I have a number of lodge cast iron pans. They work great. All we use is cast iron or SS for my big stock pots.
I have a Griswold i bought at a garage sale 30 years ago for a dollar. Its still in amazing shape. I made the rue for my mac-n-cheese in it on thanksgiving

To expand on OG's post a bit. Cast iron makes for great cookware precisely because it's a poor conductor of heat (stay with me). As the iron heats up, there's slow dispersal of that heat, meaning that the pan does heat slowly, and retains that heat over time because of the poor conductance and little radiation. So it tends to stay hotter longer, I'm sure one of our metallurgists can explain this better (Arisaka?). For instance I like my eggs over easy, Rita likes hers over hard bordering on crunchy (yik). If I'm cooking something before, like corned beef hash which takes a medium hot pan, after it's done, I'll cook her eggs first because the pan's too hot for what I like. Then I'll turn off the flame, and cook my eggs as the pan cools. On the other hand if we're just having some eggs on toast, I'll cook my eggs first while the pan's warming up, and hers afterward when the pan's hotter.

A love a nice carbon steel wok, because I'm stir frying and you want high heat with a fair amount of control (pushing food up the sides). Cooking eggs on carbon steel sucks, but it can be done.

For maintenance, oil it every time you use it, use a polyunsaturated oil, like peanut or most vegetable oil, don't use a monounsaturated oil like olive oil as it'll go rancid on you after a while. If the oil solidifies in the fridge, don't use it to treat / season your cast iron. You can flash off most stuck particles with high heat and hitting it with spray from your sink faucet. Look into a stainless chain mail cleaner (about $6 on Amazon). It won't hurt the finish and scrapes off anything the flash didn't get.

The bit about ringing like a bell is good advice too. I bought a chicken pot from my brother years ago (he has an IMPRESSIVE cast iron collection). Didn't think about checking it, it's my brother, right? Turns out, it had a 6" crack in the bottom that was hidden by the accumulated carbon. It didn't show up until I cleaned it. I give him shit about that to this day (he gave me a replacement).

The difference between the ones you mentioned is that Lodge is a plain cast iron where a Le Cruset or Staub is an Enamel cast iron.



Plain cast iron is easy to produce, you pour liquid iron into a mold and finish the surface with a polymerized fat layer we call "seasoning" to prevent rust and a nonstick layer. This layer is not permanent however.

Enamel cast iron uses the same process but instead puts a glass like enamel surface on that is baked on that provides its protective rust layer and nonstickish properties.

Functionally the big difference in the two is non-stick quality and the ability to cook in acidic products like tomatoes.

Plain cast iron is second in nonstick capabilities to Teflon, once properly cared for and years are put on, the seasoning can be able to cook eggs, or cornbread without sticking to the surface. However any acidic foods cooked for long periods of time like Spaghetti sauce with strip the seasoning into the food, and cause iron metals to leech into the food causing a metallic taste.

Enamel cast Iron is not nonstick and is functionally equivalent to stainless steel in nonstick but has the dense cooking properties of cast iron. You can cook acidic foods in enamel cast iron.

Between the two they are different tools, but the large majority of stew dishes include some kind of acidic component like red wine beef stews, or Italian tomato sauces which make enamel the best choice. While a lot of other dishes like eggs, steak, fish, or cornbread rely more on the nonstick qualities of good seasoning to prevent stickage and makes plain cast iron the best choice for these foods.

Between plain cast iron brands, really there is Lodge, and made in China brands, and some bespoke retailers specializing in smooth style vintage cast iron. At some point about 40-50 years ago Lodge went from making smooth polished cast iron to this rough and bumpy texture you can find these days. The rougher texture lodge argues holds onto seasoning better, and is more nonstick due to the lesser surface contact, but plenty argue that the polish surface of the olden days works better for liquid cooking stuff like eggs or pancakes.



Lodge might have a point here because in some anecdotal tests, there isn't much difference and sometimes the cheap lodges still outperform the expensive smooth style pans. Considering how inexpensive it is, there isn't any reason not to buy the Lodge, I don't know why people would buy the Chinese ones when the original name is out there for $20.



If you want a project you can polish the new lodges to be smooth which is what I did on mine like this project. I'm not sure if it makes it "better" but I'm pretty happy with my pan today.



With Enamel cast iron there is two brands that are considered the original made in France, they are Le Cruset and Staub, the rest are made in China.



The French made brands have a manufacturing process that produces a thicker enamel which is less prone to chipping. Most users report them lasting 25 years+ but it's probably a combination of careful handling because of how expensive they are, and the thicker more durable enamel.

The Chinese made ones like the one's from Lodge or the Celebrity chef ones "Rachel Ray" or Mario Batali (if he isn't fully canceled) will probably chip within about 5-7 years of use. Once chipped depending on where it is, you might need to throw out the pan, but the chinese ones cost like 1/4th of the French ones so you can probably get the same lifetime use in terms of $$.

Between Staub and Le Cruset the big difference in the two is that Staub uses a black surface where Le Cruset uses a pale surface. The pale surface is better for cooking where you need to judge the color of bits stuck to the surface like Creole Roux, Gumbos, or Caramel. The pale surface will get stains and look more used as time goes on, where the black surface of the Staub will look "newer." Staub comes from the factory with a metal handle that is safe up to 500 degrees where Le Cruset is about 375, unless you buy an optional handle from them for another $40. Staub also goes on sale more often and is sometimes a good $100 less than Le Cruset on holiday deals, and you are getting about the same Made in France quality between the two. I have a Staub and am generally happy with it for any of my stew dishes like Beef Burgandy or Brazilian Feijoada, and I just remind myself the Le Cruset is $100 more for the same quality.

Hope this helps makes your decision.

^^^^^ very nice write up

Bubblewhip, thank you for the education!

Thanks everyone, that gives me a much better position to buy from.

Let us know what you plan on buying.

Yes, very nice writeup BW!
I have both new Lodge and vintage Griswold pans, and both work just fine. I've never used any high end / euro iron, or super cheap Chinese stuff. My little bit of interweb searching lead me to references of all the issues mentioned so far. One thing that I don't think was mentioned was that, generally speaking, the newer Lodge type pans are a thicker material and should be less prone to the "spinner" or "wobbler" scenarios that come from warping. They should, theoretically, heat a little slower and more evenly for the same reason. YMMV, of course.
Seasoning quality and thickness wins the day IMHO. I like avocado oil for seasoning as it has the highest smoke temp of anything readily available. As mentioned by BW, you can sand a Lodge pan smoother if you like the appearance or think it works better. Then you get the best of both worlds, the smooth finish and a thicker, warp resistant pan.
Me? I just keep my huge 13.25" Lodge pan well seasoned and ready for big family breakfasts (corned beef hash & eggs, anyone?), and use the decades old 8" Griswold most frequently for a few eggs or a grilled sandwich.

Good luck!

I've got all my mom's/grand ma's old Lodge pans and a few that I've found at yard sales throughout the decades.
You mention two of the top quality brands for the enamel stuff but what's your opinion of Costco's?

Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 2-pack
Item 1455590
★★★★★
Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 2-pack

Your Price $69.99
Shipping & Handling $3.99*
Features:
Enameled Cast Iron
Oven Safe up to 450°F
Induction Ready
Hand Wash Only
Color : Blue / Red

The rest of the enamel brands that are not Staub or Le Cruset are all Chinese contracted imports, Tramontina, Cuisinart, and Lodge enamel are all Chinese imports. It doesn't mean that they are bad but I'd hazard to guess they all came from the same supplier which means they have a thinner enamel coating and more likely to chip within 5-7 years. I know that Tramontina has a lifetime warranty and you can probably take advantage of that whenever it chips.

Costco + lifetime warranty has a nice ring to it.

On the subject of acidic foods.
If a person already owns a decent quality stainless steel soup pot and/or stock pot.
Then there is no real reason to invest (or take a chance) in a porcelain coated cast iron piece.
Use the stainless for high acidic foods and your cast iron for others.
That being said. I do cook chili and spaghetti sauce in my non porcelain dutch oven.
It just means I’ll need to pay a little more attention to the re seasoning.

I don't "season" anything.

My stuff gets cooked in everyday and seasons itself. Never a drop of soap and I have the nicest black shiny surface you can culture.

I think lots of people focus to much so "seasoning" and not enough on cooking.

I agree with this statement. I will add. I think most people don’t know how to fry in something other than non stick.
Along that. They were taught that cooking with fats are baaad. So they get albino pancakes and fried eggs stuck to the pan.
But this could be a whole other thread.

Sorry to de rail the thread.

I have a few Lodge brand skillets as well as some older cast iron verities. Back in the day the focus was on craftsmanship and word of mouth advertising that helped sell brands. Now the focus is on cost production and to hell with word of mouth. Lodge knows it has a brand that can sell for less compared to newer brands that are more refined with some desirable features, but cost a lot more. For both my new Lodge skillets I took a quick grinder brush to the cooking surface, then a quick polish stone. I seasoned as normal. This helped buff out any imperfections or irregularities, and helped with the seasoning long term. I can fry an egg as if it were a non stick pan. The only gripe I have with Lodge is they have such a dinky short handle. I like the depth of the pan, but the stupid short handle is the biggest flaw behind the cost cutting casting surfaces. Other new, more expensive, brands have tried to have a longer handle and a more refined product, which is what some consumers want. Plus a longer handle is further from the heat and will be cooler to the touch. With Lodge you are using a towel or something to ward off the heat, or one of those silicon handle covers that are the equivalent of some guy with a tiny package using a magnum condom...a lot of slack and it isn't really doing the job it was intended to do.

If you can get an older cast iron skillet, or whatever, for fairly cheap, you can easily clean it up and get it cook worthy fairly easily. The surfaces are usually smoother, and in some cases they could be seasoned with some quality TLC. I think size comes into play too. Some of the older pan brands had slightly larger options, compared to what is offered as new today, that may suit your cooking style.

We cook with our cast iron at least once a week in some capacity. The rest of our pans are All Clad, with two non stick deeper set skillet.

So is there any difference between brands...yes. Will a cheap Lodge preform in the kitchen as well as a more expensive brand...yes. It comes down the features, surface, and name brand. Even the cheapest can be made to cook like the best most expensivest brand out there. Yes expensivest isn't a word.