Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan, Square, 10.5 Inch

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.

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 it Alternatively, 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.

Fabulous, American made quality crafted to last a lifetime! Excellent pan! We have used it several times since it arrived and it provides top performance. No cold or hot spots! Our food cooks evenly and the pre-seasoned pan cleans up beautifully. We have used it for chicken burgers (famous for sticking to pans!) but they did not stick to this pan at all and the grill marks are wonderful! We also cooked ham steaks in it and we roasted peppers too. Everything cooked perfectly! We have both Le Creuset and Lodge cast iron pots and pans in our kitchen. Lodge is economical and Le Creuset is expensive, but BOTH perform beautifully with absolutely no difference (other than the price). We would not trade our Lodge pans for anything! Perfect craftsmanship, quality and endurance every time. Great for grilling indoors any time, especially on rainy days when outdoor grilling isn't fun. Also great for camping! I would leave this pan ONE MILLION STARS if I could! You will not be disappointed! AAA+++

Nice but very heavy.

You could pay a whole lot more for a different brand - probably 3 or 4 times as much. This pan is well priced and works just as well because it is heavy and holds the heat. Lodge is the best value out there and is always a solid buy.

perfect thickness, cooking ability, size and handle in comfortable, glad I bought this, will have this for years.

PROS: great for indoor grilling, cast iron is very durable, pre-seasoned CONS: What am I supposed to do with my big Foreman grill? No, seriously, the only cons apply to all cast iron pans: heavy, needs special care What's not to love? It's built to last. It creates perfect grill marks on my food. The square-ish shape nicely accommodates two decent size steaks. Personally I prefer my steaks grilled over charcoal, but that violates my rental agreement because someone thinks it's a fire hazard :( Well, at least I have this pan. As far as indoor grilling goes, it really does an impressive job. Time to retire the inferior electric grills. I will be happy to have one less kitchen appliance taking up valuable storage space. I will say that this grill pan takes a little longer to clean than it's flat, round cousins. There is just more surface area because of the ridges. Other than that, if you are very familiar with cast iron pans then you pretty much know what to expect with this. Skip to the end for my last point. If you haven't bought a pre-seasoned pan, keep in mind that pre-seasoned does not mean completely seasoned. That is accomplished with continued use. As the seasoning improves they will become more resistant to food sticking, but don't expect them to ever be truly "non-stick" like teflon.. The general recommendation with any new cast iron pan is to use them only for fattier foods in the beginning, until they develop the smooth-textured, pretty black surface we want to see in our well-seasoned pans. I've seen reviewers criticize cast iron pans for being heavy, needing special care, rusting when they leave water on it, etc. That is a little bit silly, to buy a cast iron pan and then blame it for being cast iron. So know what you are buying. If you are not familiar with maintaining cast iron pans I would strongly encourage you to read an article or two about it before your purchase, to make sure it's right for you. Personally, I do not find it burdensome. Caring for them is easy, and not time consuming. There are just a few things you will need to know before you start using them. I have a few tips: Don't let them soak in water or air dry. They will rust if you do. Instead, use your stove-top to dry them with heat immediately after washing. While it's heated, I rub a little oil on them with a paper towel to maintain the seasoning. Some users warn against using soap to clean them, but personally, I find the thought of not using soap off-putting. I have always used a little dish soap, and by following the steps above, I can happily report that my cast iron pans look well-seasoned and beautiful. Lastly, because these pans are often used with very high heat (for cooking and seasoning), I would recommend using an oil with a very high smoke point. When oil reaches it's smoke point it generates toxic fumes and free radicals that you would not want in your food. A good choice might be rice bran oil (up to 490 degrees), which is gaining popularity (Dr. Oz) because of it's health benefits. Many grocery stores do not carry this, but several brands are available on Amazon. Different brands will have different smoke points, which I commented on in my review of King Rice Bran Oil . Happy grilling!

Needed and wanted for many reasons. Has not disappointed. Had to be able to fit in sink to clean (I’m well schooled on how to take care of cast iron, so know no soak). Fits stovetop burner just fine. Made gorgeous seared pork chops with photo-worthy grill marks that did NOT overcook and beautifully released from pan without effort. Tonight, fresh Pennsylvania smoked thick bacon and, culinary highlight of our every Spring, wild Connecticut shad roe. Addendum: Several negative reviews by folks not familiar with cast iron warrant me saying ... 1. Cast iron is heavy. It’s solid iron. And the reason why it’s so great with heat distribution and longevity. 2. The magic of successful cast iron lies in its seasoning. And the reason why long soaking and powerful degreasing dish detergents, like Dawn, should be used sparingly, if at all. 3. Cast iron, no matter how well-seasoned, will rust anywhere humidity or water can permeate. That’s why the entire piece (even handles and exterior surface) needs to be protected by oil. 4. Cast iron is not meant for high temperatures. There’s no reason whatsoever to use a high temp other than to polymerize new seasoning. Steaks and chops can be cooked on medium or even low heat. Trust me. 5. Cast iron is robust, but will warp and even crack if subject to fast temperature changes, like suddenly submerging the hot pan in sink water. Once warped, only a sledgehammer can pound it flat again, if that. Never put a hot cast iron pan into water. 6. Trust factory or proper non-factory seasoned cast iron to release food easily when the food is seared. It really will. 7. Do resist using metal utensils, not because they’ll damage the cast iron but because they’ll scratch off the seasoning. 8. I’ve experimented with every oil in the world to season my cast iron, but have learned the best is bacon fat. Forget the grape seeds, high smoke points, and anything expensive or ‘artisan.’ And don’t worry about the seasoning ‘going bad’ — nothing live can survive typical cast iron cooking temperatures. 9. Lodge makes plastic notched scrapers for their grill pans. They work beautifully to get up any solidified oil and food chunks, and get into the grooves for cleaning. 10. Light rust over time is not a game changer, but should be dealt with if or when it appears. Lightly scrape area with stainless steel, copper, or spic and span pad, then rinse well, dry, and re-oil. Maybe pay extra attention to re-oil going forward. 11. Cast iron is infinitely more healthy to cook with than nearly every non-stick chemically-coated pan on the market. Non-stick pans are notorious for coatings that become downright poisonous over time or high heat.