Lodge Original Finish 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't know how I survived without a cast iron skillet for as long as I did. Maybe it's because my mother embrased the new-fangled non-stick cookware, and I never learned how useful cast iron could be. Maybe it was because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take care of cast iron. Or maybe I just thought it would be too much work. Whatever the reason, I should have gone out and tried cast iron years before I did.
Have you ever pre-heated a skillet, only to have the temperature drop as soon as you put the food in? You can't get a decent crust on something if you can't keep your cooking surface hot enough. Ever find yourself cooking in a sea of fats and water that rendered out of your meat? A hot cast iron skillet would have sealed in those jucies. When you want to fry, don't you want to fry, not braise?
Are you afraid things will stick to the pan without a non-stick coating? Well, part of that sticking you fear comes from not searing fast enough, but one very important thing often overlooked is that a well seasoned cast iron pan *is* non-stick.
Caring for this pan is easier than you might think. Once you've used it a few times, you'll hardly ever have to scrub it if you clean it immediately after cooking. (Immediately rinse-out the pan, lightly scrub or scrape any pieces left behind, and then wipe it dry. Coat it with Crisco, and stick it in the oven.)
One thing I try to avoid is putting tomato sauce or other high acid liquids in the pan. That can cut through the non-stick surface that you've built-up -- especially if you don't rince it out before serving dinner.
You might also want to be aware that vegetable oils that are used in cast iron will not be able to be reused (for cooking) as often as they would be if they were in a non-stick deep fryer, for example. But sometimes I'll just go ahead and store the pan in the oven with whatever left-over oil I have around (no higher than 1/3 the way up) instead of coating it with fresh Crisco.
Once you start cooking with cast iron, you save the non-stick skilets for eggs, and you'll find yourself looking for things to cook on the cast iron.
And the best thing is if you don't let the pan start to rust, you'll be able to pass it on to another generation. This will be the best value you'll ever buy for your kitchen.
As for the Lodge brand, it's the only brand cast in the USA. Other brand are imports, and sometimes are not as heavy as the Lodge. So this is deffinately the pan you want.

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A kitchen's most essential item.The even heating of cast iron is necessary for golden, tender, perfectly pan-fried chicken.No other cookware can rival the heat retention, versatility, value and durability of cast iron. 12 inch diameter original finish cast iron skillet. Original finish. To season, follow these easy directions - Wash with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Spead a thin coat of solid shortening or vegetable oil over the entire pan including handles and exterior surfaces. Line the lower oven rack with aluminum foil to catch any drippings and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookware upside down on middle rack of oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, leaving the cookware in the oven until cool. Your cookware will look slightly brown, instead of the familiar black but it is ready for cooking. It will blacken with cooking.

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