Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet for Indoor and Outdoor Use. Induction Frying Pan. Oven, Grill and Metal Utensil Safe Skillet Frying Pan with Pouring Lips. Made in The USA. 30.5 cm/12 inch

I have written about my love of cast iron pans on another review, and the same applies here - but further more, Lodge is a classic brand in the cast iron pan industry with a rich history of quality pans, so arguably worth paying the price for. Whilst looking for this pan, I considered some vintage cast iron pans on ebay, but in the end this was what I went for and haven't regretted it at all - this pan lives with pride on top of my hob in permanent display, and gets regular use (which really is the best way to get the best out of your pan - regular use keeps it seasoned and rust free) I will say upfront, that they can be heavy (yes, its cast iron, iron is heavy) and bulky, and also require some dedication and care - in honesty, not that much more dedication than just normal washing of a pan, but you have to be diligent. You have to clean it after use and season it. But with minimal effort, it will reward you. Practical advice: - Cast iron can rust! you need to take care to season it first (just google it, there are lots of articles about it). It basically involves scrubbing it, adding in vegetable (or some other) oil and heating it in the oven above the oils smoke point (just stick the oven on full - it will smoke, so be prepared for that), then let it cool down, wipe and repeat the process. - You should take care to not clean with abrasive brushes or use metal spatulas on it, as it is possible to damage and loosen the seasoning - After washing it, make sure you dry it thoroughly and lightly wipe with oil to keep the surface sealed it free from moisture So what makes cast iron pans so great, given the additional work? It's because iron retains heat really well - often when you put something like a steak into a hot pan, the pan itself drops in temperature considerably - if you have ever been disappointed by not being able to get the wonderful deep brown/red colour of a steakhouse steak and end up with duller steaks, its probably for this reason - the pan temperature drops so the steak doesn't have a chance to brown before the steak is cooked. Cast iron hardly registers any drop in temperature (once suitable warmed) which means you can quickly get a beautiful brown sear on steak, burgers, fish, vegetables pretty quickly.

This pan really is a revelation. We have various good non-stick pans but none of them could properly sear meat. This pan retains so much heat that it doesn't drop the temperature at all when you put the meat in. In fact to clean it I pour in a glass of water (after allowing it to cool after cooking) and it boils it instantly. The pan is really easy to clean. Just rub it with oil and it won't rust. Perfect steak, seared and rare. I should have bought one years ago.

These pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron pans - if cared for properly - are a life-long purchase, or possibly longer, if you decide to hand them down to the next generation! They are beautifully made, with a clean, consistent cast, and a considerable heft, even in the smaller sizes. The iron has a tight, fine grain which produces smooth curves and crisp details on the pan, and provides a visible sense of quality. Equipping your kitchen with a set of these would be ideal if you appreciate traditional, quality items that can be passed down from generation to generation - they are genuinely 'Modern Retro'. Unchanged in design over hundreds of years, there is a sense when cooking with these that a great-great-grandmother has done the same somewhere back in the distant past. In this manner, they are eminently suitable for cooking traditional and slow-cooked dishes. Pros: Solid, long-lasting, high quality construction that saves on energy (as less heat is needed) and may improve the taste of your foods. A slower approach on a lower setting will infuse the pan with an even heat all over. The cast iron may not actually add anything taste-wise to the food being cooked, but - possibly by not taking anything away either - it definitely does help food taste better! Meats sear really well, sealing in more flavour. There is absolutely no chance of any contamination from non-stick chemicals or coatings as the pans are entirely naturally coated (cooking oil). Cons: Need slightly more maintenance than a modern non-stick pan, and the considerable weight can make them a bit of a handful! Pre-seasoning (cooked-on oil) ensures less hassle when the pan is new, and as you add to the seasoning through time, the non-stick qualities of the pan increase. Unlike normal non-stick pans, you can use metal kitchen implements with impunity, as the surface is practically bulletproof. However, you must wash the pan in a gentle soap solution after each use, and re-coat the pan with oil before storing it away. In practice, this only takes a couple of minutes and leaves the pan with a satisfying black lustre. Not doing it, or leaving the pan damp, can result in rust quickly forming on the raw iron. However, even this is not a disaster as a gentle scrub and re-oiling will get rid of the rust (although leaving rust on for longer could result in physical damage to the surface of the pan). Due to their robust construction and the nature of cast iron, these pans tend to weigh heavily, even in the smaller sizes. This helps the pan spread and retain heat evenly, but can make them a bit of a handful when moving them around the stove. As an integral part of the pan, the handles heat up at the same rate, so be careful with them! The positive side of this is that the pan can go from stove top to oven to table top (and even BBQ!) without alteration, or risk of a plastic handle melting. Buy a pair of good quality silicone mitts or oven gloves and always lift them using both handles. Lodge do silicone covers for the handles and tempered, oven-proof glass lids in sizes to fit the main pans. For general use, the 8" and 10" sizes should be adequate, with 12" for larger meals or extended family cooking. They are also available in deep versions that can be used as a casserole. We store ours on the gas stove top as we like the look of them so much!

This is now a prized part of my eclectic collection of pans (a stainless steel sauté pan, a le creuset milk pan, a denby cast iron enamelled cookpot, and two stainless saucepans) and is superb. Large and substantial enough to either roast a chicken or cook a pizza, non-stick without dodgy chemicals, durable enough to use stainless spatulas, and solid enough to know it will last decades rather than be another quick-to-bin piece of rubbish like so much of the aluminium pans sold today. Yes its heavy, and it only just fits in the oven, but this is a real pan not one of those flimsy landfill magnets that most rely on. If cooking is important, and sustainable manufacture vital, this is the pan to go for. It will last long enough to hand over to your grandchildren, and its made from completely biodegradable and recycle-able material. Plus it cooks fantastically. So leave the teflon behind, and don't head for fragile enamel, but get this and have a pan for your life and beyond.

I grew up in a house where our best cooking pans were cast iron and this pan is of a comparable quality even through it was manufactured 100 years after the pans I grew up with and cooked with. It is satisfyingly heavy and heats very evenly. The factory applied seasoning is quite effective and it is easy to continue building the seasoning. The only concern I have with this pan, like all pans I have seen manufactured today, is that has a slightly "pebbly" cooking surface. The fry pans I grew up with had a smooth cooking surface but now I have to wonder if they had a different surface from the manufacturing process or just my Mother and Grandmother's elbow grease applied over 50 years of scouring. :-) The handle does get very hot so you have to get used to using a pot holder (the Lodge designed pot handle cover might be worth the investment.) I've fried a variety of foods on this pan successfully but where it shines is fried chicken and as a saute pan because of this depth and stable heat.

Like lots of others I came to cast iron after finally giving up on short lived teflon non stick - and I'm never going back. Sure, it needs a little TLC, you can't just chuck it in the dishwasher, but the non stick properties are almost as good as new teflon, and the cast iron makes amazingly tasty meat and fried eggs with a nice crispy edge. Nom nom nom... I've tried another cheaper brand too (Victor), which does a good job but isn't quite as good as this lodge (rougher surface and lacking the extra handle). Since you'll probably use cast iron until the day you die I'd suggest spending a bit more and getting a lodge as they're really decent, and just think of the money you'll safe not buying new teflon every couple of years! The absolute best thing this pan does is pizza! It really is the key to restaurant quality pizza at home (just not possible in an oven, they're just not hot enough even with posh pizza stones). All you do is heat the pan up till it's smoking hot, no need for extra oil, plonk your rolled/stretched dough in and spread it to the edge (watch your fingers) add good passata and mozzarella, a few toppings, and by the time you've topped it one it's time to pop it under a pre-heated hot grill. A couple of minutes later you'll be eating the best pizza you've ever tasted, just try it! I've tried it in teflon pans in the past but the cast iron really is the best for pan pizza as it holds the heat and crisps the base better.

Superb pan. Specially as I got it on a sale so a lot cheaper than the usual Amazon price (I think it was last in stock at the time so I imagine they just wanted to get rid of it). Don't understand why cast iron cookware is so expensive here. In the US it's really cheap and there are a lot more choices too. I give it 5 stars because I got it at the cheaper price (Paid around £40 instead of £60+), otherwise it would have been too expensive for what it is. Anyway, this is one big skillet. Not for the weak and feeble. It's heavy empty, once you fill it with chosen delicacy of choice, then 2 hands needed for sure. As with other cast iron cookware, some TLC is required before and after each use. It's just something you have to do, sponge off any excess food remains/oil, re-season with clean oil and store. OK you don't have to re-season each time, but at the very least, rub more oil into the pan. I just stick it in the oven on super hot for a few minutes anyway to make sure it's perfectly dry and also gives the oil a chance to bond into the metal. Seems to work as not much sticks to it. One thing, they are not 100% stick free,whatever you do. However, most food does come off easily after a short soaking. And no soap needed. Highly recommended if you have the strength to lift it.

Excellent Cast iron pan. Saw previous reviews regarding rust but it’s not the case here. I seasoned the pan before first use and don’t leave it in water and towel dry if washed. If you care for the pan like cast iron should be cared for it works as it should.

Conoscevo il brand, ottimo prodotto, non ha bisogno di trattamento, arriva già pronto all'uso. Lo consiglio come alternativa alle padelle con rivestimento in teflon che comunque rilasciano particelle tossiche nel lungo periodo, queste in ghisa sono assolutamente sane e cuociono alla perfezione senza aderire.

It took a while to get the handle of it, but you just can't go wrong with cast iron. I'm absolutely in love with it! I purchased the silicone gripper, which is nice to have, but I think it's difficult to pour the contents one-handed with it, and I find myself using a towel instead more often than not. I've managed to get it to be more non-stick than my old non-stick pan with a few rounds of seasoning (a slight pain in the ass) but the maintenance and repairability are simply something I wouldn't trade. Do note that caring for it is more involved than caring for a stainless steel pan, but I find that the sear is unmatched, and the temperature doesn't really drop when adding food, which is amazing.

Es un sartén primera calidad, los alimentos se cocinan muy bien, con buen sabor. El aceite y la comida no se le pegan al sartén. Muy buena compra.

Excellent cast iron frying pan. Just because its cheap doesn't mean its not great. It beats cast iron skillets that are 4 to 7 times its price. After a single seasoning was non stick. I usually use it for corn bread, pizza, shallow fries and it would probably would be my go to pan if I didn't have a carbon steel pan.

Excellente poêle ! La fonte chauffe uniformément et retient bien la chaleur, ce qui permet de cuire les aliments parfaitement et de façon homogène. Elle est très robuste et semble faite pour durer des années. J’apprécie sa polyvalence : idéale pour saisir, mijoter ou même passer au four. Avec un peu d’entretien (huile et séchage), elle reste comme neuve et développe un antiadhésif naturel au fil du temps. Un indispensable pour tous ceux qui aiment cuisiner avec qualité et précision. Je recommande sans hésiter !