Does Cast Iron Brand Matter

[SonVolt]

Respectfully, I have to disagree. A polished cooking surface in cast iron helps to keep food from sticking, and makes cleaning so very much easier.

A few years ago for Christmas, my wife gave me a new Lodge pan. Before using it, I sanded it smooth. I did a great job, and spent a few hours making the inside of the pan completely smooth. It is light years ahead of my other Lodge pans which have the "factory" finish. They will NOT smooth out with use. General use of a Lodge pan isn't abrasive enough to smooth out the factory finish.

A lot of the new "higher end" cast iron, have a smooth finish. This is one reason they cost more. Lots of hand labor involved.

Smithy Ironworks is another brand to check out. They specialize in a smooth finish.

Food shouldn't stick to a "rough" surface either assuming it's seasoned properly. I flip between ultra smooth carbon steel and cast iron frequently and food doesn't stick to my Lodge anymore than it does to my deBuyer. A little kosher salt and a paper towel cleans both right up.

 

[mcyork28]

Thanks for mentioning this. Here in the Pacific Northwest a lot of fisherman make their own lead weights and would be a concern for me when considering a used pan.

Everybody worries about the quality of materials coming from China (rightly so), but never mentions that it was fairly routine for people to use their cast iron pots to melt lead for bullets and sinkers.

Something to think about when you see an old cast iron pan.

 

[Porcine Perfection]

Everybody worries about the quality of materials coming from China (rightly so), but never mentions that it was fairly routine for people to use their cast iron pots to melt lead for bullets and sinkers.

Something to think about when you see an old cast iron pan.

3M sells an inexpensive test kit. I always check any used cast iron before I buy it.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[JWFokker]

Lodge does not machine or polish the pan at all, whereas more expensive brands do. Eventually the Lodge pan will get smooth with enough seasoning, but that's the biggest difference. Out of the box Finex and others have a smooth flat surface.

 

[mike243]

Love my cast iron, don't always use it , I do want a good sized blue steel pan and haven't got to see 1 in person to pull the trigger, some smaller 1's haven't impressed me for some reason

 

[STLBBQer]

Love my cast iron, don't always use it , I do want a good sized blue steel pan and haven't got to see 1 in person to pull the trigger, some smaller 1's haven't impressed me for some reason

I had a Matfer Bourgeat 12” and as much as I wanted to like it, I ended up hating it. Bought it off of rave reviews from Cook’s Illustrated. Was practically as heavy as my cast iron, and as much as I tried, never got the non-stick finish my Lodge skillets have.

 

[kelbro]

Lodge is a good solid buy. I have several smooth Griswolds and some Lodges with the textured surface. As long as you bring the pans up to temp before putting the meat in, none of them really stick (if seasoned properly). Nothing that a stiff brush won't clean out.

 

[Hoosier1960]

Respectfully, I have to disagree. A polished cooking surface in cast iron helps to keep food from sticking, and makes cleaning so very much easier.

A few years ago for Christmas, my wife gave me a new Lodge pan. Before using it, I sanded it smooth. I did a great job, and spent a few hours making the inside of the pan completely smooth. It is light years ahead of my other Lodge pans which have the "factory" finish. They will NOT smooth out with use. General use of a Lodge pan isn't abrasive enough to smooth out the factory finish.

A lot of the new "higher end" cast iron, have a smooth finish. This is one reason they cost more. Lots of hand labor involved.

Smithy Ironworks is another brand to check out. They specialize in a smooth finish.

I have to agree with Blizzard. I have mostly vintage cast iron. I hated the rough surface on the newer pre-seasoned Lodge. Then I watched a YouTube video where Cowboy Kent Rollins sanded off the seasoning on Lodge and re-seasoned it. World of difference.

 

[jimstocks53]

I love my cast iron but now older with significant arthritis, I have been trying a lighter alternative - blue steel pans by Made In are one variety.
Much less heavy with similar cooking characteristics - requires seasoning like cast iron but significantly lighter.

 

[gtr]

Made in America is a good indicator of quality, although I have one 10" frying pan that was made in Tiawan I bought about 30 years ago as a camping skillet. It has just as nice a finish as my vintage skillets and I used it this morning when I made breakfast.

I have many vintage pieces, so if you frequent garage sales, have a second hand store in town or shop on e-Bay, be on the lookout for Wagner or Griswold. they both have small makers marks on the bottom. :roll: These brands are top quality.

When buying used, flatness is the most important consideration. Cleaning and seasoning are somewhat easy, and even rough looking skillets can turn into gems.

I have 3 griddles with bails, very handy for cooking on your grill or stove as there are no handles to get in the way. With a trivet you can serve on them too.

I have a Lodge Camp Oven (like a Dutch oven, but with a dome lid and without legs). I also have a Lodge drop biscuit pan I like very much. Smaller skillets come in handy too, for indoor and outdoor cooking.

This is a two-sided Lodge griddle, the other side has ribs... and the last one is a rectangular Lodge griddle the newest CI in my collection.

Bottom line, I like cast iron, it's easy to cook on, not that bad to clean (but no dishwasher), not expensive if it's passed down to you or bought at a garage sale and easy to maintain.

I need a farkin cigarette after that post!

 

[mike243]

Lol, most of mine are Lodge but have some foreign made I use for outdoors or camping, I may try to smooth1 lodge pan down due the fact seasoning wont stay on it, it does appear to have a smother finish than the others, I have a 8" I only use for cornbread and its like glass.

 

[Jeff H]

I love my cast iron pans. I use them almost every day. Especially the Comal. With it's low sides it is perfect for burgers, grilled cheese, quesadilla, or anything else you need to flip with a spatula.



I've also had great luck with seasoned steel skillets/woks. Long term, I'm probably headed more towards those since they are so much lighter.

 

[Beer BQ Breath]

I've been cooking with, collecting, and refinishing cast iron for about 20 years and seldom use anything else. Some is better than others but overall I like it all. Some personal thoughts:
-I search out old, rusty, cast iron with lots of cooked on junk, the nastier the better. Its typically really cheap like that and not hard to get back into shape. On the occasion that I get a cracked or warped one, not a big deal because I seldom pay more than $20 bucks for anything even large dutch ovens, and much less for just skillets or cornbread type pans like $3-$10.

-Depending on where a crack is or if you have a spinner, it will still cook a pizza, biscuits, pancake, etc just fine. I would never fry in one though or use food with juices without wrapping in foil in one cracked anywhere but on the side.
-I see no reason to buy the expensive brands at all. They are typically smoother, have fancier handles, sometimes an odd shape, etc but cook no different than a decent quality but much cheaper one.
-I do like the older smooth ones better than current styles but will occasionally buy new. I recently bought a new Lodge cast iron griddle and a Lodge carbon steel griddle and have to say I like the carbon steel one better.
-I've tried all types of stripping and seasoning. My preference is using an electrolysis tank but I still use a lye tank fairly regularly as well. Plugging a battery charger in and putting the leads in water was a little intimidating at first, but after I got my first burned skin from the lye, that was more intimidating. You can really burn yourself badly if you aren't careful with the lye.
-I've tried all types of seasonings, flax oil, shortening, peanut, canola, etc. I recently tried the Crisbee Pucks and think I am hooked now. If its not available I prefer vegetable shortening. You hear a lot of people saying high smoke point oil is best and almost as many saying differently. Both are probably right to a degree. My personal thoughts are use an oil that has a really high smoke point and really polymerizes well IF you are willing to take it up to a temperature that's above smoke point and bake it on for an hour or more. The problem is most people won't heat their ovens up to 450'+ and leave a pan smoking in their ovens for an hour, too much smoke and smell. Then, after a short time they notice the seasoning flake off and wonder why? Well, you didn't burn it in and its now releasing.
-Fell like I'm rambling now. Shoot me a message if you have questions and I'll relay my experiences

 

[SmokeRingsMatter]

I am no expert, but i watched every episode of every season of the curse of oak island, and from what i gather, older metals, especially iron, were of way better quality 200+ years ago. That said, i have a Lodge 14' skillet ive had for almost 20 years. It is well seasoned and not a spec of rust on it. I have never washed it. After every cook, it a thick coat of kosher salt, and a ligh scrub with a SS scrubbing pad to take of any food debris. Thats it.

 

[SonVolt]

older metals, especially iron, were of way better quality 200+ years ago.

Iron is an element, not a man-man alloy. Prolly hasn’t changed all that much in the last 200 years. :wink:

 

[JWFokker]

IYou hear a lot of people saying high smoke point oil is best and almost as many saying differently. Both are probably right to a degree. My personal thoughts are use an oil that has a really high smoke point and really polymerizes well IF you are willing to take it up to a temperature that's above smoke point and bake it on for an hour or more. The problem is most people won't heat their ovens up to 450'+ and leave a pan smoking in their ovens for an hour, too much smoke and smell. Then, after a short time they notice the seasoning flake off and wonder why? Well, you didn't burn it in and its now releasing.
-Fell like I'm rambling now. Shoot me a message if you have questions and I'll relay my experiences

Right on with oiling/seasoning. Wife complains about the smell. Doesn't complain when she's using my cast iron instead of hers. Canola, bacon grease and butter do a fine job.

 

[HogGrog]

Iron is an element, not a man-man alloy. Prolly hasn’t changed all that much in the last 200 years. :wink:

During WWII most of our nation’s highest quality iron ore was used to build military carriers, planes, submarines, weapons...

As it relates to cast iron pans, IMHO, there is a decrease in the overall quality of the iron and the casting. The polishing on the cooking surface also was of noticeably lesser quality post WWII when machinery took place of hand finishing/polishing.

 

[rovster]

I have a few CI pieces about 2 years ago I polished the inside of my larger lodge skillet and couldn’t be happier. I use it 2-3 times a week.