Customer Reviews

Lodge Pro Logic Cast Iron 14" Pizza Pan, Black

5 star:		(135)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This review is divided into two parts:
1. A short review for those who want quick info
2. A long review for those curious about the ins and outs of this great piece of cookware.

I have also attached photos (see customer images above)

SHORT REVIEW

Pros:
*Preseasoned
*Multiple uses
*Can be used almost anywhere
*Makes best pizza ever
*Heats evenly
*Won't stain
*Provides iron in diet
*Easy cleanup
*Made in the USA

Cons:
*It is 11 pounds (Not a con for me, but could be heavy for some)

Bottom Line:
Glad I bought it and would recommend it to anyone interested.

LONG REVIEW

What comes in the box:

*Lodge Logic Preseasoned Pizza Pan 16 x 15 x 2.5 (** Cooking surface is 14 inches **), 11 pounds. The length of the pan from handle to handle is exactly 15 and 1/4 inches (38.74 cm).
*Recipe Card with recipes for: pizza dough, pizza sauce, muffuletta pizza, mushroom & sweet pepper pizza, herb roasted potatoes, & instructions on how to care for your cast iron.

Preseasoned:

Preseasoned is a great thing but realize what it means. It means that it is on its way to being fully seasoned; like 2/3 of the way done. Before you can get that true black cast iron slickness, it still needs one or two more rounds in the oven with Crisco or just cook a pound a bacon on it like I did.

Multiple uses:

*Pizza Pan
*Roasting vegetables
*Overall Baking sheet (bake cookies, breads, biscuits, fries, pastries, etc). Please note that flavors can transfer onto the pan so you may have to clean it between different uses.
*Griddle on stove for eggs, bacon, pancakes, burgers, hot dogs and similar items
*Stir Fry (Use it on one burner; the middle gets the hottest and it gets cooler towards the edges, just like a wok!)
*Broiler Plate for the oven
*Shallow roaster
*Tortilla warmer
*Crepe/dosa maker

As a side note I have used this in the oven at 450 degrees without a problem. Just remember that the pan will be extremely hot and any sudden changes in temperature may cause the pan to warp or crack so please be careful. For example, if I took the pan out of a blazing hot oven and ran cold water on it right away, it may bend or break. It always best to let the pan get to a manageable temperature before starting the cleanup.

Can be used almost anywhere:

This pan can be used on almost any surface; on the stove (I have used it on both gas and electric ranges), in the oven and under the broiler, on the grill (both gas and charcoal), even with a campfire/hot coals if you know what you are doing.

Pizza:

It makes the best pizza I have ever had. The pan heats evenly all the way to the center creating a perfect, uniform crust. I sometimes make my own dough but in a pinch I go down to my favorite local pizzeria and buy some dough from them. The pan can make crispy or soft pizza.

Everyone has their own method to making pizza and this is mine:

For crispy pizza:
Place the dough on room temperature Lodge Pro Logic Pizza Pan and put it in a 400 degree oven for 5-8 min. Once the dough starts to get firm, take it out the oven, spread out a half a cup of sauce, and evenly cover with cheese. At this point you can add whatever toppings you like (make sure meat toppings are already cooked). Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until desired crispness. 2 minutes before I pull it from the oven, I add a little more cheese so it is just melted and gives you that string cheese pull like in the commercials. (see customer image above)

For softer pizza, follow the same directions as above without first baking the dough.

I serve & cut the pizza in the pan. Although the pizza does still cook while in the pan, I noticed it basically keeps it warm until the last slice. I use a pizza cutter from the dollar store which will cut the pizza but will not scratch or scrap the seasoning off. If you cut your pizza in the pan, please be careful not to scratch seasoning. If you do, just reseason (see below).

Because it is cast iron, it won't stain like a pizza stone or get those burnt spots like aluminum does. Also, cooking in cast iron provides iron in your diet because the food absorbs some of the iron.

Size:

It makes a pizza big enough for 2 people with a good appetite (assuming they have a side dish) or 3 people with less of an appetite. Sometimes the pizza is so good I can eat the whole thing myself! Normally, I eat about 2/3 of the pie along with a side salad and I am satisfied--I do have a good appetite. If I had a large family, I would definitely consider buying two. Of course for you folks with the large family, try one pan first and then make the decision yourself. (The photos included above do have a US quarter in the picture so you can gauge the size of the pie).

Clean up & Seasoning:

After cooking, take a dry paper towel while the pan is still warm and wipe it down (if it is really dirty use a little water but I never use soap). If you use water, you can reheat the pan to get it dry. After it is clean and dry, spray it with Pam and then wipe away any excess oil. Place pan back in the warm oven or on top of the burner just used. That's it! The residual heat will reseason the pan while the oven/stove is cooling down. Food never sticks using this method. If your seasoning ever comes off, just apply some oil and bake in the oven; repeat as necessary. Be careful not to use too much oil while seasoning or you will get a sticky or gummy residue on it--this should be avoided.

An added bonus is that it is made in the USA by Lodge, so you can buy and use with confidence knowing this product was made here by a company with over 100 years experience in the business. Lodge customer service has always been super helpful and friendly to me.

So in conclusion, this is a great pan that I am sure you will love as much as I do!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them. I check this post regularly and would love to hear from you!

I hope you found this review helpful. Thanks for reading.

This is the absolute best pizza pan that money can buy. You will get perfect crust everytime without fail. We cut our pizza while it is still in the pan and then serve it from the pan. It stays hot for a long time because of the cast iron. Our family eats a lot of pizza so we purchased two of these pans. They are large, but not too heavy to handle. They are pre-seasoned and easy to care for. We highly recommend this product to you without any reservation. Do yourself a favor and order it today!!!

Best pizza pan by far. And I should know, I've had several, including one of those round stones. Great baking, nonstick and like all cast iron, should last forever. One nice thing is the lip of the pan, no more pizza sauce or cheese spills. If you need one (or two) this is it, you'll never need another one.

This pan cooks wonderful pizzas! The iron holds the heat, and uniformly cooks the crust. It is just awesome! Since it is preseasoned, all you need to do is follow the directions, and you will have NONSTICK pizza every time! Remember, do not use soap with cast iron! Hot water is all that is necessary.(and a little vegetable oil rubbed in before cooking)... You will not be disappointed with this pizza pan, and it will last for generations~~literally!

Bought one of these a year ago, and used it several times. Really liked it - non-stick, even cooking, makes GREAT pizza. This weekend I needed to make two pizzas, so I used this and a regular aluminum pizza pan. As usual, pizza was perfect on the Lodge. By comparison, the pizza stuck to the aluminum, was burned in sections and the crust was overly crisp. The aluminmum pizza pan got tossed and I bought a second Lodge Pro Logic pizza pan.

I am totally sold on the Lodge Logic and Pro-Logic lines. They are the workhorses of the kitchen. I have just about every pan they make in these lines, and while I have a superb set of copper cookware and stainless - when it's heavy duty cooking, these are what I reach for.

Pros: easy care, easy clean up. Pour a little hot water in the pan when done and use a scrubber - rinse in hot water, dry and wipe down with a very thin coating of vegetable or canola oil. Can take high temperatures without warping. Already seasoned (for those of us who just can't seem to get the seasoning of cast iron down pat!) Hefty, sturdy, well made. Get smooth and black after steady usage and proper maintenance.

Cons: None

The pan arrived pre-seasoned as stated, however, it was not the deep shiny jet black it should have been. I solved the problem by using it to fry up a huge (3 lb) package of bacon I got at Sam's and that did the trick. This is one versatile pan. It's great to use as a griddle - everything from breakfast items (bacon, anyone?) to dinner veggies. You can use it as a shallow roaster, and let's not forget it's intended use -for pizza. It's great pan and you are only limited by your imagination on how to use it. As for me, I am very, very, happy I got this.

Cast iron was always that thing that grandma used to make great burgers when I visited during one week in the summer. All grown up, I finally made my first cast iron purchase: the Lodge Pro 14" Cast Iron Pizza Pan. And boy am I glad I did!

We made our first pizza tonight, after months of mediocre and failed pizzas on traditional pans and cookie sheets. We used the same dough recipe in our bread maker, the same sauce recipe, the same cheese, and the same pepperoni that we've always used. The secret was always in the pan and until we made our first pizza on this pan tonight, we didn't know it.

Long story short, it turned out great. So much so, I am here writing a 5-star review of the pan after a single use. I do not give the praise lightly. There is little to nothing more to the pan. Its a dead simple idea and works just as easily. If you are a true fan of homemade pizza and aren't building a brick oven in the backyard, this is the pan for you. Buy it now!

I'm constantly tweaking my pizza recipe, trying to come up with a pizzeria style product a home. My daughter loves pizza and would honestly eat it every day if she had the choice. I've tried stones, screens, pans with holes--everything to get a perfect crust. A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for a pizza cooked on a inverted cast iron skillet and was intrigued. I got on amazon.com to order a large skillet and saw that there was a pizza pan and ordered it immediately. To get to the point, I finally achieved my pizzeria result. Here's how: preheat the pizza pan on the stovetop for about 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 500. Stretch the pizza dough out thin and place on a double layer of parchment paper. Dock dough. Lift dough by parchment handles and place on the hot pizza pan. Place in oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Crust may have air pockets--this is normal and fine. Remove crust from oven, top with sauce and desired toppings. Return to oven cook til bubbly. Serve. Remember to use good ingredients and to let everything come to room temperature if you can--especially the pizza dough--if your dough is cold, pop it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. This pan makes the most crispy, airy crust I have ever achieved at home. It cuts down on the time you have to have the oven on--a lot of recipes for homemade pizza recommend you preheat the oven for 45 minutes to an hour--no need to with this pan. It also keeps the pizza hot and at 15 inches allows you to make a good size pizza. The value on this pan is amazing- for under $40 with free shipping and handling, it's a no brainer and offers versatility over baking stones and screens. I would definitely recommend this pan and I'm going to purchase a second one for my kitchen.

I had been making homemade pizzas on pizza stones for over 10 years before I was caught without my stone and used an iron skillet in a pinch. I discovered that it was far superior to a stone with even heating resulting in a thoroughly cooked, crisp crust - plus clean up is fast and easy. Recently I expanded my cast iron collection and decided to add this pan to the mix. This pan brings the benefits of a cast iron skillet without the massive weight, and in fact doubles as a flat skillet for pancakes, french toast, etc. Plus presentation is great as this pan looks fantastic. Making pizza is simple - just press out the dough onto a cold pan, add the toppings, and toss into a cold oven. Set it to 450 degrees, set the timer for 20-25 minutes (including oven heating), cut the pizza on the pan (you can't hurt this pan), and serve!

Only problem I had was with the pre-seasoning. My first pizza was a disaster as the crust glued onto the pan and would not separate. I re-seasoned the pan using crisco and a bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, and for the next few pizzas I added a light coating of olive oil to the pan prior to laying out the dough. That did the trick and the pan has a great surface now. Just remember to not get too aggressive cleaning it (and don't worry if you do - you'll just need to re-season), and it'll be a trusted partner for years to come.

i was going to buy a mario batali pizza pan, but it's so expensive and the reviews weren't so good. then i thought of lodge pro, duh, i have the whole spectrum of cast iron skillets, use em all the time and love em. so, not much of a leap to a lodge pro pizza pan. and i know i made the right choice. this pan is pre-seasoned (just oil it a tiny bit the first few times you use it, and make sure never to use soap on it). i make gluten free dough which is a lot stickier, but it works out just fine on this pan. after baking the pizza in the oven, you can even put the pan on the stove burner to get an xtra crispy crust. this pan will last forever, and i love it. the cast irn retains heat, so it keeps your pizza warm for a long time. to clean it, just rinse w/ hot water and dry thoroughly. i set mine out on the back of the counter. pretty!