behaves like teflon coating. With cast iron it is all about how you treat it3
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I wouldn't buy a rusted one, as rust in your food isn't good. I agree, go with a cheaper one and see if you use it.
How is rust in your food bad? It's just oxidized iron. Do you mean like unhealthy or it gives your food a metallic taste? When I get rust on my pans I rub a little lard on it, heat up the pan, and it's gone.
I have a bunch of Lodge stuff. Most of it from Wal-Mart. It requires a little care, but had lasted longer than my nonstick set and doesn't stick like the stainless I had before. I also have a Staub pan I barely use because I worry about damaging the enamel. I chipped the handle and don't even know how.1 -
The other thing I love about my Lodge cast iron is that I can pour water or something else into the hot pan to deglaze it without running the risk of it warping from the sudden temp change. These things are pretty close to indestructible. The worst thing you can do to it is get a thick coating of meat bits and oils stuck to it. If you do, just use steel wool to clean it and then re-season it.
Yeah, pretty close to indestructible. I used a lodge pan to put out a grease fire and did manage to crack my pan. I used it on the grill for a few months and the crack seasoned itself shut. Better than new.6
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