Lodge5 Quart Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Deep Skillet - Signature Teardrop Handle & Assist Handle - Use in the Oven, on the Stove or Grill, or Over a Campfire - Black

Received in an excellent condition. The skillet is very good quality, good value for the money,good cooking capacity. Very happy with my purchase.

This is my go to iron pot. I bet I use it every day along with my iron skillets. I got rid of all the other cookware I was using . Iron is the way to go for new now, I won't evey have to replace it

I will re-post this review that I posted on another cast iron pan because of the interest I received on it.Seeing that I was stuck with a LODGE very rough factory seasoning on one of the pans I bought, I used an angle grinder and a steel grinding pad and ground off all of the finish on the inside of the pans cooking surface. I then seasoned it 3 to 5 times and Walla, I have a smooth CI pan that has a decent finish. A LODGE seasoned finish can be a very rough and hard to use finish until it is 25 years old. so this was my solution. Lodge says to use vegtable or olive oil. I use flax seed oil and find that it gives a much better and harder finish. I do this 3 to 5 times and you can't beat the finish. I spread a small amount of flax seed oil on the inside of a pre heated pan (small- just enough to coat the surface). Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees and put the pan in the oven for an hour. After the pan cool enough to handle it I re-do this a total of 3 to 5 times. I think the finished seasoning is even better than the finish in Teflon so called non-stick pans. When they are cooled I put a small ( very small) amount of olive oil or vegetable oil on the pans to store them. When they are about to be used, I again give them a small amount of oil and pre-heat the pans before putting the food in them.I have only had to grind one of the five Lodge pans as it was very rough. Lodge says the finish is rough because of the coating they put on it and they have to spray enough on it to keep the spray from running on the pan. (or some silly thing like that) I call it production line gobbing it on. The others filled in to a fairly smooth surface by treating with flax seed oil three to five times. Lodge says to not use flax seed oil but they don't say why. When using the pan always pre-heat before putting the food in. This helps to non-stick the food.A lot of people say do not use soap. I think that is an old wife's tale. Soap is a degreaser and does not hurt the flax seed oil if you use just a little bit.I have been using a few drops of soap and rinsing the pan very well before using it again. By heating the flax seed oil you polymerize the oil to a varnish type finish. A little soap is not going to degrease heated flax seed oil. Flaxseed oil is just a food grade linseed oil. If you have ever seen a real shiny rifle stock it may have been multiple coats of linseed oil. I use vegetable oil or a very few drops of olive oil when putting the pans away. When I use them I reheat the pan and THEN use a small amount of butter or veg oil before putting the food in the pan. You want the food to sizzle when you put it in the pan to crust the food. Get the oil hot enough to shimmer or start to smoke before adding the food. I usually use a high grade olive oil and after heating the pan I add a small amount of butter also. Using two different oils you get a better non-stick surface on the pan. I WANT THE BUTTER TO QUICKLY MELT AND BUBBLE WHEN YOU ADD IT. YES..THAT HOT...When cleaning the pan with STUCK ON FOOD, just make a paste of Kosher salt and olive oil and scrub away. It will clean the pan better than a brillo pad.

I have been looking for a deep skillet and once again, Lodge does not disappoint. This is perfect for larger one skillet meals & for fried chicken. It does come pre-seasoned, but should also be seasoned after you receive your skillet. This is one of the most used skillets in my house and it keeps the nonstick surface use and use. Very easy to clean and take care of.

This is a great pan. I have several frying pans, and am saving up for a certain style Dutch oven and double-burner griddle. Cast iron, like anything, has its pros and cons. It is heavy, making it hard to lift and carry; but it also doesn't move if you bump the handle or are using both hands to hold another vessel that you're pouring from into the pan. It comes preseasoned, eliminating that step that should be repeated several times on a non-preseasoned pan prior to use. Things DON'T stick to this pan, as is always the misconception, precisely because of the preseasoning. It imparts a small amount of iron into the food, which is good, as most people are deficient in iron. Cleanup is a bit tedious (no soap or detergent, hot water with a stiff brush, no dishwasher, dry immediately); a small amount of extra time for the care and upkeep, but time well spent in the scheme of things. If it were to rust for whatever reason (you found grandma's pan in the leaky basement; she put it in storage twenty years ago when she moved and forgot about it), it is easily scoured, seasoned, and ready to go. Rarely, except under extreme circumstances, would you ever have to replace a cast-iron pan.I started making the switch to cast iron about six months ago. My husband cooks, I don't; he didn't want cast iron, I did. The deal that we had before the cast iron continued--he cooks, I clean. He has no complaints (other than the weight, from time to time), and that he sometimes forgets to put the insulated handle on before grabbing the handle of the pan. But that's "operator error", nothing to do with the pan itself. I switched to cast iron because of the toxicity of nonstick coatings, such as Teflon. Cast iron is better for your health, it will last generations with proper care, it does not offgas toxic fumes, and it does not flake like nonstick coatings which, it is recommended, have to be discarded.My 11-year-old has taken a great interest in cooking and watches cooking shows a lot, namely on the Food Network. He is very aware of tools used and techniques employed, and noted that many of the chefs and cooks use cast iron, and the ease and sometimes importance of being able to leave the food in the pan but transferring the pan from the stove to the oven. Only with cast iron can you do this safely.Self-basting lids (when lids are used) help to evenly distribute "condensation", keeping the food uniformly moist. I researched pans vs. Dutch ovens, skillets vs. frying pans, handle vs. tab, and am very happy with all my purchases. If you are thinking about purchasing cast iron, of course consider your needs, but also look carefully at product descriptions as to size of pan (diameter and depth), and try different search terms as this will sometimes yield different results. The terms 'skillet', 'frying pan', 'deep fryer', and 'chicken fryer' will give you a bigger variety of similar pans from which to choose. I would also recommend paying a little more for an American-made product (I prefer Lodge; it has a long history to look at); they are heavier (better quality, more evenly distribute the heat); and American products from a reputable company will more than likely follow governmental guidelines for safety. What you're cooking in the pan will go in your body; be cognizant about what can leach from the pan into the food.

Very sturdy and versatile. You can boil, sir fry abd sauté on this. Used it for several weeks now and it's very convenient to cook food and clean it after. Great value for the money and mind without worrying the toxic chemicals