The biggest issue I've had with many cast iron skillets, including Lodge, is they tend to be slightly higher right in the middle, which causes all my oil/butter to run out to the edges. I'd pay extra to get a truly flat and smooth surface.
@Tomothy Roby. That’s a good point vs the Finex is dead flat. Another key difference that we kind of mentioned at the end is the Finex is perfectly smooth on its surface vs the Lodge looks like the surface of the moon close up. A flat surface makes it easier to clean. Normally after seasoning my lodge after cooks if you wipe a paper towel across the surface it still comes up black/brown versus you don’t get that with the Finex. Feels a little cleaner.
I had a bunch of Lodge pans and Dutch oven for over 15 yrs now and i love them. With all the $ I saved I was able to buy a hell of a lot more meat to cook in them. I love Lodge and have no complaints.
I have almost every Finex piece, which if you're really going to cook with it, won't be UA-cam/Instagram pretty because that handles which look like a bee's thorax will darken up. They are good pans, but so is Lodge... which own Finex. Save your money people and buy those steaks.
Lodge acquired Finex in 2019 and the casting for the Finex products is now done by Lodge at its Tennessee facility then shipped to Finex for finishing.
Lodge has gotten me by pretty well, but I did buy a twelve-inch Finex pan with the lid as a gift for my girlfriend's mom. She really loves it, and now she lets me eat at the table when we go over to her house to visit.
Cast iron skillets have become my newest hobby in retirement. I have one of my late mother's eight inch BS&R skillets that I use exclusively for cornbread. That sparked my interest, since the skillet is much older than I am. I have also added several Lodge and Wagner pieces over the years. Recently splurged on a high end Smithey 12 inch skillet/griddle combo that set me back $300. I have concluded that like my other hobbies guns and basses, it's not a question of practicality. You can have what you want if you are willing to pay for it. And, you might want it for any number of reasons that all have nothing to do with minimal performance. I have a $200 rifle and I have a $2600 rifle. Both have left a number of mule deer, pronghorn, and elk just as dead. I have a $300 electric bass and a $4500 one. The music coming from both of them has more to do with my chops (or lack thereof) than it does with what I paid for them. In each case the point is I have what I want, for whatever reason I wanted it. Same with cast iron skillets. The cheapest one will do the job. To those who say that's all you want it for is to do the job, have at it. It's just good to have options. 🎸🔫🍳
thank you for taking the time to produce this vid. couple comments .. 1. steak exterior browns up better if you bring steaks to room temp before searing.. 2, when you flip steak best not to put it back on same spot ,.. that spot has cooled a bit .. place it BESIDE the original spot where pan is hotter ...3. best to spoon on pan juices WITHOUT lifting the pan , you are interrupting/ affecting the pan temperature
@David Freer agree 100%. If he cooked it to temperature why would he even wonder if either cooked a better medium rare steak? What is telling is that the Finex got to temperature quicker. Maybe it has a thicker base or maybe his grill is just hotter on that side. I didn't bother watching until the end - did he note this difference?
@David Freer, If you are new to cast iron, lodge is great. All you need to do is keep it oiled after cooking and cleaning, Yes you can use soap, make sure to rinse very well. To keep it oiled, heat to a smoking point without oil, oil it wipe it after a few minutes of cooling, if it is sticky after wiping excess oil out, you just heat it back up a little and wipe it once more. Now as far as paper towels, lint-free paper towels. I myself like to allow my pan to sit over night before cleaning just to let the oil from cooking set well. But some people will tell you not to let sit dirty overnight.
First thing I (a retired Chef with 25 years experience) noticed on both steaks after the first flip is that neither one developed a proper even brown crust, just a "ring crust" around the outside, with nothing in the middle. That means the steak hit the pan and shrank, lifting the middle away from the pan surface, using too much oil. Doesn't matter how expensive the pan is or isn't, if you're not handling it right, your steak will not be as good as it should be. I've cooked thousands of steaks, I use an old Lodge at home these days, but my preference is a ripping hot cheap cold rolled carbon steel pan to sear and crust to finish in a 500 degree oven. Perfect steak every time, once it's mastered.
I just got a lodge and tried my first steaks on them, I got a really good crust on them by simply pressing down all around the steak on the pan to ensure good contact with the pan.
I'll stick with my Lodge and Victoria pans. The FINEX pans are nice but they are way too heavy. 25% heavier than a Lodge!? A standard 12 inch Lodge pan is heavy enough. I purchased my 12 inch Lodge from their Chef Collection. They are reported to be 15% lighter. I noticed the difference right away. They cook just fine. Victoria (from Columbia) make nice pans as well. They have a nice smooth finish after some use and a longer handle for better control.
I use my lodge every time I make steak.. No issues with crust not forming if I don't dry brine. I usually just season, oil up steak with Avacado Oil, sear the fat cap, lay the steak flat on the cast iron until 70 - 80 degrees F, flip over and sear until 100 degrees internal, butter baste with garlic and rosemary until 110, pull it off an let rest for 10 minutes. Perfect edge to edge pink the whole way through - I've watched internal temp for this while sitting and it heats up to 138 F (the highest I've seen).
I sanded my lodge completely smooth on the inside with an orbital sander then reseasoned it about 8 years ago and I’ve used it almost every day since. Hated it before I smoothed it out. 240$ seems steep but that handle looks awesome.
@@agentcodybanks1 I've heard other people say that also but the bumpy texture just didn't work for me. I love it now though. To each their own I guess. Gotta love cast Iron.
New lodge sucks in terms of the rough unfinished surface. They say its made that way so it's non stick but that's marketing BS. It's done to save money and another step in manufacturing.
Yep … I’ve got 5 Lodge skillets and 2 of their Dutchies. Unrefinished but well seasoned … no sticking, ever. There may be a knack to it but don’t know it … learned from Mom in the 50’s.
I'll stick with my Lodge. I can see no logical reason to pay $240 for a cast iron pan. Get a DeBuyer carbon steel if you want to spend money on a good, practical pan that can be used outdoors or in your oven. Even this very non-scientific comparison did not prove that the price made a difference. Just silly.
I found a set of four Wagner pans from around 1920 in a foreclosed house. They're so perfectly seasoned and literally the best pans I've owned. The finish on them is mirror like. I can't for the life of me understand why those were left behind while everything else was taken
What would be wrong with serving the steak in similar fashion in a Lodge pan? I don’t see how the Finex wins that “presentation” test other than it’s got a few corners. (Let’s not forget Davinci won based on drawing a perfect circle, not an octagon.)
I have them both. I have the whole set of the Finex pans. Presentation wise, manufacturing of it, the smooth surface upon arrival, how it takes on the patina, and the way that it cooks and cleans up...I like my Finex most of all. Now, for my day to day cooking, I typically use the Lodge. It is a great and durable pan. I have no real complaints about it, except, it can be a bugger to season it in the beginning. The craftsmanship of the Finex truly does set it apart. And it is what I call those heirloom items that you keep forever and can be passed down through the generations. My youngest daughter already called dibs on it. Thanks for the side by side comparison. It makes for a great way to see the performance and the results of each.
Please forgive what might be a noob question -- if you prefer the Finex, why do you typically use the Lodge? Tone here is pure curiosity and trying to learn, not internet sharpshooting. Thanks!
Just because it’s more likely that our viewers are using a $25 lodge than a $225 Finex. It’s a beautiful piece of cooking equipment if you can afford it.
Nice video! I’ll stick with my lodge. I also think it makes a handsome presentation plate for my guest as well. I have no complaints with how quickly mine cleans up.
If I needed a $200+ design element to serve my food, I'd find different friends. I also have seen cared for cast iron that has lasted for generations so I highly doubt a $25 lodge is less likely to last than a Finex.
They both do very well, kudos to Finex for making a better looking better engineered skillet, and kudos to Lodge for making a skillet we can all own and have it cook as well as any other. Both of them will last forever. I saw cast iron cookware in villages in France that were 200 years old and still in use.
An extra $250 for an octagonal skillet vs. a round one? Yeah, no thanks. I'll buy 8 of the Lodge that will last well past my lifetime and cook everything I need and then some.
If you like a piece of artwork in iron and can afford it, get a Finex skillet. If you want to save money and don't care about esthetics, get the Lodge. I have all three sizes of Finex skillets and thought they were worth the money. It's a win-win for Lodge either way.
The heat retention is hands down better in the finex. I have fried in both lodge and finex side to side and my finex held temperature much better. That being said I have both lodge and finex.
@@strange-universe I own older Griswold skillets to new copper core All-Clad stainless skillets that are round and love them too. I own 3 Heart and Spade forged carbon steel skillets that are round and the finest skillets I own. Wouldn't trade them for anything out there!
I have been cooking on cast iron all my life, and I am almost 64 now. I have over 25 pieces of cast iron , from Lodge and Wanger and Birmingham stove and furnace. I can tell you the lodge has a more corse cooking area, the other pan is very smooth. Lodge says that helps to hold the seasoning. My Wagner is very smooth and is hard to keep it black. But it is a joy to make eggs in. I also have a Medford carbon steel that I love to use only for eggs. It is a dream, and very smooth. I also have a Lodge carbon steel 12 inch that I love to make fried potatoes in. It has a low wall and it's easy to flip in. You said you dried the out with a paper towel, why? They were both so hot, why not just a brush and give a fast brushing? Paper towels stick to most anything.... It looked like your Lodge was a 12 incher and the other was a 10. I happen to like a 12, just cause you can do more with it. Plus if your looking for a crust, why not use a bacon press to get a good sear on both. I have had my press for almost a year, and it has never touched bacon. I use it 3 to 4 times a week. You said the other pan comes with a lid. If you want a Lodge lid they are about $25+ dollars. But it makes a nice set. All my Lodge pans have covers. It's worth it to me. Why have a nice cast iron pant with a steel cover. I just think it looks better. Your still under $75 bucks if you get them together. There are tons of cast iron videos out there if you want to learn more. And tons on cleaning. Just keep the grease/ oil very THIN!!! Sorry I said so much here. What can I say, I am a Barber... To make it all easy, get the Lodge and learn how to use it, then teach your kids how to use it too. Then you can pass it down to them when your gone, and they can teach there kids. Trust me, it will be in the family for a very long time.....
Dude, I absolutely adore this channel. There's not many things like watching people discuss and display their passions in life. Thank you for sharing yours with the world. Good luck with the channel.
The extra flat bottom in the Finex is a huge difference in cooking other slower things IMO...the dome bottom of the Lodge puts all your oil on the edges....and the fact that I can pour from any angle out of the Finex is a selling feature to me when cooking....I might have to save my Christmas money and get one!
The only reason to pay $240 for the Finex is if you collect cast iron as a hobby. Since the Finex is unique, it would be good for a collection. Otherwise the Lodge at $24 is a superior pan and value, to cook with.
I’m up at 4 something in the morning watching this video. This video was amazing. I love what you did with those steaks. You gave me some wonderful information. God Bless you.
Question: did you not take issue with the gray crust towards the center of the steaks' exterior? I used to have the same, until I started flipping them more than once. Now I get a perfect all-around crust with medium rare and I don't dry brine my steaks. Flip them more for an even crust when you see an uneven crust, I'd say.
Amazing. I thought for sure that the steel spring handle, octagonal shape, and sanded surface on the Finex would have made the steak step up its game a notch, compared to the boring Lodge.
Well it kind of did. It cooked the steak faster by holding in more heat due to more mass, was easier to clean to do finishing the surface and the handle is able to be held due to the design in more instances
I got a Lodge pan, but had to sand away the rough pre-seasoning that it came with. It's OK, but if I had it to do over, and given how long I would keep it, I would just go for a better, smoother pan to start with.
I’ll do the extra work for $25. No doubt! The Lodge will still be passed to my son. Finex, Stargazer....great brands. Didn’t Lodge just buy one of them??? Anyway, great vids bro! Love em and God bless!
Those steaks does look great and must be so delicious and I have some Lodge skillets and two dutch ovens along with one Stargazer skillet and love them all for their performance. I clean them all the same way and they look great and will last me my lifetime and someone else the same way.
Great video!!! But the steaks didn’t have a good sear on them because you let the salt sit for a couple minutes so it drew out too much moisture. The sear turns out best if you dry brine it or you season it the 30 seconds before you throw it in.
Same at my kitchen, I added a 10" new Lodge to my 25 year old 12" workhorse Lodge, seasoned it, and despite all the moaning about having to grind the new ones that are not "finished", they cook the same, meat or pancakes. No, I did not grind the new one.
No Finex for me. I have cast iron pans that are well over 70 years old. Honestly, I can spend a few hours to get a "perfectly smooth" finish on any of them and season them back up if that's a goal, but it hasn't been. What's the Finex going to look like 70 years from now?
Cast iron is cast iron. Go to a flea market, buy a crusty looking iron pan (make sure bottom is not warped or cracked), strip it down to bare metal, season it. I’ve gotten wonderful old iron pans for as little as $5 bucks.
I have lodge for outdoor use and one nice finex pan for the kitchen. I know there is no legitimate reason to spend the money but the feeling you get when you use nice things just gives that extra satisfaction. Like a mechanic who buys only snap-on it just feels better to have nice tools
If I was going to spend big money ($200 US) on a modern 12" cast iron pan, I would go with the one from Smithey Ironware. Not as heavy as FINEX and it has a smooth cooking surface, has holes on both sides for hanging, and is simply gorgeous to look at. Maybe one day I'll their 10 inch model. Not as expensive as the 12, but still not cheap.
I love the looks of the finex skillet, however the price is not practical but I may get one anyway....I have a few lodge pieces, one thing I noticed when I purchased them new is sometimes the seasoning felt a little sticky...so I would clean the pan after purchasing and put it in the oven at 400 degrees and let it smoke off the excess seasoning that wasnt set yet, then after just cook then clean up with just water, wipe a tiny amount of oil back onto the surface and heat the pan...doing this after every cook builds a nice seasoning ....
I bought my wife the 12" Finex for Christmas, so far we love it. I agree there's not a significant difference in its ability to cook a steak, it's mostly the aesthetic you are paying for. The surface of the Finex pans are CNC machined for an extremely smooth surface. That does help with the clean-up and makes them near non-stick when seasoned correctly.
@@BBQandBottles Maybe! You could buy the lodge pan AND a decent angle grinder for the same amount as a Finex pan! But in all seriousness, what often makes food stick, especially on cast iron, is surface imperfections. You cannot see them with the naked eye, but they are there. In your test, you notice how nicely the finex pan cleaned up with just a paper towel? Multiply that amount of cleaning effort over the life of that pan, and that's why people pay top dollar for Finex.
Completely agree. I’d never to be able to replicate the baby smooth surface of the Finex. It’s a beautiful skillet. We switch between it and our Smithey as our daily drivers. Happy New Year Tim.
If you take of Lodge cast iron pans they can literally last a lifetime and more. I have two complete sets over 45 years old ( and crate they came in) one for the home and one for camping plus two of my grandfathers skillets (I'm in my mid-60s). I can't speak for the new priduct line, but mine were made in South Pittsburg, TN. Never will I trade these skillets.
It's like most things, 99.99% of people will never own a Rolls Royce, because yeah, great car, but it costs more than the houses of most people. If you can afford a $240 pan, then by all means, have fun. I would have liked to see you have someone else cook it and offer it blind taste test to you, to see which one was better, if either, without you knowing beforehand whence it came. Fun video, thanks.
Cool touch handle, the shape to fit easier in the oven, the polished finish for less sticking, the thicker metal for heat retention, the sides for easier paddling out with spatula
I cook my steaks on the BBQ and use the cast iron for cooking bacon. I love my Lodge cast iron works killr for me. For the price of 1-12" Finex skillit plus an extra 15 bucks I can get the following from Lodge: 1-5 quart dutch over with lid, 1-13.5" skillit, 1- 12" skillit, 1-10.25" skillit, 1-8" skillit, 1-19x9.5" reversible grill/griddle, 1-10.5" round griddle, and 1-8.5"x4.5" cast iron loaf pan. All of a sudden Finex is looking a little rediculous.
I have 15 pieces of Lodge cast iron and it's the most bang for the buck in cast iron cookware. Having said that I also have 2 Stargazer skillets and I prefer the Stargazer skillets no matter what I'm cooking. I cook in cast iron every day so my Lodge skillets are still in the rotation. I have retired my 2 Griswold skillets for now. Comparing Lodge to Stargazer is like if you can drive a Corvette would you always settle for a Chevy Malibu instead, I think you would want to take that Corvette out from time to time.
OK I love cooking in cast iron,I found a 100 year old Wagner someone threw away. I cleaned it up and have been cooking with it for the past year, I love the lodge and the lighter Wagner iron pans. I recently added a carbon steel skillet, love it, I cook potatoes eggs and sausage for breakfast in the pan at the same time. PS I love your Submariner , I have the Tudor Black bay stainless steel date. I have subscriber to your channel.
I laugh when I see these Internet videos hawking overpriced knives, pans, and gimmicks to home cooks making them believe they'll become professional chefs. Finished my apprenticeship in Switzerland in the early '70s. I haven't cooked professionally in more than 20 years and I can still cook better on a Coleman 2 burner camping stove, using a Swiss army knife, and a set of camping pots and pans than 95% of the people that fall for all this nonsense. It's not the equipment people it's the person using it. BTW, I'll take the Lodge for $25. which I do own, as well as several Wagner's 1891 Original's lol
You’ll see at 8:00 we said there wasn’t really a difference between the two steaks. Only reason to spend the additional dollars is if the design is important to you.
@@BBQandBottles I wasn't meaning to be critical of YOUR work in making these type of videos. If it came across like that I apologize. I know it takes a great deal of effort and talent to produce professional quality content such as yours. These videos are certainly entertaining to watch and obviously what people want. I am a subscriber and will certainly be looking forward to more. My only goal was to make the point that whether it's a camera, hammer, baseball bat, tennis racket, or whatever, it's the talent and experience of the person using the tool that determines the result, not the cost of the tool. Oh and IMO there is NO pan or skillet in the world that is worth $240.00. Period. .....and in my whole professional career all over the world I never saw a cast iron skillet. lol
Thanks for the kind words. Totally agree with that point. I think there’s a similar analogy to cars. You have Toyota, BMW, Range Rover, Rolls Royce... each one gets incrementally more expensive but practically doesn’t change the fundamental element of getting you from point A to point B. I’d see the market for this pan just being a cooking enthusiast that just wants to invest some money in their passion.
@@mcrider333 how did you apprentice in Switzerland and never come across cast iron? No Von Roll? No beautiful Brazeli cookie irons? I think sometimes the craftsmanship of an item is just as alluring as it’s functionality. The price point is irrelevant IMHO I’m just surprised you never saw cast iron.
Nice comparison. As for flat/smooth surface, I bought my Lodge several years ago and it had this rough surface. So I simply sanded it down to make it smoother. It has been great since then!
Great video. I have the Lodge for shore lunches but I've been using it at home a lot. Question: what is your opinion on buying cast iron cooking items at yard sales and auctions? Risky? Good idea? Something in the middle?
If you have the tools at home to restore them, that’s a great idea. It’s takes some time to fix them up, but totally worth it. These cast iron skillets last forever I’d maintained well.
I'm a huge fan of Lodge (cast iron pans generally), and based on what I've seen here, at no point would I pay 10x more for a Finex. The results don't justify the huge price gap. I've also never heard of Finex. What's also really cool is that I find a lot of used cast iron pans of all sizes at my local thrift store. I picked up a couple of smaller pans this afternoon! All they need is a little cleaning and re-seasoning and they'll be good to go for several decades.
Thanks for the comparison. Easier cleaning makes sense, the surface of the finex looks very smooth compared to the lodge. I wonder if this makes any other differences, didnt seem to in the crust though. Does it come pre seasoned? The lodge does which is convenient
Yep, the Finex definitely has a smoother surface than the Lodge. Yes the Finex comes pre-seasoned too. Pretty sure all reputable brands come pre-seasoned now just so they don't rust while they're in a warehouse or on a store shelf.
Some premium cadt iron brands offer pre-seasoned and unseasoned skillets. The main difference between a smooth and a rough skillet is the ease of cleaning and maintenance. The smooth surface doesn't tear apart your towels and baked on stuff may release a little easier. Some tricky food like eggs may tend to stick a little more on the rough surface but it gets better when more and more seasoning builds up. A slight disadvantage of smooth cast iron can be the seasoning tending to get lost easier if the skillet is over polished. Therefore, some premium brands started blasting the surface with steel balls after polishing them to apply a fine texture. In terms of cooking performance, there is no difference between cheap and expensive cast iron as long as it's done right (which Lodge is). What does make a difference, is the thickness of the material. A thicker skillet will have a better heat capacity which helps when searing big steaks. It will also even out piwer cycles from an electric stove better. Thinner cast iron (like vintage ones or Field Company) on the other hand is lighter and will react a little faster to changes in heat.
Only thing I look for in a cast iron anything is how much effort is put into the finish, especially on the cooking surface. Lodge do a bare minimum and the buyer has to deal with it. Pretty much why they're so cheap. Not intensive if you've got a hand sander, but you do take the risk of taking too much off and end up with an uneven surface. I'll happily pay more, since the maker shows it's more than just a pour and dump process and the cooking surface will be flat. Flat = easier cleaning and more even heat distribution.
Always been curious as to why the butter and other seasonings are added so late into the cooking process. Doesn't most of it get "wasted" ? Thanks for all your great videos!!
Got my Lodge 10.25 inch skillet in 2017, sanded down the cooking surface to a glass finish and it's been oustanding since. I know people go with expensive pans and such, but in my mind there's no need. Just get a good American made cast iron anything and you're set!
Thanks for review. Small tip. Try cutting your steak slightly on angle so that it goes across the grain not along. Taste. Profit. P.S. I have Lodge and value for money it is best. Not sure if Finex is reasonably shaped if trying to use lids.. :)
Skip to 8:17 to get the outcome of the test. Which is no diff. If you can pay $240 for a saucepan, then you have money to put the food in fine crockery fine bone China plate that costs $1000 (instead of having to serve it in the cast iron saucepan).
I found Victoria cast iron cook ware bests lodge in every aspect that counts, including better workmanship for the same price across the board. High end cast iron is fine if you have the disposable income or want to impress guests with cookware prices. I have a deBuyer carbon steel skillet with those mirror smooth cooking surfaces, I find a cast iron skillet with a tiny bit of texture on the cooking surface takes on seasoning much faster and better than these smooth surfaced skillets and pans, no matter what they cost.
You could see when you flipped the steaks that the salt/seasoning was stuck to the pan. I find with steaks cooked in a pan, putting a lot of seasoning on it isn't that good because it likes to stick to the pan.
I love my lodge pans. I have one I take camping, I've fried freshly caught fish, pan seared steaks over hot coals. Made fried eggs and corned beef hash for a camp breakfast . A fancy hexagonal pan with a fancy handle isn't going to convince me to spend a penny more. I am a function over asthetic person.
Clearly biased towards Finex. Cooked and tasted the same but he's trying to justify the extra $200 for Finex due to presentation. He said the Finex felt heavier - but it was visibly bigger, so that makes sense. Lastly, he said wiping the Finex was cleaner. Might be factory seasoned better so that may be a legitimate advantage. Overall, nothing presented justified such an outrageous cost for Finex.
There is so many new companies now who made good cast-iron my favorites are the ones that are make in United States. The companies that succeed will be determined by the consumer market.
There will NEVER be anyone or anything that can convince me that ANY CI pan brand new is worth 240 bucks with a lid... As a collector and refinisher of CI I have to call BS on that... Maybe... MAYBE... a collector piece with the lid is worth 200 bucks or more to me... MAYBE
So the real difference is that you felt the Finex was more attractive. And that it cleaned up a little more easily. When you factor in the potential for decades of use, it's probably worth it to splurge on the one that will be less hassle to clean.
I think part of the crust got stuck to the Lodge pan. Possibly needs more seasoning. My method for preventing sticking is to apply baking spray to the hot pan, followed by ghee then fry the fat cap on the steak, the fat cap will adhere to any sticky parts of the pan, then put the steak down. keep the steak against the pan gently to prevent the surface from comming off the pan. Baking spray oil work well for seasoning a pan, because it allows you to repeatedly apply a thin film of oil while the pan is on a stove. If a cheap pan has a rough surface it can easily be fixed with an orbital sander. I have done it before.
Cast Iron is cast Iron. I am still using my grandfather's iron skillet that was passed down to me. Once you learn how to cook with cast iron you will never want anything else. Go with the Lodge and you will not be disappointed.
So Jared. I've been contemplating a cast iron skillet for about 2 months now. I really like my porcelain cast iron dutch ovens to roast things however I wanted a skillet with a lid that I could put right onto the Traeger. After researching and watching so many cast iron videos, today I popped and bought a Finex 12" with a lid. I'm like a kid in a candy store and can't wait, it'll be here by Thursday. Thank you for your informative videos and recipes.
I’ve heard that Lodge bought Finnex out since this video came out. They should be made at the Lodge foundry in Tennessee t finished and final assembly done in Portland, OR from what I hear. I’m split between this and the Stargazer if I ever upgrade to a newer premium cast iron. Thanks for all the great and honest content y’all
I have neither but have to say the design of the more expensive one is great. The octagon shape allows for better angles for spatula uses and multiple points for draining excess fluids. Also even though it’s heavier it’s able to get things cooked to temperature faster which over time can give you time to enjoy the food and company vs waiting for the food to finish. Just my opinion
The biggest issue I've had with many cast iron skillets, including Lodge, is they tend to be slightly higher right in the middle, which causes all my oil/butter to run out to the edges. I'd pay extra to get a truly flat and smooth surface.
@Tomothy Roby. That’s a good point vs the Finex is dead flat. Another key difference that we kind of mentioned at the end is the Finex is perfectly smooth on its surface vs the Lodge looks like the surface of the moon close up. A flat surface makes it easier to clean. Normally after seasoning my lodge after cooks if you wipe a paper towel across the surface it still comes up black/brown versus you don’t get that with the Finex. Feels a little cleaner.
I have that issue with my round Victoria griddle. Might have to replace it... someday.
Want a flat pan. Go buy yourself a T-Fal
"Machined cooking surface" is one of the features Finex touts
I've noticed that as well about mine.
I had a bunch of Lodge pans and Dutch oven for over 15 yrs now and i love them. With all the $ I saved I was able to buy a hell of a lot more meat to cook in them. I love Lodge and have no complaints.
I love the lodge so i`ll save 200 bucks and buy steaks with it . oh ya .
i agree, Lodge is the best
Not a fan of eating raw meat....but I like my lodge
For the money lodge is the best that 250 skillet I am sure it is nice also . But I don’t cook my steaks in cast iron. I grill mine or broil prime rib.
Lodge is still the champion.
I have almost every Finex piece, which if you're really going to cook with it, won't be UA-cam/Instagram pretty because that handles which look like a bee's thorax will darken up. They are good pans, but so is Lodge... which own Finex. Save your money people and buy those steaks.
I wouldn't have any issues with serving those in my Lodge pan at the table either.
Lodge acquired Finex in 2019 and the casting for the Finex products is now done by Lodge at its Tennessee facility then shipped to Finex for finishing.
Can’t imagine why
I purchased several pcs from the shop Downtown Portland. Supporting a local.Before 2019 that is.
That’s sad to hear, lodge quality these days is pathetic.
Lodge has gotten me by pretty well, but I did buy a twelve-inch Finex pan with the lid as a gift for my girlfriend's mom. She really loves it, and now she lets me eat at the table when we go over to her house to visit.
I have the lodge, gotta say if the Finex is heavier I would end up in the hospital with a hernia
@mark smith 12-inch Finex? She'll probably give it to you next week, when she can no longer lift it off the stove.
@SilverStrike Gotta ask....were you forced to eat outside or in another room before?
@@snazzyd8866 That part was just a joke, but she really liked the skillet a lot.
Lmbo ...u can eat at the table now
I have an at least 60 year old lodge pan, still looks great and works great! I even brought it back from the dead after years of non use and rust!
Cast iron skillets have become my newest hobby in retirement. I have one of my late mother's eight inch BS&R skillets that I use exclusively for cornbread. That sparked my interest, since the skillet is much older than I am. I have also added several Lodge and Wagner pieces over the years. Recently splurged on a high end Smithey 12 inch skillet/griddle combo that set me back $300.
I have concluded that like my other hobbies guns and basses, it's not a question of practicality. You can have what you want if you are willing to pay for it. And, you might want it for any number of reasons that all have nothing to do with minimal performance. I have a $200 rifle and I have a $2600 rifle. Both have left a number of mule deer, pronghorn, and elk just as dead. I have a $300 electric bass and a $4500 one. The music coming from both of them has more to do with my chops (or lack thereof) than it does with what I paid for them.
In each case the point is I have what I want, for whatever reason I wanted it. Same with cast iron skillets. The cheapest one will do the job. To those who say that's all you want it for is to do the job, have at it. It's just good to have options. 🎸🔫🍳
@@taylorjbrost
Indeed!
You sound like a cool dude, busta bass. Keep doing you buddy.
What would you say are the differences between the cheap and expensive cast irons?
Sir, Enjoy your time doing what you love.
Ihave my grandmother's BS&R skillet too. It's lasted 3 generations so far. My daughter will be getting it soon to make generation number 4.
Lodge... and a fancy serving plate... done!!!
That Finex is definitely nice. Don't think I'll be buying one, but if Finex sent me one to review, I wouldn't throw it away.
My 12" LODGE CI Skillet was $20, and it's doing just fine!
Rock on brother!
@@strange-universe 😛
thank you for taking the time to produce this vid. couple comments .. 1. steak exterior browns up better if you bring steaks to room temp before searing.. 2, when you flip steak best not to put it back on same spot ,.. that spot has cooled a bit .. place it BESIDE the original spot where pan is hotter ...3. best to spoon on pan juices WITHOUT lifting the pan , you are interrupting/ affecting the pan temperature
I’m predicting without watching. No difference, except to the wallet.
@David Freer agree 100%. If he cooked it to temperature why would he even wonder if either cooked a better medium rare steak? What is telling is that the Finex got to temperature quicker. Maybe it has a thicker base or maybe his grill is just hotter on that side. I didn't bother watching until the end - did he note this difference?
@David Freer, If you are new to cast iron, lodge is great. All you need to do is keep it oiled after cooking and cleaning, Yes you can use soap, make sure to rinse very well. To keep it oiled, heat to a smoking point without oil, oil it wipe it after a few minutes of cooling, if it is sticky after wiping excess oil out, you just heat it back up a little and wipe it once more. Now as far as paper towels, lint-free paper towels. I myself like to allow my pan to sit over night before cleaning just to let the oil from cooking set well. But some people will tell you not to let sit dirty overnight.
First thing I (a retired Chef with 25 years experience) noticed on both steaks after the first flip is that neither one developed a proper even brown crust, just a "ring crust" around the outside, with nothing in the middle. That means the steak hit the pan and shrank, lifting the middle away from the pan surface, using too much oil. Doesn't matter how expensive the pan is or isn't, if you're not handling it right, your steak will not be as good as it should be. I've cooked thousands of steaks, I use an old Lodge at home these days, but my preference is a ripping hot cheap cold rolled carbon steel pan to sear and crust to finish in a 500 degree oven. Perfect steak every time, once it's mastered.
I just got a lodge and tried my first steaks on them, I got a really good crust on them by simply pressing down all around the steak on the pan to ensure good contact with the pan.
yeah this guy just fucked up, ive been making steak on my lodge for a years and always get a much better crust without having to dry brine
I'll stick with my Lodge and Victoria pans. The FINEX pans are nice but they are way too heavy. 25% heavier than a Lodge!? A standard 12 inch Lodge pan is heavy enough. I purchased my 12 inch Lodge from their Chef Collection. They are reported to be 15% lighter. I noticed the difference right away. They cook just fine. Victoria (from Columbia) make nice pans as well. They have a nice smooth finish after some use and a longer handle for better control.
I use my lodge every time I make steak.. No issues with crust not forming if I don't dry brine. I usually just season, oil up steak with Avacado Oil, sear the fat cap, lay the steak flat on the cast iron until 70 - 80 degrees F, flip over and sear until 100 degrees internal, butter baste with garlic and rosemary until 110, pull it off an let rest for 10 minutes. Perfect edge to edge pink the whole way through - I've watched internal temp for this while sitting and it heats up to 138 F (the highest I've seen).
I sanded my lodge completely smooth on the inside with an orbital sander then reseasoned it about 8 years ago and I’ve used it almost every day since. Hated it before I smoothed it out. 240$ seems steep but that handle looks awesome.
Same here, about 4 hour on a Sunday working down the grades of paper.
Guess it depends how much your time is worth, I can spare 4 hours for $160
Why did you hate it? Mines not sanded and completely non stick
@@agentcodybanks1 I've heard other people say that also but the bumpy texture just didn't work for me. I love it now though. To each their own I guess. Gotta love cast Iron.
New lodge sucks in terms of the rough unfinished surface. They say its made that way so it's non stick but that's marketing BS. It's done to save money and another step in manufacturing.
Yep … I’ve got 5 Lodge skillets and 2 of their Dutchies. Unrefinished but well seasoned … no sticking, ever. There may be a knack to it but don’t know it … learned from Mom in the 50’s.
I'll stick with my Lodge. I can see no logical reason to pay $240 for a cast iron pan. Get a DeBuyer carbon steel if you want to spend money on a good, practical pan that can be used outdoors or in your oven. Even this very non-scientific comparison did not prove that the price made a difference. Just silly.
Both can work no problem, I'll stick with my vintage Wagners 🍳🍳
Yep, I had a Wagner original 1867 for thirty years. One day forgot it DRY on heat and heard a big bang : > (
@@3252fly ugh, sorry to hear that- time for a new vintage piece!
@@3252fly what happened to it?
@@JoeGiz64 crack
I found a set of four Wagner pans from around 1920 in a foreclosed house. They're so perfectly seasoned and literally the best pans I've owned. The finish on them is mirror like.
I can't for the life of me understand why those were left behind while everything else was taken
What would be wrong with serving the steak in similar fashion in a Lodge pan?
I don’t see how the Finex wins that “presentation” test other than it’s got a few corners.
(Let’s not forget Davinci won based on drawing a perfect circle, not an octagon.)
Nothing wrong, necessarily, but you can't honestly be saying that the Lodge is on the same level, aesthetically as the Finex.
@@pizzapie4me
Call me utilitarian. 😄
But I honestly don’t see the aesthetic difference. 😅
@@pizzapie4me Don't let my grandma be the judge of that!
Honestly it's just the unique shape and the handle that set the finex apart. They're both made in the USA, so I'd probably go with the lodge
I have them both. I have the whole set of the Finex pans. Presentation wise, manufacturing of it, the smooth surface upon arrival, how it takes on the patina, and the way that it cooks and cleans up...I like my Finex most of all. Now, for my day to day cooking, I typically use the Lodge. It is a great and durable pan. I have no real complaints about it, except, it can be a bugger to season it in the beginning. The craftsmanship of the Finex truly does set it apart. And it is what I call those heirloom items that you keep forever and can be passed down through the generations. My youngest daughter already called dibs on it.
Thanks for the side by side comparison. It makes for a great way to see the performance and the results of each.
100% accurate comment. Thanks for the contribution Gypsy Curls 👍👍
Please forgive what might be a noob question -- if you prefer the Finex, why do you typically use the Lodge? Tone here is pure curiosity and trying to learn, not internet sharpshooting. Thanks!
Just because it’s more likely that our viewers are using a $25 lodge than a $225 Finex. It’s a beautiful piece of cooking equipment if you can afford it.
Nice video! I’ll stick with my lodge. I also think it makes a handsome presentation plate for my guest as well. I have no complaints with how quickly mine cleans up.
use your tongs and push the steak down in the middle so that it makes contact with the pan... you'll get a much more even sear.
He used finishing salt for cooking it. IDK what he is doing...
If I needed a $200+ design element to serve my food, I'd find different friends. I also have seen cared for cast iron that has lasted for generations so I highly doubt a $25 lodge is less likely to last than a Finex.
They both do very well, kudos to Finex for making a better looking better engineered skillet, and kudos to Lodge for making a skillet we can all own and have it cook as well as any other. Both of them will last forever. I saw cast iron cookware in villages in France that were 200 years old and still in use.
An extra $250 for an octagonal skillet vs. a round one? Yeah, no thanks. I'll buy 8 of the Lodge that will last well past my lifetime and cook everything I need and then some.
If you like a piece of artwork in iron and can afford it, get a Finex skillet.
If you want to save money and don't care about esthetics, get the Lodge.
I have all three sizes of Finex skillets and thought they were worth the money.
It's a win-win for Lodge either way.
The heat retention is hands down better in the finex. I have fried in both lodge and finex side to side and my finex held temperature much better. That being said I have both lodge and finex.
@@strange-universe I own older Griswold skillets to new copper core All-Clad stainless skillets that are round and love them too.
I own 3 Heart and Spade forged carbon steel skillets that are round and the finest skillets I own.
Wouldn't trade them for anything out there!
I have been cooking on cast iron all my life, and I am almost 64 now.
I have over 25 pieces of cast iron , from Lodge and Wanger and Birmingham stove and furnace. I can tell you the lodge has a more corse cooking area, the other pan is very smooth. Lodge says that helps to hold the seasoning. My Wagner is very smooth and is hard to keep it black. But it is a joy to make eggs in. I also have a Medford carbon steel that I love to use only for eggs. It is a dream, and very smooth. I also have a Lodge carbon steel 12 inch that I love to make fried potatoes in. It has a low wall and it's easy to flip in.
You said you dried the out with a paper towel, why? They were both so hot, why not just a brush and give a fast brushing? Paper towels stick to most anything....
It looked like your Lodge was a 12 incher and the other was a 10. I happen to like a 12, just cause you can do more with it. Plus if your looking for a crust, why not use a bacon press to get a good sear on both. I have had my press for almost a year, and it has never touched bacon. I use it 3 to 4 times a week. You said the other pan comes with a lid. If you want a Lodge lid they are about $25+ dollars. But it makes a nice set. All my Lodge pans have covers. It's worth it to me. Why have a nice cast iron pant with a steel cover. I just think it looks better. Your still under $75 bucks if you get them together.
There are tons of cast iron videos out there if you want to learn more. And tons on cleaning. Just keep the grease/ oil very THIN!!!
Sorry I said so much here. What can I say, I am a Barber... To make it all easy, get the Lodge and learn how to use it, then teach your kids how to use it too. Then you can pass it down to them when your gone, and they can teach there kids. Trust me, it will be in the family for a very long time.....
Dude, I absolutely adore this channel. There's not many things like watching people discuss and display their passions in life. Thank you for sharing yours with the world. Good luck with the channel.
🙏🙏🙏
The extra flat bottom in the Finex is a huge difference in cooking other slower things IMO...the dome bottom of the Lodge puts all your oil on the edges....and the fact that I can pour from any angle out of the Finex is a selling feature to me when cooking....I might have to save my Christmas money and get one!
Next up, how grilling steak while wearing my Rolex Submariner Datejust makes it taste better than going bare-wristed, lol
Lol
I’ll put my first Mickey Mouse Watch with moving arms into that competition
I have a Casio that wants in on this action
Technically it won't make your food tast better but it'll make it tast damn good knowing your not eating it without it
Is there still time for my Citizen Eco Drive to get in on this action?!?
The only reason to pay $240 for the Finex is if you collect cast iron as a hobby. Since the Finex is unique, it would be good for a collection. Otherwise the Lodge at $24 is a superior pan and value, to cook with.
so you feel special and show all your friends how clever you are 🤔
@@kangjhha Your comment is nonsensical. Learn how to write a complete sentence.
I have the 12” Finex with lid and it is definitely an entertainment piece. Excellent for steaks and roast vegetables as well.
100% @Sherrie Xu
Idiot 😂
I’m up at 4 something in the morning watching this video. This video was amazing. I love what you did with those steaks. You gave me some wonderful information. God Bless you.
With covid, it's crazy how many of us are up at all hours of the night watching UA-cam videos. It's usually about 3am for me.
Same.
Question: did you not take issue with the gray crust towards the center of the steaks' exterior? I used to have the same, until I started flipping them more than once. Now I get a perfect all-around crust with medium rare and I don't dry brine my steaks. Flip them more for an even crust when you see an uneven crust, I'd say.
Amazing. I thought for sure that the steel spring handle, octagonal shape, and sanded surface on the Finex would have made the steak step up its game a notch, compared to the boring Lodge.
LOL!
Well it kind of did. It cooked the steak faster by holding in more heat due to more mass, was easier to clean to do finishing the surface and the handle is able to be held due to the design in more instances
I'll stick with my lodge pans. They've never failed to do what I've asked of them.
I got a Lodge pan, but had to sand away the rough pre-seasoning that it came with. It's OK, but if I had it to do over, and given how long I would keep it, I would just go for a better, smoother pan to start with.
I’ll do the extra work for $25. No doubt!
The Lodge will still be passed to my son. Finex, Stargazer....great brands. Didn’t Lodge just buy one of them??? Anyway, great vids bro! Love em and God bless!
Damn, now I'm hungry... Where's the cereal 😭😂
my lodge came a bit rough. took some lovin to make it work like butter
Me too. I gave mine a gentle sanding with 100grit sandpaper to knock down the high points. They worked much better after that and continue to improve.
Those steaks does look great and must be so delicious and I have some Lodge skillets and two dutch ovens along with one Stargazer skillet and love them all for their performance. I clean them all the same way and they look great and will last me my lifetime and someone else the same way.
Great video!!! But the steaks didn’t have a good sear on them because you let the salt sit for a couple minutes so it drew out too much moisture. The sear turns out best if you dry brine it or you season it the 30 seconds before you throw it in.
so if u pre season a steak and let it sit for a few hours it will affect the sear?
I don't know about Finex but I can tell you my 2 year old Lodge works as incredible as my 100 year old Lodge skillet
Same at my kitchen, I added a 10" new Lodge to my 25 year old 12" workhorse Lodge, seasoned it, and despite all the moaning about having to grind the new ones that are not "finished", they cook the same, meat or pancakes. No, I did not grind the new one.
Damn, the sales tax on the expensive one could buy you the Lodge.
No Finex for me. I have cast iron pans that are well over 70 years old. Honestly, I can spend a few hours to get a "perfectly smooth" finish on any of them and season them back up if that's a goal, but it hasn't been. What's the Finex going to look like 70 years from now?
A black stop sign.
Cast iron is cast iron. Go to a flea market, buy a crusty looking iron pan (make sure bottom is not warped or cracked), strip it down to bare metal, season it. I’ve gotten wonderful old iron pans for as little as $5 bucks.
I have lodge for outdoor use and one nice finex pan for the kitchen. I know there is no legitimate reason to spend the money but the feeling you get when you use nice things just gives that extra satisfaction. Like a mechanic who buys only snap-on it just feels better to have nice tools
I think you’ve nailed it Trevor.
If I was going to spend big money ($200 US) on a modern 12" cast iron pan, I would go with the one from Smithey Ironware. Not as heavy as FINEX and it has a smooth cooking surface, has holes on both sides for hanging, and is simply gorgeous to look at. Maybe one day I'll their 10 inch model. Not as expensive as the 12, but still not cheap.
I went with a stargazer. Its cheaper than all these brands and is super smooth, and has a great modern design.
I love the looks of the finex skillet, however the price is not practical but I may get one anyway....I have a few lodge pieces, one thing I noticed when I purchased them new is sometimes the seasoning felt a little sticky...so I would clean the pan after purchasing and put it in the oven at 400 degrees and let it smoke off the excess seasoning that wasnt set yet, then after just cook then clean up with just water, wipe a tiny amount of oil back onto the surface and heat the pan...doing this after every cook builds a nice seasoning ....
I bought my wife the 12" Finex for Christmas, so far we love it. I agree there's not a significant difference in its ability to cook a steak, it's mostly the aesthetic you are paying for. The surface of the Finex pans are CNC machined for an extremely smooth surface. That does help with the clean-up and makes them near non-stick when seasoned correctly.
Maybe I should buy a lodge and see if I can get a smooth surface with an angle grinder?
@@BBQandBottles Maybe! You could buy the lodge pan AND a decent angle grinder for the same amount as a Finex pan! But in all seriousness, what often makes food stick, especially on cast iron, is surface imperfections. You cannot see them with the naked eye, but they are there. In your test, you notice how nicely the finex pan cleaned up with just a paper towel? Multiply that amount of cleaning effort over the life of that pan, and that's why people pay top dollar for Finex.
Completely agree. I’d never to be able to replicate the baby smooth surface of the Finex. It’s a beautiful skillet. We switch between it and our Smithey as our daily drivers. Happy New Year Tim.
Great video, this is exactly the comparison I was looking for.
If you take of Lodge cast iron pans they can literally last a lifetime and more. I have two complete sets over 45 years old ( and crate they came in) one for the home and one for camping plus two of my grandfathers skillets (I'm in my mid-60s). I can't speak for the new priduct line, but mine were made in South Pittsburg, TN. Never will I trade these skillets.
It's like most things, 99.99% of people will never own a Rolls Royce, because yeah, great car, but it costs more than the houses of most people. If you can afford a $240 pan, then by all means, have fun.
I would have liked to see you have someone else cook it and offer it blind taste test to you, to see which one was better, if either, without you knowing beforehand whence it came. Fun video, thanks.
Loving the video dude. Keep up the good work
Appreciate it!
Cool touch handle, the shape to fit easier in the oven, the polished finish for less sticking, the thicker metal for heat retention, the sides for easier paddling out with spatula
I cook my steaks on the BBQ and use the cast iron for cooking bacon. I love my Lodge cast iron works killr for me. For the price of 1-12" Finex skillit plus an extra 15 bucks I can get the following from Lodge: 1-5 quart dutch over with lid, 1-13.5" skillit, 1- 12" skillit, 1-10.25" skillit, 1-8" skillit, 1-19x9.5" reversible grill/griddle, 1-10.5" round griddle, and 1-8.5"x4.5" cast iron loaf pan. All of a sudden Finex is looking a little rediculous.
I have 15 pieces of Lodge cast iron and it's the most bang for the buck in cast iron cookware. Having said that I also have 2 Stargazer skillets and I prefer the Stargazer skillets no matter what I'm cooking. I cook in cast iron every day so my Lodge skillets are still in the rotation. I have retired my 2 Griswold skillets for now. Comparing Lodge to Stargazer is like if you can drive a Corvette would you always settle for a Chevy Malibu instead, I think you would want to take that Corvette out from time to time.
OK I love cooking in cast iron,I found a 100 year old Wagner someone threw away. I cleaned it up and have been cooking with it for the past year, I love the lodge and the lighter Wagner iron pans. I recently added a carbon steel skillet, love it, I cook potatoes eggs and sausage for breakfast in the pan at the same time. PS I love your Submariner , I have the Tudor Black bay stainless steel date. I have subscriber to your channel.
I laugh when I see these Internet videos hawking overpriced knives, pans, and gimmicks to home cooks making them believe they'll become professional chefs. Finished my apprenticeship in Switzerland in the early '70s. I haven't cooked professionally in more than 20 years and I can still cook better on a Coleman 2 burner camping stove, using a Swiss army knife, and a set of camping pots and pans than 95% of the people that fall for all this nonsense. It's not the equipment people it's the person using it. BTW, I'll take the Lodge for $25. which I do own, as well as several Wagner's 1891 Original's lol
You’ll see at 8:00 we said there wasn’t really a difference between the two steaks. Only reason to spend the additional dollars is if the design is important to you.
@@BBQandBottles I wasn't meaning to be critical of YOUR work in making these type of videos. If it came across like that I apologize. I know it takes a great deal of effort and talent to produce professional quality content such as yours. These videos are certainly entertaining to watch and obviously what people want. I am a subscriber and will certainly be looking forward to more.
My only goal was to make the point that whether it's a camera, hammer, baseball bat, tennis racket, or whatever, it's the talent and experience of the person using the tool that determines the result, not the cost of the tool.
Oh and IMO there is NO pan or skillet in the world that is worth $240.00. Period. .....and in my whole professional career all over the world I never saw a cast iron skillet. lol
Thanks for the kind words. Totally agree with that point. I think there’s a similar analogy to cars. You have Toyota, BMW, Range Rover, Rolls Royce... each one gets incrementally more expensive but practically doesn’t change the fundamental element of getting you from point A to point B. I’d see the market for this pan just being a cooking enthusiast that just wants to invest some money in their passion.
@@mcrider333 there are pkeanty of pans and skillets worth way over $250. 🙄 vomments like yours make you just sound cheap.
@@mcrider333 how did you apprentice in Switzerland and never come across cast iron? No Von Roll? No beautiful Brazeli cookie irons? I think sometimes the craftsmanship of an item is just as alluring as it’s functionality. The price point is irrelevant IMHO I’m just surprised you never saw cast iron.
Nice comparison. As for flat/smooth surface, I bought my Lodge several years ago and it had this rough surface. So I simply sanded it down to make it smoother. It has been great since then!
Can’t go wrong with A Lodge product new or old
Great video. I have the Lodge for shore lunches but I've been using it at home a lot.
Question: what is your opinion on buying cast iron cooking items at yard sales and auctions? Risky? Good idea? Something in the middle?
If you have the tools at home to restore them, that’s a great idea. It’s takes some time to fix them up, but totally worth it. These cast iron skillets last forever I’d maintained well.
I'm a huge fan of Lodge (cast iron pans generally), and based on what I've seen here, at no point would I pay 10x more for a Finex. The results don't justify the huge price gap. I've also never heard of Finex. What's also really cool is that I find a lot of used cast iron pans of all sizes at my local thrift store. I picked up a couple of smaller pans this afternoon! All they need is a little cleaning and re-seasoning and they'll be good to go for several decades.
Most of my cast iron has come from church rummage sales. Some is over 100 years old. No need to spend big bucks.
The reason why I use lodge is because it’s cheap and very durable. It’s a workhorse! Not a fashion statement.
Thanks for the comparison. Easier cleaning makes sense, the surface of the finex looks very smooth compared to the lodge.
I wonder if this makes any other differences, didnt seem to in the crust though.
Does it come pre seasoned? The lodge does which is convenient
Yep, the Finex definitely has a smoother surface than the Lodge. Yes the Finex comes pre-seasoned too. Pretty sure all reputable brands come pre-seasoned now just so they don't rust while they're in a warehouse or on a store shelf.
Some premium cadt iron brands offer pre-seasoned and unseasoned skillets.
The main difference between a smooth and a rough skillet is the ease of cleaning and maintenance. The smooth surface doesn't tear apart your towels and baked on stuff may release a little easier. Some tricky food like eggs may tend to stick a little more on the rough surface but it gets better when more and more seasoning builds up.
A slight disadvantage of smooth cast iron can be the seasoning tending to get lost easier if the skillet is over polished. Therefore, some premium brands started blasting the surface with steel balls after polishing them to apply a fine texture.
In terms of cooking performance, there is no difference between cheap and expensive cast iron as long as it's done right (which Lodge is). What does make a difference, is the thickness of the material. A thicker skillet will have a better heat capacity which helps when searing big steaks. It will also even out piwer cycles from an electric stove better.
Thinner cast iron (like vintage ones or Field Company) on the other hand is lighter and will react a little faster to changes in heat.
Only thing I look for in a cast iron anything is how much effort is put into the finish, especially on the cooking surface. Lodge do a bare minimum and the buyer has to deal with it. Pretty much why they're so cheap. Not intensive if you've got a hand sander, but you do take the risk of taking too much off and end up with an uneven surface. I'll happily pay more, since the maker shows it's more than just a pour and dump process and the cooking surface will be flat. Flat = easier cleaning and more even heat distribution.
Always been curious as to why the butter and other seasonings are added so late into the cooking process. Doesn't most of it get "wasted" ?
Thanks for all your great videos!!
It usually added in late so that it doesn’t burn. I eat all of the garlic 🧄. Tastes amazing with the steak but the rosemary I toss.
I use non clarified butter at the end. If you don't go crazy with the heat it will turn brown (without burning) and get a delicious, nutty taste.
Thanks for the video. Go Lodge! I love my new Lodge chef series skillets. I think the real difference is Lodge has an economy of scale!
I saw a lodge video, that's who I'm going with.
I got Finex because of the design aesthetic. I hope I can pass it along to my son one day.
At 83, living on Hopes, dreams and cat food, there's a lodge in my garage.
Got my Lodge 10.25 inch skillet in 2017, sanded down the cooking surface to a glass finish and it's been oustanding since. I know people go with expensive pans and such, but in my mind there's no need. Just get a good American made cast iron anything and you're set!
you're practically a doppelganger for the guy who does the mouse trap channel.
Thanks for review. Small tip. Try cutting your steak slightly on angle so that it goes across the grain not along. Taste. Profit. P.S. I have Lodge and value for money it is best. Not sure if Finex is reasonably shaped if trying to use lids.. :)
I cut long wise if the grain runs side to side
He did cut it across the grain though, cutting across on a diagonal is for presentation
Skip to 8:17 to get the outcome of the test. Which is no diff. If you can pay $240 for a saucepan, then you have money to put the food in fine crockery fine bone China plate that costs $1000 (instead of having to serve it in the cast iron saucepan).
I'll stick with the Lodge and spend the money i save on great cuts of steak!
I found Victoria cast iron cook ware bests lodge in every aspect that counts, including better workmanship for the same price across the board. High end cast iron is fine if you have the disposable income or want to impress guests with cookware prices. I have a deBuyer carbon steel skillet with those mirror smooth cooking surfaces, I find a cast iron skillet with a tiny bit of texture on the cooking surface takes on seasoning much faster and better than these smooth surfaced skillets and pans, no matter what they cost.
I'm a frugal person and I've never heard of the other brand. I'd stick with the Lodge brand. 100% American made.
Finex is 100% American made as well. The cast iron is made in their foundry in South Pittsburg, Tennessee with the finishing done in Portland, OR.
Flowers of salt = flur de sel just garlic oil salt rosemary🤨🤔looks identical to me? I’d stick with the Lodge for 1/10 the price
You could see when you flipped the steaks that the salt/seasoning was stuck to the pan. I find with steaks cooked in a pan, putting a lot of seasoning on it isn't that good because it likes to stick to the pan.
I love my lodge pans.
I have one I take camping, I've fried freshly caught fish, pan seared steaks over hot coals.
Made fried eggs and corned beef hash for a camp breakfast .
A fancy hexagonal pan with a fancy handle isn't going to convince me to spend a penny more.
I am a function over asthetic person.
Clearly biased towards Finex. Cooked and tasted the same but he's trying to justify the extra $200 for Finex due to presentation. He said the Finex felt heavier - but it was visibly bigger, so that makes sense. Lastly, he said wiping the Finex was cleaner. Might be factory seasoned better so that may be a legitimate advantage. Overall, nothing presented justified such an outrageous cost for Finex.
I like the old griswold stuff myself cause they're not super heavy and they're nice and smooth.
I feel as if some of the money I spent on education was wasted, considering they didn't teach me to avoid videos like this on an empty stomach.
Was hoping you would address differences in handles,,, are you able to pick up the Finex without a hot pad?
There is so many new companies now who made good cast-iron my favorites are the ones that are make in United States. The companies that succeed will be determined by the consumer market.
Great video! I think I might do something like this for my channel. I just got a finex. Thanks for the inspiration.
you got to be kidding, I cook with a new LODGE frying pans and two 60 year old Lodge frying pans, they are great. they clean up really easily.
Essentially, a test of thin iron vs thick and smooth finish vs rougher. Ghee was a good finish.
There will NEVER be anyone or anything that can convince me that ANY CI pan brand new is worth 240 bucks with a lid...
As a collector and refinisher of CI I have to call BS on that...
Maybe... MAYBE... a collector piece with the lid is worth 200 bucks or more to me...
MAYBE
So the real difference is that you felt the Finex was more attractive. And that it cleaned up a little more easily.
When you factor in the potential for decades of use, it's probably worth it to splurge on the one that will be less hassle to clean.
Not really. All you have to do is the sand the lodge pan to get it smooth as the finex
Great video. Maybe you can do an experiment on how long it takes to develop an even crust between cast iron pan and stainless steel pan next time.
Great idea actually. I’m gonna on this to the list of near term experiments. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@BBQandBottles You're welcome. :)
I took my lodge and polished it with a stripper disk, seasoned it, I can make sunny side up. What else do I need!
Did the same with my disc sander on one of my grandpas old skillets. No telling how old it is but I never have issues with anything sticking.
I think part of the crust got stuck to the Lodge pan. Possibly needs more seasoning. My method for preventing sticking is to apply baking spray to the hot pan, followed by ghee then fry the fat cap on the steak, the fat cap will adhere to any sticky parts of the pan, then put the steak down. keep the steak against the pan gently to prevent the surface from comming off the pan. Baking spray oil work well for seasoning a pan, because it allows you to repeatedly apply a thin film of oil while the pan is on a stove.
If a cheap pan has a rough surface it can easily be fixed with an orbital sander. I have done it before.
Cast Iron is cast Iron. I am still using my grandfather's iron skillet that was passed down to me. Once you learn how to cook with cast iron you will never want anything else. Go with the Lodge and you will not be disappointed.
So Jared. I've been contemplating a cast iron skillet for about 2 months now. I really like my porcelain cast iron dutch ovens to roast things however I wanted a skillet with a lid that I could put right onto the Traeger. After researching and watching so many cast iron videos, today I popped and bought a Finex 12" with a lid. I'm like a kid in a candy store and can't wait, it'll be here by Thursday. Thank you for your informative videos and recipes.
You’re going to love it Gary. 👌👌
It’s been 6 months! How is it holding up?
@@davida3440 it’s really a wonderful skillet. From oven/BBQ to table, I love it
I’ve heard that Lodge bought Finnex out since this video came out. They should be made at the Lodge foundry in Tennessee t finished and final assembly done in Portland, OR from what I hear. I’m split between this and the Stargazer if I ever upgrade to a newer premium cast iron.
Thanks for all the great and honest content y’all
I have both and the finex is a better skillet. I prefer the machine smooth base of the finex.
I have neither but have to say the design of the more expensive one is great. The octagon shape allows for better angles for spatula uses and multiple points for draining excess fluids. Also even though it’s heavier it’s able to get things cooked to temperature faster which over time can give you time to enjoy the food and company vs waiting for the food to finish. Just my opinion
Twaddle. The octagon shape doesn't give you any benefit.