How America's Largest Cast Iron Pan Factory Makes Almost Two Million Pans per Month - Dan Does
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2021
- On this episode of ‘Dan Does,’ host Daniel Geneen visits the Lodge factory in Tennessee to see how cast iron pans go from scrap metal to must-have cookware.
Credits:
Host/Producer: Daniel Geneen
Director: Connor Reid
Camera: Connor Reid, Murilo Ferreira
Editor: Lucy Morales
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: McGraw Wolfman
Supervising Producer: Stefania Orrù
Audience Engagement: Daniel Geneen, Terri Ciccone
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For more episodes of 'Dan Does,' click here: trib.al/V2w3eLg
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Worked at Lodge for over 3 years. I was in melting and molding and my wife in packing. Nice to see Larry's excitement on showing the process. Great family, great company and great product 👏👏👏
Been using Lodge skillets regularly for 10+ years and love them. Just bought some new Lodge stuff, laddle, loaf pan, square grill pan, pie pan. Great quality, great company and a very decent price. Thanks for the video.
Looks like a cool place to work.
@@ahmedelnams9192 What do you need?
@@charleschristianson2730 Cast iron cookware is uncommon in Egypt. where High cost imported product. need your help to start a small cast iron cookware factory or to share a business
@@ahmedelnams9192 Well you got plenty of sand..
This man from Lodge has a heart for retail. He doesn't just see a product. He sees the consumer and that someone will use the product his factory makes. Lovely guy!
No, they just see a product to hype to the public! These are some of the worst made!
@@georgelackey622 You are all alone with that opinion. People still regard Lodge pans are good beginner cast iron pans.
The best beginner cast iron is somebody else's old cast iron lol
@@Pyrosquirrely try moving out instead of living in your mama basement then you will realize you have to buy a brand new one from Lodge to start learning cooking
@@loucipher7782 :Learn to speak and write first, dumbass, before teaching others about metallurgy.
It's not just that they're a good company; because they are. It's not just that it's American made. It's not just that they're affordable. Those pans last forever and they're completely recyclable. I have five cast irons and a whole bunch of other cookware; but I rarely use the other cookware. Cast irons are perfect. They require some TLC, but the more you care for them the better they are. No wonder this man is so, passionate. He one of America's best products.
I was given 4 skillets, a Dutch oven, and a chicken fryer when I set up housekeeping after college. My grandmother gave them to me until I could get new pans. It’s been about 43 years and I still use them every day. 4 pieces are Lodge and Grizwald for the rest.
They will outlast you. I have had 3 skillets for at least 25 years and my kids will be able to use them when I’m gone.
His pride was infectious... im buying a lodge cast iron pan tomorrow!
I have one that’s been through 3 generations
@@orionfleming6783 got one thats at least 80 years old, pan and Dutch Oven.
@@jimkellar9965 I have a griddle and grill pan. Both made in USA, they say nothing about china.
Nobodies trying to get a $300 la creuset fancy ass enamel pot anyway. Just get one from walmart, they do the same thing.
Have several ... just awesome pan's
@@lordlandbeast I never mentioned other brands. Lodge and this documentary fails to properly inform the viewer that though they do make some products in the US, this is not true for many of their products. Especially their enamel. Imagine watching this and thinking you are supporting a proud American business with your order but then receiving a proud Chinese product! Even the brand that YOU mentioned leads the buyer to think they are buying a proud French product with a long history of quality. They too make a handful of products in France but the bulk comes from Portugal, Thailand and China.
Love how passionate he is about his job. Love to see it
Who
Maybe its not a job for him, but a hobby
@@syresunga5105 not you
You talkin to?
Except for inventory...
Australian here. A Lodge cast iron pan has been my best cookware purchase so far. Love that it's still made in the USA even though it would be easy to offshore production to China. I wouldn't have purchased it otherwise.
Larry I sure hope you and all the folks at Lodge get chance to read this comment. I want to tell you that our Lodge cast iron skillets are family heirlooms, my grandpa cooked with them for close to 50 years then he gave them to my dad. Dad used them for 35 years or so, and now I have them. My kids never miss an opportunity to remind me that they will be happy to keep the tradition going. Lodge cast iron and Zippo lighters, american traditions. Larry, thank you and all of the people at Lodge.
This is the sort of business I like to support. Employing local folks, keeping the profits home, supporting many other businesses from the sand supplier to the truckers. Excellent company and excellent video tour! Cheers from Canada.
It would be better if they could find ways to use renewable, alternative, clean energy.
@@brahmburgers
Now take a physics class so you actually understand what you are saying and what that really means.
@@brahmburgers sjw alert!
@@wilsonrawlin8547 that would require Ken obtaining knowledge outside of his sphere of influence. I don't believe that is encouraged or allowed. Me, I'm still waiting for the global Ice age and food shortages Ken's hypnotists were crying about in the 70s. Apparently when it never materialized they changed the script to just a generic "sky falling" mantra.
@@blastshieldaddiction
Well said and great points! Same here. I remember when I was eight that it was all about Global cooling and an ice age was going to happen in a couple years. ;D That was 50yrs ago. ;D
Here is a man who takes pride in his labour and product. Salutes to you, Sir! We need more manufacturing here in America!
MADE IN AMERICA! It’s what we need more of to get this country BACK to being great again.
Imposter !!
You have an odd amount of supportiveness for America for someone that spells labor with a u. We Americans like our labor without u.
I have a bunch of lodge, been through all the stainless styles and copper fads but I always end up back with cast iron. It simply just works
Agreed. I remember the first time I made pancakes on my Lodge skillet. I almost had trouble flipping them because between the Pam and the seasoning, they slid around like air hockey pucks! Cast iron is a better nonstick pan than Teflon when done right
I worked in a foundry as an Industrial Electrician for 12 years making cast iron exhaust manifolds for the auto industry in Canada. Watching this video took me back there. The Disa moulding machine, the sand mixture, the sand delivery system, the shaker conveyors, the melting furnaces and the Didion Drum to name a few. Thanks for this video. I really enjoyed it.
When things went bad during the depression they didn't lay off their employees, they designed more products to sell to keep the money flowing
@Chris Davis Lol you really think that’s why America lost its manufacturing? Liberals taxing and regulating them?
@Chris Davis That has nothing to do with the reason why American manufactures are no longer the king. We were only the king because WW2 destroyed Europe and many other nations. When the war ended the US took advantage of the monolopy they had on Manufacturing and were able to send products all over the world. As those Europen countries began to rebuild they started manufacturing products. China, Japan and Korea also began to take off and started their own stuff. Once they had good products they could ship all over the world for less than what US could build and sell the product for. Once they sold a product much cheaper it put those American companies out of business or they moved their productions over seas.
@Chris Davis Derpa derpa liberal meanies hurt my feels.
@@kameljoe21 I believe it is the care Americans have in their work. I worked for a steel yard when we got a shipment of rebar stopped at the Mexican border - seems someone let some medically radio active 'gunk' into their foundry - entire shipment was refused. Geiger counter was used at the border to catch anything like that. And not to mention China putting melamine in their baby food milk products - think I read that the CEO 'committed suicide' ... China's dog food items (pigs ears, etc) have caused death in pets .... most regulations in America are there for a reason.
@@kameljoe21 ugh. No. Taxes and regulations were a very big part, while those countries barely had any of that. We then sold a ton of our machines to those same countries, while closing down our own factories. Other countries had high import taxes, while we had very little. So no one bought from us, yet we bought from everyone else. That is why they sold a product much cheaper. And I could go on for much longer about all the other contributing factors. What you mentioned, is more of the symptoms rather than the disease. None of that HAD to happen. Yeah WW2 helped out quite a lot. But that doesn’t mean we had to completely destroy our own production capabilities.
I will gladly support any company that treats its employees well!
Are they unionized?
Too bad the chomos now moved most of their manufacturing to commie land
@@Nikkk6969 China takes better care of its people than the US
@@Popeslash Last I’ve seen the U.S. doesn’t have suicide nets in any of their factories thanks for your input though.
@@Nikkk6969 5.87 Suicides per 100,000 people in china VS about 13 per 100,000 in the US... Oops! And oh, you mean the capitalist phone companies you heard about? Cool story against proper wealth distribution, a better infrastructure and a world ruled by workers.. Seriously, learn wtf you're talking about. ''I read headlines about suicides at factories somewhere', so the critique of capitalism doesn't stand' lmao.. China has highspeed transits and homes for all. They have a better wealth distribution. Is China immune to critique? No, but looking at it from a braindead rightoid perspective will set you back. Do better.
Thank you Lodge for keeping your factory here in America. Just received my 5qt dutch oven the other day. We need more companies like you in America. Never sell out overseas!
That's what free market capitalists do.. They buy materials cheapest (includes labor markets) and sell for most so a minority at that factory can hoard all the wealth created by the exploited workers. Support unionization and vote for socialists if you believe in working class solidarity and human rights.
Half my kitchen is lodge. Will not buy anything else for cooking. It is cool to see a tour of the plant, and I love that guys enthusiasm for his job. I take pride in owning my lodge cookware and he takes pride in making it. Thanks for your 150 years of service
My grandmother's cast iron is a prize possession older than anyone in that factory. It's crazy that if properly taken care of the first one they ever made is still in use. Mine is pushing the century mark and still used atleast once a week.
Cast iron pans used to be made by skilled craftsmen. Now they're made by industrial processes where the humans are just one part of the machine, doing one small thing along the way, day after day after day, like the guy who burns off that last dorp of oil. Like the rest of them, they have no connection with the product, they just do their little menial task, each one of them utterly expendable.
The guy who walks around keeping an eye on all of them can afford to love his job. He has a job worthy of a human being.
The earliest known still existing lodge pan is from 1904.
And I sand cast by hand at home. I assure you those craftsmen you speak of would sing the praises of these machines. I met a pattern maker once, guy who used to cast the molds such as the one in the ram in this vid. Know what he said? Boy I wish I had 3d printers during my professional life.
@@AlanHope2013 dang that is so sucks to admit that you're true. We lost our senses of craftmanship because of machine hope they will have fully robotic production lines in the future thus UBI will be the only option for that
@@AlanHope2013 I mean they all could love their job. Those are a LOT of baseless assumptions about the human beings working in that foundry. Cast iron pans wouldn't be affordable if they were all hand cast. I do blacksmithing as a hobby and the reality is that these machines and plants to things better than the average craftsman in a fraction of the time. If someone wants to make custom cast pans there is still a market for it. do it. But a lot of people just want a quality pan, and there it is. You are a very sad condescending little man.
Cool seeing an American company still producing a good product in the country. They chose inovation, technology, and people rather than outsourcing to a swetshop country with lower standards. Good for the economy, good for peoples lives, better for the environment.
It is a chicken and egg issue. People demand and choose lower cost items. Those making and selling things in a first world country, like the US, cannot often match the price of low cost countries. Over the last 5 decades as American consumers have embraced cheap imports, companies in the US have lost out and had to close, or simply import cheap stuff and become resellers.
Sometimes innovation and technology are not enough, what we need are discerning consumers willing to by quality products so we can employ people with reasonable first world wages and benefits.
@@ksnyde Or remove the ridiculous regulations we have in the US.
Actualy the shipping of stuff across seas can make it better for the environment. It depends on the product specifically and its logistics chain. That said, cast iron pans can still be sold in the US because that 60 dollar pan will last forever. It's the last pan you need. Phones? Wont work for phones. Phones need to be replaced far too often. Untill robotics gets about...5% better than it is now, the US wont make much short lifespan products locally. And when we do, it wont be via people... but no one will be making things anymore at that point. Even China is starting to go to robots. Human labor is too pricey almost everywhere now. (India has cheep labor still,, but that will change too.)
Imagine thinking so highly of yourself and misspelling sweatshop.
@@ksnyde Actually we're in an age where more people are demanding more items above market cost because of character, quality, environmental factors or even just an interesting story. Cheap consumerism had its peak through the 80's but disposables whether through design or lack of quality have been going out of fashion, at least among more stable products eg. furniture and cookware (developing technologies will inevitably have a high turnover). It's the same principle that earns a lot of Amish a living.
This was really cool to watch. I'm a Lodge fan, I've cooked thousands of dishes in Lodge cookware.
If we all had this much passion for our work the world would be a different place.
Man that process is amazing. Glad to see they have kept jobs state side and not over seas. Much respect to Lodge!!
We have 7 or 8 cast iron skillets of different sizes and 1 or 2 are not Lodge and I can tell the difference when I pick them up. My favorite is the griddle which I use for eggs to biscuits to pizza. I also like using the wok...
Agreed!
I really like that guy appreciating all the hard work people have put into making these pans. And also the moderator laughing about his own jokes. Bless your hearts!
I saw what you did.
But he pays $8 per hour no benefits of vacation days sooooo..
@@simssimms6522 source?
We gave our daughter a set for Christmas (it's what she wanted) and she and my wife just made their first traditional pineapple upside down cake with it. I like how the manager personalized it by realizing we people love our cast iron skillets and somewhere a family is in their home using them.
Having worked in a machining factory before, I am AMAZED by how clean it is in there. But I guess when casting is your last stage of production and you don't have to do any milling or lathe work, then you can end up with a factory that doesn't have cutting oil residue and steel shavings everywhere.
I wish everyone could work for a boss like him. He demonstrates heathy pride. I am glad I have a Lodge skillet.
Is it too late to move to TN I was thinking of going south?
It is hard to tell from a promo video like this. I have had plenty of bosses that were jackasses, but would act just as nice and easy going as this guy the moment it was beneficial to the company or their position... and then as soon as it wasn't, it was right back to being a jackass.
And it's super hard to spot it from the outside. He could be genuine, but he could also be very different the day after the camera crew left.
@@AndrewJoyceCA believe me, I know what you mean. Unfortunately I lost my career as a substance abuse counselor because of . . . I can’t say legally but you can guess based on your description.
Bosses, company environments... all make or break careers...and companies. For a happy career, good production, this Lodge place, as we seen... "apparently a great work environment..." not to relaxed, but not over burdening... "thumbs up."
You have no idea what he's pays the workers.
Never imagined myself getting inspired by a cast iron pan factory tour but here we are. What a great company and great video. 🤘
I agree with your comments
Great product too. 🍳👍😃
Reminds me of my favorite UA-cam rabbit hole....cast aluminum ant hills. They look insane when dug up.
God please decrease gold price it helps to increase jewellery sales in India
God please decrease gold price it helps to increase jewellery sales in India
I inherited Grandma's frying pans that her parents bought for her in 1927. Countless meals have been cooked in them and they still perform perfectly.
Lodge is a perfect success story 1) US Made 2) US Jobs 3) Awesome Product 4) Designed to LAST 5) Affordable!
So very true!!
I love his pride in the work he does. I would buy him a beer any day. His enthusiasm was contagious and made me smile!
When a company decides to makes product that will lasts for decades, you know they deserve our respect.
It's not only about profit, it's about its inherited legacy.
If they would sand them and finish them, maybe. They don't.
My mother passed away and I took her cast iron pan. Using it to this day.
The ones in this video look good. We've always used Griswold, a couple skillets and a round griddle that are older than me (73). The griddle was unused for a good 50 years and it was crusty, being stored in the garage. I sanded it back to bare metal-very smooth and then seasoned it. Wife loves it, she had a Teflon coated aluminum griddle that was losing it's non-stick quality and I recalled that I had my parent's. Rest is history, truly an heirloom.
@@foobarmaximus3506 Whiner....
@@foobarmaximus3506 I like mine "as cast". Takes me a few hours to season. I rarely have to scrub and re-season unless one of my housemates does something bad.
I really enjoyed seeing an owner/manager that actually appreciates his employees and his customers THAT is what made America great I have several lodge pieces and never knew how they could make such a high-quality product at an affordable price now I have an inkling on how the RESPECT for everyone is awesome.
Yes, THAT is what made America great. Just 30 years ago "Made in USA" meant world-class. I have worked with American OEMs, small American non-profits, and American companies that buys and resells foreign-made (Largely, East Asia, namely China), European-made, and American-made. I can tell you at the last one described, the quality of everything in that company left more than a little to be desired. Everything, from the company culture, to the knowledge and (lack of) professionalism and ethics of the employees to the competency of management left a lot to be desired. That guy, the Operations Manager, is the embodiment of the highest ideal of a mechanical engineer/ manufacturing engineer/ empirical engineer. THAT is who we are. THAT is what we need to get back in touch with. THAT is the best version of ourselves, pursuing our passion, thus embodying our best possible selves in the process, everyday.
I've watched this a few times, it's so cool to see real things being made in America with care.
I really enjoyed this and the sincere enthusiasm of Dan's "host" was great to see. I have that 10" pan, and while I don't use it often, it's something I'm proud to own.
I am blessed to work for Lodge Cast Iron. Larry--Dan's host is an amazing man and he really is that passionate about this company. Us that work for Lodge are a blessed group of folks.
@@tinasitz6742 Tina! That is so cool of you!
I don't even need one but I'm gonna buy one just because
I have the 10 inch pan as well I use it to sear steaks after cooking them in a sous vide
@@tinasitz6742 Great to here and that it wasn't just for the camera.
So many long term employees is a testament to the fact that they are getting being and employer right.
Good to see that it still exists.
On the way to Florida, I saw a sign for Lodge, so we exited the highway and went to the factory outlet store and made a few purchases. A very worthwhile detour.
I too have been to that store. I love it! One could make it a planed stop. I live about 4 hours away and am thinking of going up there just to go to this store.
Its very obvious the production manager is so proud of what hes doing and what Lodge is doing. And the focus on serving people through their product. Refreshing to see
Larry is the best interviewee I've seen in a long time. Good job Lodge for having him on camera.
Larry Raydo, the same energetic foundry guy I met 15 years ago. Lodge is so lucky to have you and your dedication to their success. Well done Larry! The foundry industry needs more leaders like you.
@Hello John how are you doing?
An American icon! Makes me appreciate my Lodge pans I bought at the factory even more. Thank you for exposing this incredible factory to the world. Well done!
“Well done” I see what you did there
I love me some Lodge cast iron! made in the good old USA!!
Thanks for the video.
always nice to see someone with such pride in their work
Love to see the passion. 10" Lodge owner from Nairobi, Kenya.
Nilinunua moja 12" nikiwa university, till today I have it
Naftali that is freaking awesome. God bless my friend...
Industries kama hizi tunahitaji kenya ndio tuache kununua vya China.
"There isn't a part of the foundry I don't love."
Words to live by.
Inventory...
If only you could 100 more of his type!
Though time of breathing it all in, the old school way, lung damage. I had worked in Alaska Freezer, White Mountain freezer in Winchendon,MA. the orange clothes, orange skin... all rust that stayed with you and your clothes, but sadly, I remember two workers, they had been there forever, they developed the lung disease associated with the old school foundries... sadly. :(
Do you love the refractory smells too? It stays with you for years even after you leave the fountry. I didn't find it very pleasant.
I heard “this is a part of the foundry I don’t love” lol boy did I get that wrong
Thanks for the great video. Just yesterday, I was explaining that casr iron is forever. It's more nonstick than Teflon with no weird chemicals and I use a stainless spatula when frying potatoes. I have my grandmother's 8" cast iron skillet that was in use in the 1930s (maybe earlier?) and it's as good as new. I bought a 14" Lodge cast iron skillet several years ago for more servings, and to make great corn bread. Cast iron cookware is heirloom quality. I can't think of any product with a longer service life or greater value, and it's made in the USA.
What a super video. I can't believe how much the enthusiastic Lodge Boss impressed me. He seemed so proud of the product and he gave the impression that he was speaking for all of the Lodge workers and owners. Made in America... AND LOVING IT!!!
America needs more manufacturing, this is part of what made America great.
LOTS of companies do this. There could be many more companies that do this, but the American people like quantity over quality. We rather have 10 shitty tv's instead of 1 nice one. This is not a company/business problem, this is a people problem. plain and simple
@@OregonCrow It's also a regulation problem, part of the reason goods manufactured in the US cost more than Asian countries is because they do not have strict and costly regulations like the US has that make running a business much more costly.
In World War 2 America was famous for being the country where stuff was made. The reason why the US won the war was because of it's ability to pump out endless amounts of equipment. Manufacturing indeed is what made America great
@@phillhuddleston9445 We used to have rivers that caught on fire. LA was Smell A. Regulation has save us more than it has hurt us.
@@gregdziewit6945 Way too over regulated, one of the biggest expenses of starting a new business in the US is regulation compliance and that is why there are few manufacturing businesses in the US, they went way too far and keep making new regulations all the time. Many of these regulations are brought about by lobbyists for the industries that will benefit from regulations but serve little if any practice purpose.
Love how they talk about the roots of the company and how much the employees mean. Great job Lodge!
I worked at a place they appreciated our work, treated us very well. They expanded and by the time I left they were comparing us to frogs in boiling water, we have not changed a bit they just wanted more and more and more.
Best cast iron pans r griswold
So happy I came across this video! I own 5 Lodge cast iron pieces and that's what I'll continue buying. So amazing to see the process, thanks for sharing!
Yo each aspect of this was so good! The journalist asking all the good questions, the passionate manager who can really explain what each stage is of productions and understands and loves his product, made in USA!!
The editing is top notch too
So much of this is lost on most Americans. Heartwarming to watch this presentation brought me back to when I used to work at Thatcher Glass making bottles. The details that go into the process of manufacturing, anything, is intense. I believe there should be mandatory tours of high schoolers to learn just what’s behind all the things we normally take for granted
Unless it was an app on their phone, high schoolers wouldn't care.
only people who are easily amazed like you would care. even workers that work in factories like this dont care about the process of how things like these are made.
"That enough poetry?"
"Oh, I'm not done yet."
MY MAN
I didn't truely appreciate the iron skillet until I found a small 6" iron skillet in the dirt.
I cleaned & seasoned it to use for camping trips.
Then I found out that it was a Lodge skillet. Over the years, I've collected hand-me-down skillets & ironware molds. My favorite is the square cornbread skillet.
Once a year I like to go to the Lodge outlet to see what's new to add to my collection.
How amazing! I just purchased a cast iron pan. I love it. AND, what a blast, I had purchased a Lodge Pan. I saw how they made MY pan. And, it lived up to expectations. I have now done bacon, hamburger, steak and pork chops. WOW Thanks Lodge manufacturing.
We drove past the Lodge Factory Store in Pittsburg a few years ago while on a road trip from Maryland to Louisiana. My wife almost bounced in her seat at the excitement of seeing it and her having long desired a good cast iron pan. Seeing her excitement, I did a U-turn a small bit up the road and we came back and bought the pan. We probably eat 2 to 4 meals a week for which some part was cooked in that Lodge pan. Wonderful place, wonderful folks, wonderful products.
Best part is "MADE IN AMERICA" and it will last almost indefinitely if taken care of. We need so many more companies like this.
Thanks to Trump help Americans
Yep totally agree
That is the problem: makers of stuff do not want it to last forever.
Made in u.s.a its the best product👍👍👍
@@jezalb2710 The real irony is capitalism is both the sickness and the cure. If you make good products that last forever (as we should) you must assume you will eventually saturate the market-and raise prices as sales decrease. The same is happening with computers and cell phones in the last several years. It is hard to argue that a phone needs more than 8GB of ram but here we are in 2021 and they are stuffing 20+GB of ram into phones in order to get us to buy something new when our old phones from 2018 are perfect if reformatted from time to time-8GB ram should be usable for next 6 or so years. Our disposable society is filling the world with trash that should not be. At least iron can be completely recycled. Most phones wind up in the trash.
It's sweet how much they love their job and the passion that goes into it. I never thought of that coming from a cast iron factory.
Outstanding, it's nice to see people taking pride in their work and contributing to society at the most basic but absolutely necessary level. Kudos to the Crew, they help make cooking an art.
I appreciate this guys passion for his job. His passion for the product on families, his passion for the legacy of the company. This guy has it, his pride is refreshing.
I use a Lodge pan every day and I truly appreciate the beauty of a solid made cast iron pan. Thank you to everyone working at Lodge.
So cool to see this! I just happened to purchase one of their 5-quart Dutch ovens a couple months ago to bake bread and I couldn't be happier with it. 😎
I wasn't ready for this level of wholesome. I feel like part of a legacy bigger than myself as I watched this and cooked in my own Lodge skillet for the first time ♥️🥓
Lodge cast iron pan should be one of the first purchases you make when you first move out and get your own place, it will last longer than anything else you own.
Should probably learn how to use and then take care of one first. Trust me, just getting the pan, is not a good idea.
Naw, Mama digs out Grandma's cast iron skillets. Plus the lecture on the care and feeding of said skillets because Mama expects you to pass them skillets on to your children.
@@jjudy5869 I've got the cast iron my ma got from her mom. The meals that have been cooked in it. 🤤
@@jjudy5869 the new lodge cast iron pans have a gritty, non-finished cooking surface, unlike cast iron pans of the 60s &before. Stuff sticks like glue! Even the ones that say "preseasoned" are "seasoned" OVER that rough, unfinished surface! Find an old cast iron pan with a smooth cooking surface. They have several brands in this country that sell cast iron pans with smooth, machined cooking surfaces. They are pricey, but you can find the brand names on youtube channel Cowboy Kent Rollins.
@@nancyfarris5093 AMEN and I second your statement! The rough finish of lodge products made me hate cast iron. Once I was educated by Cowboy Kent Rollins’ channel I found a superbly made cast iron pan. No comparison! Worth the investment.
This guy is so passionate I’m now passionate about cast iron manufacturing
He's just walking around and being a supervisor, not doing any actual work, he can afford to be passionate. Ask one of the people working the assembly line how passionate they are
@@Eralen00 If people stay at the factory for 25+ years, it must not be that bloody awful...
I bought my first Lodge skillet - a 12" - in the 1970s. This pan has stayed with me through 2 marriages, 13 homes, camping and fishing trips and countless great meals. Only time I had a problem was about 15 years ago when I left it with my daughter-in-law after a pot luck family dinner and she ran it through her dishwasher!
I left my Lodge skillet on the stove on high, walked away, and forgot about it. When I returned, I measured it at 1000 degrees. When it cooled it didn't sit flat on my glass stove anymore. Cast iron is easy to refinish, but warping like that is one easy way to total them. You can't fix warping without putting in way more work than the $20 they cost.
I have a number of Lodge pans that I bought myself, and some given to my by family members. They are fantastic! I’ve used them camping and regularly in the kitchen for years. I wouldn’t be without them. Thank you for the tour of their factory! 👍👍👍👏🏼👏🏼😀💕🌸🌱
I have 6 Lodge pans that I inherited from my grandmother.
They're at least 60 years old, perfectly seasoned and going strong.
I have owned one of their skillets for about 5 years now and I love it. Great quality and consistant cooking each time. Best part was the price! Under $20! If you have never owned a cast iron pan, get yourself one of these!
The longer You use it the better it gets it gained nonstick surface with time just don't use harsh chemicals on it, hot water, wipes dry,little oil when not in use
The best cookware is cast iron in my opinion, even before seeing this video I've been using exclusively for years.
@@scabootssca Same here. Keep it seasoned and it will work flawlessly. My friend was on his way to work and seen a pile of them outside of a home that was just sold. They had rust on them so he brought them in and took a wire wheel to them and seasoned them up. They look like new again. That was a lucky find.
I have cast iron pan that my mother took from my grandmother when she moved to live by her own. And I took it when I moved to live by my own. Cast iron pans last almost forever
much better to go to an antique store or search garage sales than buying new.
I love my pans from lodge. I still season them like my grandmother did. I get a good black smooth finish on them. Great pans. Thanks for sharing 🌞🌞🌞
It is so wonderful to see how excited Larry is with making these cast iron skillets. Makes me grateful for my Lodge Skillet and knowing it's made with care!
Wow. I use to just love all my Lodge pots and skillets now I love them at a whole new level knowing the passion these fine folks have for making amazing cookware. Now I really know.
I know what you mean. Before I came to work at Lodge, I never knew the work and heart that went into making such a great product. Lodge is a amazing company.
I was working at a lady’s house a few weeks ago and she gave me a bunch of lodge cast. Dutch oven. 10’pan. 2 smaller pans. 2 skillets. And 2 muffin trays. With a bacon press shaped as a pig. Such nice stuff.
Id start collecting sooner than later older the better
Nice, they are in demand now and are expensive !
@@susanandrew5240 RIGHT?! I'm currently restoring a 1905 ERIE that a neighbor gave me. It looks like it's worth upwards of $130!!
@@LucidDream34 good luck!
You are soooo lucky!!! Take good care of them and give them to your kids....
Very interesting. I worked in an aluminum foundry when I was younger and can never forget the smell and the heat. This is a great American company, have several lodge pans & dutch oven. Excellent products
This gent makes me proud to have purchased my first Lodge 12” pan…I’m still learning how to get it seasoned like my granny’s was…Takes time and cooking I suppose! Will definitely be purchasing more!!
🦋Lily🦋
Wow, that’s a company who truly cares about their employees. I love my Lodge pans even more now lol
wow, thats a company that has a guy to tell you how great the company is. pro-tip, every company has that.
His enthusiasm is genuine.
Interesting to see how these pans are made! A friend gave me his mom’s modern Lodge when she passed away. She hadn’t used it much and didn’t clean it properly so it had some surface rust. I scrubbed it with Brillo, washed it with dish soap and seasoned it with Crisco in the oven. I didn’t have high hopes because it was so rough inside, but I wanted to give it a chance. My mother, her mother and I only ever used cast iron skillets so I inherited vintage pans that are very smooth and that is what I’m used to. But I’m delighted with my modern Lodge deep skillet. It’s a great cooker-no sticking or flaking at all-and the more I use it the smoother it gets. I love the helper handle. I ordered a glass lid for it so I can keep an eye on my fried chicken. I really appreciate your company for making these pans in the USA that are affordable and good quality. Your pans will last for generations just like my Griswolds and BSRs.
I have a bunch of 50 to 100+ year old cast iron (wagner, griswold, Lodge, and others) all have a smooth inside surface.
About a year ago a friend gave me an unused, unseasoned modern Lodge pan, I prefer the smooth bottoms, so I put a sanding wheel on my grinder and smoothed out the inside of the pan. After seasoning it and using it almost daily it has become my favorite pan to use.
It hangs right next to its 90 year old counterpart.
I used a palm sander and some 80 grit paper to smooth mine out. It's not smooth like my old Griswold or the Wagner Ware 1386 egg pan I inherited from my stepdad, but it's a lot better than it started out.
@@patti6194
Check out this video of how I smoothed the inside of a new Lodge skillet. It worked very well.
ua-cam.com/video/GZwvq2InOZA/v-deo.html
A copy of this video should be sent to every customer. Awesome people and product
I have some lodge. I love it! Nothing better then a great cast iron!!!
‘Made In America’ and the pride shows through! Great editing, good narration. And, you can’t fake the enthusiasm.
You can really tell that, Larry Raydo the operation manager, really really loves what he does every single day.
The care of that goes into each and every one of their pans, is absolutely legendary!
That dude obviously loves his job, really nice to see that level of passion
I knew nothing of this, been a proud owner of 2 of these for years. Much love has been given to these pans and it has to paid off, they look like new 20+ years on. Living down under ,they were a major purchase. Worth every cent .
The tour guide makes this video. When you have a person that has that much passion for what they do, you get a quality product. I've always gone for yard sale cast iron and I use it frequently. If you're from the Lodge company, you should know that this person caused me to go buy a Lodge product new and donate an old pan to someone else.
I use my 12" cast iron Lodge pan more than all my others combined. And, it's outlasted at least 8 other "modern" pans.
Same my guy. Also I like how you don't have to worry about scratches like with non-stick cookware
@@Eric-xh9ee And we already have enough Teflon in our blood to last a million years.
I'm still using my grandmother's cast iron pans. And now I'm a grandparent.
My 12" skillet was older than yours is now, when I got it used!
They can last a long, long time. The so called non stick Teflon, rock or whatever pans are useless after a year. That is if it does last that long. I have a Wagner cast iron pan we bought on a shopping trip over in N.Y state probably 30 or so years ago, still use it! And my wife has probably burned out 25 or more Teflon pans in that time.
Thank you Lodge for making great American product. Keep up the great work. You make us proud!!!!
Very cool. I LOVE my Lodge skillets. So interesting to see how they're made. Special thanks to the factory manager.
We bought cast iron sets for everyone in our family for Christmas a few years back. Don't know if they use them but our two cast iron pans are what we use 99% of the time. We'll have them forever.
I'm constantly trying to convince myself why I don't need more cast iron.
- What do you do for a living?
- Im a third generation drip burner.
Most of the time people who work there have different positions at a day and not do the same thing for days on end.
Also it's a job that needs to be done, no matter how small or insignificant it may be it vital that it needs to be done with care.
It seems like it's way more easier to automate that away.
ratznefumel I guess that would make him a first generation drip burner, then; I stand corrected, good Sire.
@@kangkim150 the pans swing so there isn't a consistent spot where the blemish might be located.
@@rhubarbpie2027 You can definitely have a simple AI with a camera and arm that burns those. "What's my purpose? Oh god.."
Larry is so optimistic and happy, love people like that.
It's so amazing to see a company that's actually invested in their people like this! I've been meaning to pick up a cast iron pan and this just sealed the deal.
Really disappointed, that he didn't try to throw the rejected pan at the magnet
Are you magneto?
I was disappointed in the toss overall...
That have to of done it before
exactly what I thought he was going to do.
I thought about that too!!
We bought our first Lodge cast iron pan 20 years ago for our camp. Over the years, the most seasoned pans have migrated home and replaced the set of ‘fancy’ stainless steel pans. Today we only use the cast iron pans. Each time one of our children moved out they get a new Lodge of their own to start them out right.
There is one thing the video didn’t mention. Never use soap on a cast iron pan. The more seasoned the better.
This is the coolest thing I've seen on UA-cam in a long time. We love Lodge products, thank you!!
This amazing and I'd like to visit this factory myself some day. We have some pans that are over 100 years old and have been passed down through the family. This is a noble profession! Thank you for the video!
I have 4 cast iron pans. 2 are lodge pans 2 are from my grandparents including one that is from my great grandparents who brought it over from Europe and it was given to them by her grandmother. It is well over 150 years old has a casting mark and date of 1860 from Bavaria in it.
All of my cast iron cookware, and I've got a bunch, is made by the fine folks at Lodge. It's a great product at a great price.
Very neat! I had no idea of the scale of this operation. I have several Lodge pans from skillets to Dutch ovens. They never wear out and often are passed down through the generations. These are great products, affordable, and last forever. Kudos to Lodge!
Keep going guys great respect. Wish a lot more product gets made in the USA.
I watch a lot of cooking shows produced in foreign countries and it gives me a sense of pride every time I see them use a cast iron pan with the name "Lodge" on it. We used to have a lot of companies like Lodge who took pride in their work and made products that lasted a lifetime. Sadly, many sold out to China where nothing but landfill is produced.
i an using chinese and they match ur American ones 😂😂😂😂,
@@BlackMamba-lt8oe Probably 1/2 lead and asbestos.
Lot of owners wanted to be multi-millionaires instead of just millionaires and so decided to screw over their workers.
@@MikeRoberts1964 Not before workers first screwed them. I was in college when I saw an auto industry union ad bragging about how a guy without a H.S. diploma made $72/hour and his sole job was to feel inside an engine compartment for a screw. At the same time, I saw college graduates every day driving buses I took to school because they couldn’t find work in their fields. The final nail in the coffin, of course, was the great American cheapskate consumer that decided to screw the country and its workers so that they could save a nickel on a cheap shirt. Everyone in one of those categories is equally culpable; I have sympathy for none of them.
I don't let American businesses who offshored off the hook, either. I try to buy NOTHING made in China but that is not always possible. If my only option is to buy from an American company whose product is made in China or a foreign country like Italy, France or Germany WHOSE PRODUCT IS ALSO MADE IN CHINA, then I will purchase it from the foreign business because they owe me no loyalty and haven't screwed me, the American consumer. American companies do owe me loyalty so they get zippity-do-da if they sold out.
Yeah, I have principles and, yeah, I live by them.
@@MikeRoberts1964 kid thats for Americans not me 😂😂😂😂, i know the composition
I have a 10 inch Lodge skillet that I've owned for 47 years, and I literally picked it up at a campground where it had presumably been left behind. It had obviously been out in the weather for a while, but cleaned up nicely and is still one of the most used pans in my kitchen. I have some newer Lodge pans, less than 20 years old, but I gravitate to the old one.
I love my Lodge pan (wouldn't change it for anything). Great to see their process and people at work.