Lodge L8SGP3 Cast Iron Square Grill Pan, Pre-Seasoned, 10.5-inch

This grill pan is great! I live in an apartment but longed for the grill marks and enhanced flavor from an outdoor barbecue. I don’t have good ventilation either, so indoor cooking that produces too much smoke is not a good idea. I was originally looking at electric grill pans, but most of them had reviews indicating they broke down easily. I like my regular cast iron skillet so I gave this a shot. So far, I’ve made bratwurst, corn on the cob, different types of chicken, bacon and then caramelized onion after in the fat (for a quiche), eggplant, homemade ground chicken burgers with garlic and jalapeño, and zucchini. I’ve also taken it camping. Nothing has gotten stuck, and I only used cooking oil the first few times (the others were either naturally fatty or I used the drippings from fatty foods cooked prior, which really kicks food up a notch in terms of flavor).To anyone who hasn’t owned a cast iron skillet, or has gotten rust on theirs: DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO STAY WET. I mean, no air drying, no soaking, no “let me loosen it up by letting the water sit a while as I do other things and forget about it.” You MUST dry this pan thoroughly, and then coat it with oil (make sure the pan is warm). Also, don’t use soap!! One of the best things about a cast iron skillet is the “seasoning” that forms. Soap eats away at it and then: 1. You have to go through the trouble of re-seasoning it the “long” way by baking the pan in high heat, and 2. Your food will probably taste soapy. This is how I care for mine, and I’ve never had any problems (e.g. rust, cracking, etc.). It’s the same advice I got when I bought my first cast iron skillet, mixed with internet research, and it’s the safest option to ensure its longevity:• I let the pan cool down before washing it (sudden temperature changes aren’t good, especially cold water on a hot pan... this is called thermal shock and will lead to cracks/broken pans)• I use a dedicated silicone sponge that I never use dish soap on to wash it in warm water. I also bought the Lodge grill pan scraper because it makes clean up much easier than getting into each groove individually• I wipe the pan down with a paper towel• I heat the grill pan on the stove on medium-low heat until the remaining water evaporates• After the pan cools down a little (but while it’s still warm), I use a clean paper towel to rub oil ALL over it (it’s made of one piece of metal so you need to protect the entire thing, including the handle and reverse side)• I put it back in the cabinet and make sure never to store a damp/wet pot or pan near itAlternatively, you can use salt instead of washing it. I don’t use this method because it adds another thing I have to worry about buying and/or I’d use up my good salt, so I just find it easier to wash it. But some people swear by the salt method. You just pour salt into the pan right after cooking, allow it to soak up remaining food bits and oil, and then wipe it down and season with oil as described above while it’s still warm (or after you’ve reheated it).Tips:• olive oil has a low smoke point, which means it’s ill-suited for use with grill pans. Use an oil with a higher smoke point instead (such as corn oil or grapeseed oil)• don’t go above medium heat• be careful when handling it, as it retains heat for a long time and heats very evenly, which means the handles are hot! I got the silicone handle cover AND silicone pinching mitts and with those, I feel safe handling the pan when it’s warm/hot, but otherwise I would avoid it because the pan is heavy (especially for a woman) so you have to hold it tight and you’ll probably drop it if you don’t protect yourself from the heat• you can use metal utensils on it, but be careful not to scrape that precious seasoning off• don’t cook overly acidic foods in it because the acid will eat through the seasoning (such as tomatoes)• if your food is smoking too much, turn the heat down and/or reassess the type of cooking oil you’re using• do a thorough cleaning and season the pan with oil every time you are done using it for a while. (If I’m cooking different meals over a day or two, I’ll sometimes just keep using it with only a wipe down, so you don’t have to clean it right away, but don’t let it sit too long and don’t use too much oil when seasoning it because eventually the oil can putrify. And never, ever leave it wet!)If you follow these rules, this pan should last decades, and you’ll have a great seasoning on it whenever you cook. Do a little research on long-term care, such as when and how to remove and re-season the entire pan, and what type of oil you’ll like most, and you should love this pan.

I just cooked a thick ribeye steak using this grill. It's the first thing that I have cooked on it. Similar to a cast iron frying pan that I have, this generates a lot of "smoke". I had to take the battery out of my smoke detector, and open windows. I think I cooked it at a slightly higher temperature than I needed to. If smoke is a problem, think twice about buying this.The result is the best steak I have ever cooked indoors. It beats any electric grill I have ever used, and it beats the George Foreman grill hands down. I would say that the results are almost restaurant quality. I look forward to cooking hamburgers within the next day or so.I think this would work better with slightly less thick cuts of meat. Even at high heat it took longer than it would have taken on a grill. During the cooking I put a metal lid over the pan to control splattering.I think it will be a breeze to clean. Oiling it after cleaning, with the ridges, will be a little more work than for smoother surfaces.Because the ridges are so high, the grill does a great job of cooking away from the fat, and probably (my guess) does even a better job than the George Foreman grill in that regard.Pans like this pay for themselves. This pan is about the cost of a dinner for two, and it will result in less eating out.Update: I cleaned the pan after making the steak. It was more difficult to clean than other cast iron pans due to the ridges, however, I think I need to find a different tool to clean it with. Someone recommended a grill pad or brush. Also, I usually put the pan over enough heat to evaporate any water from cleaning, and then apply a thin amount of oil. This was also harder. I think it will get better with practice. In any case, the results were worth it.I will be trying burgers and pork chops soon, so stay tuned!Update: I cooked pork chops tonight on this grill, and they are the best pork chops I have ever had in my life. I let the pan heat up, and usually also have the electric burner on high heat when adding the meat. I then turn it down a bit. The cast iron doesn't cool off, and it sears the juices in. I have found that a metal cover over the grill works well to keep in splatters and heat. Another thing that is helpful is a temperature fork, which told me tonight that the chops were at 180 degrees, otherwise I would have overcooked them.This is by far the best money that I have spent on cooking equipment, and it will definitely save a lot of $$$ because I will treat myself to excellent home-cooked meals more often.