Lodge 12" Cast Iron Skillet

What is it?

This is the 12 inch Classic Cast Iron Skillet from Lodge.

Why did I choose this?

A few years ago, I decided to pick up a big cast iron skillet to replace a small Heuck-brand one I had acquired when a family member moved. I believe the Heuck pan was originally from Wal-Mart and it was not of the highest quality - it did not have a very flat bottom or cooking surface and the handle was too hard to hold easily.

Enter Lodge.

When looking for a nicer pan, without going into the multi-hundred-dollar range, Lodge sticks out as the absolute market leader.

Their pans are made in America, rock solid, and available basically anywhere pans are sold. I recently watched this awesome video by Eater about Lodge and really enjoyed seeing how they make their cookware.

How does this compare to their other product lines?

The Lodge classic series is big. It's solid. And it's satisfying. Compared to the Blacklock and Chef series lines, it's bigger, harder to hold and maneuver, and does not have curved sloped sides.

However, compared to the Blacklock skillet I own, this beast makes much more satisfying noises as you cook in it. The sound of utensils against this skillet are second to none when it comes to feeling like you're cooking on a rock solid piece of equipment.

Where can you get one?

Amazon has them with a hot handle holder for $29.90

You can also get them direct from Lodge, at your local Target, or pretty much anywhere you can buy pots and pans. I even saw some at Wegman's.

Are there any good accessories to look out for?

I picked up a set of silicone handle covers at some point.

The flat cover for the helper handle does not stay on easily, but is great for grabbing this to maneuver it while it's hot. I keep it in a drawer for the most part but when I need it it's nice to have.

I got mine from Amazon. At time of writing the black helper handle cover is available on Amazon for $9.40.

Lodge also makes a silicone cover for the long pan handle. This one isn't quite as useful to me in a pinch, and I accidentally melted part of it leaving it on the pan over a high flame. It sometimes is included with the skillet, and is pretty helpful on lower heats.

I got mine from Amazon. At time of writing the black pan handle cover is available on Amazon for $7.28.

What about seasoning and maintaining the surface?

I am going to put together an article based on my thoughts on seasoning.

It's really easy to overconsume videos and articles about it, overengineer your solution, and end up with something that scrapes off by accident. I've done it myself and you can see it in my pictures above.

Overall, the best thing to do is stop overthinking it, use your skillet, cook with enough oil or butter especially in the beginning, and it will be fine.

Sometimes things go wrong, or something will stick. Wash the skillet, use soap if you need to, and then dry by hand and then for a short while over low heat on your stove top. Then apply a thin layer of oil. By thin layer, it should almost look completely dry. Wipe on, wipe off, wipe off some more, then it's probably good.

In terms of recommended oils, I'm going to be comparing Crisbee's Crisbee Stick and Crisbee Cream seasoning oils soon. I just finished my first Crisbee Stick and I was pretty impressed overall, both for laying down an easy initial layer and also for maintaining my skillets after cooking with them. Look for more on this in the coming months!

In terms of basic oils from the grocery store, I've had the best luck with canola.

The most important thing - use plenty of oil or butter when cooking, and don't overthink it! It will get better with more use.