Cast Iron Skillet

[Timberridge]

I see on the link you posted that draining blood is #1 way to treat it?

No spinach and periodic menstruation.

Semi-related; are any of you fans of high carbon steel pans (a la Mauvel 1830)?

I'm a big fan of my steel paella pan.

[riser4]

I miss mine. Doc said I had to give my beloved 12" frypan due to elevated iron levels.

Are you the guy from ttips?

[RootSkier]

Semi-related; are any of you fans of high carbon steel pans (a la Mauvel 1830)? Very similar heat distribution to cast iron but perhaps better non-stick qualities.

Yes. Carbon steel is superior to cast iron in just about every way. There have been discussions in this thread.

[old goat]

Damn, TGR continues to deliver. I clicked on this thread totally at random, only to discover that my favorite cast iron pan was really a collectable Sidney cast iron pan from pre-1959. Pretty cool.

Semi-related; are any of you fans of high carbon steel pans (a la Mauvel 1830)? Very similar heat distribution to cast iron but perhaps better non-stick qualities.

I like my Matfer Bourgeat, prefer over my cast iron for most stuff, but it's twice the price.

[SB]

[mooseknuckles]

Finex 25% off. Clearly the world is ending

[concretejungle]

All right. It has become clear that I need a cast iron skillet. I'd prefer reasonably priced but I don't know what that means when I'm shopping for cast iron. Probably two since one will be for my daily breakfast of eggs and another that the old lady won't hassle me for leaving on the stove. Any place I should look online? I assume that the local thrift shops are the place but that ain't happening because of Covid. Thanks.

[MakersTeleMark]

All right. It has become clear that I need a cast iron skillet. I'd prefer reasonably priced but I don't know what that means when I'm shopping for cast iron. Probably two since one will be for my daily breakfast of eggs and another that the old lady won't hassle me for leaving on the stove. Any place I should look online? I assume that the local thrift shops are the place but that ain't happening because of Covid. Thanks.

You're in the right thread, why don't you actually read it.

[KQ]

I think I posted Cook's cast iron skillet reviews somewhere in this thread. Here's an update from them:

12-Inch Cast-Iron Skillets

UPDATE, JANUARY 2019
The Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12" is still a test kitchen favorite. This workhorse skillet is as good at browning food as it is indestructible, and we have a whole stack of them on hand for daily use. The Le Creuset Signature 11 3/4" Iron Handle Skillet remains our preferred enameled cast-iron skillet. We love its satiny interior, large helper handle, and overall beautiful construction. We can also recommend the 10-inch and 8-inch versions of both these pans, and tested the AmazonBasics Cast Iron Skillet against our top-rated traditional cast-iron pan.

Our original Best Buy enameled cast-iron skillet, Mario Batali by Dansk 12" Open Sauté Pan, is discontinued. Our recommended Lodge Enamel Coated Cast Iron Skillet, 11" is our new Best Buy enameled cast-iron skillet.

[old goat]

Finex 25% off. Clearly the world is ending

$275 for a 12in skillet? Way too pricey for me, even with 25% off.

[XXX-er]

I won mine in a draw at the ski hill bar, I smoothed out the surface a bit with some emery but its a chunk of cast iron, what is really gona make one piece any better than the next ?

I sometimes wash it, dry it, oil it and at least up until this year would have said the world hasn't ended

[concretejungle]

You're in the right thread, why don't you actually read it.

I won mine in a draw at the ski hill bar, I smoothed out the surface a bit with some emery but its a chunk of cast iron, what is really gona make one piece any better than the next ?

I sometimes wash it, dry it, oil it and at least up until this year would have said the world hasn't ended

Excellent. So I've got ski hill bar raffles and one that costs more that my car.

Thank you KQ. I'll check our Cook's Illustrated for their recommendations.

[KQ]

Excellent. So I've got ski hill bar raffles and one that costs more that my car.

Thank you KQ. I'll check our Cook's Illustrated for their recommendations.

Original review was published May 2015.

BTW - Cook's wasn't thrilled with the Finex:

[XXX-er]

lots of heat & lots of oil

[oftpiste]

Go carbon steel FTW. Maybe cheaper too.

[dan_pdx]

Excellent. So I've got ski hill bar raffles and one that costs more that my car.

Thank you KQ. I'll check our Cook's Illustrated for their recommendations.

The Lodge skillets are perfectly fine; if you're not going to get some classic cast iron from a flea market, I think you'll be happy with one of those. We have two in the house and use them for most things, including eggs. They work great for everything else with just a little bit of oil, but I've accepted that I need to use butter if I want to cook eggs over easy; I believe if you're a seasoning ninja that's not necessary, but I don't want to screw around with my pans that much. I wash them with soap when they're dirty (not necessarily after every use), heat them on the stove to dry them, and wipe with salad oil once they're dry.

I used an angle grinder to smooth one out a few years ago; I think I went to maybe 100 or 120 grit, and it did make a difference, but less of a difference than you might imagine, especially once a new layer of seasoning formed.

[Danno]

I have 3 10" ones and 1 12". One or two are Lodge and have the newer more pebbly surface (these are still 25-30 years old), the others are very old (wife's grandma) and smooth. At this point, all are smooth with seasoning and I detect no difference between any of them, they all fry an egg just fine. The older ones are slightly thinner/lighter and heat up a little faster, but that's barely noticeable.

Don't overthink it. Get the cheapo Lodge.

[BCMtnHound]

I picked up a lid a couple years ago for our 12" skillet. Great for poaching fish, eggs, and the like, or just keeping the heat in a little longer, etc. If you are making an online purchase or otherwise shopping around, I highly recommend adding the lid (cost almost as much as the pan though).

[MarcusBrody]

I have 3 10" ones and 1 12". One or two are Lodge and have the newer more pebbly surface (these are still 25-30 years old), the others are very old (wife's grandma) and smooth. At this point, all are smooth with seasoning and I detect no difference between any of them, they all fry an egg just fine. The older ones are slightly thinner/lighter and heat up a little faster, but that's barely noticeable.

Don't overthink it. Get the cheapo Lodge.

Interesting. I have a newer Lodge and an older one I found at a thrift store. The older one is amazing. The newer one is good, but doesn't quite work as well. I got annoyed after a bit, took a random orbital sander to the pebblier surface, and reseasoned after smoothing it out a bit (though not as smooth as the old one). I think it works a bit better (might be the placebo effect), but it's definitely easier to clean, so it's a plus in my book. I do really like the big one, it's just not quite as grand as the little old one.

[dunfree]

I have a century + of skillets. A garage sale find thats 100+, inherited parents that’s 40+, personal that’s 20, and a recent Thats 3 years old. There’s differences in the surface character but the main difference is how they get treated on a day to day basis.

[gaijin]

I have to say that most of you are over-thinking and over-analyzing everything.

I use my cast iron skillet for every meal I cook.

“I don’t know how to clean it.”

That’s because you’re twelve.

I appreciate all the recipes and cooking strategies in this thread, but let’s stop holding hands for kids who can’t maintain their kitchens.

[Peruvian]

I’m not sure what my wife did when cooking some sausages in our cast iron earlier this week, but it now has “gunk” all over the surface that won’t come off. I usually used 1/4 cup of salt to scrub it clean and this shit just wont come off.

[Cruiser]

^^^ Get you a little square of chainmail. It'll take all the chunky burnt bits right off.

[bagtagley]

I don't consider carbon steel a replacement for cast iron, nor vice-versa. There's some overlap, but they both have their strong points and uses. For price and pure utility if I had to pick one, I'd go with cast iron. You also get more for your money with cheap cast iron than you do with cheap carbon steel. The higher cost with cast iron only gets you lighter weight and a smoother cooking surface (which you can fix with some sand paper). With carbon it gets you a thicker pan, better pan shape, much better handle, better cooking surface, and warp resistance.

[Danno]

I’m not sure what my wife did when cooking some sausages in our cast iron earlier this week, but it now has “gunk” all over the surface that won’t come off. I usually used 1/4 cup of salt to scrub it clean and this shit just wont come off.

Put a bunch of water in it and then put it on the stove. A bit of boiling and that stuff will come off.