All Rights Reserved. It’s heavy … in fact a lot heavier than you might imagine for a company called ‘Backcountry’, but as long as you don’t plan to haul this thing around in your ultralight backpack you might just be okay. This cast iron skillet is also pre-seasoned, in this case with soy-based oil that's equivalent to 10-15 rounds of "normal home seasoning," according to the brand. However a number of other sizes are not uncommon, each of which works a little bit better for some purposes, and less well for others. Best heavy skillet. If you are into nonstick cookware, then you will probably be interested in learning a bit more about seasoning. Where Lodge seems to have drawn the line on manufacturing costs was on the polishing the surface of the pan. Easy to maneuver: Most cast-iron pans are quite heavy—the classic Lodge 12-inch skillet weighs about 8½ pounds—so it’s important that they come with a comfortable handle and a large helper handle on the opposite edge of the pan. The first step is to choose yourself a new cast iron skillet. The Best Lightweight Cast Iron Skillet: Lodge Blacklock 10.25-Inch Skillet. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. For instance, skillets and pans sold in this reduced price range are often more perceptible to warping, as is the case with the Utopia Skillet. Your email address will not be published. They boast that their cookware is good enough to rival any French kitchen, and we don’t think they are exaggerating. For searing, allow your iron to heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Susceptible to acid-based damage and/or rust buildup. Read on to learn the key differences between Lodge and Victoria and find out which products you should try. Your email address will not be published. Lodge skillets are available on multiple websites (including Amazon) as well as through national retail chains, independently owned hardware stores, and cooking stores. With a separate clean paper towel, wipe all the excess oil off. This 10.25-inch size is arguably the most useful for most people, but the larger 12-inch skillet is nice to own as well, especially for bigger families. Meanwhile, a new generation of lighter, smoother, pricier cast-iron skillets from artisanal companies has emerged out of a desire to manufacture new pans that are similar to the older ones. Sharon Franke, who worked on our 2019 update, tested and wrote about kitchen equipment at the Good Housekeeping Institute for more than 30 years. The clear lesson here is that almost no cast iron pan arrives with its potential nonstick surface fully realized: You will need to build up the seasoning at home no matter what. If you have a brand-new pan, it’ll have a factory seasoning. Before joining Wirecutter in 2016, he worked in the food and restaurant industry for several years and was an editor at International Culinary Center in NYC for three years. You’ll know a pan is well-seasoned if it’s an even color all over, without darker specks or blotches. Since cast iron cookware requires ongoing maintenance to build up great seasoning, I didn't necessarily think skillets that underperformed in this test should be disqualified, but I figured it could help as a tie-breaker. Wirecutter is reader-supported. However, in recent years we have seen these tiny skillets being used for individually served desserts like skillet brownies and chocolate chip cookies with ice cream. Top Feature: Very affordable budget-pick cast iron skillet. It's beloved by Amazon reviewers too, with 77% five-star reviews. We'll show you how to create delicious dishes all year long across a variety of cuisines and disciplines! Especially since Lodge now makes a lighter pan for around $40, we don’t think it’s worth paying well over $100 for these new-breed pans. My first cast-iron skillets were family hand-me-downs—big, nondescript pans with smooth interiors. This is probably the newest size of skillet, and is largely a novelty in most kitchens. Don’t leave a cast-iron skillet in a sinkful of water for an extended period of time, like overnight, or it will rust. During all of the prior testing, I had been taking UX notes, including which skillets were the most uncomfortable to hold and which were just too dang heavy. Not to mention that the mismatching would be a serious culinary faux pax. LODGE has been in the skillet game for some time now (since 1896) so you can count on the fact that they must have something good going for them. Of course, the bigger the pan, the heavier it is going to be, and 12″ models are significantly heavier than their smaller counterparts. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Victoria - SKL-208 Victoria Cast Iron Skillet. The roomy helper handle on the other side of the skillet is big enough to wrap your fingers underneath with a bulky pot holder. But overall it performed the same as the Chef Collection skillet in our tests, searing steak well and releasing eggs easily. That extra weight could be a real asset when it comes to cooking a thick cut of meat, since it can help the pan retain more heat. Well, we certainly can’t blame you. Considering the price we are okay with calling this one of the best values on our list. The handles are designed much better, in my opinion, for balance when picking them up. The perfect margarita is all about fresh, crisp flavors, barely tempered by sweet triple sec. Cornbread fell out of the pan with a crunchy golden crust and steak came out evenly and deeply browned. « Best Knife Sharpener (Review And Buying Guide), Best Coffee Grinder (Review And Buying Guide) ». Some comments may be held for manual review. If a smooth-as-ice cast iron skillet is what you're after, you'll need to seek a vintage piece or buy one of the pricier skillets from one of the other companies below that do invest in the smoothing step. The thing is: regular dish soap isn’t strong enough to break down polymerized oil. For dishes that require searing or tossing, having a lighter skillet can be a real life saver. To preheat, simply place it in the oven for 20 or 30 minutes. Chef-style cast iron skillets are cast in a more traditional frying pan shape with sloped sides, which allow for tossing ingredients more easily when sautéing. At just 6.6 pounds, it's lightweight enough to move seamlessly from the grill or stovetop to the oven, and comes with a removable silicone handle cover (use oven mitts, too!). Do not expose your iron to intense thermal changes such as putting it under cold water while still hot from cooking or getting a very cold pan hot too quickly. All Lodge cast iron skillets come pre-seasoned, which means that you can get started cooking right away. It seared steak, fried eggs, and released cornbread well in our tests. Those are likely heat transfer vents, which are simply like little “heat windows” that allow more heat to disperse into the surrounding air before getting to the tip of the handle, where most of the grip and control occurs. Michael Sullivan has been a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter since 2016. The overdesigned Finex 12-inch octagonal skillet is another offering from the indie movement of cast-iron producers trying to make pans the old way. Just head, read all about our top cast iron skillets to buy and cook with in 2020 and beyond: Lodge has been making cast iron cooking tools since 1896, and today this 10.25-inch skillet has more than 16,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. You might also notice during your shopping experience that most, if not all cast iron manufacturers offer multiple sizes of their skillets, so be sure to check the order page for all the available options. You only get a one-year warranty from Amazon. You may love Le Creuset for its Dutch ovens, but the brand's skillets deserve a moment in the spotlight too. The company says the discoloration will even out over time as the pan develops more seasoning, but that will take more time and attention than maintaining the seasoning on a Lodge. It is polymerized oil, and there is a distinct difference. This is the longer, protruding handle at the “back” of the pan. Required fields are marked *, I love experiencing new cultures through foods and it shows in my travels. Unlike a lot of brands, Cuisinel offers a 1-year no-hassle guarantee on all their products. While the pre-seasoning process is no doubt a benefit to the community at large, it is still very important to know how to take care of your pan, and this does mean knowing how to re-season a pan when the time comes. This multi-generational family-owned business founded by Joseph Lodge has stood the test of time on the strength of its products, manufacturing, and relentless innovation. And you're giving yourself a boost of nutrients! If there was a difference, I had a hard time spotting it. The handles are angled up and longer than Lodge. Both handles also get very hot, so the ability to get a good grip on them even with a bulky mitt is important. The first is how to clean cast iron. These giant cookies aren't for the faint of heart. We’re all time-poor these days and unless you’re one of the lucky few, Ready for some holiday ham? It’s notably heavier than the Chef Collection skillet but still comfortable to maneuver with the aid of the generous helper handle. There are also economies of scale to consider: It's to be expected that smaller manufacturers that are just entering the market won't be able to compete with a large company like Lodge on cost. A good cast iron pan or skillet can be used in a ton of different ways, including some of the same ways that you would use a regular pan. And while the basic line from Lodge doesn't have the lighter weight and smooth finish of vintage pieces and more expensive contemporary brands, there's little to no impact on performance as a result of this. In our tests, the Blacklock dripped more oil when pouring it into a jar, while the Lodge Classic and Chef’s Collection pans poured in relatively steady streams. Aimee is a content writer for Kitchen Warehouse and a foodie at heart. Yes, you read that right: For all their variations in weight, size, smoothness, and form, most cast iron pans perform about the same under the same conditions. This might be a popular option for chefs who want a more customized grind and/or seasoning process, but it’s not recommended for the at-home cook. The hand polishing also makes for a slicker cooking surface. Your email address will not be published. Cast iron is heavy, even for me, and I'm far from the weakest person you might find in a kitchen. Extended submersion in water can have a degrading effect on the pan or skillet, so try to make cleanup a quick affair and make sure the pan dries completely. With careful tending, cast iron can also be used for lower-temp techniques like omelets and fried eggs. On top of that, I analyzed ergonomic factors like handle comfort and pour-spout efficacy.

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