What do I look for in a cast iron skillet?

I need a new one. I know some people have them passed down for generations; but unfortunately nobody has given me an heirloom cast iron skillet yet.

I checked eBay, where there are tons - and found this “vintage” one for $149. Along with lots of others for considerably less.

This site has a nice selection, and the prices seem reasonable.

Or should I just go to Target or Wal-Mart and buy the first ten inch skillet I see? Does it make a difference?

Related - is it worth the extra for the enamel-coated ones? I have a Le Creuset casserole dish and adore it, but they are considerably more spendy.

$150??

Just get a “preseasoned” Lodge skillet, Amazon has good prices…size will be a matter of personal preference, I personally have a 12" (good for bigger jobs, but heavy as hell) and a 9" for cornbread and smaller, everyday sorts of tasks.

Be forewarned non-enameled cast iron is somewhat fussy to use - it needs to be quite well seasoned or things can stick badly (you’ll want to cook a lot of stuff like bacon and cornbread when it’s new), you have to be careful washing it or you can strip the seasoning, you can’t leave it sitting around wet or it can rust, etc.

I like enameled cast iron for Dutch Ovens and gratin dishes and the like.

$149 :eek:

I’m sure there are minor differences, but IMO, you shouldn’t be paying more then $15-$25 for a 10-12 inch skillet. Last time I bought one I just went to an army surplus store in my area (which is just a fancy name for a camping store). I think I paid about $15 for a 12 inch skillet. Which was good because for as much as people love them, I really never got into it (and I do plenty of cooking). I never really got it seasoned properly. It was a pain to clean/dry/store. I think it was purposely trying to burn me. It was heavier then hell. It eventually decided a skillet shouldn’t be that much work and stopped using it.
Now, stainless steel pots and pans on the other hand are a friggen godsend.

I just found that Target carries the Lodge brand skillets. :slight_smile:

I had one for years, and was fairly anal-retentive about cleaning it carefully and seasoning it regularly; I loved it but it got left behind in a move. Periodically I’d rub it down with oil and bake it at low heat in the oven for a couple of hours.

Hit Goodwill or Salvation Army. They usually have cast iron around somewhere. There is absolutely ZERO reason to pay triple figures for cast iron. The stuff is rather simple. Just get a Lodge.

You look for the word “Lodge” and the word “pre-seasoned.” then you buy that one. Done. $35 for the 12" at Walmart or Target or pretty much most big retailers that carry pots and pans.

The ebay link for $149 is for an antique. You get it because it reminds you of you grandmother’s skillet or you have an interest in old things, not because it is different from the $15 lodge from amazon.

I bought my last pre-seasoned Lodge at their outlet store for about $10 a couple of years ago. It’s great for cornbread or frying chicken. I’ve done biscuits in it as well.

I use a Lodge cast iron dutch oven with legs for camping and one without for inside cooking. There’s nothing like them. I also have one 14" X 4" skillet with a lid for frying chicken when the whole gang’s here. It was passed down from my grandmother and was purchased sometime before WWII.

Just keep it dry and seasoned, as posted above and you’ll be fine.

Yup, Lodge pre-seasoned. Or Lodge non-seasoned, if you can’t find the other - but you’ll need to season it up right. Fine cast iron, should run you around $25 or so. Walmart, Target, or your local surplus store. Better yet, check the thrift stores.

My biggest concern about buying from the Lodge website would be the cost of shipping. :eek:

The enameled stuff is useful for certain things, but unless you know you need it, you don’t need it.

Yep. I wouldn’t pay more than $30 for a good cast-iron skillet.

As for seasoning it, I first read about flaxseed oil here on the Dope maybe six months to a year ago, and it really works amazingly well. Here’s a link to the process. It’s not necessary at all to use flaxseed, but I’ve gotten the best results in the quickest amount of time using it.

They clean up fine with hot water and kosher salt as an abrasive. Dry immediately.

I see them at garage sales all the time. I have a couple of them that I’ve picked up here and there–none of which I’ve paid more than a few dollars for. Last summer, I got a really nice dutch oven (with a lid) for $5. I wanted to take it camping, but honestly, I use it for stews–instead of simmering the stew on the stove, I simply stick it all in the dutch oven and pop it in the oven to bake for a couple of hours.

I have one skillet in which I make cornbread and Irish soda bread (not at the same time). Are they heavy? Yep. Can they be a PITA to season and clean? Sometimes. But, I grew up with family that used them all the time. They’re not my primary cooking pan, but for some things, they are my preference.

Also, try Craigslist. I’ve seen them there as well.

I’ll throw a nod to Olvida nickle-plated cast irons(especially as I first heard about them on the Dope).

Expensive, yes.

But I’ll never go back to regular cast iron. This should last forever, so I won’t need to, really.

A cast iron pan you can put in the dishwasher. Yes, cleaning the traditional pan was never all that bothersome (usually), but it’s not sticking it in the dishwasher easy. or leaving it overnight when there was no after-dinner cleanup and no worrying about the metal at all.

Or cooking strongly-flavoured meats or sauces, then making pancakes in the morning with no trace of the previous meal.

I cherished my cast irons, loved the decades-old seasoning they had. But they just don’t compare to the Olvida.

A good skillet is milled in the interior, not pebbly-textured. It should be as smooth as a sheet of glass on the cooking surface.

I don’t care for any brand I’ve seen being currently sold (not that I’ve seen them all).

I agree completely.

For years I haven’t seen any in stores that have the flat machined surface, which I find terribly frustrating. I assume that’s what you’re referring to. It amazes me that the manufacturers don’t provide them, and it amazes me that the customers don’t insist on them. :confused:

The best way to find a good skillet is antique malls. You can find a 12" Griswold for $20-30. They are much, much better than Lodge. The smooth interior surface is much better to work with.

There’s a group of enthusiasts who are bringing smooth-surface cast iron back to market, but, at the moment, your best bet is to find an old Griswold.

This isn’t to say Lodge is lousy, and kudos to 'em for keeping cast iron on the market. I’ve a pot of chili simmering in a Lodge enameled dutch oven right now.

If you properly care for the skillet, it will have a flat smooth surface.

Lodge skillets, the only decent ones currently for sale, aren’t. They have a pebbled surface that will never be smooth, even with heavy seasoning.

Which is why this “milled is the best” thinking is bullshit. No matter what, you don’t cook on the iron surface, you cook on the layer of seasoning. The food never touches metal. Pebbled or concentric circles is irrelevant.

I’d trade 20 Lodges for a single milled Wagner in decent condition. (Or pay 20x the price to get one on eBay, which you actually don’t have to do).