ust not easy to find anymore. But really, the proof in the quality of this cast iron was obvious when i made sweet potato corn bread and baked it in the oven in this skillet. It came out so nice and brown and moist. I'm enclosing pictures, so you can see the nice way it cooked the corn bread on both the top and bottom of the bread. Sorry, the pan in the first picture is a bit oily looking....I had cooked in the pan and then washed and oiled it. If you like this review, please click the helpful button under the review. It helps me to know if my reviews help people.

s a little difficult to manage when it's hot as it really needs two hands, so a hot pad has to be added to the equation. I've added a full sized dinner fork and another common kitchen amenity to give this a bit of scale: if you need a big pan, this is definitely perfect for paella or another large skillet type meal. If you are looking for something more general purpose, the next size down might be a better bet.

void eggs, cheese and starchy vegetables during this time frame. Don't be shy with the butter either!

If you oil after each cleaning (I clean with just hot water and a paper towel), you quickly get to a pretty "non-stick" surface. After towel drying and oiling, I often stick my cast iron in the oven on 350 for 10 - 20 minutes to dry it out completely, and to help the oil take.

The 12" size is small enough to be manageable on the stove, but large enough to accommodate many dishes for a family of four. However, I find that I still have to cook some items in batches.

Mine came with a silicon sleeve for the handle, which is wonderful as the handle can get H-O-T during use.

If you are looking at buying cast iron cookware, I would stick with Lodge. It's good quality, and made in the USA. We bought a cheaper cast iron skillet a while back, and there is a noticeable quality difference. If treated right, your Lodge cookware can last generations.

ick pan...) just coat the pan with a light coating of cooking oil and put it in the oven (upside down) at 450 for 20 minutes. Then, turn the oven off and let the pan cool off. That's it! If you want to get really fancy, repeat this process 2-3 times. You'll have to chase a fried egg around the pan! Slippery!!

I have owned the pans for several months and these are the only pans I cook in now. They really hold the heat, and they really are non-stick...especially if you season them.

Yes, the pans are heavy, but you'll get used to it. I use these pans on the stove top and in the oven. The best part is when a recipe requires cooking in a pan and then transferring the contents into bakeware, so it can be placed in the oven. Nope! I just slide my cast iron pan into the oven and bake away!

spending $300 for an antique skillet on ebay, however, so I bought one of these and polished the entire interior surface with a power drill and an avanti quick strip disk, and finished it off with an orbital sander. I then seasoned it with crisbee (which works well with smooth cast iron). The end result is a Lodge skillet with a smooth, non-stick surface, just like the old time classic skillets! All it took was an afternoon's worth of work!

Still, I find it pretty irritating that there are no major manufacturers of smooth-bottom cast iron skillets in this day and age. It's a completely neglected market!