Customer Reviews

Lodge Original Finish 15-1/4-Inch Skillet with Assist Handle

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this item based on other reviews and I am not sorry I made the purchase for several reasons. I love Lodge Cast Iron, Amazon has the best prices anywhere and free shipping. However, I was taken aback by the size of this skillet. It is huge! I tried it on my gas range and it takes up the front and the back burners but adjustments are needed to keep the sides from burning.

If it is used on just the front burner (the larger burner) the flame is directed to the middle of the pan but there is so much skillet left over that the outer edges never get really hot. I would think the 13inch skillet (which I just purchased also) would make a more reasonable purchase becuase it is between a 12 which might be too small and the 15 1/4 which is toooooo big!

This pan is awesome for American style cooking. Not for delicate or fancy foods, but a real tool for the kitchen. Excellent value for what you get, 14 LBS of American made iron. Perfect for fried chicken.

I can cook 3/4 pound of bacon in one shot in this thing. I am amazed how after seasoning (instructions included) this pan how non-stick it really is. Why do we need Teflon or Silverstone with great old fashion non-stick technology like this? All these LODGE pans are great, inexpensive, and made in the USA by Americans.

I bought this 15+ inch skillet after owning Lodge's 12-in model for a year. I use it primarily for blackened fish, and the 12-inch model just didn't leave much room to cook with two pieces of fish in the pan. When pan frying fish, you want to use a wide spatula, and the larger surface area makes it easier.

As far as the quality of the Lodge brand of cast iron cookware, I've been very pleased. I now own five Lodge pieces, and all are built very solid. Other brands I've looked at seem to have a cheaper feel when you actually hold them in your hand, such as thinner metal or perhaps even a different grade of iron. When you're holding the Lodge cookware, you have little doubt that you will probably be able to pass it down to your grandkids when it outlasts you.

There are some maintenance issues with cast iron cookware, but they really are not too bad. Just clean the pan in the sink after use and spread some shortening on the surface before storing. Ocasionally you will have to season it by essentially baking a coat of shortening onto the surface, but only once a year or so depending on what you are cooking.

Oh man! Now this is what I am talking about when I wanted a big skillet! I have two teenage boys that eat like a small army. I was looking for a skillet that was larger than my 12" Lodge cast iron(which I also just love). I saw this 15" and the 17" and decided to try the 15". Man this thing is just right! If your looking for a huge skillet this is the one! I love it.

Lodge does require seasoning, and a little different care. It is easy to season, and the care is pretty easy. The pan doesn't stick, and works very well. Very impressive and works far better than pans that I paid many times more than what I paid for this one. If your tired of buying pans that you have to replace every few years, handle with kid gloves, and could possibly even be dangerous to your family then look at the Lodge. I bought one pan and loved it, and now have added and are adding more. I won't look back. This stuff is the best and I will be buying more.

I ordered this skillet because my 12-inch only makes 2 burgers or pork chops at a time. No problem like that here! This skillet arrived less than one week after I ordered it (with free shipping). It made some really tasty fajitas the next day, after an easy 1 hour process of seasoning it.

The best way to clean it is right on the stove. Pour in a bit of water while the skillet is hot. Use tongs with paper towels or a dish towel to remove any stuck on bits from the bottom. If there are any left, pour in a little more water and repeat.

Then dry the pan and pour a little veg oil (I use shortening) in and rub into the entire skillet with a paper towel. Wipe off any excess. Once the pan is well-seasoned from many times cooking in it, I don't even oil the pan every time, just when it looks like it needs it. I always follow the number 1 commandment of cast iron though - don't leave any water hanging around inside, keep it DRY!

I agree with other reviews here. Cast Iron is simply the best way to cook a number of things. Its the most durable cookware you will ever own. It can not be destructed. It is also healthy as it makes the food cooked in it iron rich. Seasoned every six months or so, it retains non stick properties without any coating! It is simply amazing. The only thing you don't want to cook in it is anything containing tomatoes. Tomatoes react in the pan and get a weird taste. But everything else comes out really delicious. I specially love to use it for roasting vegetables - potatoes, okra, eggplant, zuchini etc. etc...If you have to cook or just like to cook like me, I highly, highly recommend this.

This skillet was purchased to use outdoors with butane heat. Excellent heat retention and distribution allows even cooking and browning. Being over 15" in diameter, it will also fit across two electric cooktop elements on the range inside. Using both heating elements also allows for even cooking inside.

The lodge is a very heavy skillet. It is almost 15" on the inside and requires a large burner for heating. Howver, it does cook very evenly. Clean up is simple, just make sure you have a large enough space for storage.

In the twentieth century, and before, cast iron pans had the size stamped on them which told you the diameter of the cooking surface. Twenty-five years ago I bought the Lodge 10SK which is a 12" skillet with a 10" inside cooking diameter. OK.

With this skillet marked 14SK the inside cooking surface is only 12" and it should be marked 12SK. They deceptively flared out the sides to get an overall top diameter of 15 1/4" as a selling point. This isn't very helpful to my pork chops being 36% less space than I thought I was buying. I'd watch out for the 10SK too.

I guess to get a real #14 cast iron skillet, I need to get a Griswold.

Hilditch

PS: It weighs 10 lbs.

This pan lives up to the high quality I've come to expect from Lodge.