Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Frying Pan. Made in The USA. 26 cm/10.25 inch, Multi-Coloured, 10.25-Inch

I bought this for cooking taleggio mushrooms in our Gozney Roccbox and it works a treat. We already have Le Creuset skillets and whilst they're fabulous, too, unless they're uncoated they're no good for an extremely hot pizza oven as the flame and heat will damage the enamel. This is a strong, heavy, solid alternative which worked a treat. Very well made.

These pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron pans - if cared for properly - are a life-long purchase, or possibly longer, if you decide to hand them down to the next generation!They are beautifully made, with a clean, consistent cast, and a considerable heft, even in the smaller sizes. The iron has a tight, fine grain which produces smooth curves and crisp details on the pan, and provides a visible sense of quality. Equipping your kitchen with a set of these would be ideal if you appreciate traditional, quality items that can be passed down from generation to generation - they are genuinely 'Modern Retro'. Unchanged in design over hundreds of years, there is a sense when cooking with these that a great-great-grandmother has done the same somewhere back in the distant past. In this manner, they are eminently suitable for cooking traditional and slow-cooked dishes.Pros: Solid, long-lasting, high quality construction that saves on energy (as less heat is needed) and may improve the taste of your foods.A slower approach on a lower setting will infuse the pan with an even heat all over. The cast iron may not actually add anything taste-wise to the food being cooked, but - possibly by not taking anything away either - it definitely does help food taste better! Meats sear really well, sealing in more flavour. There is absolutely no chance of any contamination from non-stick chemicals or coatings as the pans are entirely naturally coated (cooking oil).Cons: Need slightly more maintenance than a modern non-stick pan, and the considerable weight can make them a bit of a handful!Pre-seasoning (cooked-on oil) ensures less hassle when the pan is new, and as you add to the seasoning through time, the non-stick qualities of the pan increase.Unlike normal non-stick pans, you can use metal kitchen implements with impunity, as the surface is practically bulletproof. However, you must wash the pan in a gentle soap solution after each use, and re-coat the pan with oil before storing it away. In practice, this only takes a couple of minutes and leaves the pan with a satisfying black lustre. Not doing it, or leaving the pan damp, can result in rust quickly forming on the raw iron. However, even this is not a disaster as a gentle scrub and re-oiling will get rid of the rust (although leaving rust on for longer could result in physical damage to the surface of the pan).Due to their robust construction and the nature of cast iron, these pans tend to weigh heavily, even in the smaller sizes. This helps the pan spread and retain heat evenly, but can make them a bit of a handful when moving them around the stove. As an integral part of the pan, the handles heat up at the same rate, so be careful with them! The positive side of this is that the pan can go from stove top to oven to table top (and even BBQ!) without alteration, or risk of a plastic handle melting. Buy a pair of good quality silicone mitts or oven gloves and always lift them using both handles. Lodge do silicone covers for the handles and tempered, oven-proof glass lids in sizes to fit the main pans.For general use, the 8" and 10" sizes should be adequate, with 12" for larger meals or extended family cooking. They are also available in deep versions that can be used as a casserole. We store ours on the gas stove top as we like the look of them so much!

Really good pan, pre seasoned, not had any issues with anything sticking, even eggs. Just make sure to get it hot before adding food

Like most people I've gone through my fair share of non stick pans and skillets in the past and really wanted a long term option that was going to improve the taste of food and the way it was cooked.I wasn't too concerned about cost due to spending a lot of money on pans in the past, then having to replace them after a while, which is really a false economy.Lodge, a US brand, have a great name for quality and you can literally use them on anything from camp fire to barbecue to stove.I've had mine for about 6 months now, enough time for a decent review and have to say it's been excellent and somehow it seems to make the food taste better (could just be in my head !)A couple of points to be aware of though, the pan is heavy! I'm 6 foot 2, average build and it can get difficult to manoeuvre when dishing out of it. Not a major problem as you can bring your plate to it instead but that might not work for you all the time.My wife who is 5 foot 3 and quite petit, cannot realistically dish up with this pan.Another point is, make sure you keep this pan well seasoned.Using oil to cook with it all the time kind of defeats the point, when it is seasoned well you need very little oil, if any to cook even the trickiest of foods, like fried eggs. Seasoning the pan is straight forward enough, a little olive oil on kitchen towel, rub all over the inside and outside of the pan, then put in the oven on 200c for an hour.Job done.If you don't do this, food will stick or you will have to use a lot of oil. Both of these reasons means you won't get the most out of the pan and defeats the object of having it in the first place.Lastly, it gets hot, really hot. I currently have the recommended silicone handle on it (see Silicone Handle review) and this is okay but definitely doesn't allow you to pick the pan up without an oven glove after half an hour of using it, which again isn't a problem but there could be a better solution.I have recently looked into the leather 'Lodge' handle cover which is supposed to be absolutely brilliant for the heat distribution but also about £20.That would however be worth it for a life time of oven gloveless pan use, with no burnt hands !I'll review this when I get it.I have concentrated on the more negative points but only because these are the niggles that stop it from being the best utensil in your kitchen, ever!However, from a positive perspective I will say that it's the best pan/skillet I have ever owned.The heat distribution gives you the consistency and control you realise you need to get the food cooked thoroughly and as said above, it just seems to make everything taste that much better.Especially when cooking Steak, the quality immediately becomes evident, being able to get from rare to well done with accurate consistency, making the pan well worth the money alone for that reason in my eyes.

I've been very impressed with this product, I can imagine that provided it's looked after well it's going to last a very long time.As you'd expect, it's worth seasoning the pan when you get it and after that just a bit of oil after each use should keep it in good shape.I've mostly used it for cooking steaks and have had very good results, at this price point (~£50) I'm happy with the quality and the way it cooks.Works just fine on my induction hob.