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Cast Iron Skillet Recommendations?


Lawdwaz

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At home we have two cast iron skillets, large and small.  Ours are probably 100 years old and we use the large one at least once a week.   Our daughter wants one and my wife wants to get it for Christmas.  Any recommendations on a quality piece we can get her?

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I have Lodge brand cast iron. A skillet and a pizza pan. No idea where they fall for quality/price as I got them for Christmas a few years ago but I can say I use the skillet for most meals and there is not a single complaint I can think of.


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I’ve seen a YouTube video where they took a Lodge cast iron pan and ground the rough surface of the cooking area down smooth with a metal sanding pad.  Then they seasoned it as usual.  They claimed it had the same qualities as a 100 year old and well used pan.  

I do trust Wirecutter from the NYTimes.  (Although not much on page 1 of that same paper). Anyway, they rate the Lodge Chef 12 skillet as their number 1 choice.  https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-cast-iron-skillet/

I have my great grandmothers cast iron, a Griswold made in Erie, PA.  I’ll bet you could find one at an antique or flea market store there in WNY.  That would be a great gift! 

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We had a lodge skillet crack around where the handle meets the skillet on one of ours. The customer service was great and sent out a new pan which also got cracked in shipping again customer service was great and another pan was sent. Not nearly as smooth of finish as a 100 year old pan has but you can polish it to get it there or let her wear it in. Also if you find a old one check it for lead as some have been used for casting lead.

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At home we have two cast iron skillets, large and small.  Ours are probably 100 years old and we use the large one at least once a week.   Our daughter wants one and my wife wants to get it for Christmas.  Any recommendations on a quality piece we can get her?

My chef friends love lodge


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At home we have two cast iron skillets, large and small.  Ours are probably 100 years old and we use the large one at least once a week.   Our daughter wants one and my wife wants to get it for Christmas.  Any recommendations on a quality piece we can get her?
An antique one preferably. Nothing beats the antique cast irons

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My new one is a Lodge, and it is a great utensil...

My old one ( circa appx 1973) is retired for sentimental reasons and was probably hand forged by Fred Flintstone...Next time I am out in the garage I'll  take it down from it's place of honor  on the wall and check out the manufacturer..

I'll call Lawdwaz around 1:00 AM some morning and let him know who made it...

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I have a couple Lodge ones. Got them new and ground them a bit smoother before seasoning. Love them. I am not sure how but my wife f’d up one of them I’m still trying to clean up and reseason. She is banned using them now lol.


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this winter i am planning on building a wooden wall rack between the kitchen dinette to hang my cast iron pans.  My Dad was big on them and NO one cleaned his pans but him.  Wish i still had some of those.  But i have a few lodge and they are fine.  Guy at work has a eletric tank and he refurbishes cast iron.  He buys them rusty at garage sales and fixes them up.  

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Landwaz- in addition to checking for lead, they used to use old skillets to "burn sulfur" (they literally burnt sulfur powder mixed with alcohol) to get rid of mice, bedbugs and insects. Leaves a hard black residue. Probably alright to just scrape off and use.... but I'm a little leary of it as they sometimes mixed some insecticides with it.

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We have 6 different styles/sizes... I definitely prefer the old ones to the new ones.  The only one I don't like using is a new lodge with the grill ridges.  Food looks good, but its tougher to clean than the others, and I guess I just prefer the flat ones, and grill marks coming from a real grill. 

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I have a newer Lodge and two very old skillets that were my great-great grandmothers (a Griswold and a Wagner). The old pans are definitely a better quality but aren't easy to come by. That being said, I have no complaints with the Lodge. You can get a 10" Lodge for under 30 bucks.

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What a waste of great generosity of a member to give you those pans…it’s a shame they don’t get to preform-gathering rust in your cupboard


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Actually I will have you know I use my lodge pan for making the most amazing pan pizzas. Well my wife does. It's fantastic!

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