Lodge: America's Cast Iron

Not too familiar with cast iron pans and skillets. Do these need some sort of curing or seasoning before use?

The Pro-Logic 12" Grill pan: Yes*
The enameled stuff (everything else for sale here): No.

    • Ok, the Lodge Pro-Logic stuff comes “pre-seasoned” and ready to use, but it’s probably not near as good a seasoning as you’d really want.

Don’t the enameled pans here still need to be seasoned? It looks to me like only the outside of these pans are enameled with the inside still being the normal cast iron surface which needs to maintain a seasoning.

OK, nevermind. I was just going by how the pans looked. It seems weird to me that they would make the inside enamel look kinda like a cast iron type color

Hi there.
All of the cookware is pre-seasoned. The Specs have a Use and Care Guide as well.

Anyone ever used one of the enameled pans with a glass top stove? I have a traditional lodge cast iron and it scratched the glass. Can the enameled cast iron be used?

I’ve been using enameled ones and regular ones for the past 14 years on my glass cooktop. Never scratched anything. But I don’t push them around. I lift them up and set them down.

This looks like the one they have on amazon for $39.99/free Prime Shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Color-EC11S43-Enameled-Skillet/dp/B000ND5AAO

How are these compared to Le Crueset? Will their surface wear out after a few years like so many of the knockoff teflon pans out there?

I remember enamel coated steel pots and pans were the cheapest type out there. Are these similar to those?

Specs says “Made in China” … really? I thought all of Lodge’s stuff was made in USA???

Lodge products are made in the US, except for the enameled products and some accessories. The enameled products are made in China. Apparently, Lodge searched for but could not find a US company that could make brightly colored enameled products to their quality standards.

Is there any difference in the grill surface vs. flat surface cast iron pans other than preference of having grill marks on your food?

The ridges help keep your food out of the grease/fat in the bottom of the pan. Handy for fatty burgers.
Some also say that cooking with grilling ridges improves flavor - but I don’t think this can be proven.

I’ve never tried any enameled cast iron, but I’ve been using Lodge cast iron pots, frying pans and dutch ovens for years, both at home and camping. Set the pots right in the campfire if you want - after using the frying pan, just throw it in the fire to clean it off (probably not a good idea with the enameled ones :-)).
Cast iron also works wonderfully in solar ovens, BTW.
I’m not certain of the point of “enamel” (pretty, maybe?) but I definitely recommend Lodge cast iron.

I need to print this out and tape it to the inside of my husband’s eyelids. Our glass countertop’s not appreciated his cast iron technique.

OK, to set the background, I’ve got about 400 pounds of cast iron, and most of it Lodge. I’ve even got 2, 12 inch skillets with a “!” on the bottom. (It could be an “i”, depending on how you hold them.)

Since I’ve got a Weber grill, that has the ability to put “grill marks” on my food, and everything else still around is Chinese, or sold out, I’m passing on this.

(Yes, I could get the LARGE flyswatter, but I’m STILL passing.

Woot!, can we try to get Lodge to make some more “!” branded stuff? Look into deep skillets, or Dutch ovens. (Like I need more.)

Please?

Really, Please?

steve

OK, for those of you that want to know, the enameled stuff is enameled ALL OVER! Even in the inside of the pans.

Once you chip it, you might as well throw it away. Real cast iron, unless it is rusted completely through, you can fix it.

steve

Incorrect. The pans are cast iron with an enamel coating over the outside of the pan only - where the pan is colorful.

I have one of the Lodge square grill pans, and the enamel is outside only.

After grilling cut-up flat iron steaks that were marinated in ginger-soy-garlic-brown sugar, the cooked-on gunk/fond collected between the raised grill bars was challenging/nasty to clean.

Any suggestions how to handle this are appreciated.