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5.0 out of 5 starsA good cast iron pan is a must have addition to ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2015
A good cast iron pan is a must have addition to any cooking arsenal. The Lodge LPGI3 Reversible Griddle fits the bill perfectly. It's currently nestled on top of my two gas burners on my stove (see photo). My burners measure 17.5 inches across and the 20 inch griddle fits nicely on them. It has become my go to piece of cookware. It is large enough to sear several steaks at a time, giving them a beautiful flavorful crust. Eggs, pancakes, french toast, grilled cheese, bacon, stir fry, salmon, literally everything I have thrown at it has been cooked faster and with more flavor than a normal pan. I can heat the griddle as hot as I like, unlike teflon cookware which can damage the nonstick properties. The result is that food cooks much quicker than normal. Meats will develop that caramelized crust you often see in restaurants. In short, this griddle/pan can cook anything and everything with ease.
As with any cast iron piece of cookware, seasoning is a must. Lodge claims that the griddle is already pre-seasoned, but the first time I tried cooking some sunny side up eggs I ended up with a burnt crusty omelet that stuck to the pan. Not good. Thus, I began my Google search for the best method to season a cast iron pan. After a few failed attempts, and a bit of sorting through conflicting methodologies, I found the best way. Season your pan as follows:
Step 1
Go buy a good organic flax seed oil at your local health foods store (Sprouts, Whole Foods etc.) Make sure it is pure flax seed oil. It should be in a refrigerated section, flax oil goes rancid quickly. The reason flax oil is used is because it is the only drying oil that is edible. This basically means that the fat content in the flax oil breaks down readily at high heat and forms a tough film that gives cast-iron its non-stick properties. You can Google "seasoning cast-iron with flax seed oil" for a more chemically detailed breakdown.
Step 2
Moderately squirt some oil on one side of the pan. Then take a paper towel and rub every nook and cranny on the pan. Try to spread the oil so that it forms a thin even layer. Also take care to not leave any puddles of oil on the pan. You want to soak up any excess oil so that if you were to turn it face down, no oil would drip down. It is extremely important that you DO NOT drown the pan in oil. Doing so will result in an uneven seasoning layer that will flake off or turn sticky. Repeat this procedure on the other side as well. Again, taking care not to use too much oil.
Step 3
Heat your oven to 400 degrees and no more. Stick your cast iron pan in and leave it for 1 hour. Again you want to make sure you do not go over 400 degrees because then the oil begins to smoke too quickly and the process of forming the hard coat is rushed. You may also want to open your windows and turn on the fan, the oil is essentially burning into smoke which may irritate your eyes and lungs. After an hour, turn off your stove and let the pan come to room temperature or cool enough to handle.
Repeat steps 2-3 four or more times or until the desired coat is achieved. Each time you will notice the pan getting shinier and smoother. After I seasoned the pan several times I was able to cook pretty much anything with zero sticking. Eggs and hash browns were a breeze. The more you use your pan the better the coat becomes as well.
Cleaning:
Cleaning is very difficult if your pan is not seasoned as food will stick. I recommend you season your pan using the above method for easy cleaning. Most of the time, a little coarse salt, water, and a paper towel is all that is needed. I also purchased some plastic cast iron scrubbers from Lodge that work like a charm. For those who feel they need a more thorough cleaning, feel free to use a sponge with some soap. Scrub the food off and rinse thoroughly with water. Contrary to popular belief, a well-seasoned cast iron pan will NOT lose its coat with soap. Again most of the time I just scrub and rinse with water, I always preheat my pan before I cook which kills any bacteria on the pan anyway. Also, be sure to dry your pan as cast iron rusts readily.
Overall, this pan is a large, heavy, wonderful cooking beast. Those looking for a light small pan look elsewhere. For those looking for a versatile, heavy duty cast iron pan that will last for decades, look no further.
