Lodge Logic 10-1/4-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet

When I was picking out the basics for my kitchen, I never thought I needed a cast iron skillet. They weren't used much in either my home or my husband's home growing up. As I got more into cooking and amassed a small army of cookbooks, I realized that every single one of my cookbooks assumed that I had a cast iron skillet for at least one recipe. When Alton Brown used a cast iron skillet to make delicious looking burgers and tenderloin I noticed he used a "Lodge" brand skillet - so imagine my surprise (and delight) to find out how incredibly affordable a pre-seasoned skillet was!

Yes, the care instructions make it a little more difficult to wash - but it's not tedious and there is a lot of information on the web with tips to make the process easier. I cook on an electric coil stove (no gas hook up) and cooking with the skillet has been a joy - once preheated, the heat is conducted evenly. Certain foods (like fried eggs) are much easier when cooked on the skillet than in my Calphalon pans.

While I'm not ready to ditch all my pots for cast iron, I am very happy that I did decide to add this to my collection.

I love our Lodge Logic 10-1/4-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet! I had wanted one for years, and I finally bought one. For us, it is an essential piece of equipment.

The Lodge Logic 10-1/4-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet, a classic skillet, belongs in many kitchens. It is reasonably priced, with reasonable care it can last at least a century, and it is versatile. It is wise to buy the Lodge Logic 10-1/4-Inch Cast-Iron Lid with it to make cooking in a skillet safe and to increase the verstility of this skillet.

We have used our skillet extensively, especially in recipe development for Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook and The Collard Patch. On the blog at Mary Lou Cheatham's Profile, you can find the most delicious cornbread we have ever eaten. It is Cathy's Crawfish Cornbread. To find it, it is necessary to go back to an older blog. Here is another cornbread recipe developed with our Lodge skillet:

Butter Pecan Cornbread

Ingredients
1 stick (¼ pound) unsalted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon canola oil
1½ cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1 cup self-rising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons honey

Preparation
--In a small saucepan melt the butter with the pecans in it. Don't burn the butter, but let the pecans cook slightly. Allow them to cool.
--Heat the oven to 450º. Heat the skillet with the oil in it.
--Combine the dry ingredients.
--Add the remaining ingredients.
--Spoon the batter into the hot skillet.
--Bake 10-12 minutes.

One of the problems people seem to have with the skillet is sticking. Since I use it to cook cornbread, I usually heat the oil in it in the oven and pour the warmed oil into the cornbread batter immediately before pouring it into the skillet. As a result, it never sticks, and the cornbread has irresistble crust. I have sprayed it generously with Pam(PAM-Original No Stick Cooking Spray, 3/8oz Cans) to cook other foods and had great results.

Every meal we cook would present some opportunity to use the iron skillet, but we don't use it every day because we have become leery of cooking a large amount of our food in iron. We are trying to protect our heart health, and there has been much concern lately about cooking in iron pots and pans. It is believed that doing so can increase iron. Too much iron is suspected to increase atherosclerosis. (Another more sinister but rare risk is possible damage to the liver.) We don't allow these warnings to keep us from using our skillet to make our favorite cornbreads, to cook steaks effortlessly with great results, to broil salmon, to cook fajitas, and to saute onions. We enjoy the skillet anyway.

I hope you find this review helpful.

Great for southern cooking. Brought a square for myself and a round for my sister. Both of us love them.

I use this pan all the time, I love going from stove to oven, and it is great for individual pizzas. clean up is simple.

Just finished making a T Bone. Crushed pepper some salt your "lodge Logic" and you have one great Dinner. Clean up is a breeze! Like everyone said you will Love it.