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Cast iron skillet

post #1 of 40
8/26/11 at 11:09am
Thread Starter 

Looking to purchase a cheap cast iron skillet ~$40 

 

What brands does the forum think are the best bang for the buck?

 

Was looking at a Lodge skillet that is fairly cheap around $20 - where does Lodge rank on quality?

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post #2 of 40
8/26/11 at 11:57am
iwachu is best bang for buck.

http://www.naturalimport.com/castiron

it used to be cheaper (I think i paid something like 60 for mine), but still a good deal.
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post #3 of 40
8/26/11 at 12:00pm
Mind explaining why Iwachu is worth the extra 40 dollars?
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post #4 of 40
8/26/11 at 12:01pm
I would think lodge is pretty much the best bang for the buck....its a big, heavy, cast iron skillet...for $20

from a reputable maker
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post #5 of 40
8/26/11 at 12:29pm
Thread Starter 

Thanx guys, gonna go with the Lodge as otc said it seems to be a reputable maker. $18 on Amzon.com and free shipping with prime...

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post #6 of 40
8/26/11 at 12:40pm
I know that the surfaces are a bit more rough on the new ones than on the vintage pieces, but mine has still worked well and over time it seems to be smoothing out.

You could try for a vintage griswold or lodge on ebay or something....but the prices are ridiculous and if you keep it for years, it should break itself in just as well. Maybe some fine sandpaper + a reseasoning might accelerate the process too.

edit: it looks like only the buy it now prices on old griswold are in the ridiculous category (and the ones for rare pieces)....but for skillets they seem fine. Really though, I'd just grab the lodge--if you have amazon prime, you could be making corn bread in no time
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post #7 of 40
8/26/11 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by otc View Post

I know that the surfaces are a bit more rough on the new ones than on the vintage pieces, but mine has still worked well and over time it seems to be smoothing out.

You could try for a vintage griswold or lodge on ebay or something....but the prices are ridiculous and if you keep it for years, it should break itself in just as well. Maybe some fine sandpaper + a reseasoning might accelerate the process too.

edit: it looks like only the buy it now prices on old griswold are in the ridiculous category (and the ones for rare pieces)....but for skillets they seem fine. Really though, I'd just grab the lodge--if you have amazon prime, you could be making corn bread in no time

if you're not looking to spend much lodge is an excellent deal, but the bolded is one reason why someone would want to look elsewhere. the surface is too pebbly as they dont machine finish it and it smoothes out over time, but not fully. pebbly surface means not as efficient heat transfer. no amount of seasoning is going to make the surface perfectly smooth.

vintage wagner or griswald on ebay is also a good idea.

iwachu is fantastic. forged cast iron unlike lodge. handmade by artisans. more attention to detail. better finishing. will last you several generations.
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post #8 of 40
8/26/11 at 1:28pm
Lodge is kind of the American standard these days - made right here in Tennessee - but its true, the surfaces on the two I own aren't as smooth as those the Lodge stuff that my grandmother and mother (got half of her cast iron pans from her grandmother) own.
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post #9 of 40
8/26/11 at 1:34pm
But as someone else mentioned - is it worth it to pay three times as much for a slightly smoother skillet? Is your cooking that marginal that the grain on the skillet will make or break ya?

EDIT: WTF am I even bothering? This is Styleforum. Of course it's worth it. My own skillet was cast by a Japanese katana maker from iron used in the original suit of armor worn by Errol Flynn in the movie "But Daddy, Pirates are Attacking!". It cost me $1,980, but my student loan/trust fund/parent's check covered that easily. My pancakes taste so much better because of it. Pancakes.
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post #10 of 40
8/26/11 at 1:56pm
Thread Starter 

Thanx guys but the ebay stuff is outta the question - for me at least - kosher issue smile.gif

 

 

Are there any companies that make unseasoned cast iron stuff? Most of the stuff I see is pre-seasoned.

 

Lodge claims that they use soy based vegetable oil with kosher certification (wouldn't rely on their word) and others don't specify.

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post #11 of 40
8/26/11 at 2:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FLMountainMan View Post

But as someone else mentioned - is it worth it to pay three times as much for a slightly smoother skillet? Is your cooking that marginal that the grain on the skillet will make or break ya?

EDIT: WTF am I even bothering? This is Styleforum. Of course it's worth it. My own skillet was cast by a Japanese katana maker from iron used in the original suit of armor worn by Errol Flynn in the movie "But Daddy, Pirates are Attacking!". It cost me $1,980, but my student loan/trust fund/parent's check covered that easily. My pancakes taste so much better because of it. Pancakes.

biggrin.gif

For a very long time I thought everyone got their skillets from grandma.

That's where mine came from and its priceless icon_gu_b_slayer[1].gif
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post #12 of 40
8/26/11 at 2:21pm
I use a Lodge. Great skillet, easy to care for.
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post #13 of 40
8/26/11 at 2:22pm
If you're thinking about buying a skillet, blue or mineral steel is basically the same as cast iron. The pans will be a little lighter and so easier to use. I buy mine from Fante's in Philly. Williams-Sonoma has them, and any decent restaurant supply will have a selection. They come unseasoned.
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post #14 of 40
8/26/11 at 2:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FLMountainMan View Post

But as someone else mentioned - is it worth it to pay three times as much for a slightly smoother skillet? Is your cooking that marginal that the grain on the skillet will make or break ya?

EDIT: WTF am I even bothering? This is Styleforum. Of course it's worth it. My own skillet was cast by a Japanese katana maker from iron used in the original suit of armor worn by Errol Flynn in the movie "But Daddy, Pirates are Attacking!". It cost me $1,980, but my student loan/trust fund/parent's check covered that easily. My pancakes taste so much better because of it. Pancakes.

Bespoke cast iron skillets.....I bet those pancakes do taste delicious.
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post #15 of 40
8/26/11 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FLMountainMan View Post

But as someone else mentioned - is it worth it to pay three times as much for a slightly smoother skillet? Is your cooking that marginal that the grain on the skillet will make or break ya?

EDIT: WTF am I even bothering? This is Styleforum. Of course it's worth it. My own skillet was cast by a Japanese katana maker from iron used in the original suit of armor worn by Errol Flynn in the movie "But Daddy, Pirates are Attacking!". It cost me $1,980, but my student loan/trust fund/parent's check covered that easily. My pancakes taste so much better because of it. Pancakes.

JLP vs C&J, savile row vs off savile vs chan, nenox vs victoria forschner, ipad vs hp touchpad, sennheiser hd 800 vs 595, grid foam roller vs black

you could think of it as 3 times as much or you could think of it as a dollar/year over the next 40 years (less with inflation)

etc etc
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