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We have them in all sizes. Ours are all old and well seasoned. When properly seasoned they should be pretty much none stick. The frying pan we use most is the 10 inch. We also have a cast iron Dutch oven that is about 100 years old, handed down to me from my Mother. My DH loves it. If we ever got a divorce there would probably be a custody battle over it, lol.
Yeah, my daughter has already put in her request for my Dutch oven when I'm dead and buried. I told her it was going to be a long wait.
We also have a cast iron Dutch oven that is about 100 years old, handed down to me from my Mother. My DH loves it. If we ever got a divorce there would probably be a custody battle over it, lol.
Darn, this discussion makes me want a Dutch oven!
Before I met DH, he'd been in a long-term relationship with another woman and when she cleaned her stuff out of DH's house, he wasn't there (his choice). Among the things she absconded with was a set of cast-iron pans DH had bought at a craft fair from the guy who made them. He said all he could figure was that she decided she was entitled to them because she was with him when he bought them.
He spoke of them often but that eventually led me to the idea of buying him the Griswold set one Christmas. It was a great idea. He made the BEST cornbread in the larger skillet.
If you do want a 12" skillet, get one that has a grip or handle opposite the main handle so that it is easier to pick up and transfer to the oven or a counter.
To clean, I usually just wipe it down well. If that is not enough, that is there is some cooked on food, I boil water in it and then scrape the offending charred bits off with a metal implement like a spatula.
For a new one, Lodge is the choice. They are supposed to be pre-seasoned at the factory, but even if not, they aren't hard to season. I also have a set of Dutch ovens, the real kind meant for cooking with hot coals. Dutch oven cooking is actually amazingly easy to do and it impresses the heck out of most people. Especially when you pop out a cake or pie from one.
Cleaning also isn't difficult. Just some hot water and a nylon pad as someone mentioned and a dash of soap. As long as you don't scrape the seasoning out of it, you'll be fine. And even if you do, one good use and it's back to normal. You don't have to baby this stuff like you do with no stick pans.
lodge are great, you will never buy another. walmart has them, Academy sports has them. I like the skillet without the sides, some people call the big frying pan a skillet. I use mine daily
If you do want a 12" skillet, get one that has a grip or handle opposite the main handle so that it is easier to pick up and transfer to the oven or a counter.
yes I always wanted one of those, I also have a very small pan for cornbread, it like six inches across, I need a big flat skillet for pizza
I have a couple of vintage Griswolds and a vintage Lodge. The Griswolds are better skillets. I have a terrible time keeping the Lodge seasoned. The Griswolds have nicer pouring spouts and a more balanced feel, as well.
But I prefer my good stainless chef’s pan for sauteeing. I use my iron for baking cornbread, as griddles, and for bacon. I prefer a non- stick for eggs.
I know people love their iron for stovetop work, but I don’t find cast iron as responsive as a good stainless pan with a thick aluminum bottom. Iron is great for baking though.
lodge are great, you will never buy another. walmart has them, Academy sports has them. I like the skillet without the sides, some people call the big frying pan a skillet. I use mine daily
Target carries them as well, at the same price as WalMart.
Julia Child said to never buy a new cast-iron pan but to get an old, well-used one from a garage sale.
That's what I did. It's a bigger one and pretty heavy so probably not good for you sweet delicate petite things, but I use it a lot, including in the oven.
J.C. Penney is running a set of three preseasoned iron skillets now for $16.99. I imagine these are Chinese. But if you want a buy, that would be a good one.
If I were buying new now, I’d probably buy Lodge. It is hard to find vintage Griswolds or Wagners now. And if you find one you have to watch out for warpage. And they are quite pricey now that people prize them.
A good source might be your grandma or great aunt. Older women sometimes give up their iron because the skillets have become too heavy for them.
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