Lodge LCS3 Cast Iron Chef Skillet, 10-Inch

Solid, high quality cast iron pan. Being that cast iron pans can last more than a lifetime (literally! I have a Sidney Wagnerware pan from the 1920s that I also use often & I'm a 31 year old male). When I was shopping for a new cast iron I wanted something special. That's why I chose the Rosie the riveter 2020 design. Not only does it signify something very important, but (hopefully) in 100 years when a future family member is cooking with this pan, it will be very easy to tell just how long ago this pan was made. Now on to the pan itself. This is a classic lodge product, high quality, attention to detail and one of the few cast iron cookware that are not made horribly in china, or cost an arm and a leg from Europe. Finishing is smooth for todays cast iron, although not as smooth as the stuff from yesteryear. I gave 2 stars for heat distribution and 3 for "easy to clean" only because this is cast iron- cast iron does not distribute heat, it holds heat, choosing the right sized heating element is a must for even heat distribution with cast iron. Cleanup is easy, but ONLY if you know how to care for cast iron (and it is well seasoned). Mostly I just wipe mine out after use, using the lodge plastic scraper for more stubborn residue (such as scrambled eggs- fried eggs require just a wipe with a paper towel). Properly seasoned cast iron is incredibly non stick. If you are new to cast iron, don't be discouraged, but do keep your mind open to learn. Once you get to know cast iron, you will NEVER go back to horrible non stick pans. I LOVE my cast iron and won't touch a nasty aluminum pan ever again (most Teflon, etc pans are cheap aluminum pans coated with a non stick coating, even those "blue diamond" or ceramic pans!) One more thing, I highly recommend adding a few additional coats of seasoning once you receive the pan- my go to is flax seed oil (I use the 365 brand from Whole Foods). Wipe the pan down liberally with the oil, then wipe the residue with a paper towel. Bake upside down @ 500f / 260c for 1 hour so the oil smokes and hardens. Let the pan cool & repeat (or if you use heat proof mits you can take it out and do it while its hot and go straight back in the hot oven)

Lodge cast iron is great, and I would highly recommend it for anyone shopping for cookware. That said, it requires some work to keep it working at the highest level. Lodge's cast iron is great at holding heat, and has good heat distribution. It is also one of the few pans that I feel comfortable using on any heat source: from gas, to induction, to a cast iron stove, or even a camp fire. If you remember the cast iron pans from your parents days, though, this is not the same. Old cast iron was machined smooth, so maintaining the glossy, non-stick surface was easier. The new (past 20+ years) Lodge stuff comes fresh out of the casting with bumps on the cooking surface. These bumps require use to smooth out, although a solid seasoning will make a huge difference too. Lodge advertises these as coming pre-seasoned, and they aren't wrong, but it isn't a strong seasoning like one that builds up over time. You can speed up the seasoning process at home though, using flaxseed oil and your oven or barbecue. If you have a gas barbecue and infrared thermometer I'd highly recommend that route, as a proper seasoning gets really smokey, and the smoke will fill up your kitchen if you don't have outdoor venting for your oven. The best material I have found for seasoning is flaxseed oil. It is available in large quantities for a good price on Amazon, Nature's Way Flax Oil Super Lignan, 24 Ounce . The trick is to wet a cloth or paper towel with flaxseed oil, and then rub it over the pan to create a thin, glossy coating. After you have a thin (doesn't run) glossy coating, toss the pan in the oven or barbecue and let it heat up to about 500f, leave it for an hour, then let it cool for two hours. Repeat this process 3-6 times depending on what thickness of coating you want, and you will have a cast iron pan that is as slippery as teflon. This process is expected to smoke a lot. For day to day maintenance, never ever soak your cast iron, and don't dishwasher it. Use a green kitchen scrub pad if required and a light rubbing. You don't want to wear off that seasoning you worked so hard to put on! Before you put your cast iron away, I would recommend heating it pretty warm to evaporate off any water left from cleaning so it won't rust. Many people recommend putting a light coating of oil on it before you put it away, but personally I do not do that. Once you have your well seasoned pan, you'll love cast iron and likely never go back to teflon for daily tasks! Grilled cheese on a cast iron frying pan is something else!

I've been married for almost six years now and have been doing the majority of cooking for about four years. I've owned a few cheap non-stick pans when we were super-poor, bought some decent non-stick pans when times were looking up, some stainless pans that were hand-me downs, and I've replaced them all with a couple Lodge cast iron pans. I managed to destroy a couple non-stick pans by overheating them or scratching them or looking at them funny. I had never used a cast-iron pan but after a little research I realized how nice they can be for not much money. Seriously, this pan cost half the price of some of the "better" pans I had bought. It comes pre-seasoned but I realize that it will take some work and time to get it really well seasoned and truly non stick. The fist couple uses I did nothing but cook bacon, caramelize onions or crisp up tortillas. Nothing too fancy just to get used to it and help break it in. Bacon wanted to stick initially but moving the strips around as I set in helped lubricate it and once the fat started to render out there as no problem with sticking whatsoever. After about 10 or so uses it's much more non-stick than it was and I'm sure it will just get better. What I wasn't prepared for though was how much heat retention this pan has. Once it gets hot it stays hot and for a long time. Food cooks faster because of that. I'm used to putting food in a hot pan and immediately losing a bunch of heat. This thing stays hot and cooks food FAST. I've had to adjust my cooking temperatures and times a little bit to re-adjust. Overall though, with a little bit of re-learning I wouldn't think about cooking with anything else now. I'll probably pick up a second one because it's so cheap and indestructible.

Never seen such a perfect multi utility cast iron kitchenware! It has curved sides which makes it perfect for Indian style cooking.

very satisfied with the product

Sin duda uno de los mejores sartenes que podrás adquirir en toda tu vida, deja lo amateur aun lado y tira,regala y evita productos con teflon o recubrimientos que parecen mágicos pero son tóxicos y dañinos para tu salud. Este hermoso sartén vale su peso en oro, debido a que en mi país está a un precio de 100 dlls y en Amazon lo compre en 10 dlls. Sin exagerar ni mucho menos es un producto que usarán tus hijos y hasta tus nietos. Fácil de usar, con una cocción uniforme que funciona en todos los tipos existentes de cocinas, industrial, de vitroceramica, inducción, leña, fuego normal y sin duda alguna tal vez al principio te parezca algo pesado y estorboso pero los sabores que obtienes son naturales. Mi típ de cuidado es que al terminar de hacer mis alimentos los vació para servir y de manera inmediata lo lavo directo a chorro de agua, uso una esponja amarilla con verde y con una gota de aceite líquido lo tallo con cuidado, al terminar lo seco por completo y sin una sola gota de agua lo “curo” con aceite de oliva untándolo por ambos lados, y para almacenar lo guardo en mi horno de la estufa en una bolsa de plástico y con ese cuidado simple créeme que en tu vida volverás a comprar otro sartén. Es la joya del arca de los sartenes !!!! Mi próxima compra la cacerola Lodge.

Must by Cast iron skillet. Good quality

Es de buena calidad tomando en cuenta su material (hierro fundido), lodge es una marca con mucha historia, hay que curar el sartén para protegerlo y generar una capa antiadherente, la limpieza lleva su proceso, el cocinar es más rápido ya que se logran temperaturas uniformes, es pesado lo que transmite robustez, recomiendo adquirir el mango de silicon para prevenir alguna quemadura involuntaria.