I'm looking to get a nice set of cast Iron: a couple skillets,a larger frying pan and dutch oven. any recommendations? Are there major differences between brands? I'll mostly be cooking outdoors and over fires.

4/14/2010 4:50:23 PM

enameled or no?

4/14/2010 5:05:29 PM

get them used, and old.

i.e., thrift stores.

4/14/2010 5:05:54 PM

i'd find some used stuff. it'll already be seasoned up and it's cheaper.

[Edited on April 14, 2010 at 5:07 PM. Reason : ^great minds...]

4/14/2010 5:07:05 PM

No idea if one brand is better than the others. Growing up my dad was all about Lodge cast iron, but I think the foundry is located sorta close to where he grew up (or atleast used to be).



I dont care what anyone says, cooking in a dutch oven over coals is just pimp.

I'd also recommend looking into getting a cookbook with helpful hints. I remember there being a lot of little things that you could do that made everything cook more even and not burn (like putting twice as many coals on top of the dutch oven than below.)

Im sure trial and error will get you to the same place though.

4/14/2010 5:08:27 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=567778

4/14/2010 5:08:53 PM

Goodwill.

4/14/2010 6:01:50 PM

Short version:
Lodge: Good stuff for not too much money. Made in the USA, pre-seasoned, heavy, good for high-heat applications (searing steaks and such), but you'll have issues getting it teflon-slick...it'll just take a repeated number of seasoning cycles.

Older Griswold, Wager-Ware, Favorite Piqua Ware: also made in the USA, might need to be cleaned and re-seasoned, but will be very slick. Not as heavy as Lodge.

Stuff pimped by "professional chefs" that is made in China -- forget it, don't buy it.



Long version:
Cast iron has been around for centuries -- it is a great way to cook things, is relatively cheap, has good heat spreading and retaining capabilities, and will give you an arm workout. You can throw it in your campfire, in your oven, use it on your stove (yes, on the glass top)...just about anywhere, really. Just avoid sliding it on a glass cooktop.

It can come pre-seasoned (99% of the stuff you buy today is pre-seasoned) but you can season it if you like. Note that "seasoning" means baking on a coating of oil that stays permanently bonded to the surface, and gets slicker with use.


Cast iron from the late 1800s to the early-mid 1900s is probably your best bet, in terms of non-sticking capability. They used higher quality iron ore and a higher grade of sand for their molds than Lodge uses today.
See here for more info and a good comparative photo:
http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/2008/05/old-cast-iron-vs-new-cast-iron.html

Lodge's stuff is good, but the older stuff is just slicker from the start. You can probably find some at yard sales, junk yards, grandma's kitchen cabinet/attic/basement. Neglected stuff looks bad but can be cleaned, re-seasoned, and used just like new...and is usually cheaper than the nice cookware that someone cleaned up on Ebay.


Personally I'd try to find some older stuff first, then get some of the newer Lodge stuff if the Griswold or Wagner skillets aren't available. Lodge can be found for cheap at Wal-Mart and is readily available.

With all that being said, I have 3 Lodge skillets and 1 Lodge melting pot. I've got a few Griswold skillets and a Wagner-Ware chicken fryer, but they're sitting in a lye-bath right now being cleaned -- found them awhile back at my grandmother's old house and they needed gunk removal. Planning on taking them out and seasoning them tonight, as it turns out.


If you get something old and don't know the history you might want to bring it down to bare metal and re-season it. You never know when someone used it to melt lead, or as an oil pan, or...


The site I linked you to earlier is pretty good...here's some more links:
http://www.panman.com/
http://www.wag-society.org/ (their forums are quite informative)


Let me know if you'd like more info.

[Edited on April 14, 2010 at 6:55 PM. Reason : ]

4/14/2010 6:53:55 PM

I would like to concur with buying them used. The older the better. It is amazing what a cast iron that has been seasoned for decades can add to the flavor of your food.

4/14/2010 7:03:44 PM

Cast iron is good stuff for cooking all sorts of things.


Fajitas




Crab cakes




Pancakes




Cobbler




Good for melting chocolate




Seared tuna

4/14/2010 7:31:52 PM

^ oh hell yes, it is THE BEST for fish.

4/14/2010 7:33:12 PM

Quote :

"^ oh hell yes, it is THE BEST for fish."

I cooked that tuna last night.

Unfortunately it stuck a little but it cleans up relatively easily and quickly. Hot water and a scrubber, dry it, put it on the stove on low for a few minutes to make sure it is dry. Then put a little oil in it to keep it looking nice and keep it from rusting. I spray a little non-stick spray in it, wipe it around, then wipe out any excess.

If things are really cooked on, boil some water in it for a bit to loosen things up.

Some good info about cleaning cast iron...
http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/2008/12/cleaning-your-cast-iron-cookware.html

[Edited on April 14, 2010 at 7:40 PM. Reason : ]

4/14/2010 7:39:35 PM

I have one of those flat top stoves like Charles, but the bottom of my cast iron pan isn't quite flat so I worry that I'm wasting a lot of electricity.

I stopped using it to make eggs cause it takes so long to heat up! My teflon pan is way quicker.

4/14/2010 9:46:19 PM

my favorite way to season my cast iron is just by cooking a ton of bacon

[Edited on April 15, 2010 at 1:24 PM. Reason : and to clean real stuck on stuff i use salt and a wooden spoon.. just m2c]

4/15/2010 1:22:40 PM

I found a set of 3 unseasoned skillets at Harbor Freight for $15. Far cheaper than any preseasoned brand-name skillets, but probably not as smooth.

4/15/2010 2:46:28 PM

i have a big pan that got passed down from my grandfather to my dad and now to me. no idea how old it is. the bottom has

"MADE IN USA"

in one spot and

"NO. 10
12 7/16 IN"

in another spot. any idea on what brand it is?

it's perfect for frying fish. long enough to hold long fillets and the cast iron doesn't let the oil cool when i toss in another cold fish. i also use it for steaks when i don't wanna grill, frying country ham and making red eye gravy, hamburger steak and gravy, side meat, and it's pretty much the only cookware i take when i'm camping.

[Edited on April 15, 2010 at 3:10 PM. Reason : d]

4/15/2010 3:06:48 PM

I have a skillet I bought for camping several years ago, but my family never used these so I didn't really know how to take care of cast iron and it ended up getting some rust on it. This makes me want to drag it out and bring it back to life.

4/15/2010 3:16:17 PM

NRR -- can you take a photo of the back?

If you get me some decent shots I could possibly identify it, or ask some more knowledgeable people.

Usually a "number x" skills indicates that it is Griswold, Wagner, Favorite Piqua Ware, or one of those older brands. Most of the new stuff is measured in inches rather than having an arbitrary numbering system like in the old days.

4/15/2010 3:36:35 PM

driving past the lodge factory outlet right now
or so sayrth the bollboards on 40. Do want

4/15/2010 3:43:31 PM

4/15/2010 3:51:46 PM

Any larger, overall pics? Things like handle shape and size and heat rings (or the absence thereof) can help with identification. Sorry to be so pesky.

4/15/2010 4:01:50 PM

Thanks for all the info guys!

4/15/2010 4:15:46 PM

^^I think I have that same Lodge 2 in 1 Skillet, deep pan combo. I love it. Though it got a little rusty during the last camping trip. I plan to recondition it when I move.

But GD, i want that seared tuna badly. can not wait to do that.

4/15/2010 4:31:40 PM

4/15/2010 4:51:55 PM

I recently got an enameled Dutch oven from World Market...since then, I have been going out of my way to make all of my meals in it. Made a braised brisket with red wine and shallots that made me wet myself.

4/15/2010 5:15:11 PM

My mom has a cast iron griddle she would always use to make pancakes back in the day. I wonder if she still uses it.

4/15/2010 6:59:31 PM

I don't really know anything about pans specifically, but i'm willing to bet that 12 7/16 IN = 12.4375" and NO. 10 is the pattern number for the casting.

[Edited on April 15, 2010 at 8:01 PM. Reason : why do my posts always read like a "do the needfull" message...]

[Edited on April 15, 2010 at 8:02 PM. Reason : kindly revert ]

4/15/2010 8:00:21 PM

^yeah, i knew that, but i was providing that information to someone who obviously knows more than me in hopes that he would recognize that stamping format and tell me the manufacturer

[Edited on April 15, 2010 at 8:13 PM. Reason : NO WAIIII]

4/15/2010 8:11:32 PM

According to some people much more knowledgeable than I, NRR's skillet is a BSR ( Birmingham Stove and Range ), ca 1960s - 1980s.

4/15/2010 11:55:39 PM

I got out my Griswold No 6 for bacon time this morning, in honor of this thread.

4/16/2010 8:27:25 AM

I finished cleaning up and re-seasoning my Griswold #3 and #6 last night, and made some grilled cheese on the #6. Tasted great.

4/16/2010 10:36:52 AM

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=400798

Spotted via Slickdeals. Clearance cast iron with free shipping.

4/18/2010 10:40:12 PM

Used...the cast iron I have is my great grandmothers.

4/19/2010 8:48:18 AM

We have two, an 8" of indeterminate age that my girlfriend was given by her mother, who got it in bad shape and reseasoned it years ago. So it's probably > 50 years old. However we (read: I more than her) have kind of screwed up the seasoning somehow, it's not rusty but it's not that slick either. Need to look into maintenance. Plus a newer 12" Lodge, even though it's not old it gets the job done well. Great for making many things, particularly dark roux for etoufee, gumbo, etc.

Also just last year got an enameled cast-iron 5 qt. casserole. This is also a very nice thing to have, all the good heating properties of cast iron but easier cleanup.

4/19/2010 10:05:28 AM