Cast iron skillet

[Cindy's Mom]

I'm a grown a** woman who doesn't own a cast iron skillet and its about time I get one. They've always intimidated me with the seasoning of the pan - but I'm ready to take on the challenge. Any recommendations on a good one to get?

 

[HeatherC]

Lodge. Won’t be disappointed. Can order on Amazon.

 

[NYCgrrl]

A Lodge pre seasoned 9” skillet is a good start and reasonably priced. I think the last one I priced out was around 20 bucks and should last a lifetime.
HTH

 

[RamblingMad]

Lodge is good. Maintaining them is rough. I got mine at Target.

 

[Disneefun]

Honestly, the best bet is if you can find one at a yard/estate sale that already has some miles on it. Or if you know someone who's getting rid of theirs. I got my grandmother's and it is awesome. All the work of seasoning is already done and you ust get to enjoy the benefits. The things are basically indestructible, so an old one is "just getting good." Failing that, yeah, get Lodge.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Lodge is good. Maintaining them is rough. I got mine at Target.

This is my issue - LOL What maintenance is involved?

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Honestly, the best bet is if you can find one at a yard/estate sale that already has some miles on it. Or if you know someone who's getting rid of theirs. I got my grandmother's and it is awesome. All the work of seasoning is already done and you ust get to enjoy the benefits. The things are basically indestructible, so an old one is "just getting good." Failing that, yeah, get Lodge.

I have no one to inherit it from and there aren't many yard sales near me....so I'm going to get Lodge. My DD or more likely the DS, can reap my benefits lol

 

[RamblingMad]

This is my issue - LOL What maintenance is involved?

Seasoning and cleaning is tough.

 

[G719]

This is my issue - LOL What maintenance is involved?

https://www.lehmans.com/product/chain-mail-scrubber/
I love this thing for cleaning my skillet.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Seasoning and cleaning isn't that big of a deal, they just have to be babied a little.

When it comes to cleaning, You can clean with just kosher salt and paper towels. Worst case scenario you can use soap and water then throw it back on the range to make sure all the water evaporates, rub in a little oil, let it cool, put it away.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I’ve several CI pots and some of them go back to my great grandmother (wedding present to my Nana that she passed down to me). Care is pretty simple: rinse or soak in cold water when you’ve cooked an egg based dish. This keeps the eggs from continuing to cook. Dump out the water and scrub with kosher salt and soap. I then wash in hot water and place clean pot on the range or in the oven to dry. Regularly grease the pan with oil in a thin coat using a paper towel and heat. This isn’t necessary if you’ve just deep or shallow fried/sautéed in the pan. I’ll see if I can find a link in case I left anything out.

ETA:

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107747

 

[OneOftheB's]

Biggest tips: don't use soap unless there is no other way to get something off (if you use soap you'll have to reseason it, which isn't difficult, just takes a bit of time), instead use a coarse salt to scrub off the bits of food that might be stuck on the skillet. Also, don't allow it to air dry or let water sit on the surface; immediately wipe the skillet dry and place it on a warmed eye or warm oven. And, it never hurts to wipe a little bit of oil on the skillet once you are done and have cleaned it.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I'm a grown a** woman who doesn't own a cast iron skillet and its about time I get one. They've always intimidated me with the seasoning of the pan - but I'm ready to take on the challenge. Any recommendations on a good one to get?

Lodge. They are preseasoned, and you have to do minimal work to maintain it.
I just wash with really really hot water and salt, and hand dry. Reheat every once in a while with a wipe of oil. Once it is used enough, they are super smooth.

ETA: I have a Lodge dutch oven, with legs, that works great for cooking directly on charcoal. I also have a skillet w/lid skillet, that I use at home on my all the time. Great for steaks, burgers, deep frying fish or fritters, etc. I also use them in the oven for braising pork, beef short ribs, or beef stew...

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Cooker...child=1&keywords=lodge&qid=1617821926&sr=8-45

 

[Starwarsfan2]

You can get the Lodge iron skillet at any Cracker Barrel restaurant.

 

[jsmith]

I have both Lodge and Wagner skillets that are fairly new ( less than 40 years LOL) and a couple of Wagners that are over 100 years old. And Two CI dutch ovens -one older and one about 5 years. Use them all the time. Care and feeding is pretty easy. When they are now scour them good-with salt. Dry them on a warm burner until the are completely dry, Wipe on a good coat of oil-vegetable or peanut or lard and heat at 450 for one out. Remove allow to cool and wipe out excess oil. Use them-they are not meant to sit on the shelf. Wash with hot water-scrub if you need to-you can use soap but minimal is good. After you wash, dry on a burner til dry and wipe in a thing coat of oil. Allow to cool. you build up a fanstasitc none stick surface. If you have something really stick or ruin your seasoning-scrub it out with salt and start over. or you can sand them if they are really nasty. Once you have a good season on they are pretty low maintenance and very useful.

 

[EACarlson]

https://www.lehmans.com/product/chain-mail-scrubber/
I love this thing for cleaning my skillet.

I have one of these that I got from Wish for $3, best purchase I've ever made for the kitchen. This and hot water is all you should need to clean the skillet. The only other real admonition is not to let things sit too long. Cast is the one thing I am obsessive about washing right away.

Biggest tips: don't use soap unless there is no other way to get something off (if you use soap you'll have to reseason it, which isn't difficult, just takes a bit of time), instead use a coarse salt to scrub off the bits of food that might be stuck on the skillet. Also, don't allow it to air dry or let water sit on the surface; immediately wipe the skillet dry and place it on a warmed eye or warm oven. And, it never hurts to wipe a little bit of oil on the skillet once you are done and have cleaned it.

This, using soap takes off everything you've worked so hard to get cooked in there. Then you have to start all over. My grandmother had a 100 year old cast iron fry pan, I was told if I ever used soap on it I wouldn't get to eat in her house again.

 

[_19disnA]

Seasoning and cleaning is tough.

I agree. Used to own 2 of them (don't recall the brand) and the idea to NOT use soap to clean something after cooking food it in seemed bizarre and unappetizing to me. Perhaps cleanliness standards were different during our ancestor's time. If you do use soap, then it will rust and has to be re-seasoned. Tossed mine in the trash and will never buy another one. We also don't make/eat a lot of fried foods and apparently that is something cast iron is supposedly good for.

 

[RamblingMad]

I agree. Used to own 2 of them (don't recall the brand) and the idea to NOT use soap to clean something after cooking food it in seemed bizarre and unappetizing to me. Perhaps cleanliness standards were different during our ancestor's time. If you do use soap, then it will rust and has to be re-seasoned. Tossed mine in the trash and will never buy another one. We also don't make/eat a lot of fried foods and apparently that is something cast iron is supposedly good for.

I use it sear steaks after cooking them in a sous vide. That's it.

I cook a lot more in my dutch oven, which I have found a trick to cleaning with bleach once a year.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Agree with all the recs for Lodge. But if you like the idea of enameled cast iron, Le Creuset is great. I love my enameled cast iron pans and dutch ovens -- all the pros of cast iron and none of the maintenance. And if you buy LC at their outlets, the LC warranty still covers those pieces, even the pans on sale.

 

[Hisgirl]

I have exclusively used a black iron skillet for almost 40 years.

A small one that belonged to my grandmama (she was cooking a hamburger the evening she passed onto the great by and by and I think of her every time I use it), a medium size one I purchased in my twenties and a really big one I use for company.

They stay out on top of my gas stove and are used daily. I can fry up an egg and flip it in the air...with no oil added.

As far as maintenace goes, there is so very little involved. Every now and then, wipe them down, or even spray them, with some oil and you can put them in a hot oven for an hour, or just wipe them back down.

The only thing I don't cook in them is tomato based things, due to the acidic nature of tomatoes.

Use an oil with a high smoke point so when you do use your skillet, it won't smoke. Here's a good chart to follow from Lodge: