Cuisinel Cast Iron Skillet with Lid - 12"-inch Pre-Seasoned Covered Frying Pan Set + Silicone Handle & Lid Holders + Scraper/Cleaner - Indoor/Outdoor, Oven, Stovetop, Camping Fire, Grill Safe Cookware

Hello!Not so rough, at last the 10" one, which is the one used so far; can wipe with a paper tower without any problem. Maybe the manufacturer paid attention on coarseness complaints. Just a little water before putting on the stove, and it was wonderfully hydrophobic.First thing cooked out of the box, an omelet, with some oil and butter; just a little stick around part of the border. Second thing, fried eggs; almost no sticking.The first time we ever cooked with cast iron long ago, was frying eggs. They stick so hard, that it looked like part of the iron. After viewing so many videos and reading so many tips, what was wrong? We figured out fairly quickly: the heat. The pan was so hot, that the eggs began to cook before landing on the pan; yes, exaggerating, but it was too much heat for eggs. After long cleaning that mess, next eggs barely started to cook when dropped on, they started to get white very slowly, no sizzling at all. Sizzling = stick when dealing with eggs over cast iron.Haven't made anything else yet (like a steak) but felt the necessity to write the review right away, because seasoning it with a little oil after cleaning was not a problem with a paper tower; it got eventually destroyed, but not to the extent that cannot be used in about three pieces to be able to finish the seasoning; then have to get rid of all those paper tower flakes, which was fairly easy hitting with a kitchen tower.Maybe we were lucky, but these units are great (just tried the smaller one from a set of two) and we are very pleased with the quality and the price. Remember, keep heat extremely low for some cooking, and you will be able to move the eggs around the pan, turn them over for a while, and get then perfectly and flavored cooked.Highly recommended, but you must learn how to use and care for them.Update: yes, you are right, 'paper towel', just one, 'not a tower of paper' which would mean 'a lot of paper towel'. I know you got it and ignored it, but it looked very funny to me when realizing it, lol.

Great set, well made and pretty heavy. This will last many life times. Condition it with avocado oil. If you never owned cast iron pans before, keep in mind it takes longer for it to heat up and of course it will keep the temperature evenly distributed for longer as well. If you use a gas top range, the heat will be uneven at first because of the flame shape and where it hits the bottom of the pan. If you wash this pan and lid in the dishwasher, make sure you condition it again after, otherwise it will rust fast. Rib-eye stakes will taste great and better than before, there is no going wrong with this item and it came well packaged and protected as well. Oven mitts are highly recommended, the included silicon handle covers are basically useless when this is up to temperature.EDIT: It's getting better with time. After seasoning it another three times, nothing sticks to it anymore and I find myself simply not using any other pans I have. Learn how to properly season it and it will last forever and only improve.

I LOVE this skillet. works great and is a great size!!! It looks like quality and everything taste great in it.

I dont regret this purchase one bit. Easy to maintain and still looks new like the day i received them.

Website description is accurate. Good quality product.

Received the pan. Looks great and very heavy. I got this labelled used and there was nothing wrong with it. Came in a new box. It came pre-seasoned. But as all who use case-iron, know after use you have to re-season it again after washing to storing it. Just needs a lid for which I just use any type of lid. For the price it was great.

Get these. This is a nice investment. These cast iron pans are nice and heavy. They are awesome with holding heat at a consistent rate. The silicone handles are very nice and easy to slide on and off. The lids themselves are heavy and the silicone on the handles are great. I haven't put them in the oven with the silicone handles on them as of yet. The pans are already pre-seasoned. I used one out of the box and imo I would wipe out the pan with hot water, dry it well, then season the pans again before using for the first time. I did more seasoning with the other 2 pans and that made it so much better when I cooked in them. The 12 inch pan with food in it, you will definitely need 2 hands to move around the stove or oven because of the weight. They will rust (my son washed the pan by mistake and left it to dry! AH!) I cleaned it and seasoned it again. It's fine now. The only thing that I wish is that the back of the pan was completely smooth as I am using an electric stove. I would for sure buy another set.

I grew up using cast iron skillets my entire life, but sadly got rid of mine over 20 years ago because of the negativity concerning cast iron and the maintenance. I decided I wanted to cook with them again and my husband purchased a 12” CI skillet for me but it was too large and heavy for every day use, and it didn’t have a lid. This one is perfect for most of what I cook in it and the lid makes it double as a roasting pan in the oven. The silicone grips included are a great idea in theory, but because they still get very hot when in use, I decided against using them after the first couple of times. If you’re not familiar to cast iron cooking you have to understand the prep and maintenance required before you purchase. It does take some time and consistent use to get them properly seasoned to make them almost non stick, and you have to be very careful how you clean them. The effort is worth it to me. There is nothing like home fried chicken, or a pan of biscuits or cornbread prepared in a cast iron skillet. Overall, there are more expensive brands out there, but so far this one seems to be a good value and fit my cooking needs.Note: I was already familiar with the maintenance and seasoning required, but was very impressed with the information included concerning how to season, clean, and maintain your cast iron cookware.