Recommend me cast iron

[jayjay]

My partner is starting to drop hints about Christmas gifts, and he's mentioned wanting a cast iron skillet. I have NO idea about the current state of cookware lines. Can anyone help me make a decision about just what cast iron skillet to buy him? What's a good line? Good quality? Not TOO expensive (I'd prefer to keep it under $100, since it's not going to be his only gift)?

Thanks!

[Dragonlady]

I bought mine at the resale shop. They never wear out!

[3acres]

That's for sure, Dragonlady. But my sister got our Grandmother's skillets. I bought a couple of Lodge skillets. Wally World has a 12" for $19 and a 15" for $35. Made in the USA and heavy enough to beat an entire horde of zombies to a pulp. And both have a handy-dandy helper handle.

[Taur]

True enough, Drags!

Lodge is the number one brand in cast iron cookware, jayjay. Get him a 10" skillet; the 12" pans are unwieldy, in my opinion, and take up a lot of space on the cooktop. Unless of course you have a 6-burner pro range, in which case I hate you both.

[Glazer]

Thirded for the Lodge. Get him a matching set of a 10' skillet and a Dutch Oven. If I could only have two pans those would be the ones I'd get. You should be able to get both for less than $50. If you can't find Lodge any brand will do. It's hard to make a bad cast iron skillet.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Board Taurus

Unless of course you have a 6-burner pro range, in which case I hate you both.

I'll set your mind at ease...we have a crappy old 4-burner that was probably manufactured well before the 70s, I'm sure...it's neither 70s Harvest Gold nor 90s stainless steel, but good old white enamel.

[Taur]

I love the look of stainless steel in magazines and on tv but in reality it shows fingerprints, which makes me all YOU TOUCH NOTHING! NOTHIIING!

White's alright.

[Wolf Larsen]

Almost any cast iron will do, the trick is in the seasoning.

It helps if you really like bacon.

[KidVermicious]

You will pay quite a bit for Lodge, but you'll probably get what you pay for. I cook on my grandfathers Lodge 14" skillet, and I don't know if he had it from someone else or what.

Alternatively, my food tastes just as good when cooked on my Wenzel 10", and it was half the price. As Wolf says, with proper seasoning and care, cast iron is cast iron.

[Glazer]

A Lodge 10' skillet is only $15. And is American made. Who knows what impurities you'd find in a cheaper Chinese skillet.

[Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.]

Originally Posted by KidVermicious

You will pay quite a bit for Lodge

No you won't.

Jay, buy the Lodge 12-ounce skillet (10-inch is for wimps and can't even handle a decent-sized flank steak) and the 5-quart or seven quart Dutch oven depending on the quantities of food you make (the 7 is awesome for ribs but is too big if you don't cook for company that often). If you go with the 5-quart you're done for under $50 for the pair after free shipping.

[KidVermicious]

Originally Posted by Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.

No you won't.

I guess not. Seems like the last time I looked at cast iron, there was a much bigger difference in price.

[Veb]

Lodge is the All-Clad of basic cast iron. It's perfectly decent stuff but don't for a minute fall for their "pre-seasoned" routine. It comes coated with oil but that doesn't make it seasoned.

Since you have some time before Christmas, jayjay, would it be possible for you to prowl some auctions, estate sales, yard sales, antique shops, etc.? The main thing in cast iron to to look for decent weight and smooth interiors. If it feels at all "pebblely" inside, it's no good. There are a lot of excellent brands of fine old cast iron that were made: Griswold is one, though it can get pricey on ebay, but Wagner, Piqua and Wapak are others.

Used cookware in fine when it comes to cast iron. The stuff lasts generations, if cared for properly. (I'm still using my grandmother's cast iron skillets and dutch oven.) If it's rusted, no problem. Just sand off the rust, re-season the pan and you've got a gem. You'll need to season any cast iron anyway, brand new or not, so in your place I'd go hunt for some wonderful skillet orphaned when it's cook passed away.

[AHunter3]

Wagner.

Or any brand that mills the inside bottom surface of their pans so it's smooth metal, not pebbly-surfaced.

[The Superhero]

The sadly mostly-defunct Black Iron Blog is loaded with great advice about using and caring for cast iron cookware.

And it's definitely a great gift for someone who loves to cook. I love my cast iron and cook damn near everything in it. I've got a good enough season on it that I can cook scrambled eggs with cheese in it and it'll come clean with water and a paper towel.

[Jaglavak]

The key to getting a really good seasoning is to never, ever let soap touch the pan. That also means the fry pan can only be used for frying greasy stuff, and not boiling anything. I wash mine under warm water using a plastic scraper, and then wipe on a layer of oil to store it. After a few times around it's nearly as nonstick as teflon including fried eggs with no sticking. The dutch oven will be for pot roasts and chile and whatnot, so don't even try to season it.

If you shop at garage sales, take along a ruler. If the pan has ever been way overheated and then quenched it may have a curved bottom that will never sit right on the stove. Besides being tippy, the limited contact area tends to make for slow heating with hot spots on an electric range. Also a pan like that is going to have thousands of pounds per square inch of stress frozen in, so it could possibly shatter like glass if you smack it a good one or overheat the piss out of it again. Not likely, but I'd pass on a warped pan anyway.

[Burnt Toast]

I'll throw in a vote for Lodge, either 10" or 12".
I'd recommend getting one like this, with the 'assist handle'. It makes it much easier to pick up.

[Veb]

Originally Posted by Jaglavak

If you shop at garage sales, take along a ruler. If the pan has ever been way overheated and then quenched it may have a curved bottom that will never sit right on the stove. Besides being tippy, the limited contact area tends to make for slow heating with hot spots on an electric range. Also a pan like that is going to have thousands of pounds per square inch of stress frozen in, so it could possibly shatter like glass if you smack it a good one or overheat the piss out of it again. Not likely, but I'd pass on a warped pan anyway.

Yeah! Jag nailed a really important thing with used cast iron. It has to sit flat or it's a dud. When I researched online ads for cast iron I wondered why the hell they said "sits flat". Of course they sit flat; they're skillets. Until I spotted a curved-bottom one at an antique store. Yep, people do over-heat them that badly. It's really hard to warp cast iron but some people manage.

[NAF1138]

If you were going to get one for personal use I would say Lodge is fine, very good even. BUT because it is a gift do a little digging and find yourself a Griswold from before WWII. They are lighter smoother and heat more evenly, can still be found for less than $100 and it's a cool story that makes it a better gift. It will take a touch of research to figure out what you are looking for and how not to overpay, but the info is readily available on the net and the skillets are easy to find on eBay.

Edit: wagner (recommend above) is also good. Both are quasi collectors items so, again, do a bit of research and don't target something super rare. They all cook well, but some are more collectible, target the ones that just cook well.

[Fatwater Fewl]

Originally Posted by Jaglavak

The key to getting a really good seasoning is to never, ever let soap touch the pan. That also means the fry pan can only be used for frying greasy stuff, and not boiling anything. I wash mine under warm water using a plastic scraper, and then wipe on a layer of oil to store it. After a few times around it's nearly as nonstick as teflon including fried eggs with no sticking. The dutch oven will be for pot roasts and chile and whatnot, so don't even try to season it.

Ideally, water will never touch my cast iron skillet at all. I scrub mine while it's still quite warm with oil and salt and a clean, dry cloth -- yes, it means more laundry but preserving the seasoning is more important to me (and oh, the perfect omelets!).

[taters]

Not that it makes a difference in the OP's case, but what is the consensus for using cast iron on a glass top range? I've seen cases both for and against. I actually have some of my grandmother's cast iron, but don't really use it because I don't want to scratch up the cooktop.

[NAF1138]

Originally Posted by taters

Not that it makes a difference in the OP's case, but what is the consensus for using cast iron on a glass top range? I've seen cases both for and against. I actually have some of my grandmother's cast iron, but don't really use it because I don't want to scratch up the cooktop.

It's hard on the cooktop and is generally not recommend. That doesn't stop a lot of peeoplebthough. It works fine (I am told) as long as you are careful.

[taters]

That's pretty much what I thought. I'll keep using it for camping then.

[Glazer]

Cast Iron also works great in the oven.

[NAF1138]

Yes! I use mine for almost any recipe that calls for a roasting pan. I have used it as a pizza stone too.

[Hunter Hawk]

Originally Posted by Veb

Yeah! Jag nailed a really important thing with used cast iron. It has to sit flat or it's a dud. When I researched online ads for cast iron I wondered why the hell they said "sits flat". Of course they sit flat; they're skillets. Until I spotted a curved-bottom one at an antique store. Yep, people do over-heat them that badly. It's really hard to warp cast iron but some people manage.

If it's antique and has a curved bottom, it may have been designed for use with a wood stove.

[Jaglavak]

The words pizza and stone just seem to go together, don't they?


The non flat bottom on my old dutch oven was installed by my girlfriend. That's what happens when you turn on the burner to preheat the pan, forget about it for 10 minutes, and then panic and quench it with cold water. It's got to be just about glowing red, but what happens is the cold water hits the inside of the pan causing it to suddenly cool and shrink while the other side is still red hot. Bingo, your pan has a slightly curved bottom. Then the hot side cools down and shrinks, compressing the living crap out of the inside while stretching the metal on the outside. Thus locking in some pretty severe stresses. If you overheat a pan, let it cool down slow. If it's on fire just slap the lid on and back away.


One final comment, when I say no soap contact that does include the kitchen scrubber even if you rinse it thoroughly. There will still be enough soap left in it to slay the seasoning. If you use a scrubber, you need one that has never touched soap.

Originally Posted by Fatwater Fewl

Ideally, water will never touch my cast iron skillet at all. I scrub mine while it's still quite warm with oil and salt and a clean, dry cloth...

Interesting, I'll have to try that.

[KidVermicious]

Originally Posted by taters

That's pretty much what I thought. I'll keep using it for camping then.

I knew a fellow who picked up enameled cast iron just for his glass cooktop. You could try that.

[Euryphaessa]

My mom makes deep dish pizzas in her cast iron frying pan. It's good stuff. I don't think I'm patient enough to take care of it well, but cast iron seems pretty versatile in the hands of a decent cook.

[taters]

Originally Posted by KidVermicious

I knew a fellow who picked up enameled cast iron just for his glass cooktop. You could try that.

Nah, my friends gifted me with an awesome set of hard anodized cookware just a few months ago as a birthday gift.

One of these days, I'll get some Le Creuset. I'd love to have dutch oven and some other pieces. It's awfully spendy, though. Enough that I don't feel I can justify the spending that kind of money at the moment, anyway.

[Glazer]

Originally Posted by Jaglavak

The words pizza and stoned just seem to go together, don't they?

FTFY

[krisolov]

Lodge also makes some really nice enameled cast iron that rivals that crazy expensive le Creuset stuff for a much nicer price.

I have a large enameled dutch oven from them that absolutely is the best stew/chili/deep fry pan ever.

[Wolf Larsen]

Originally Posted by taters

One of these days, I'll get some Le Creuset. I'd love to have dutch oven and some other pieces. It's awfully spendy, though. Enough that I don't feel I can justify the spending that kind of money at the moment, anyway.

The Le Creuset dutch oven is worth every penny.

[Wolf Larsen]

Originally Posted by Jaglavak

Interesting, I'll have to try that.

We use salt to scrub with and it works pretty well to remove any cruft without killing the patina.

[Veb]

Originally Posted by Euryphaessa

My mom makes deep dish pizzas in her cast iron frying pan. It's good stuff. I don't think I'm patient enough to take care of it well, but cast iron seems pretty versatile in the hands of a decent cook.

It's really pretty easy, Eury. Even deep-seasoning for the first time basically consists of wiping the pan with oil, popping it into a low oven then walking away for a while. Routine cleaning is a snap too. A well-seasoned pan is damned close to nonstick. The few things that might get a bit crusty can just be soaked while you eat dinner, then I just hit it with a plastic scrubber thingy. Once it's clean, it's the easiest thing in the world to swipe a little oil on a paper towel around the interior, then plop the pan onto a low burner for a few minutes. The heat also dries out the metal thoroughly so rust is never even an issue. Then all you have to do is let it cool before you it's put away. It takes a lot longer to describe than to do.

I have a jazzy nonstick lidded pan that I like a lot but truthfully? It takes a lot more finicky care than the cast iron does.

[Burnt Toast]

I'll third the salt scrub. I've gotten water in mine, but I always dry it completely. No soap ever!

[KidVermicious]

Originally Posted by Veb

Then all you have to do is let it cool before you it's put away.

Put away? Mine lives on my stovetop.

[Glazer]

Originally Posted by KidVermicious

Put away? Mine lives on my stovetop.

Mine too because it's my go to pan.

[Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.]

Originally Posted by Wolf Larsen

The Le Creuset dutch oven is worth every penny.

Really? I'm glad to ask an actual owner this question then: What does the Creuset do that a Lodge (or whatever) doesn't? I've spent big dollars on stainless pots lined entirely with copper and definitely noticed the improvement over stainless with no copper and even stainless with copper on the bottom. But I seriously can't see how enamel would improve my Dutch oven and find it hard to even imagine how the increased price would improve it. Other than the lighter weight, what does all that cash buy.

[Wolf Larsen]

All that cash buys a dutch oven that heats evenly, cooks divinely and cleans up like a snap. We do everything from searing roasts to making soup and pot roast in it. It can go on top of the stove, in the oven and in the dishwasher with equal aplomb. It's our go-to pot for anything too big to fit in the cast iron skillet.

[Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.]

OK, I'll give you the dishwasher - any honest person will tell you that cleaning a Dutch oven is a pain in the ass from a process standpoint even if it's easy on its own. There's definitely a value to being able to abandon the pots and pans to the next morning or throwing them in the DW and forgetting about them. But cooking-wise, is there a real advantage? I won't judge if you find the cleaning advantage sufficient to justify the price premium, I promise. I just want to know if there's a pot that will improve my braised lamb over the Lodge.

[Xploder]

If it has the words "Bobby Flay" anywhere near it, run far, far away.

I bought all of mine at various sporting goods stores. They hang on hooks out in my workshop year round and have NEVER rusted. I fucking LOVE them so much! Great for both inside cooking AND for using on the grill.

[Wolf Larsen]

Originally Posted by Nonny J. Nonnington, Esq.

OK, I'll give you the dishwasher - any honest person will tell you that cleaning a Dutch oven is a pain in the ass from a process standpoint even if it's easy on its own. There's definitely a value to being able to abandon the pots and pans to the next morning or throwing them in the DW and forgetting about them. But cooking-wise, is there a real advantage? I won't judge if you find the cleaning advantage sufficient to justify the price premium, I promise. I just want to know if there's a pot that will improve my braised lamb over the Lodge.

We quit using the cast iron dutch oven and put it in the garage with the camping stuff. The Le Cruset seems to brown things much nicer and a lot of the recipes we do in it involve an initial browning step. Mrs. Larsen has made me promise that if it ever gets dropped and shatters, I will buy a new one.

[taters]

My daughter's boyfriend's father gave him a beautiful La Creuset set. He loves those things. Those along with cast iron skillets are his favorite cookware. He cooks a lot, so uses all of them often and swears by them.

[NAF1138]

Originally Posted by Wolf Larsen

All that cash buys a dutch oven that heats evenly, cooks divinely and cleans up like a snap. We do everything from searing roasts to making soup and pot roast in it. It can go on top of the stove, in the oven and in the dishwasher with equal aplomb. It's our go-to pot for anything too big to fit in the cast iron skillet.

For an opposing perspective:

Le Creuset is great. I grew up and learned to cook with a lot of Le Creuset kitchen wear including skillets and pots in addition to a Dutch Oven and my mom still uses them all the time. They are beautiful, cook well and clearly built to last.

I currently own a Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven, and for the most part can not tell the difference. The knob on the top of the lid doesn't take heat in excess of 500F, but it is removable. It is dishwasher safe and cooks beautifully, and is almost as pretty. It is not as light, but the difference is only obvious if you have them side by side, they are both heavy.

If all you are looking for is a good enameled Dutch Oven, I heartily recommend the Lodge at a fraction of the price.

[taters]

I'll definitely take a look at the Lodge, NAF.