Is Lodge the Best Cast Iron Skillet? My Honest Review After 5+ Years
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 тра 2024
- In this review, I reveal the truth about Lodge cast iron skillets after using them for over five years and cooking hundreds of meals. You'll learn the pros and cons of Lodge and the differences between the brand's two most popular collections. Throughout this review, I show you how Lodge compares to two competitors: Calphalon, which makes a similar cast iron skillet at around the same price, and Stargazer, a much more expensive cast iron skillet made in small batches.
Disclaimer: We may earn a fee if you buy via the affiliate links below (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
****Our Favorite Products in One Convenient Place****
Want to see all the products we recommend in one convenient place? Visit the Prudent Reviews Amazon shop to browse through a handpicked selection of our favorite items across cookware, kitchen knives, appliances, and more. Go to: www.amazon.com/shop/prudentre...
****Navigate This Video****
0:00 Intro
0:41 Design
4:08 Performance
5:22 Heat Conduction Test
6:14 Heat Retention Test
6:54 Induction Test
8:04 Price
9:02 Is Lodge Worth Buying?
****Products Featured in This Video****
Lodge Classic Skillet: amzn.to/3P9vjI4 (Amazon)
Lodge Chef Collection Skillet: amzn.to/3TbxsUK (Amazon)
All Lodge Skillets: amzn.to/3TsSP5y (Amazon)
Stargazer Skillet: shrsl.com/40e2n (StargazerCastIron.com)
Stargazer Skillet: amzn.to/3Iu84Vm (Amazon)
Calphalon Skillet: amzn.to/4c4k1id (Amazon)
****Related Videos/Articles****
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Review (article) prudentreviews.com/lodge-cast...
Stargazer Cast Iron Review (video) • Stargazer Cast Iron Re...
Stargazer Cast Iron Review (article) prudentreviews.com/stargazer-...
Best Cookware Made In the USA (article) prudentreviews.com/best-cookw...
Best Cookware Made In the USA (video) • Best Cookware Made in ...
****Subscribe to This Channel****
Subscribe for more videos like this (click to subscribe): / @prudentreviews
****About Prudent Reviews****
Our mission at Prudent Reviews is to help you find the best products for your home. We take the stress out of shopping by testing, analyzing, and comparing the top products. Our reviews, comparisons, and product guides are in-depth, carefully researched, and completely unbiased. Since launching, we've helped over 8 million people across the globe find the best products and improve their lives at home. Visit prudentreviews.com/ to learn more.
****Stay Up to Date****
Join our free newsletter and get the latest reviews, deals, giveaways, and exclusive content: prudentreviews.com/newsletter/
****How We Test and Review Products****
We combine real-world testing, controlled experiments, and expert insights to evaluate each product. Learn more about our approach to product reviews: prudentreviews.com/how-we-tes...
****Follow Us on Social****
TikTok / prudentreviews
Pinterest / prudentreviews
Facebook / prudentreviews
Instagram / prudentreviews
****Partner With Us****
Want to partner with Prudent Reviews? Email Andrew@PrudentReviews.com to inquire about brand partnership opportunities.
Read my full Lodge cast iron skillet review for more details: prudentreviews.com/lodge-cast-iron-skillet-review/
Want to know when Lodge goes on sale? Join our free newsletter to get deal alerts: prudentreviews.com/newsletter/
I use my Grandmother’s 100 year old Lodge everyday! She lived near the factory all her life and I inherited several - I think of her every time I use them ❤️
I did buy a Lodge 12 inch a few years ago and it performs perfectly also. It is one of my go to graduation present along with how to use and maintain as well as a math lesson on cookware costs
Love this!
That Lodge is built better than the lazy work they do today.
I have the 8", 10" and 12" Lodge Classic skillets. They start out a bit tough to use when new, but with proper maintenance, the more you use them, the better they get. They are the stars of my kitchen.
True.
" the more you use them, the
better they get. . "
KEY PHRASE ^ ^ ^ RIGHT THERE
There's no mystery or magic
to cast iron cooking vessels.
You use the hooey out of
them and they get better
Agree completely
Quality of the material itself? My oldest one was purchased by my grandparents when they married. It is fantastic now, but I will let you know about durability in time. Currently, at 116 years old, it is the finest piece of cooking equipment I have ever used.
116 years old, THAT'S GREAT !!!
My Cast Iron pan is only about 50 years old, and I consider it a classic. You've got me bet by more than half a century !!
Jealous, I am !
My wife and I love our Lodge Classic 12" skillet. We've had it for over a dozen years. We use it so much, it's place in the kitchen is always on the stovetop. We never put it away.
Same here. We probably do 80% of our cooking in it. It just lives on top of the stove.
I am new to cast iron cookware , purchased a Lodge set and so far it is great to use , and a side note if you ever get attacked while in the kitchen just pickup the skillet and start swinging
😂 You only swing once, and they run if you miss…
You can go to the Lodge store in Tennessee and get a “seconds” pan. Much cheaper and same great quality.
why is it a seconds? are there casting flaws and can they be smothed out?
I inherited a lodge skillet from my mother, who inherited it from her mother. I'm in my 70s, so I estimate that my Lodge 12" cast iron skillet has been going strong for a century and performs just as flawlessly as it did when it was new.
I own and cook regularly with many different skillets, including vintage Griswold, vintage Wagner, vintage Lodge and contemporary Lodge. Many of the vintage skillets are over 100 years old. I love cooking with cast iron and use it for most purposes. I prefer cooking with the vintage pans and use them most frequently. But I still use contemporary Lodge skillets regularly.
What is it that you prefer about the vintage skillets?
@@tomgotschall7766 I prefer the lighter weight (no small issue as you age), the thinner walls, the smooth cooking surface, all of which adds up to a quicker heating and easier to season.
Over the years, I just can’t tell you how much cookware I’ve actually thrown out and thrown away. However, all my cast-iron cookware still works great both my inherited vintage cast-iron and my new lodge(newer) I haven’t actually bought new cast-iron cookware from Lodge(or anywhere else) for the last 10 - 15 years probably however, it all works great.The Lodge classic is the best value out there(flat out man) don’t worry about short handles on a Lodge classic.I cook on a gas stove, and the weight of my lodge is actually ideal. The skillet doesn’t slide all over the cooktop of the stove. And as far as the little tiny dimples inside the bottom of the skillets(and cookware in general) Lodge manufactures isn’t necessarily to save money. I suppose it could actually save a couple of pennies in the manufacturing process however, please bare in mind here folks, the people that design and manufacture Lodge cookware are tops at what they’ve been doing for a for a long time now. Those dimples are there for a reason, carbon collects in the bottom of that pan. The more you use it the more the carbon will collect in the bottom of the pan in between the little dimples and even after you clean it ( if you’re cleaning it correctly) the carbon remains in the bottom of that pan the more you cook with it. I use a little canola oil or olive oil and sometimes I even use pork lard to make fried potatoes and onions, and as the gentleman stated here earlier these pans wonderful for baking bread and other things in. We also use our big classic cast-iron Lodge skillet to make the best thick stuffed pork chops you could ever possibly imagine. When I serve those, they lick the platter clean lol. To help deal with the weight of the large Lodge cast-iron skillet develop a two hand approach use two potholders one hand on the long handle on one side and a potholder and hand for the shorter handle on the other side. You don’t want to touch a cast-iron skillet when it’s up to temperature, don’t ever put your fingers up through the shorter handle between the handle and the skillet when it’s up to temperature/hot or you’ll burn yourself so bad you’ll have to go to the emergency room,,,use potholders you don’t need to be moving a heavy hot cast-iron pan around to begin with in the first place it’s far too dangerous. If you’re thinking about getting a cast-iron pan I don’t think you could beat Lodge. You don’t need all the fancy stuff. The short rounded walled chef series pan looks nice and I imagine it is however, those short sidewalls will end up being a pain in the A Double,,,every time you try and flip something over food may slide up to the top of those short walls and and end up dripping grease down over the side.and you’ll have to be constantly wiping it off something to think about..
I have a 12" a 10" an 8" and 2 flat round and a couple dutch ovens for fire pit cooking . I LOVE Lodge . I do a light seasoning after every cleaning. After cleaning I stick pan on my gas burner, heat up a bit and add a light bit of oil. Cast iron is my favorite thing to bake cornbread, brownies and some cakes and breads . Finally got a gas stove and love cooking with cast iron even more than before . Thanks so much for great videos..
I'm a lodge fan, but I have two sizes of their carbon steel pan. I cook on one daily. I do have a giant cast iron lodge pan and some Dutch ovens that I take camping. I actually have TONS of vintage cast iron, but rarely use it, my favorite is a 1930's Wagner. Cast iron is fun to collect. I think what the tests you preformed also demonstrate is how mass impacts performance. With the classic lodge having the most mass it was the longest to heat via thermal conduction which makes sense, it also held heat the longest. What might be surprising is that having more mass also translates to faster heating via induction.
I finally got around to getting the classic Lodge 10 inch. It’s the perfect size, thickness and balance for my kind of cooking. Joins the somewhat thinner 12 inch Wagner I’ve cooked on for 40 years. But when it’s time for a hardy red sauce, the enabled cast-iron Staub skillet with the heavy lid comes out.
Thank you for this great comparison! It confirms some of my opinions and answers some of my questions.
Glad it was helpful!
If you don’t like the pieces of paper sticking to the pan when you dry, it, don’t use a paper towel. I would think the easiest way to dry it reliably would be to put it on the stove and heat it up a little.
I use paper towels to wipe out residues and oil. Since I am not a fan of washing cast iron with water unless it's in bad shape, Drying it, isn't a regular issue for me.
Definitely wouldn't try to dry it with paper towels. Regardless of shredding towels, I want it more thoroughly dry than towels can manage..
Take an angle grinder with a flap wheel and smooth that inside. Comes out like glass, reseason and it’s better than any Teflon or nonstick coatings, and wipes out clean with paper towels when resurfacing with oil.
I've sanded all the rough
cooking surfaces of all the
cast iron cooking vessels
I have and use. People have
been doing that for many
years. The vendors used to
offer sanded/polished iron
cooking vessels at a higher
price than the lesser finished
models
@@B_L_Smith I am not going to tell you to do things differently than you do, since it seems to work for you, but I have had different experiences than you.
My Lodge skillet has it's bottom smoothed, but not it's sides, since that curved surface was more trouble than it's worth to sand down.
When I use a paper towel to wipe out my skillet, I do have to be careful about shreds on the sides, and this is not because it is sticky from poor seasoning. It is very much abrasion from the rough finish.
I am not sure why it would be surprising, that a sand cast finish could have abrasive properties.
Whether people sand the surface or not is a matter of preference, and apparently controversial. I am of the school of thought, that there is more than one way of doing things effectively.
The reason I have a smoothed surface, is not because it won't abrade paper towels. It is because that is the sort of surface I prefer to cook with.
@@B_L_Smith only one moron here. Cast iron companies used to grind them smooth but it cost money. It’s just a money saving move, nothing more.
I have several Lodge skillets with long stainless handles and stainless helper handles. Aside from their awkward weight, they have been great performers on the stovetop and in the oven. I happen to think they look pretty good, too. THANK YOU for this review video!
I got my Lodge classic in 2020 at the start of the pandemic as I planned to cook every day. It’s my first cast iron and I was afraid of the high maintenance. I paid around $20. Turned out it was the best purchase I had. I thoroughly enjoy it.
There's not much that you can buy for $30 and use every day forever...but this is one of those things
Cast iron skillets are not high maintenance at all, aside from the initial seasoning.
Yep
The "seasoning" myth that was
started by the F**d Channel
and all the PBS cooking shows
did more to screw up C.I. cook
vessels reputation that anything else in a century.
Repeated use many times
is what makes a cast iron cooking vessel good
Good job. I'm Lodge all the way for cast iron. I'd probably prefer a smoother finish but it's not a major issue for me. I've made many omelets in a small Lodge two handled skillet without any sticking.
I have owned Lodge skillets since I got married 57 years ago. I love them. They perform consistently well and there are never any surprises with the results. I do think my older pieces that were made before they started doing the pre-seasoning are smoother finishes and seem to season better. But I love them all. I have skillets in sizes 8", 9", 10.25, 12" and a 2 quart Dutch oven, a 10"round griddle and a rectangular griddle.
I’ve got a couple of them. I rarely use my high end stainless set anymore. My 10” and 12” are my goto skillets. I’ve had my 10” for about 7 years now, and it’s glass smooth now due to constant use. I enjoy mine so much that I’m giving a set to friends as wedding / Christmas gifts.
Lodge doesn’t “not smooth” their cast iron, they media blast it to obtain that surface. The texture is intentional
I use my Lodge on a weekly basis. I love it. I just cooked Bulgogi and churrasco in the same session last night, the night before seared salmon. The heat retention and price are great. I prefer cooking on the skillet over my stainless pans and Hexclads, the sear is better, and a seasoned skillet just makes things taste a little better
Bulgogi sounds good right about now. Thanks for sharing.
I've got a Lodge Blacklock. Much lighter weight than any cast iron I've ever felt, longer, forked handle that doesn't get as hot as quickly, came triple seasoned from the factory, & still performs just as well as the classic Lodge my mom has. It is about 3 times more expensive than classic Lodge (though $60 for a 10" is still not that bad for such a great performing pan, plus I got it for closer to $40 thanks to working in a kitchen shop), but that's really the only drawback I can think of.
Have a 12 inch standard lodge in the home, when I'm camping/hunting I use lodge to cook on and after a quick clean a hand warmer. It radiates heat for a long time
I'm living in Russia, and I use the Lodge dishes. It's sincerely the best I've ever seen
👍
In my possession are a number of Lodge skillets from 4” to 12” plus a Dutch oven. With the exception of the 4”, All were used on a wood stove so it became necessary to burn them out fairly often which grandfather did, then it became my responsibility to scour them with sand and a brick bat.
The old fella passed in 1959 and the skillets came to me. I have no idea how old they are, but this I do know, soap has never been applied. Occasionally I will put them in the oven and apply the oven cleaning heat then re-cure.
Nice content, I also learned a lot from your videos about steel and hexclad cookware. One note: As imperial units are only used in the US it would be super nice if you could either use metric units instead or add overlays giving the equivalent in metric units for the rest of the world. Keep up the good work!! 🙂
Great feedback. I'll keep that in mind for future videos. Thank you!
Hi, I'm German and grew up with the metric system. It makes so much more sense. I have been in Florida for decades and am now able to use either system interchangeably. Conversions are pretty simple though. Aside from just googling inches to cm, or oz to ml etc, 1 inch is 2.54 cm. 1 quart equals about a liter. 1 lb is a little over 450 grams. There are 16 ounces in a pound. I will gladly answer any of your questions regarding conversion of measurements.
I just bought a cheap cast iron skillet from Amazon probably south american origin, does the job just fine... have cooked dozends of meals with it already, love it for what it is. After all cast iron is cast iron!
Would love to try carbon steel pans, but have not yet bought one, because the cast iron does the same as the carbon steel, cooking wise!
I have several cast iron cooking vessels of foreign
origin, and they cook just
fine. Nobody has ever
complained that so-and-so
was cooked in a Taiwan
skillet instead of one of
my Wagner skillets 😂
@@maxpinson5002 Jepp it is what it is, a cooking vessel made of cast iron!
If you treat the pan right (aka cook with it regularily) it just will become better over time!
Absolutely! !
People today have forgotten.
The early pioneer people cooked
on open fires outdoors when they
could, and often on the embers
of the fireplace on the hearth.
Many like my own ancestors
used a dutch oven to bake
with because THAT WAS their
oven. Not everybody had a
freestanding separate range/oven.
Their cast iron cooking vessels
were bought for economy and
durability for use with flame and
direct heat and became slick
with constant day in day out
use. Cooking several times a
day times 365 days would
rapidly "season" any cast iron cooking vessels with the cooking
grease they had on hand. (Lard)
If it’s a Victoria, it a well built cast iron skillet.
I grinded/polished the surface on my trusty old Lodge 12" skillet a few years ago, and I enjoy the smooth surface for cooking and cleaning. Use a silicone carbide strip disk for the bulk of the work and sand with increasing fineness. Blue the surface with a stovetop on high before seasoning and you'll have a beautiful result.
That's awesome. I'm curious though - what do you see as the benefit? Do you notice food sticks less?
@@PrudentReviews Like you demonstrated, the non-stick effect is probably about the same, but I like that I can slide a fish spatula under my food smoothly, and technically it does reduce the surface area so it can only help with sticking. Cleanup with a paper towel is quick and doesn't leave paper towel fibers. And I don't believe claims that seasoning sticks better to rough cast iron.
I just sanded my 10” lodge by hand with sand paper in about 15 minutes. Wasn’t trying to polish it just knock down the high points. Still trying to build the seasoning back up but it should come with age. It works great and prefer the smooth feel.
I have some old, vintage Lodge cast iron skillets that are 60+ years old. If you run across any old Lodge pans that are more than 30 years old you'll notice that they are as smooth as a baby's butt. They used to grind them down in the factory until they were as smooth as glass. After Lodge invented the "pre-seasoned pan gimmick" in the mid-1990s they stopped smoothing the pans. The pre-seasoning wouldn't stick (and it takes a lot more time and effort to season a pan that is absolutely smooth). Customers hated it. Back in the day (30+ years ago) the older, smooth Lodge pans were sold unseasoned and coated in a thin layer of bee's wax so they wouldn't rust on the store shelf. You had to remove the wax and start seasoning from scratch. It just about sent Lodge into bankruptcy because few people were willing put out the time, effort, or hassle. (A cheap Teflon pan was easier to use.) Lodge's invention of pre-seasoning is what ignited the new "Cast Iron Renaissance" and the current "Cult of Cast Iron." It made cast iron cooking easy for everyone. You didn't have to spend days or weeks cleaning and seasoning a pan and getting it ready for cooking. Just go to Walmart, buy a pan, and start cooking immediately.
I did that to my Lodge cast iron wok, and it was a mistake. No matter how thinly I applied oil when seasoning it, the seasoning sluffed off when I cooked with it. I'm not sure why, because I have a couple of old Griswold's that are smooth as a baby's bottom, and I've never had a problem with them. I finally stuck the wok out in the weather and let it rust for a year or two. I'm about ready to throw it in my electrolysis tank, re-season it, and give it another try.
I think you should compare Lodge to Victoria. Victoria is also reasonably priced.
Awesome video thank you I'm looking for a lodge pan.
Do you have any videos on oil splatter pan covers?
This should help: Oil Splattering All Over Your Cooktop? 5 Simple Tricks to Prevent It
ua-cam.com/video/Ewv1sGzDSN8/v-deo.html
The internet is full of arguments for smooth surface over texture but my experience is textured is best. Waste of time to destroy the factory seasoning and smooth it out. I’ve only done this when restoring an old rusty pan. Pay attention to seasoning and nothing cooks or cleans up like cast iron. Good review.
Have had a Lodge 12" (and others) for over 30 years and it functions better than the day it was purchased. My only complaint? Weight which has become a bigger issues as I age.
"better with age" is a common theme with cast iron. Glad to hear you've enjoyed yours for so long.
Best pan review channel on the internet without a doubt. I only have a lodge iron skillet and I have had zero issues with sticking and maintaining the season. They are AFFORDBLE and perform. I frequently use my cast iron lodge for searing so I like the mass. I heat it in my oven to 500 degrees to get even heat then sear my steaks. It holds the heat perfectly. I also love my lodge for baking and pizzas.
Appreciate the kind words!
I just purchased the Lodge 10.25” skillet. Says it is pre-seasoned, but I had to go through the seasoning process after first use because food was sticking. After seasoning, it is everything I hoped it would be, very pleased with this skillet, have spent a fortune on non-stick pans, wasted money, my Lodge will serve us well for many years to come. Only concern is the weight, have to be very careful, we have a glass cooktop, don’t want to crack or scratch it.
Pre Seasoned pans usually need another 1-2 layers of seasoning, they are just preseasoned so that pans do not become rusty, most manufacturers also recommend to run another 1-2 season cycles after unwrapping. To make matters worse some pans come with additional non season coating like wax which you have to rub off first (aka many carbon steel preseasoned pans) before running your own seasoning cycles!
The more you use a cast iron cooking vessel, the better it
will get.
" season" is in the pores of
the cast iron, and can't be
rubbed off.
It's not layers like paint or
powder coating.
That's what the old timers
called burned on crap 😂
Cast iron has become so trendy. It's been a long time since I've run across good cast iron in the second hand stroes. Everyone is hip to it now. 😒
I have a 10" and 12" Lodge. I sanded the bottom smooth on both and now they work great.
Fantastic video as usual.
Thank you so much! Appreciate the support
I do own a couple of Lodge cast-iron things. The square grill pan and 5.5 qt Dutch oven. I use both of these regularly. I also have a 9 inch or so round skillet, which I hardly ever use. My favorite skillets are a small Crescent F'dry from the 20s or 30s, and a pre 1960 10.5 inch Griswold. Those babies are just the bomb, super smooth, and so much lighter weight than the new Lodge's.
I have a 10 and a 12 inch lodge skillet; neither hold the seasoning as well as my Wagner skillet. They do the job but my Wagner is my favorite.
I have a 12" Lodge skillet and a griddle that I absolutely love and use daily! I only get other brans when I am rescuing them from a flea market or elsewhere!
You can take a lodge and use an angle grinder to smooth it out. My husband did this to mine and nothing sticks, I’m so happy he did this to my cast iron! 😊
I would love to see a new vs vintage cast iron video. I have an 80 year old Wagner cast iron pan that is smooth and magical.
Great idea!
This is the truth! I have a 12" Lodge, which is a trusty performer, however if the quantity of food allows, I always check first to see if I can use the 10" Wagner skillet that was Mom's instead.
I get my Lodge cast iron cheaply from Walmart. They always perform well for me. The 10.5 " high sided pan with matching low sided pan lid combo is great for baking no kneed bread. My only complaint is that the 12 inch pan is heavy, but great for pancakes. Rough cooking surfaces will smooth out with long use and have presented no problems. Their enameled Dutch ovens are good for acidic foods and soups.
You can sand the cooking surface with sandpaper and
wash out well to speed up
the process.
Repeated use will make them
better with time.
The old timey mail order catalogs used to offer different prices and grades of
cast iron cooking vessels, the
higher more expensive grades
having carefully sanded/polished cooking surfaces
I own several brands of old USA cast iron but Lodge is the best deal for anything new for me. Induction heating is my favorite way and iron really works well there. Your review is excellent stuff.
Thanks for watching and supporting!
I always burn off. seasoning that comes on the cast iron and season it myself . In my experience this is better seasoning than that waxxy stuff put on at factory. I was told that's more for protection against any rusting during shipping and while sitting on store shelf .
I have the lodge flat skillet. I love it!
Technically speaking, the lodge can't be beat, especially for the price. I bought my 10 and 12 a few years ago for only $7 a piece, by stacking some coupons on an already running sale at kroger. But that doesn't stop me froming owning and enjoying both field and stargazer, and supporting other american manufacturing companies.
Agreed. Can't beat the value of Lodge. These other newer brands have some nice features though. I'll be making more cast iron videos soon.
I bought one of those red silicone handle holders, and found out that unless I take a death grip on it, the handle (and consequently the pan) will turn inside it when I try to lift a pan. The first time it happened, I lost a pan of food all over the stove. All it's good for is scooting the pan around on the stove, and regular potholders work just fine for that. I haven't gotten around to throwing it out, but it lives in the bottom of a drawer.
I agree. I use thick cloth handle covers and they work much better.
I think the black lock griddle is the best. I love cooking on it, and the large skillets are absolutely instructive and the best.
I have my grandmother’s Wagner. Love it.
I have so many Lodge items that my wife just shakes her head when I walk on with another one! My favorite is the 8" when I cook breakfast for myself, the 10" when i cook for us both. I mainly use the 12" for camping. We both use the 8" for cornbread, but I probably like the cornstick pan best for cornbread. The older and darker they are the better.
Buying lodge puts food on my friends an neighbors tables, so as a local, I am biased. So its nice to see them test well.
Lodge is an amazing deal....I cook with modern, vintage and all cast iron in between. They all have their place....and Lodge is as solid as any.
ABSOLUTELY LOVE LODGE!!!!!!!!
Both onne for my dad a cupel of months ago the presisening is holding up great. Especially considering how bad he is whit maintenance
I've had a 10" classic lodge for 30+ years and it is the most used pan in my kitchen. I roast, bake, and fry in it.
Love my lodge! I have almost a whole set, but seven and nine Court Dutch Evans, it’s 1012 and 14 inch frying pans, as well as pizza pans loaf, pans, and sheet pans. If large makes it, most of it I have it.
Good video. Just a question, do you plan to test Fissler pans/pots from the Profi Collection in the future?
Thank you! Yes, most likely
@@PrudentReviews great, that's nice to hear 👍
I like my old rescued and reconditioned Wagners from times gone by. They’re lightweight and well designed. Lodge skillets always felt overweight and clumsy. I have several sizes ranging from about 6” up to over 12”. I have a variety of lids that fit well enough.
Found a 10.25" Lodge classic skillet in my local grocer and didn't stop to think much outside of "OOo cast iron!" Picked it up immediately and did some post-acquisition research into care and maintenance on cast iron cookery because of all the superstition and stuff about actual washing of the things. So far I'm about a week in, and it feels way more non-stick than the pans that actually claim to be non-stick.
There are many tutorials, but always get the feeling that my care and maintenance might be just a tad off. I think I'm doing good but we'll see how we're doing down the road.
The 12” Lodge skillet is the most useful and versatile kitchenware made. Fry, roast, bake, braise- on any heat source indoors or out. You can treat it like a rented mule, you can’t really hurt it. Add a cast iron lid and it is a shallow roaster, baker, braiser- the Lodge lids from their dutch ovens fit their matching skillets. No other cast iron skillet maker is this versatile. Use it for a lifetime and will it to your grandkids.
I have been cooking with my Lodge Classic cookware for 51 years. The pots, pans and skillets from my cast iron collection are my favourite cooking vessels. Almost all of my cast iron cookware is Lodge.
I’ve had my Lodge cast iron skillet for 20 years. It’s been through a lot of mishandling and learning experiences on my part, but it’s come back time and time again and is now a well-seasoned mainstay in my kitchen. Completely nonstick and reliable. Best $20 I ever spent.
Take a look at the Victoria brand cast iron made in Colombia. I got the 12" a little while ago for $17 on sale ($25 regular price). The handle is longer and more ergonomic than the standard Lodge and the pan itself is similar to the Lodge Chef Collection.
I have 3 lodge skillets, 2 dutch ovens, a pizza pan, and a chicken fryer. They are a good deal, but: 1) I've sanded most of them to make them smoother. 2) Victoria is an even better deal but they don't have the variety. The Victoria skillets have the same heavy bottom, but the sides are thinner/lighter and the handle is much bigger and more ergonomic.
I know my lodge 12” is the best snd I didn’t need Serious Eats or Food & Wine to tell me; although i trust both those organizations very much especially Serious Eats.
Ive had my Lodge classic frying pan for about 8 yrs and it’s the most reliable piece of Equipment for cooking. It takes 5 minutes to clean and season and it’ll give you a lifetime of work.
My wife and I have a few of them (Lodge, that is.) Now I have an inkling to make some cornbread for dinner tonight.
I love my lodges although i dont know which deries they are from bought at different times ...still the best tools i have in the kitchen
I have a lodge pan since 2020. I just recommend a Lodge to my friend and she told me about the California ab 1200 disclosure in the website. I've search absolutely EVERYWHERE to understand if there is a problem to cook with our cast iron or not and I don't find anything. Can you give us your opinion on this? Is it really risky for your health?
You could do like I do and use what you inherited. I have a Griswold skillet and some Birmingham Stove which are still going strong today. In age, they are close to the century mark.
I've got a pretty old lodge 12" skillet, but it is too heavy for convenient use, I use the more expensive (and thinner and lighter) 10" "Blacklock" skillet much more often.
Cast iron is what it is, so actually hard to go wrong. But Lodges short coming is the short handle. Though it's not a huge difference in practice - it does come into play, but only because cast iron is what it is, there are multiple options in the same price range with a longer handle that there is really no reason to chose Lodge unless it's the only option in it's price range.
Bought a L classic 2 years ago. Love it, just made cornbread this morning. 1 problem: I'm 15 lbs heavier.
Hahaha that is one downside
I've been using the same cast iron pan since I was 19, about half a century ago. Wagner Ware--do they still make that? It has a smooth surface. I will probably only live another 10 or 20 years, so I guess this ONE pan will do it for me.
Now I can't say for everyone. I have so many cast iron pieces that range from 156 years old to 8 years old that I still use. Now when I get a new cast piece no matter the brand the first thing I do is get the sander and the 100 grit paper. Then I get the flaxseed oil to start seasoning. That's the only reason I have a gas grill. To do first 6 to 8 coats of seasoning. After that it's just keep applying. As I build most of my own tools for cooking with my cast I am pretty proficient at seasoning iron. I would never use a new cast piece right out of the box. I tried it once years ago and it was a terrible experience. Never again. In fact it was just 8 years ago when I bought my first glass covered last piece. Lodge brand. I use it a lot. It was the first out of the box piece I used without anything. I really like it. My main reason for liking lodge is they are heavy duty compared to many others. I have a total of 8 brands. The lodge gets used the most.
For what they cost, everyone who likes to cook needs a Lodge cast iron. It is true, properly cared for, they do get better with age.
While I’d love to have a vintage pan or two, like a Griswold, I’m convinced the Lodge cannot be beat at the price point, or on pure performance. While your tests were interesting, the real test is how well these skillets cook. That’s affected significantly by the understanding of the chef on how cast iron skillets work, and how to take care of them. Those data have very little to do with the tests conducted. It was still interesting, and I’d share your conclusion, but as a test professional I kind of had to point that out. With that said, proper cleaning and re-seasoning after every cook (not the full deal, but applying a good high-temp fat like canola oil to a hot/warm pan) turns the Lodge skillets into masterpieces that simply don’t stick. They are simply awesome. In a dream kitchen I’d have a complete set of Lodge cookware, including the ceramic coated double oven that’s in my kitchen, and a couple of carbon steel skillets for more French-style pan searing. I’d cheerfully get rid of my Calphalon and OXO non-stick stuff…Lodge is just that superior. And given I’m 6’3” and the better part of 250 lbs, the weight isn’t an issue. :)
I had one I used almost every day for years that was great to use, however, after it was resurfaced with the angle grinder it was wonderful.
The cast iron of the 1800’s was put through a process of smoothing that’s not done today so it was not necessary for the pioneers to smooth it out with stones, lol!
It boils down to you do you and others can do them but that doesn’t make you or them an expert on cast iron; it’s just a preference…
How many products do you buy that get better the more that you use them?
very few...cast iron cookware, jeans...can't think of anything else
It’s rather simple to smooth the surface of a Lodge skillet.
A small orbital sander and a medium grit paper can make it a short task. Then just follow a cleaning and re-seasoning regimen on the pan.
I have several Lodge skillets, all purchased new. I have seen videos that suggested smoothing the contact area in the skillet. It has been a question as to if that was worth doing.
I would say don't. I have a few old skillets, a very smooth single notch #8 from the '30 and Lodge tested here. They all work great. I was surprised how similar the dimensions were being nearly one hundred years apart in age.
I’ve done it to my newer lodge skillets with a flap wheel & reseasoned them, they come out great. I love a smooth skillet.
Lodge is addictive💙
The best cast iron hands down is Le Creuset. I bought some Lodge to see what it was all about, it was woeful, I gave it to sister and she came to the same conclusion and just outright binned it and went and purchased some Le Creuset for herself.
I own 3 Lodge skillets of various sizes. I love them all, and for the price I have no reason to buy anything else. As per your tests, it appears that the thicker the pan, the better the performance. Fast heating is not better performance, it is small convenience.
The cat iron skillet my parents had when i was young anyways got washed in soapy water and wasn't non stick at all. It wasn't easy to use. it wasn't until I moved out that i bought my own, learned up, and taught my parents got to use theirs.
My cast iron cookware is of unknown brand and except for one, bought by my grandparents. Knowing them, I onow that they bought the cheapest oans possible and considered lower quality for it's time. My one pan bought by my parents in the 50s is the same thing. I've cooked n other cast iron and to me its all the same. Unless there are cracks when new, there really isn't that much difference in how they cook.
I do have a small set of cast iron mostly used for picnics, outdoor cooking and camping. I love it. It is a Walmart brand.
I can't see any advantage to buying expensive cast iron cookware. As I don't go for prestige or status symbols, it gets a pass fom me. In buying other kinds of cookware, the cheap ones are thin and flimsy and they warp. I don't have premium stainless steel cookware but it's still in great shape after 30+ years.
I have Merten and Storck carbon steel pans. I loved how it felt in my hands and could easily go from my stronger to weaker hand when cooking. That it was the cheapest was a big bonus but not the reason I bought it. I researched reviews and those few that did test it claimed its too nonstick! Exactly what is too nonstick? That is just weird! I don't use nonstick pans.
The trick with Lodge or any other cheap cast iron is to take a orbital sander to the inside of the pan before you even heat it the first time. get that factory "preseason" off down to smooth iron, then season it 3-5 times with grapeseed oil. you want that thing to be slick as a babys butt inside. that way you dont need to use a lake of oil to keep stuff from sticking. you should be able to crack an egg in there and slide it around no problem. use a wooden spatula to clean it while its hot after your done cooking, you dont need to use soap, leftover grease is good for it. and NEVER soak it in the sink, if you need water just use a little splash to rinse and dry it off on the stove completely, do not let it air dry!
I probably have more cast iron than anybody needs. I have inherited old cast iron that is absolutely smooth as it can be. I have new lodge pans that are a bit rough but are serviceable.
Use soap only once, if ever. Hot water and a metal spatula or a dish rag should do it from then on. If something gets really stuck or burned on a copper scrubby or a salt scrub will take a lot off. Saving almost all for all of your nonstick finish Eventually, they all will get smoother. I personally prefer the smooth surface. On the lodge frying pans, I don't mind the little dips in the texture. But the parts that stick up need to be smoothed out a bit. Almost any cast is or can be come a very good pan. If it has an even thickness and has no cracks or other defects. Some cheap no-name cast iron can be very good.
I don't care for preseasoned pans. It's like starting out with seventy to eighty percent of good seasoning. Properly seasoning the pan yourself is like ninety percent of good seasoning. Care and lots of use will get you to a 100%.good seasoning.
An eight - or twelve inch pan is practically a necessity. With any kind of good fitting lid. If you are planning to cook on fire, thick and heavy is better.
But used or or on sale when possible
Found the chef collection skillets to be kind of dumb. Walls are shorter so food splatters all over. The curved handle is not comfortable. I like the traditional skillet much more. If someone wants the shape of the chef collection, I would just get a carbon steel skillet.
I just can't get over how rough the surface of Lodge stuff is. Good quality old cast Iron I've used is much smoother, and no it's not from the seasoning, you can see they are machined that way.
Amazing video.
I have own Logde so the results were not that surprising to me.
I did notice a big issue with your induction test. You have a horrible induction setup, wich have super tiny "burners"/coils!!
If you use that contraption on a stainless steel pan, you will most likely warp it!
Deymyere wont offer warrenty eighter as using a way to small coil will count as user error, as it goes against thier manual of only getting exact and near exact matches of the bottom with the size of the coil.
I have seen cast iron pans warp and shatter on simmilar crappy induction setups with to small coils, just my two cent in regards to your induction tests.
You missed one - Smithey cast iron. It's highly polished inside which increases non- stick w minimal seasoning.
Never heard of stargazer & calphalon has a history in aluminum & far less in cast iron.
You'll need to redo this.
I would say for the money yes it is
Lodge carbon steel is very nice, makes great camp gear as its half the weight of cast iron
Great compare
Thank you
Yes, Lodge is. No matter what people say is "the truth".
Truth!!! Well put!!!
The weight wouldn't be such a problem except for the terrible handles. A 50% bigger handle would make it far easier to wield. The shortness of the handle means you can't provide as much torque from the front to the back of your hand. I have a ribbed iron skillet with a long wooden handle; SO much easier.
WTH, you're better off buying a couple of antique Griswold skillets. You can use them for a lifetime, and when you're done using them, you can pass them along or sell them at a profit.
(Oh, for the record, Griswold pans have polished smooth bottoms.)