Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Frying pan, Gas, Electric, Induction ready, Metal Utensil Safe. Made in USA. 30.5 cm/12 inch, Black

These pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron pans - if cared for properly - are a life-long purchase, or possibly longer, if you decide to hand them down to the next generation!They are beautifully made, with a clean, consistent cast, and a considerable heft, even in the smaller sizes. The iron has a tight, fine grain which produces smooth curves and crisp details on the pan, and provides a visible sense of quality. Equipping your kitchen with a set of these would be ideal if you appreciate traditional, quality items that can be passed down from generation to generation - they are genuinely 'Modern Retro'. Unchanged in design over hundreds of years, there is a sense when cooking with these that a great-great-grandmother has done the same somewhere back in the distant past. In this manner, they are eminently suitable for cooking traditional and slow-cooked dishes.Pros: Solid, long-lasting, high quality construction that saves on energy (as less heat is needed) and may improve the taste of your foods.A slower approach on a lower setting will infuse the pan with an even heat all over. The cast iron may not actually add anything taste-wise to the food being cooked, but - possibly by not taking anything away either - it definitely does help food taste better! Meats sear really well, sealing in more flavour. There is absolutely no chance of any contamination from non-stick chemicals or coatings as the pans are entirely naturally coated (cooking oil).Cons: Need slightly more maintenance than a modern non-stick pan, and the considerable weight can make them a bit of a handful!Pre-seasoning (cooked-on oil) ensures less hassle when the pan is new, and as you add to the seasoning through time, the non-stick qualities of the pan increase.Unlike normal non-stick pans, you can use metal kitchen implements with impunity, as the surface is practically bulletproof. However, you must wash the pan in a gentle soap solution after each use, and re-coat the pan with oil before storing it away. In practice, this only takes a couple of minutes and leaves the pan with a satisfying black lustre. Not doing it, or leaving the pan damp, can result in rust quickly forming on the raw iron. However, even this is not a disaster as a gentle scrub and re-oiling will get rid of the rust (although leaving rust on for longer could result in physical damage to the surface of the pan).Due to their robust construction and the nature of cast iron, these pans tend to weigh heavily, even in the smaller sizes. This helps the pan spread and retain heat evenly, but can make them a bit of a handful when moving them around the stove. As an integral part of the pan, the handles heat up at the same rate, so be careful with them! The positive side of this is that the pan can go from stove top to oven to table top (and even BBQ!) without alteration, or risk of a plastic handle melting. Buy a pair of good quality silicone mitts or oven gloves and always lift them using both handles. Lodge do silicone covers for the handles and tempered, oven-proof glass lids in sizes to fit the main pans.For general use, the 8" and 10" sizes should be adequate, with 12" for larger meals or extended family cooking. They are also available in deep versions that can be used as a casserole. We store ours on the gas stove top as we like the look of them so much!

I have written about my love of cast iron pans on another review, and the same applies here - but further more, Lodge is a classic brand in the cast iron pan industry with a rich history of quality pans, so arguably worth paying the price for.Whilst looking for this pan, I considered some vintage cast iron pans on ebay, but in the end this was what I went for and haven't regretted it at all - this pan lives with pride on top of my hob in permanent display, and gets regular use (which really is the best way to get the best out of your pan - regular use keeps it seasoned and rust free)I will say upfront, that they can be heavy (yes, its cast iron, iron is heavy) and bulky, and also require some dedication and care - in honesty, not that much more dedication than just normal washing of a pan, but you have to be diligent. You have to clean it after use and season it. But with minimal effort, it will reward you.Practical advice:- Cast iron can rust! you need to take care to season it first (just google it, there are lots of articles about it). It basically involves scrubbing it, adding in vegetable (or some other) oil and heating it in the oven above the oils smoke point (just stick the oven on full - it will smoke, so be prepared for that), then let it cool down, wipe and repeat the process.- You should take care to not clean with abrasive brushes or use metal spatulas on it, as it is possible to damage and loosen the seasoning- After washing it, make sure you dry it thoroughly and lightly wipe with oil to keep the surface sealed it free from moistureSo what makes cast iron pans so great, given the additional work? It's because iron retains heat really well - often when you put something like a steak into a hot pan, the pan itself drops in temperature considerably - if you have ever been disappointed by not being able to get the wonderful deep brown/red colour of a steakhouse steak and end up with duller steaks, its probably for this reason - the pan temperature drops so the steak doesn't have a chance to brown before the steak is cooked. Cast iron hardly registers any drop in temperature (once suitable warmed) which means you can quickly get a beautiful brown sear on steak, burgers, fish, vegetables pretty quickly.

This is now a prized part of my eclectic collection of pans (a stainless steel sauté pan, a le creuset milk pan, a denby cast iron enamelled cookpot, and two stainless saucepans) and is superb.Large and substantial enough to either roast a chicken or cook a pizza, non-stick without dodgy chemicals, durable enough to use stainless spatulas, and solid enough to know it will last decades rather than be another quick-to-bin piece of rubbish like so much of the aluminium pans sold today.Yes its heavy, and it only just fits in the oven, but this is a real pan not one of those flimsy landfill magnets that most rely on. If cooking is important, and sustainable manufacture vital, this is the pan to go for. It will last long enough to hand over to your grandchildren, and its made from completely biodegradable and recycle-able material.Plus it cooks fantastically.So leave the teflon behind, and don't head for fragile enamel, but get this and have a pan for your life and beyond.