Customer Reviews

Lodge Seasoned Finish 10-1/2-Inch Cast Iron Round Griddle

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a great fan of cast iron cookware and have quite a few pieces. The 10-1/2 in. round griddle is my first by Lodge however, I just happened to see it on sale and bought it. Although I think the overall quality is good, I soon realized the handle was much too short. I do not have large hands (I'm 5'8" and 145 lbs. male) yet handling the pan is really awkward especially if the handle or my hand is wet (forget soapy). In fact I have a couple of 10-1/2 in. skillets (not Lodge nor both the same brand) that even though they are heavier they are much easier to handle because they weren't so stingy with the amount of material used for the handle.

This is my first piece of cast iron cookware, and I'm very happy with it. I've been using it for crepes, and they come out beautifully even. Once it's seasoned, you only need a touch of oil when cooking to maintain the non stick surface. The handle is a bit short, though, so you need an oven mitt to move the pan when it's hot.

I bought this griddle barely three weeks ago. I didn't really need it, but I thought the price at the time was a bargain ($9.99), and I needed something else around $10 to avoid the dreaded S/H charge.

I have been using cast iron for a long time and still have my first cast iron skillet that has seen it's share of trials and tribulations over a 20 year period, including bouts in the dishwasher from a roommate who was clueless about any type of cookware. All I had to do was reseason it and it was restored.

I like cast iron because it gets really hot and retains heat, and lasts forever. This griddle is no exception. I already have a pizza stone, but I had a recipe that featured baking the pizza in cast iron cookware, and I wanted to try it so I made it on the griddle. The results were spectacular. The crust browned evenly on the bottom and was nice and crispy, and I cut it and served right from the griddle. The griddle is also perfect for making biscuits. Preheat the pan in the oven for about 10 minutes, then place the biscuits on it and bake as usual. Baking the biscuits on the preheated griddle, makes the bottoms crispy.

I have also used the griddle for grilled cheese, panini's (using the grill press) and quesadilla's. All, in all, I think this is a great piece of cookware that makes a nice addition to my collection of cast iron. I own several pieces of Lodge cookware and have never had any problems like cracking, warping, or twisting. Someone mentioned in an earlier review that the griddle was starting to "discolor" after only 3 uses. It's supposed to "discolor." It goes from its orignial factory finish gray, to hues of brown and eventually coal black with repeated use.

The more you use cast iron, the better it gets. If you use it daily, it will turn black quicker than if you use it on occasion. I still have pieces that I have had in excess of 5 years that are still not black. Since I only use those pieces occasionally, that's to be expected.

I use this griddle to cook Indian flatbreads like chappatis and naans on. It works great for tortillas and making omlettes on too. It is easy to season and is the best griddle that I have ever owned.

I always hated cast iron. It looked old and dirty to me, even
when it was thoroughly cleaned. I also thought it wasn't modern enough to have in my house. After watching FoodTv and watching a few chefs cook with it, I bought my first cast iron pan at the Lodge outlet store in S. Pittsburg,TN and instantly became a fan of cast iron.

I like the way it retains heat. It fearlessly goes from range top to oven and I don't have to worry about composite handles. It's non-stick and I don't have to worry about damaging the surface with utensils when cooking. It does take a little care to maintain it in well seasoned condition but it's worth the effort.

I don't use it for acidic foods because I find that I have to
re-season them. My cast iron collection continues to grow.
I use my round griddles for breakfast foods instead of all the electric griddles that I leave to collect dust in the pantry.

I have used this remarkable pan for just about everything from crepes to fajita's. Ingredients don't stick or burn. I'm not an especially good cook. Time is of the essence and so are good practical kitchen aids and cooking utensils. Savor the flavor or vegetables, omelets, chicken, french toast or griddle cakes. You won't need Emeril's Lagassse's flair; you can create a lot of tasty delights with this pan. Start cooking!

I first saw this griddle at a friend's house. We used it to make crepes, and the results were absolutely perfect. Subsequently I've been using mine to grill panini, brown chicken breasts until golden, slowly sizzle perfect salmon filets, and turn out beautifully done steaks and chops. It even works well in the oven to finish cooking a beef or pork tenderloin. Note, I am a serious cast-iron cookware devotee, and I like utensils and tools that are multi-taskers. This griddle fits that bill and stays busy on my stove. Perfect for one person or a couple.

My family has always believed in Cast Iron Cookware. My two grandmothers refused to cook in anything else. They used deep cast iron skillets for eggs and both had two cast iron griddles, one for pancakes and one for bacon. And on Sunday a cast iron chicken fryer. My first cast iron chicken fryer belonged to my great great Uncle who cooked with it in France during World War I. He was a member of the famous Rainbow Division and carried that pan everywhere. I marvel that it still has the lid. At any rate, cast iron will last through several generations of heavy use. A quick clean up if seasoned properly too. I was so glad to find these cast iron griddles by Lodge. The antiques are expensive if you can find them and the cheap ones usually aren't worth bringing home. Lodge has been around quite a while and I use this griddle pretty often. I might add, there is a unique flavour when food is cooked in cast iron...special.

Nice cast iron pan. Less wieght without the sides. Nice for flat pan grilling. Works great, ships fast.

I got a bunch of skillets and this one griddle at the same time, and was amazed at the weight of each. At the same time, the griddle is significantly lighter than the skillets, obviously because they don't have sides. Of course, you can't cook anything that will drip over the side either.

I like the griddle because it doesn't have a sharply angled wall/side:

1)lighter
2)I notice that I have to reseason the griddle less because on my skillets, the nonstick surface of carbon tends to flake off near the corners of the inside of the pan, where the walls meet the cooking surface. This is possibly because I use a wooden spatula to scrape off food, and the corners may be getting somewhat abused in the process. But with the griddle's relatively flat surface, you don't have to dig in at a specific angle to clean it. Or....
3)I'm thinking that because it's flatter than skillets, that the shortening is "cooking" more evenly on the griddle during the seasoning process. Meaning, that on a skillet, you might have an excess of oil or shortening on the corners because it gathers there, which means that you're not getting the smooth thin finish but rather a clump of half-hardened oil, which means that the newly created "non-stick" carbon finish will fall off more easily during the cooking or cleaning process.

The 10 1/4 inch lid from Lodge fits this griddle fairly well, if you want to use it.

I do kind of wish that Lodge or Amazon would give a better indication of which lids are compatible with which pan...