Thanks for the comments. I just noticed on some ads for Staub similar dimples or protrusions on lids... I guess it helps to make the water/liquid drips more evenly dispersed. And yes that would be for braising, but I was wondering if enameled cast iron is great for any other method of cooking (besides "lid off" roasting & baking) that the Fontignac cookware wouldn't perform well. There was another even cheaper brand (couldn't see a brand name) at the same store... seemed lighter though. That would be nice for my weak-ish hands, but I'm kind of lusting after one of the pretty heavier ones... would probably keep it to either a 3-4 quart size, or maybe one of those shallow round casserole items with lid. In any case, I don't go much to the stores so will read more and probably take some time to decide.... especially since I'm reasonably well-stocked with stainless steel cookware. And also have Romertopf clay bakers that I picked up super cheaply at garage sale/second hand store. But that's not for stove-top use, and our oven's on the blink right now.... hmmm.... Meanwhile, I've learned a ton & really enjoy browsing some of the posts here - thanks!

Got reunited with CI a few years ago when I found 3 different size "name-brand" (Lodge, griswold, etc.) skillets for next to nothing at a yard sale. It took SEVERAL applications of oven cleaner to get the unknown GOOK off. I reseasoned like my Grandmother always did... HOT pan and a dab of bacon grease smeared all over... inside and out. As for cleaning, if cooking something "dry" like eggs... once pan was seasoned, only needed to be wiped out with paper towel. If something "wet"... scrape with metal spatula... HOT water, cheap salt and a scrubber. Then on burner till hot and another dab of BG. IMO, KEY to cast iron is USE IT!! I think it's easy to find... CHEAP at yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets... cuz it is HEAVY and some people think it's "old-fashioned"... they don't know what they're missing. When I first started "collecting" CI, stored several pieces in oven. Then noticed minor rust?? Figure from steam coming off whatever was cooking while pieces were sitting there. Just scrubbed it off, a little more BG... but I moved pieces to where I saw them everyday and then use them frequently.

Like Lou said, the oil/fat/lard is going to actually carbonize so it can be useful to use a fat with a low smoke point. I have used vegetable, olive oil sucessfully but you really have to bake it on to the pan. The pan is going to smoke like the devil if you're doing it right. A good testto see if you have a sufficient patina is that you should be able to cook an egg without oil and it won't stick. Here is what your pan should look like when you're done. Here is a fantastic post on seasoning cast iron" " acmorris Aug 23, 2007 02:30PM I'm answering a number of posts in this reply. You may want to get an 80 grit sand paper and scour the pot if it's new and unpolished, if you want to be 100% natural - use kosher salt. Your arms will appreciate the sand paper--much faster and less work. Unpolished is common with the brands you mentioned. Some brands also use a form of food wax for the initial season, nasty -- scrub it off. If you don't, you will notice over time that small chips appear that will be back filled with new carbon, giving a mottled texture. Think Waxed Paper (non stick), it doesn't adhere to metal, on the other hand, we've all scrubbed that brown goo from the bottom of pans (carbonized oil); and we know how well that adheres. Once you are ready to season, wash the pan well with soap, dry it on a burner. I've used cast iron for more almost 40 years, some of my cookware is twice as old as I am :) There is contention all over the web about what to use for seasoning, truth is just about anything. Vegetable Oils, corn in particular aren't the greatest since they take much longer to fully carbonize. They will work just as good as any other, but need near double the time in the oven to develop. Don't worry about sticky residues, explained below. Any Oil you have on-hand will work, I'm partial to Olive Oil or Crisco/Animal Fats, in that order. Olive Oil is natural and has been around longer than cast iron cookware, it predates by 1200-1400 years. Olive oil is also naturally antibiotic. Do NOT use cooking sprays for this purpose. Three reasons why pots come out sticky, and only three: 1. Oven temp too low. 2. Pan was not turned upside down so that puddles formed. 3. Not enough time was allowed for lubricant to complete the conversion to carbon. Things you need: 1. Take your pick from, Natural Bristle Pastry Brush, Paper Towel, Cloth Towel/Rag 2. Cookie Sheet lined with foil placed on Bottom Rack of Oven or an Oven Liner 3. Open windows if your oven doesn't vent outside. Seasoning Cast Iron does generate smoke similar to a cooking in a dirty oven. Turn on your oven to bake @ 500-550F Lightly coat your cast iron with your selection of lubricant. Do not allow any puddles to remain. Place the pan(s) on the top rack (not on the foil) for a few hours upside down until no more odor/smoke comes off the pan when you check on it. This takes a few hours. Repeat process until you have a nice black carbon layer. My usual on new or reseasoned cookware is 3-4 coats. Just until the pan turns carbon black or very near. If you can see a lot of color (grey, orange to brown etc), then the carbon layers aren't thick enough, reapply and bake it again. I just slide the rack out and brush on a new layer. Once you are satisfied, bake for an additional 3-4 hours to set the finish. Your cookware should be black or very near, glossy and not sticky or slimy. Your new seasoning can't be washed off, with the exception of using Lye. Avoid scrub pads of any kind for 3 months, use a vegetable brush if needed; at this point your cast iron will outlast your great-grand children. You can test your new carbon layer by toasting bread with your pan. If it doesn't stick, nothing will. You can even try this with high end non-stick cookware and find that the cast iron fares much better with this test. More about sticky pans: Your pan won't be sticky if the burn is complete. Sticky pots come from an incomplete burn of the oil layers. Rather than convert the oil to carbon, it's been rendered to tar. This is why some advocate not using vegetable oils (corn oil). Those oils have a high smoking point, and take longer to develop the carbon layer we are looking for. This can be fixed by baking your pan for several hours as described above. Dust, Lint, Food and all sorts of things will stick to your pans inside and out. Over time as the incomplete layers do carbonize; this debris will become part of your cookware's finish. I'm sure you've seen cast iron with bumpy areas, inside and/or out. Now you know what it is. Also, since this debris does settle into the glue like tarry oil, rinsing with water before use won't rinse it off. The only way to contend with this is to scrub down below where the offending material was introduced. Lubricating cold cookware before you put it away: Not a good idea, never has been, never will be. Lubricants do evaporate, they become tarlike. Debris and food will stick to the pan over time and result in a finish that is not smooth. For those people that will disagree with me on this, ever notice what the pan feels like after it's sat for a few days? Sticky? The cookware gets quite enough oil to maintain the carbon layer from simple use. Once your base layer is on, the maintenance is a continual process as another user stated. If you do a lot of no-fat cooking and the finish starts to turn grey, once it's dried on the burner, put two or three drops of oil in the pan and wipe it around with a paper towel/cloth. Let the pan heat up until it begins to smoke then remove from the heat. Care - there's many opinions on this one as well. If you use the high-heat method to season, no amount of dish soap is going to wash it off. It will however remove the oils from the surface, and your seasoning will wear down over time; since there is no maintenance. Water Only or Dish Soap is your personal choice, but if you do use soap, when the finish begins to grey just add a few drops of oil and smear it around, heat the pan and let it begin smoking, remove from heat. Avoid using cooking sprays for cast iron maintenance. These evaporate very fast and will result in the cookware having a gummy texture; attracting all sorts of debris that will become permanent in the carbon layer once enough heat is used. As for commentary about cooking eggs with no oil in cast iron, I do it all the time :) When that puppy's done, just slides right onto that toast!! It does take 8-16 hours to season a new piece. The lower the smoking point of the lubricant, the shorter the time. Any method that doesn't result in your cookware turning black, will result in foods that stick and an overall displeasure with cast iron."

I am so encouraged to see this many 15" skillet users. : ) Have you used a French Top, Homechef? I've watched some videos of those and they look pretty interesting. I wasn't sure if they'd have issues with cooler edges by virtue of design or not. I'd love to try using one and see if it would work well for us or not. I didn't realize the island guard pushed the range so far forward Ci Lantro. That's great that it lets you use larger pans on the back burners of the Wolf. We won't have the freedom to do that in our kitchen, but that might help others to know that info. : ) I hear you about the Kenmore with sealed burners. That's what we had when we had a gas stove before we moved and switched to electric 6 years ago. Meh, I was glad to leave that one behind. That's neat your mom used to use a big skillet, Lazy Gardens. I'm assuming she was cooking on gas, since the electric underneath ours is a no-go. We do have and use 2 12" cast iron skillets, too LWO. But there are times when it would be nice to throw a massive amount of food into the big skillet and let 'er rip. ; ) I'd love to see a pic of your tractor disc-wok setup. Sounds awesome! Mistman- oh, oh, a real live Blue Star owner! I'm going to have more questions for you. I'll start another thread so other BS owners can join the fun. Gyr Falcon, it's great to hear it works on the GE Profile. I picked my skillet up (also a Lodge brand) in the camping section of Wal Mart 7 or 8 years ago. I was so excited to find it, but it's my most underutilized pan right now. CTDM, excuse my gawking at your cast iron collection. Those are gorgeous! Love how they shine. I hope it doesn't take 100 years to get a patina like that on ours. My one 12" lodge is getting a nice sheen to it, but the other one that we've been using for about a year still has a rough surface in the bottom even after seasoning it in the oven and using it a few times a week. Both are Lodges. Yes, the 15" skillet is honkin' heavy. Please stay tuned for questions about the Blue Star. I'll be starting another thread soon. Glad to hear from another long-time user, Loyalandtrue. Comfort foods, those are the best, aren't they. That's exactly what I want to do, Cindy103d: Brown lots of meat, onions, or mushrooms all at the same time. Or potatoes, or a huge stir fry, or...now I'm getting hungry, LOL. I love the name of your pan. I might have to christen ours something similar if it comes back into service.