Lodge skillet

[Obsessed]

Lodge has always made sub standard castings AFAIK. Look up YouTube videos for the fix. Yeah, drag out your grinder and power sander.

I only have one Lodge (flat 12" griddle received as a gift) and have been searching antique stores for a better replacement. It might be good for melting down or target practice. Mud flap?

 

[maxvintage]

As mentioned I made an omelette in it this morning, slid right out.cooked very evenly, nice browning.

Not sure what else I need a cast iron pan to do...

maybe if I burned some money in it it would seem better?

 

[Owenmoney]

Don’t sand it. They’re a bit rougher than they used to be, but they’re fine. They come seasoned so it’s not necessary to re-season. Cook greasy food & it’ll get better faster. Fired chicken works great for putting a good coating on it.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

How are the Staub ones? do you wash them like regular pans, kind of clean it with foam and maybe scrub it gently for those stubborn sticky residues and it will be fine??

Cleanup is something I love about my Staub enameled cast iron....you can scrub it or even put it in the dishwasher. There's no need to season it like with uncoated cast iron. Lodge also has enameled products; there is Le Crusét, and even some worthy knock-offs from Amazon. Our larger enameled dutch oven is one of the Amazon no-names and it performs very nicely.

The kewelest piece of Staub I have is the little 1Qt rice cooker...a mini coquette with a lid design that pushes the moisture back down.

BTW, specific to the Staub, every piece I bought on sale or as a "blemish" product direct from Zwilling which saved a ton of money.

 

[bottlenecker]

So I have a 10.5 inch lodge skillet that's at least twenty years old and carefully maintained. Food just slides right out of it.

I just got a new 10.5 inch lodge skillet for a socially distanced meal we are cooking that will require two skillets. The new one is much rougher than the old one. But I seem to remember--it was a long time ago--the old one being rougher when it was new. I'm seasoning and re-seasoning the new one.

So the difference between the two--did the old one get more smooth with use? Or did Lodge start making rougher castings? I'm tempted to sand the new one down a bit. But I cooked an omelette in it this morning and it didn't stick at all, so don't fix it if it ain't broke

It's both. Cast iron is soft, and a stainless spatula will smooth it down with use, in addition to season building up. But also, castings have gotten a little rougher in the 20 or so years I've used them.

As a machinist, I see new castings for parts that have been made for a long time, and I can compare them to sample parts made from old castings, and there's a huge difference. There is some terrible foundry work out there today. The surfaces are rougher, but the worst part is porosity and inclusions. Lodge castings don't seem too bad. I actually have a new skillet in a box that I've been planning to machine the bottom of, just to try it, but I haven't had time. If I see little pinholes on the machined surface, that will mean porosity, and it would be bad. But if not, then they're fine castings. You can sand them, or let them wear in. It doesn't matter as long as it works.

 

[ukepicker]

Lodge fan here. Haven't tried this yet, but it's on my to-do list:

 

[Mike Eskimo]

 

[electrichead]

The act of seasoning cast iron (which is a continual process over time) puts a "varnish" on the surface made from the various oils that see the surface of the pan. That seasoning does build slightly over time and would mitigate the "just cast" roughness on the pan's surface. It is certainly possible that the older pan was smoother when new....manufacturing processes evolve over time.


I guess it's clear that I seem to collect pots and pans like some folks collect Telecasters...

My daughter is a Chef and boy would she be impressed....

 

[Lost_N_Austin]

Did Somebody Say CORN BREAD?


Yum Yum!

We have had these for many years. We just bought another Divided pan just like our old one and gave it to my Sister-in-law yesterday. It was advertised on FaceBook Marketplace and we gave $15.00 for it. What's for Lunch?

Lost_N_Austin

 

[Dan R]

I have two Lodge cookware items, a Dutch oven and a 12" frying pan. They both are great and I use them all the time. I missed out on cast iron cookware for years due to ignorance. I now believe most everything tastes better cooked in cast iron.

 

[harlycarly]

As mentioned I made an omelette in it this morning, slid right out.cooked very evenly, nice browning.

Not sure what else I need a cast iron pan to do...

maybe if I burned some money in it it would seem better?

Agreed. If my memory serves well (ALWAYS an "iffy" proposition) the older ones were smoother, the newer casting rougher. I'm talking a 50 year old pan vs a 5 year old pan. Use it, especially if it slides out an omelette easily as is right now.

I can just picture what disasters I'd cause if I tried to use and electric sander on a cast iron pan. That is exactly one of those "Well, I read about this great idea on the internet." kind of things that I personally would screw up all the way to the gates of hell. Here's my 14 inch that I use for 95% of all cooking. Not eggs though.

 

[scooteraz]

...How are the Staub ones? do you wash them like regular pans, kind of clean it with foam and maybe scrub it gently for those stubborn sticky residues and it will be fine??

Well, Staub says this:

CAST IRON
Your cast iron cookware can be easily cleaned with any common washing-up liquid and water once it’s cooled down. Do not use any scouring agents or abrasive sponges to clean your cast iron product. To remove stubborn dirt we recommend that you soak your cookware, e.g. your cocotte, in warm water with a little washing-up liquid or baking soda until all of the residue can be removed. The cast iron pot or pan should be dried completely. Learn more about how to clean a cast iron Cocotte and how to to get rid of resistant residue on YouTube.

They also, on the enameled cast iron cookware pages tell you that said product is dishwasher safe. I’ve basically soaked in hot sudsy water, land scrubbed with soft scrub sponges and not had a problem.

 

[Doctorx33]

I used electrolysis to clean a couple of really nasty cast iron pans. They came out looking almost brand new.

 

[dreamingtele]

Cleanup is something I love about my Staub enameled cast iron....you can scrub it or even put it in the dishwasher. There's no need to season it like with uncoated cast iron. Lodge also has enameled products; there is Le Crusét, and even some worthy knock-offs from Amazon. Our larger enameled dutch oven is one of the Amazon no-names and it performs very nicely.

The kewelest piece of Staub I have is the little 1Qt rice cooker...a mini coquette with a lid design that pushes the moisture back down.

BTW, specific to the Staub, every piece I bought on sale or as a "blemish" product direct from Zwilling which saved a ton of money.

Well, Staub says this:


They also, on the enameled cast iron cookware pages tell you that said product is dishwasher safe. I’ve basically soaked in hot sudsy water, land scrubbed with soft scrub sponges and not had a problem.

Thanks guys! i bought a knock off enamel cast iron dutch oven and honestly, its not good at all! what a waste of 25 dollars. LOL my wife loved it when it was new and was okay, after 1 month, the lid holder is falling off, the coating is turning black, whatever I do, I cant clean it. LOL

I'll check out the Staub ones!

 

[scooteraz]

Thanks guys! i bought a knock off enamel cast iron dutch oven and honestly, its not good at all! what a waste of 25 dollars. LOL my wife loved it when it was new and was okay, after 1 month, the lid holder is falling off, the coating is turning black, whatever I do, I cant clean it. LOL

I'll check out the Staub ones!

Warning, Staub ain’t cheap. I got mine on a lark, and love it, but my wife would be unhappy if she saw the bill....

 

[dkmw]

Did Somebody Say CORN BREAD?
View attachment 786873 View attachment 786874 View attachment 786875

Yum Yum!

We have had these for many years. We just bought another Divided pan just like our old one and gave it to my Sister-in-law yesterday. It was advertised on FaceBook Marketplace and we gave $15.00 for it. What's for Lunch?

Lost_N_Austin

My wife got me one of the divided skillets a few years ago. I’m such a purist - I was a little skeptical at first, having made cornbread in regular iron skillets all my life.

But I’m also all about the crunch, and the divided skillet gives you a perfect little slice of cornbread that’s crunchy on all sides!

 

[ndcaster]

I have what looks like a Lodge:



but I inherited it from my grandfather who came to the US in 1914

the bottom has some writing scored into it, but most of it has rubbed away

and I'm not checking because at the moment it's full of andouille

 

[Jim_in_PA]

Here's my 14 inch that I use for 95% of all cooking. Not eggs though.

View attachment 786881

I have a 13" Staub pan that I love for many things, both on top of the range and in the oven...I'll put a spatchcocked chicken on a low, round grate to roast it and then move it to the top of the range an immediately make a wonderful, fresh pan gravy with the drippings while the bird rests for a few minutes on the cutting board. Bigger really is better for many things!

 

[Goldenshellback]

So I have a 10.5 inch lodge skillet that's at least twenty years old and carefully maintained. Food just slides right out of it.

I just got a new 10.5 inch lodge skillet for a socially distanced meal we are cooking that will require two skillets. The new one is much rougher than the old one. But I seem to remember--it was a long time ago--the old one being rougher when it was new. I'm seasoning and re-seasoning the new one.

So the difference between the two--did the old one get more smooth with use? Or did Lodge start making rougher castings? I'm tempted to sand the new one down a bit. But I cooked an omelette in it this morning and it didn't stick at all, so don't fix it if it ain't broke

The prices of vintage Lodge skillets have gone through the roof. A ‘57, ‘58, ‘59 and 1960 in original condition are highly sought after.

 

[stxrus]

I have a divided/pie shaped cornbread pan as well as a cornbread stick pan and a “corn” shaped stick pan.

I have my brother’s cornbread recipe that is made in a glass 9x13 pan.

Cornbread is a major staple whether it’s made in CI or glass

Mom used to make 3-4 skillets if cornbread for her dressing with turkey. Let it dry out for a couple of days and make some of the best dressing on the planet.