Great pan, cast iron is the way to go and the seasoning on these is impressive out of the box.
I added further seasoning just by cooking fatty steaks. I would usually use Linseed oil as with my Aus-Ion pan.
When compared to an aus-ion pan, which in my opinion is ridiculously expensive now, this pan does have some differences.
- the handle will get very hot very quickly. Aus-ion may after extended use.
- the pan has huge mass so isn't particularly responsive to temperature changes which may be good for electric cooking, but I find a downside when cooking with gas
- the finish out of the box is better than the aus-ion
- these weigh in heavier, but not by much
- the handle is extremely short, I don't even pick this thing up anymore except to clean it
- the sides are steeper, and marginally higher. I actually see this as a positive
The red silicon handle is a gimmick. It cannot be left on while cooking on high heat, mine smoked and rendered a dusty white film where heat was excessive. The handle seems baggy like an old sock, but is difficult to get on and off. This is annoying, I can't quickly cover the handle or pull this off without the pan sliding about the place. For me the sliding is fine, we have cast iron brackets over gas, but a nice induction cooktop or glass hob would suffer greatly.
As with all cast iron cookware; metal tools are great, a little dish soap is fine, applying excessive heat at the end of cooking something which leaves a thin layer of fats - enough to smoke - is a great idea, I use a thick flat plastic spatula to clean stubborn muck from the pan, rarely use oil to cook, and dry the pan with heat rather than paper towels to ensure water is removed from the porous surface.
I'd give the pan
| Brand | Lodge |
|---|---|
| Model Number | L8SK3ASHH41B |
| Color | Red Silicone |
| Product Dimensions | 40.89 x 26.92 x 5.08 cm; 1.94 Kilograms |
| Diameter | 10.25 Inches |
| Material | Cast Iron |
| Special Features | Induction Stovetop Compatible |
| Item Weight | 1.94 kg |
