I have one Lodge brand skillet. I’m planning to buy a Dutch oven and possibly more items because I enjoy cooking in the skillet.

Is there any functional difference in brands, or are Finex and Le Creuset mostly fashion statements? I could sell five 9mm cartridges and buy the more expensive brands, but won’t if they are only status symbols.

Thanks in advance!

I look for Vintage Cast Iron myself, this modern stuff doesn't match the old Iron in my opinion. Craigslist, Offer Up etc and you can find some deals.
A proper cleaning and seasoning and you have a Pan that will be your favorite for decades to come.
https://estatesales.org/thegoods/vintag ... iron-guide

OG commentary in 3-2-1.......

I have one very old pre “Lodge” brand that I’ve had for over twenty years, love it use it almost daily. I can’t remember the brand or marks. A friend gave me an Lodge in identical size. I’ve used it enough to say it seems to cook just as good as my other one. I did give the Lodge to my adult son because I don’t cook with two cast irons at the same time. I’ve seen plenty used on FB Marketplace. These things last a lifetime.

Look here for info

/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=38031&p=1059399&hilit=cast+iron#p1059399

I have a new lodge and love it. I highly doubt anyone could tell the difference between the brands.

Thanks everybody.

My experience is. The internal finish on new cast iron is ruff in contrast to vintage cast iron. That can make it very hard to season. Which means it won’t have that non stick surface.
So that would be the first thing I would look at when purchasing cast iron cookware. For your average skillet you can find them used for under $20.00 if your patient and you like to explore second had shop and garage sales. Name brands are cool for collectors. But just because there is no name on a piece does not mean it won’t cook well.
When buying used. Hold the skillet (or whatever cast iron your buying ) by the handle. Let it hand down , the tap or flick the pan with your finger. Like your ringing a bell. And it should, ring like a bell. If it’s a dull thud. That tells you the item is cracked and you don’t want that. Second, set the skillet down on a flat solid surface. Now try to spin it. If it spins or even rocks. That means it’s warped. And that’s no good. Lastly the best deals are buying rusted and nasty caked on crudded up items. With a little effort a person can easily remove rust and 80 + years of baked on grease. And have a beautiful better than new pice of cast cookware.
There are some good YouTube videos on what to look for and how to restore cast iron cookware.
I just learned how to use easy off oven cleaner for removing old baked on grease. It’s a lot easier that sanding and wire wheel.
Good luck with your search

I picked this up last week at the Value Village in Burien. It’s a 10” number 8 Griswold made it the 1950’s.
I paid $12.00 for it.

Cast iron identification

[youtube2] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6QqXA8kWnT4 [/youtube2]

[youtube2] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FrGaOd5zv8Y [/youtube2]

Well I still don’t know how to get videos posted. So this will have to work.

^ Just post the plain link if you want, that's fine.

If you use the "youtube2" tag, just put the alphanumeric code for the video inside the tags. In this case, put "FrGaOd5zv8Y" inside the tags (no quotes).

Yep, the surface finish is the big difference. That Griswold is a beauty!

A 10" Griswold for $12 is a nice find indeed!

Carbon steel is also a good option. Half the weight.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/carbon-st ... ce-4796603

There are a ton of inaccuracies in that article designed to sell their pans to folks not very familiar with steel/iron/alloys etc.


Bullshit. It's the sand casting molds that give the pan its finish. Some pans even have a machined or sanded surface. Fast/low quality molds are lumpy.

I have many 50 year old GM engine blocks (cast iron) with a nicer surface than a new lodge logic. Their lumpy ass finish is one of the worst.

Also they claim that carbon steal heats quicker and it better because it has no hot spots.
Bullshit.
Cast iron is better because it heats SLOWLY and EVENLY. When some thing heats slowly it shares that heat (heat soak) with the surrounding metal EVENLY. When something heats quickly it only heats the area heat is applied to and not the surrounding areas as well. Remember if it heats quickly, it cools quickly.

This one of the reasons that a brass/copper radiator works superior to these cheap aluminum radiators. Aluminum heats and cools quickly, but also leads to massive temp fluctuations.

A great sales pitch for their "cheaper to produce" pans tho.

If your in a hurry to cook, get a nice microwave