Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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438 of 444 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't even THINK of trying another griddle, May 1, 2005
I absolutely adore this griddle, and I use it almost every day.
At first, I wasn't sure that I wanted a cast iron griddle. They are HEAVY and not dishwasher safe . . . so I tried a few nonstick brands first --top dollar brands with high ratings.
I hated them. The nonstick surface was inferior. On a reversible griddle, the underside became sticky and difficult to clean. The heat was distributed unevenly. One claimed to be dishwasher safe, yet when I put it in the dishwasher, some of the nonstick surface came off.
I am extremely health conscious, and I use very little oil when I cook. Food often stuck to the "non-stick" surface -- go figure.
I wanted to find a great griddle that I could use for many things, including cooking like the chefs in Japanese Steak Houses -- I dreamed of using a small dash of my favorite oil and flinging shrimp, chicken and veggies on the griddle like a pro. No, I didn't think I could toss my tools in the air or catch the shrimp in my pocket . . . I just wanted the flavor and the ease of cooking.
By this time, I was on a quest, and the non-stick stuff just wasn't cutting it. I did a little research, and I learned that pros recommend the Lodge griddle, so despite my apprehension, I thought I'd give it a try.
Wow! The pre-seasoned surface is perfect and better than any non-stick surface I have ever used. Just a tiny bit of non-stick spray is all I need, and everything from pancakes to eggs flip with ease. Grilling Japanese style works perfectly.
On the grill side: whole steaks, chicken, fish -- fabulous, fast, and everything has those beautiful grill lines. Nice for grilled vegetables, too.
The griddle is indeed heavy, but it's okay. I wouldn't recommend lifting it if you have serious muscle or joint problems, and I wouldn't want to drop it on my foot, but otherwise, go for it. I'm a softie, and if I can handle it, so can you.
As for not being able to put the griddle in the dishwasher: I don't believe I'm going to say this, but I don't care about having to handwash it. The griddle cleans so easily, a few swipes and I'm done. If I forget to clean it and wake up to it the next morning (okay, so I'm not Suzy Homemaker), I just lay it straight across the top of my sink -- not IN the sink, but rather, balanced from edge to edge, on top . . . and I run a little water over it, let it set for a few minutes, and it's easy to clean.
A word of advice: Just as it says in the instructions, you need to clean the griddle without soap (water only) to preserve the pre-seasoned finish. However, should you want to use soap, you can. There are instructions included in how to re-season the griddle -- it's easy.
I frankly didn't like the idea of not cleaning with soap. I didn't feel as though the germs were destroyed . . . but soap doesn't really kill germs, it merely works as a surfactant that makes water wetter so things become easier to clean.
If you want to kill germs, heat is one of the best ways to do it. Every time you use the griddle, you preheat it on the range for about five minutes or so -- you're killing far more germs than if you had used soap!
You can also rub your griddle with a very light coating of oil, stick it in a hot oven and disinfect it that way (this is also similar to how you reseason it).
This is one of the easiest, most wonderful kitchen tools I own. It is a breeze to use, I feel like a pro flipping all that food around. Everything comes out great, and it is very easy to use, and food does not stick.
I have since added six more pieces of cast iron to my collection, one triangle cornbread/scone, a round muffin/biscuit, and four cast iron skillets. Two of the skillets are antique -- talk about well-seasoned! I do not use the bread/muffin bakers as much as I thought I would, but I use the skillets almost every day. I love them.
PS: I remember reading somewhere that using cast iron also adds iron to your diet. A nice extra, yes?
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86 of 88 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best grill/griddle around..., February 20, 2005
I just received my griddle last week and I've been using it daily with excelent results every time. Mine arrived with a few minor scratches on the preseasoning but all of them seem to be disappearing quite soon (I spray a little pam all over the griddle before using it). I cooked some hamburgers on the grill side which turned out delicious and they got those great grill marks on them also. I've had no sticking problems at all with this thing so far. Cleanup is easy providing you have a stiff brush, a large sink and the strong arms required to carry it from the stove to the sink every time you wash it (this thing weighs 15 pounds). I highly recommend this griddle to anyone, it's very well constructed and looks like it will last a lifetime with proper care.
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Indispensable!, March 17, 2006
I've owned this grill for over a year now, and I want to let you know how it has worked out so far.
It fits over two burners, so it's great for cooking several items at once. It heats evenly but tends to overheat a little with the burner at the highest setting. (DUH!). Even then, I have not experience damage to my stove-top.
I love the way it "releases" everything it cooks. I have cooked the best Japanese style grilled beef/potatoes, South American arepas and cachapas, and everything in between. You name it, it can do it!. Even after I grill fish, or anything which makes a mess, all you do is pour some water on it while it's hot, and wipe it down with a terry cloth. No soap is needed. Then I cover the surface with a light oil rub and it's ready for storing. In fact, mine sits on the stove top for the most part, and it blends nicely with my kitchen. I recommend that for older folks having difficulty lifting it. You practically never have to move it, if you don't want to.
I live in a condominium and chose not to buy a patio grill. I don't need it with this grill.
I bought another for my sister!!
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