I don't see why you couldn't use the chicken fryer to do the same things as a Dutch oven, but Lodge also makes Dutch ovens. I love my Lodge Logic pans (skillets, Dutch oven, and reversible griddle/grill), which are their line of pre-seasoned pans. They don't seem too rough and I could start using them immediately without the seasoning task. I got mine from Amazon, who had them with great prices, as well as free shipping, which is great for something so heavy.

Lehman's has some very cool things that are tempting me, too. :-) An older Griswold cast iron is considered a great find, I think, but I don't know if new ones are as good. I hope others can answer that for you.

The deep Lodge dutch ovens work great. You just have to be careful about using acidic stuff in it as the flavors of an acidic sauce (like tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce) can be altered somewhat when using raw cast iron. (But some chili aficionados swear that cast iron is necessary for the proper flavor.) Certainly for roasting or braising meats, the untreated cast iron is excellent and a great buy for the money.

By the way, Amazon has some of the Lodge Cast Iron on a 4 for 3 sale; you buy 4 pieces and the cheapest item is free. Plus, it's free shipping--not a minor consideration with cast iron.

Lehman's is a great company to deal with. Over the years I've ordered lots of items, and they've all been of good quality and the service has been excellent.

Old Griswold pots are highly sought after by cooks--the cooking surface is slicker than new Lodge pans, although the Lodge pans will eventually get smoother with use. Or, I've heard of people using an orbital sander to smooth down the cooking surface of new Lodge pans.

I'm tempted to get the skillet at the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: chef's skillet

Let me start by saying that you can get Lodge cast iron cookware in an abundance of places, so check locally at outdoor, camping, army surplus stores, etc. Even Target probably sells some. So you can save on shipping a heavy cast iron pot. I have a collection of Lodge cookware including Dutch ovens and chicken fryers and the surface may seem rough compared to others. I also have my mother-in-law's old 10" fry pan -- a very old family piece from NC -- and it is a dream to cook in and is quite smooth with many decades of seasoning!
A Dutch oven with feet can be used outside to bake anything that would go into an oven. The flat bottomed pans can be used anywhere. Season them and wash and dry them properly and use them often (that's key to proper seasoning). The chicken fryer can certainly be used as a small Dutch oven for stews or meats or anything that will fit into it.
You could avoid having to season if you purchase the Lodge pans that are now pre-seasoned.

I like Lehman's. They're a good company with excellent service; DH has ordered several items from them.

But I wouldn't order something as commonly available as Lodge cast iron. As mentioned, it's around everywhere (even WalMart) or can be purchased from Amazon without shipping.

Carol

I got my preseasoned Lodge stuff from Amazon too after finally seeing it in person at a camping store. It's not as smooth as the old cast iron but it's good enough and will just get smoother with extra seasoning.

Lisa :
Try to find a Griswold. Spring is almost here, I think ???
Yard Sales, Auctions Flea Markets.etc.
Garage Sales are the best if you can find what you want.

I was in the Business. Had to empty out the Collectible Booth, when my wife got sick.

I have some new cheaper Cast Iron pans around but I would recommend them for Flower Pots.

If you buy the Lodge the bottom can be polished like a mirror and Seasoned.
They don't wear smoother with Age.They get a coating.
The Pores get filled in.

I season mine with a coating of oil and into the oven for 5 hours.
The oil doesn't turn rancid like some say.
It doesn't have time. Google " seasoning new Pans "

I've been doing it for over 50 years.
Lou said that ???

Lisa:
I hit the wrong button.
Wanted to add ,
If cost is not an issue, go for it.

You can look on Ebay but be sure the Description states
"smooth bottom , no flaws "
Geez !!! sounds like another woman I know.
Now, I forget what else I wanted to say.

Oh well ! you got enough anyway.
LOU

I agree, if you're so inclined, you could scout out the 2nd hand stores and garage sales, I got a nice Griswold chicken fryer last year for a couple of bucks, but I had to clean it well and reseason it.

I just rub mine with Crisco and put it upside down in the oven to season it.

My oldest cast iron skillet is 35 years old and is as slick as teflon, very nearly. It's just a "no name" pan, but it's the best cooking utensil I own. With use the newer ones will gain that finish.

I've never had a pre-seasoned one so I can't conjecture, but my dutch oven is Lodge, and so is my camping skillet, both very acceptable pieces of equipment with proper preparation.

Annie

Hi Lisa....There is nothing wrong with the Lodge pans. I have about 7 of them and I cook eggs over easy with zero problems as well as other food. And, yes, they do get smoother when used. They really are not that rough when new either. Not like years ago pans. And Annie is right. I bought mine at Wal mart, and paid.......ready for this.......less than 50% of what anybody else sells them for. I dont know where you live but am sure there is a Wal Mart close by. I am in N.Y. (long Island). Being Ital;ian, I do A LOT OF COOKING,(now to find someone to cook for,lol)and make to die for N.Y. Style Cheese Cakes, Arthur Ave (The Bronx)style Cannoli's, and Pignoli Cookies. Should you ever want to try them, just ask for recipes. My direct email is ....tonti543@hotmail.com Take care. Ciaoooo, Tony

Hi Hawk. I just read your post. But strangely enough, my Lodge pans were not that rough from the beginning, and do seem to be a lot smoother now. I always put a coat of oil on them after cooking and cleaning as well. Nice to meet you. Tony

Get an original Griswold if you can find one at a good price. They are lighter in weight than comparable sized Lodge pans, the casting is of superior quality, the cooking surface is much smoother, and the seasoning is easier to maintain.

Dan

Tony...We ALL want your recipes! :-)

Dan; You forgot !!!

They were not just Cast and sold.
The Original Griswold Skillets were machined on the Cooking Surface.

Lou

I have a few Griswold pans that I bought at garage sales 40+ years ago, and they were old then! I alsobought a new Griswold omelet pan in the supermarket about the same number of years ago; I think it was $2 new. My husband loves it for his home fries; of course, we use it for other things as well. But after I clean them (just wipe them out with paper towels, or wash with water if they need it) Idry them over a low flame, cool them, and wipe with a bit of Crisco. Then I polish the Crisco with another paper towel. This way you get the thinnest film on the surface.

Leel:
Seems I heard something negative about using Crisco.
Can't remember what it was.
Have you ever heard anything ?
Lou

You are right Lou. A Griswold in good condition will have its cooking surface as smooth as glass because of the extra machining step that was used in the manufacture of those old pans. The smooth surface does indeed enhance the pan's cooking performance. They brown meats and vegs much better. This is because the cooking ingredients make better surface contact with the pan and also because the smooth finish does not have those small holes that trap cooking liquids which generates a lot of steam. The steam from rough surfaces (like Lodge) keeps meats from browning as nicely as it does on a silky smooth surface (like Griswold). If the pan is only used to deep fry fish or chicken.....the cooking surface doesn't really matter. Ever notice how smooth the cooking surface of the cast iron grill is at the local Diner? There is good reason why the surface of their grills are still machined polished today.

Because Crisco is high in saturated fats, it in not very heart healthy when consumed. However, it is harmless when used to season cast iron.

I own and cook in literally a ton of cast iron. In the past, I have written quite a bit about the care and seasoning of cast iron using various oils in the Cookware Forum thread listed below.

Dan

Here is a link that might be useful: The Care and Seasoning of Cast Iron

I have seen Lodge in the gift shop at Cracker Barrel restaurants. And I saw some at Marshall's last weekend.

DD is coming for Mother's Day and has a load of Lodge for me! She hit the Lodge outlet store outside of Chattanooga. I'm so excited! I'm getting a smallish skillet and an enameled cast iron dutch oven (like Le Crueset but much less expensive).

Right now my only cast iron piece is a 10" skillet that belonged to DH's grandmother and may have come from his great grandmother (he's not sure).

They did have dutch ovens in the catalog as well, but I figured the fryer could do double duty and it was less expensive than the dutch oven. You could even use the lid as a shallow pan on its own.

I don't have it with me right now to check, but I'll have to look thru it when I get home and see the difference in price between the Lodge and the Griswold and what the shipping is. I'll do a search on Amazon as well. Maybe I'll just get one pan for now and keep my eyes open for older pans when I go to flea markets.

I'm determined to find the perfect pans and from what I'm hearing and for how long they last, I'm really leaning towards the cast iron. There's a reason they've been around so long and people are still using them!!

Tony - what are Arthur Ave or Bronx style cannoli? I'm a cannoli purist - none of this chocolate chips mixed in or chocolate dipped for me lol!! Same with biscotti - why would you mess with perfection? The basic, old fashioned ones are the best!

Lisa

I have a nice old Wagnerware roaster thing that was hanging from a crane in the fireplace when I bought my house. The thing dates to the teens (and predates the house by at least 30 years--it was in a 50's ranch style room for ambiance I guess). With the seasoning completely stripped, the thing is as smooth as a dinner plate. It's really obvious how slick it is compared to the new pieces--the seasoning will have to fill in those gaps. But I don't really have problems with the bumps so I don't know why I complain! Actually the slick Wagnerware pot slides on my induction cooktop a little and the modern Lodge pans stay put a little better (and neither scratches it).

I use soap. If I have to use easy off to remove my seasoning, I'm not gonna take it off with liquid Ivory.

Now tell me about this cannoli!

If you're feeling adventureous and industrious, and have a cast iron pan with a rough bottom, get yourself a drill sander pad from Home Depot with varying grits (starting at maybe 100, depending on how rough the pan is) and going down to 400.

Then polish the bottom and sides of your pan.

I've done that with several cast iron pans I have. It takes awhile, but the results are well worth it.

Lisa:
I have just read Danab's Post and have gone to his link at the bottom.

Having done Machist work for a few years I can appreciate
what he said.

I have not looked into Seasoning in depth, as far as he has.

I have in the past told, how I seasoned the New Pans in my Pizzeria.

If you really want to learn the right way to go, I would
take some time and
see what he has to say about Cast Iron Cookware.
Seems like he has done all the extensive researching for us .

I've been trying to tell everyone, some of these things.

But to no avail.

I try to learn all I can about things before I venture on.
Not believing all the advertisements, until I can find out for myself.

We are bombarded with so many ads on TV , that it is sickening,
because most of them are not true.
At one time we were protected by the Government, for false Ads. What Happened ???

That's it, I have to get down off the Soapbox.

Lisa :
Get all the info you can . You received a lot here already.
Don't rush into it .

Did you get the Griddle from your Cousin ?????
I know she will give it back.

Seek and you will find.
Ask and it shall be given unto you.
(Something like that!)

Lou

Wow Dan! That link is great, thank you!

I took some notes! I'm going to have my husband go over the surface of the pan I have with his grinder, then I'm going to cover with Crisco as I've been advised, and then bake the pan.

A couple questions tho (and I know the link went over everything but I want to make sure I understand - that was a lot of info!)

I'll cover the pan with a thin coat of Crisco and then bake it past the "smoke" point (a few times). Then cover it with veg oil and heat to just below the smoke point - you suggested 450 (again, do this a few times). I'm not sure my oven goes above 500 and that might be on the broil setting. Is that high enough for this "past the smoking point" stage?

I heat my wok until it smokes all the time - then I add the oil, swish it around, and start cooking. That's ontop of the stove, however.

I just want to make sure I do it right.

Also - I get that problem on things like baking sheets all the time - that "sticky" oil that just won't wash off!! I've been blaming my husband and kids. Mostly my daughter because she uses PAM all the time and I was always under the impression that PAM caused that sticky residue!! You advise using it, however. So I'm wrong that it's not the PAM making that sticky mess?

This is like being in science class again - I'm loving it!

It's amazing what you don't know sometimes! I wonder what our ancestors would have thought about all this science involved in why their pans didn't stick lol!!

Lisa

Lisa, lol, yes the cannoli's have some chocolate chips, but NOT over loaded. The shells are plain and not dipped in chocolate,lol. I will post the recipe shortly. BTW, what state are you in??? Do they sell a good quality Ricotta??? Very Important. Tony Hi Lou

Danab:
I don't want to Post anymore about this. I appreciate all the research you have done.
Everyone has their own way to do this. What ever gets them thru the night.

What I would like to know is:
I've been using Vegtable Oil since the 50's, to Season Pans.

Everyone here has told me Oil turns rancid. Mine never did.

It seems from all the Articles I've read on Seasoning,they may not have been doing it properly.

When I bought my new Steel Pizza Pans, I first washed them to remove any Machining Oils.

Then I put a thin coat of Vegtable Oil on them and put them in a 500 degree Pizza Oven.
I baked them for about 4 to 5 hours, coating them lightly, every hour or so.

The Dough never stuck to them. Until my DW decided she would do me a big favor.

While I went shopping, Her and my DSIL cleaned all the Pans with SOS Pads until they shined.

Thanks a Lot !!! I had to start all over again.
- - - - - -

Back to my Question!!!

I was thinking of using a Light Olive Oil, because of it's higher Smoke or Burn Temperature.

I put the Griddle in the Oven at 500 degrees, for about 2 hours.

Does this sound OK ? Do they recommend a different way or
Oil. Maybe Bacon Grease ?
Thanks, Lou

I've used Crisco; I've used olive oil; I've used Crisco corn oil. I really don't see a difference in performance. I've thrown pots into the barbecue, I've baked them in the oven. My mother-in-law told me they threw them into open bon fires in North Carolina and I did the same thing to my first Dutch oven on a camping trip in Maine in the '70's. I'm using one of her fry pans now (un-named) and it's a gem! You don't want to use any grease with additives, like bacon grease, to season a pot.

Lisa,

You can use almost any oil to season a pan. Some oils are better than others because they have different amounts of saturated and unsaturated fats in them.....this affects the quality of the patina that develops. I am a perfectionist so I blend my own seasoning oil for maximum effect. But don't worry about this.....just use very thin coatings of Crisco, heating it to smoke point (>450 degrees is good) and you will be just fine. Do not put it under the broiler as this may easily burn off the patina that you are trying to develop. Also, be careful if you use a barbecue pit as it too can easily burn off the patina. You need to be able to "control the temperature" somewhat to do a good job.

NEVER NEVER NEVER burn your cast iron pans in in an open fire if you value your pans. You can easily ruin your pan. It can warp a pan and it can even put a thermal stress in your pan that will manifest itself one day (when you least expect it) with a big ole crack. There is no good reason to burn your pans directly in a fire.

Yes indeed Pam is causing the sticky mess on your pans. It polymerizes very easily, especially on stainless steel surfaces. For that reason you can even use Pam spray to season your cast iron. It works quite well if you heat it to the smoking point. The high temperature non-stick Pam does not get as sticky and is easier to clean up.

Grinders can polish the surface of cast iron. But, I have found something else that works very well.........a Nylon Abrasive circular brush. These come in different grits and are used on an electric drill. The coarse grit is for producing a rough polish. Then the finer grits are for producing a very fine finished polish. You can find them at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Harbor Freight (cheapest source). The finest grit will even polish aluminum to a near mirror finish.

Lou,

Your seasoning procedure is a good one as the pizza oven was heating the veg oil past its smoke point. Almost any oil can be used for seasoning cast iron. However, after seasoning hundreds of pans, I have found that the best commercial oil to use for seasoning is Grape seed oil. It can be found at TJM and Marshall's in small cans. A small can will last a very long time.

Also, your vegetable oil never got rancid because you used your pans almost daily. When a pan is "coated" and STORED for quite awhile it will get sticky and rancid if you coated it with vegetable oil. It WILL NOT get rancid or sticky if you use lard. I am certain about this as I have some very large cast iron pots that I only use once a year. I cannot afford to have the oily coating on my large pots turn rancid or get sticky. That why I always coat them with a thin layer of lard when I store them. When it is time for me to use them, I sure don't want to deal with a rancid, sticky mess on my pot.

Dan

Thanks Dan:
Your'e right I never put oil on my pans and stored them.
I always baked them.

Unless I coated them and was going to use them in the next day or so.

I'll have to find some Grape Oil.

I didn't know Grapes had Oil in them ? Thought it was all Grape Juice and then Wine.
Lou

Dan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your expertise. I've been doing some things wrong--I did clean a pan in a fire. Oh well, it was a piece of junk to begin with that I got for nearly free.

I've been using coconut oil to season and to coat prior to storage (it's mostly saturated, and I haven't had any pan go rancid--but then again, I'm using them often so I don't know if that's the reason), but I'm gonna get a little lard or grapeseed oil to season.

Your posts reminded me--I had read a lot of instructions on seasoning pans at 350. It didn't do what I wanted. Then I read a book by Jacques Pepin (or maybe Pierre Franey) that recommended a thin coat of oil and having the oven at 450. Your technical explanation explains why that worked much better. (My dad, rest his soul, was a chemical engineer at a chemical plant in Baton Rouge--specialized in polymer chemistry. Your explanations made perfect sense.)

So Amazon is having a 4-for-3 sale right now on many Lodge items, with free shipping. I'll stock up, go to Harbor Freight for the nylon abrasives, get me some lard & grapeseed oil and go to town.

Lou, that's grapeSEED oil, not grape oil. I think grape oil is actually wine, isn't it? (grin)

As for cast iron pans in the fire, I did something even more stupid, I pulled a skillet off the fire and dunked it into a pail of cold water to cool it so no one got burned. Yup, it cracked. Don't do that....

My dutch oven never goes directly into the fire anyway, it gets set off to the side with coals on top and coals on the bottom, to get an even heat without scorching everything beyond recognition. The skillets get set on a rack, usually, but I do plead guilty to setting a cast iron skillet on the embers for eggs.

Annie

Good evening all;
Hi Lou, Lisa. As I am a member on E bay I do a lot or searching for odds and ends and especially cookware. I was looking at "CAST IRON PANS" and there are over 800 listings. You can bid on them, or "BUY IT NOW". I bidded on 2 Griswolds, and bought 1 Wagner and 1 Lodge. Cheaper than the stores, and I thought Wal Mart was cheap where I bought my others. Just look for the shipping charges. I got lucky and the shipping was included in 3 of them and 1 was only $7.00 shipping. Talk to you soon. Have a good night. Tony

Tony:
I keep telling everyone to look in Ebay but if they see something good, make sure the description states that the Cooking Surface is Good. Or send an email asking the Seller that, so you will have a record of his Quote.

If it isn't like the the seller states , you will have
Proof for a refund.

I have an account on Ebay also and have sold about 500 items, some High Priced.

Haven't done Ebay for 1 1/2 years but have a basement full of Items and Collectibles.
Have to start again, soon as I get out of a Slump.

Lou

Dan: If I were to use your nylon circular brush to smooth out a couple of my Lodge pots and griddle, which are seasoned with oil, do I remove some of the seasoning before using the grinder? If so - how do you recommend doing so. Or do I just plow ahead with the circular brush until all is smooth?

You do not have to remove the seasoning. First use a coarse grit nylon abrasive brush....it is pretty aggressive at removing rust, seasoning, and metal. Afterwards, use a finer coarse grit to get a smooth polish.

These brushes come in three grit sizes: Coarse, Medium, and fine.....each is a different color and ready to attach to your drill. They work a lot better than the older type wire brushes and last a lot longer.

FYI. You can purchase very nice Griswold number 8 (10 1/2 inch) skillets for $15 or less plus shipping on eBay. Look for those with the smaller Griswold circular emblem.........they are not as desirable by collectors so they are much cheaper. However, they are quality made skillets with very smooth cooking surfaces much appreciated by knowledgeable cooks. Some of the cast iron that is for sale has been electrolytically cleaned and look like they are brand new. For some folks it is easier and maybe cheaper just to buy a used skillet. For some folks the lighter weight of the Griswold is much appreciated.

Dan

I have been on a spree this last year buying cast iron pans. All of them I have found at Goodwill and have varying sizes of skillets. I even have a griswold dutch oven and a chicken fryer as an older gentleman told me. I bake them on self clean in my oven then reseason them according to danab. I have quite a nice collection! Only one Lodge the rest are vintage wagner, and Griswold.
You just have to keep your eyes open! They are a joy to cook with.And fun to find!

Dan: Thank you for your advice. My pots have all been used and seasoned, but I do have some that are more used throughout the year in our home than others that we use outside or for camping. I think they are seasoned well, but appreciate the information and opportunity to make them better with your advice on sanding them down. I do love cooking on those cast iron pots/pans!

Tony1552 - I'm in Boston and we can get good quality ricotta. I can go to the Italian North End and get home made if I really want to go that far. Boston, NY and Philly became home for so many Italian immigrants, all of those cities have fantastic Italian products and usually access to much home made and imported as well. I've never had a problem finding any ingredients I need around here.

Lisa

Lisa:
I'm back from Del. Co.
How are you making out with the Pans, Skillets, Or What ?

I know you won't " hint " to your Cousin, because she may give it back to you and
you lose the bet.

I use Maggio's Ricotta For Italian Easter Cheese Cake and other things.
I've tried a lot of the other brands and like this the best.
Do you have it there ?????

Lou

Danabz9:
I went shopping today at Walmart's ,
so I thought I would take a look at the Lodge Cast Iron Cook Ware, just for curiosity,

I wanted to see for myself, what everyone is talking about.

Don't like to differ, with other opinions, because maybe it worked for them.

BUT !!! I wouldn't, even in my Dreams,think of buying any of the Lodge Cookware.

It was so rough , " how rough " ???
I could use the Cooking Surface to make Orange Zest or Grate Cheese.

Of course this is only my humble Opinion.
Maybe others, bought Lodge Cast Cookware, that was better.

Lou

Hi Lou, Hi Lisa, Hi all and especially my N.Y friends who replied. Anyone from N.C. here??? I am looking to move but need a few questions answered "HONESTLY". You can post here or write me at .......tonti543@hotmail.com Also, I have been very busy this week so I never got a chance to post my recipes for those Cannoli's and Cheese Cake. Also, Lou, or anyone who knows, how do I start a new thread???Talk soon, Tony

Hi Tony:
The only thing I know about NC is ,
I sold a White Marble Eagle Bust, that I Sculpted to an Antique Dealer,
along with a lot of other items.

To start a new Thread : Go to the bottom and Post your
" Message " Put in the Subject Title.

Click on " Preview Message ". If it looks OK hit
" Submit Message "

If not go down to Preview again and fix it.

Then click on " Submit Message "

It will say if the message was subimitted.
Then you will have an option to the CF.

Screw up 3 times " Go directly to Jail, do not Pass GO "
Lou

Any ideas on how to reseason aluminum loaf pans. As I stated in my other post, mine have started sticking and I am not sure why.
Would I follow the same procedure here or do I have to do something different for aluminum?
Lisa

Lou - no, I've never seen Maggio's around here. I'm HORRIBLE with names lol!! I can see the containers of the two most popular brands we have here, the label designes and everything, but can I think of the names? No!! It'll come to me.

I haven't had a chance to deal with my Lodge pan yet - I usually have to cram everything in on the weekends. I never have time after work to get much done and now with gardening season here, if I do get anything done, it's usually in the garden! I plan on taking care of it this weekend tho. And I'm going to check out ebay as well.

Besides the nice way they cook and all, I really like that if you need to, you can take the cast iron from the stovetop to the oven. They're just so versatile. And not having to replace pans a couple times a year because they're ruined will be great as well!! I hope I can find some of these older pans everyone else is talking about! I go to flea markets all the time, but I was never looking for cast iron before so I never paid attention to what's available! Hopefully the cat isn't quite out of the bag yet on how great these old pans are and there's still a lot out there to pick from!!

Lisa