I know there's a gazillion reviews already, but having used Lodge cast iron cookware a gazillion times, I can't resist weighing in. If you're newly getting into cast iron, read a bunch of the negative reviews first ... and discover people who are truly (often innocently) clueless about the preparation, care and usage of timeless cast iron cookware.
I have a bunch of Lodge skillets, a griddle, two Dutch ovens and a pot with a self-basting lid which happens to also fit one of my skillets as well as my new chef's skillet. I really wanted a skillet with rounded sides, mostly for an egg and omelette pan. At $15, the LCS3 is a steal, considering I can neither find nor afford vintage Griswold.
Like all Lodge, it comes pre-seasoned, which simply means it has a coating of oil that prevents oxidation. This seasoning is not what makes it non-stick. How you cook with it does. Out of the box, I enjoyed the cathartic ritual of baking four more coats of oil onto the seasoning which turned it a lovely, shiny black. Then, I pressed it into service as a non-stick wonder.
Some people complain about the "pebbly" texture of the pan, some even testifying that this is the reason food sticks ... wrong. Proper temperature and proper amounts of fats are the keys to cooking non-stick. The "pebbly" texture means nothing. Besides, with continued use, the "pebbly" texture will turn into a smooth-as-silk surface. All my Lodge has been used enough to reach this point (except, of course, this brand new piece.)
There are a lot of great videos on Youtube that can teach you how to cook with and care for your cast iron, but I can sum it up in a jiffy. Always preheat your cast iron over medium / low heat first, until it lightly smokes. Lower the heat slightly. Add butter, oil or other fats that are room temperature or cold. Coat the bottom and sides. Add your food and watch it slide around. When finished, rinse with hot water; if you have fond in the pan, scrape with a nylon scraper and rinse away. Dry the cast iron on the stove top burner and then wipe down with a very light coating of oil. You're ready for the next use. (This coating will lightly smoke when it reaches proper temperature, indicating when to add your cooking fats.)
Other than the initial wash-down out of the box, I personally do not use soap on my cast iron. Some people do. Avoid cooking with acidic foods and liquids like tomatoes or vinegars or you'll surely be re-seasoning your pan before you know it. Good luck, and good cooking. And remember the chef's maxim: "Hot pan, cold fat."
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From the manufacturer
Saute, sear, fry, bake and stir fry to heart’s content
Use & Care:
While the skillet comes pre-seasoned to prevent food from sticking, it works best when sprayed or lightly coated with vegetable oil before use. After cooking, we recommend cleaning with a stiff nylon brush and hot water. Using soap or the dishwasher is not recommended, and harsh detergents should never be used. Towel dry immediately cleaning and apply a light coating of oil to utensil while it is still warm.
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet
Pre-seasoned skillet is ready-to-use right out of the box
The black patina given to the cookware by the factory seasoning process is, in fact, vegetable oil that has been baked into a piece of cookware that has emerged from an individual sand mold. This coating of oil is a functional application and not a cosmetic application. The cookware is hanging as it rides through the electrostatic sprayer and commercial conveyor ovens at very high temperatures. This allows the oil to penetrate deeply into the pores of the iron which creates an easy release finish. As a result of this process, you may see a blister or bubble of oil at the southern-most point or at the end of the handle of the cookware piece. If visible, it will rub or flake off with your finger, leaving a brown spot. Don’t worry, it’s not rust but a seasoned spot that is brown, indicative of the varnish stage of seasoning. As a matter of fact, this is the color of home seasoned iron until it has been used several times. The brown spot will turn black with use.
Product Highlights
Multi-Functional Cookware
The right tool for searing, sauteing, simmering, braising, baking, roasting, and frying.
Made of Cast-Iron
Cast-Iron is a form of cookware developed over a millennia ago remains as popular today as when it was used to prepare meals hundreds of years ago. Cast Iron is one of only two metals compatible with induction stovetops. Unparalleled in heat retention and even heating.
Can Be Used With A Variety of Heat Sources
At home in the oven, on the stove, on the grill or over the campfire. Skillet may be used on various heat sources including gas, electric, induction and ceramic-glass top stoves and ovens. When using on glass stove tops, be careful not to slide the cookware around as it's possible to scratch the surface. Seasoned cast iron can also be used on the grill or outdoor fire and coals for camp cooking. Begin heating cookware on low and slowly bring heat up to medium or medium/high. Always remove cookware from the stovetop after cooking.
Features:
- Made of cast iron
- Assist handles for easier handling
- Pre-seasoned and ready-to-use
- Multi-functional cookware
- Virtual non-stick surface
- Words with induction stove tops
- Brutally tough for decades of cooking
Eco-Responsibility
Lodge is a zero hazardous waste stream foundry. Lodge designed a vegetable oil recycler for the seasoning process to reduce waste and unusable oil is recycled and used as biodiesel generator. Lodge uses recycled and biodegradable packing materials. Reuse of foundry sand used in the casting process is recycled and unusable sand, works to purify the water of the local streams and planting trees to improve air quality and beautification.
The Clean Water and Air Acts of 1970 led American companies to install new equipment to meet the pollution control laws. Not only did the updates meet the requirements of the Clean Air and Water legislation, by 1976 our automated processes produced as many molds in an hour as one man’s daily productivity 30 years earlier.
With the switch from antiquated electric furnaces to more efficient induction furnaces, 1991 proved to be a pivotal juncture in the green standards of Lodge Manufacturing Company. The use of magnetic energy to produce heat changed our status from a Large Quantity Generator of Hazardous Waste to a Small Quantity Generator, and we received the 1994 Tennessee Governor’s Award for Excellence in Hazardous Waste Reduction.
100 years & still cooking. ..
Lodge is the oldest family-owned cookware foundry in America. Since 1896, the Lodge family has been casting premium iron cookware at our Tennessee foundry. Starting with raw materials and finishing with our seasoning process, we continue to improve on the highest quality standards that go into every piece we make. As the sole American manufacturer of cast iron cookware, we are proud to carry on the legacy started by founder Joseph Lodge. Lodge doesn't just make cast iron; we make heirlooms that bring people together for generations.
Two historic events—the introduction of foundry seasoned cast iron cookware and the recent expansion of our foundry—represent dynamic examples of Lodge Manufacturing Company’s century-plus commitment to product innovation and investment in new equipment and technologies.
Seasoned cast iron propelled Lodge from the position of a regional manufacturer to the national stage, with Good Housekeeping presenting a 'Good Buy' Award for the product enhancement. Our appearance on the national stage expanded throughout the first decade of the new century, with record sales leading Lodge to the largest expansion in our history.
While we are proud of our recent history, there is a backstory. So travel with us to the small town of South Pittsburg, Tennessee at the end of the 19th Century. Nestled at the base of the Appalachian Mountain’s Cumberland Plateau and on the banks of the Tennessee River, the town was abuzz with new opportunities.
In 1896 Joseph Lodge began a cast iron foundry, named in honor of his minister, Rev. Joseph Hayden Blacklock. Family owned, our origins were humble and our products varied, from stoves, to skillets and kitchen sinks.
As each decade passed, Lodge developed a business model to continually update and improve equipment and foundry practices. Work was labor intensive, with all of our cookware poured and cleaned by hand.
The 1950s saw the installation new molding machinery, mechanized sand delivery systems, the construction of a gas fired aluminum furnace to cast patterns for the production of sand mold impressions and a machine to clean castings.
When the introduction of new cookware metals and coatings increased competition in the 1960s, Lodge countered with a Disamatic automatic molding machine. Two years later, Lodge added an electric furnace to operate the Disamatic molding and pouring system, outpacing the capacity of the coke-fired cupola, at lower cost.
After in the introduction of seasoned cast iron cookware, Lodge broke ground for our foundry expansion. With completion of the first phase in the fall of 2014, the expansion includes a new melt system, an additional pouring/molding line and most importantly—new American jobs!
In more ways than he could have ever imagined, Joseph Lodge would not recognize the business he started over a century ago. Lodge continues to be family owned and we are the sole manufacturer of cast iron cookware in US, producing over 120 different foundry seasoned cast iron items for worldwide gourmet, outdoor and restaurant markets.
More importantly, Lodge Manufacturing Company is universally accepted as the world leader in the cast iron cookware category.
Compare with similar items
 | Amazon Basics Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 15-Inch | Amazon Basics Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 12-Inch | Lodge Cast Iron Wanderlust Series, Tent Skillet, 8 inch | Lodge Chef Collection Cast Iron 8 Inch Skillet | Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Hot Handle Holder - 12 inch Cast Iron Frying Pan with Silicone Hot Handle Holder (Black) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (2808) | (11251) | (11251) | (72) | (49) | (550) |
| Price | $43.95 | $40.54 | $30.40 | $25.35 | $28.00 | $52.99 |
| Shipping | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details |
| Sold By | Debbie's Kitchen Supply | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Debbie's Kitchen Supply | theclubprice |
| Color | Black | Black | Black | Black | — | No Color |
| Item Dimensions | 16.63 x 10.5 x 2.13 inches | 23.07 x 16.38 x 2.72 inches | 20.2 x 12.9 x 3.3 inches | 12.8 x 8.7 x 1.9 inches | 13.75 x 8.75 x 2 inches | 16.5 x 12.5 x 3.8 inches |
| Item Weight | 4.45 lbs | 10.80 lbs | 8.38 lbs | 3.20 lbs | 3.15 lbs | 0.01 ounces |
| Material | Cast Iron | Cast Iron | Cast Iron | Cast Iron | Cast Iron | Cast Iron |
| Size | 10" | 15" | 12" | 8 inch | — | One Size |
Customer reviews
Check your cooking surface for large pits in the cast iron
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
So I don’t usually write reviews, but I also get real annoyed with the “only buy USA made crowd, because Chinese made us crap” crowd, so I just needed to review this particular USA made Lodge skillet to assure them that some products made here aren’t so well done either.I ordered the Rosie The Riveter skillet from Lodge because I have a special affinity for the gals who rolled up their sleeves and went to work in what was normally men-dominated fields when their country needed them to. I don’t usually buy anything “special edition,” because it’s not special, there are thousands made, but having spent some real time with various Rosies, this one was near and dear to me.Came out of the package great, no worries about it being shipped. I took off the label that sits attached to the interior of the pan and was honestly a little shocked by what I saw—massive (for cast iron) pits in the center of the pan. I mean, these are legit holes in the cast iron itself, not just the seasoning.I’ve got many cast iron pieces, most of them I’ve gotten secondhand or they’re enameled, but never have I seen one with actual holes on the cooking surface. The bottom of the pan looks great, and i were just planning on hanging it up and making it a conversation piece that would be fine, but I also expect it to function properly as cookware so this was super disappointing.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021
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Top reviews from other countries
Ali T
Reassuringly heavy & non toxic!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2016Size: 10"Pattern Name: SkilletVerified Purchase
Marie
Amazon global comes in so handy for an American classic piece of cast iron cookware.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2020Size: 10.25" RosiePattern Name: SkilletVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Pinholes everywhere
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2021Size: 10.25" RosiePattern Name: SkilletVerified Purchase
Pinholes everywhere
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2021
I was very excited to receive this skillet but unfortunately there are lots of pinholes on it, inside and out. These are defect will effect cooking. I would like a refund please.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2021
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Pammi
Small cast iron pan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 4, 2016Size: 10"Pattern Name: SkilletVerified Purchase