2009 Amazon Frustration-fre - cast iron grill pan, lodge

Click here for more information I honestly cannot say enough good things about this pan. At first I was skeptical and a little hesistant about cooking with cast iron. Growing up in the south I knew the magic of cast iron cornbread made with fatback, but I also knew the special care that went into seasoning the beloved pieces of cookware. When I saw that this was preseasoned I went for it. I worried that it might be a lightweight pan and only sublime quality for the price but I was pleasantly surprised. This pan has a heavy weight to it and is crafted solidly. I've used it for hamburgers (they make the best I've ever tasted), grilled chicken, pork chops, and shrimp (YUM). Something I learned is that things tend to stick a little so coating the pan with vegetable spray is a good idea. Also, try soaking your shrimp in a mixture of butter and garlic before grilling it. I am in love, it hasn't even left my kitchen counter to go into the cabinet since I bought it because I use it so much. My husband being a Yankee wasn't used to the goodness of the cast iron but now that he sees how perfectly it browns meat while still leaving it moist he is hooked. With this pan I find the grooves to be so helpful. You can season the meat without worrying about all the seasoning burning to the pan. Also they're nice and deep so that the fat that does run off actually stays off the meat. Cleaning it is SO easy! I just run hot water into the pan while it's still hot from the stove then use a sponge or dish towel (NO SOAP) to wipe it out, rinse it off, and then spray with vegetable spray while it's warm before putting it away. I have to say that Lodge has a loyal fan in me. With quality old time cookware like this, without the hassle of seasoning it first you can't go wrong.

Okay, so my THIRD (count em *3rd*) Foreman grill in like 7 years bit the dust. I thought briefly about getting a new one, but the fact that they're a pain to clean, you can't set the thermostat and bottom line it gets very greasy and messy...fuggit about it! I considered the Cuisinart Griddler which looks really cool but I really didn't want to pay $100+ for one. Also I don't have a LOT of counter space. On the other hand I DO have a stove...so I started browsing. I already have a Lodge cast iron regular skillet and it's served me well for YEARS now. When I saw the grill skillet with the ridges I knew that's what I was looking for!



I just had a chance to use it for the first time this evening. What a pleasure - it was pre-seasoned so just had to wipe a bit of olive oil on the surface. Heated it up, and made a delicious steak! Came out nice and juicy with grill marks, not all dry and cooked wrong like on the Foreman. However I will have to buy a grill press as I used the bottom of my smaller cast iron skillet to 'sear' the steak and get those nice marks. But even buying both the grill pan and the grill press, you're paying significantly less than you would for a Foreman - and this cast iron lasts forever. Your grandkids will still be using it, I bet! Cast iron is better than any of those non-stick cooking surfaces (like on the Foreman) that flake off. Ew! Take it from me, get this pan and a grill press and skip the Foreman...

Let me open by saying that the negative reviews on this pan were, in my opinion, written by people who aren't quite sure how to use it. It's really pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Just try the following:



1) Put the pan on a large burner.

2) Coat it lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

3) Turn the burner on somewhere between medium to medium-high.

4) Once the pan is hot, put in burgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, or other decent cuts of meat. How you choose to marinate/season said cuts of meat is entirely up to you.

5) Cook anywhere from 4-7 minutes per side.

6) Enjoy your exquisitely prepared meal.

7) Clean up the pan with hot water and a ScotchBrite sponge. If you encounter difficult-to-remove, burnt-on food stains, try putting a thin layer of kosher salt on the pan and scrubbing with the SB sponge.

8) Rinse the pan thoroughly and dry completely with paper towels or whatever.

9) Coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

10) Store until next use.



Call me crazy, but that sounds pretty easy to me. Bottom line to all of you cast iron naysayers: be patient, keep using this pan, and eventually you'll learn how to get the most out of it. It really is terrific!

I looked at several different options - such as the Foreman grill before settling on this grill pan. Although I have a small back patio, I've never used a bbq and wouldn't be comfortable doing so, not to mention I'm just cooking for one so the time spent setting it up wouldn't be worth it to me. The Foreman grill, based on reviews, didn't sound like it would be easy to clean and wasn't reliable. The grill pan looked like the perfect solution. Although the pan is heavy, there are two handles which makes it easy to move and carry over to the sink. Following advice I'd found on the internet, I use cooking spray generously and bought a wire scrub brush to clean it with. The pan does create smoke so I'm always sure to turn on the kitchen fan and open the back door before I even turn the stove on as well as disconnect the smoke detector. The pan heats up fairly quickly and cooks the food evenly and quickly. I must admit I don't use it frequently and have only tried a handful of foods, but I have been pleased with my experiences and would recommend this item. - Cast Iron Grill Pan - Lodge - Grill Pan - Stovetop Grills - Skillet - Cast Iron Skillet
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2009 Amazon Frustration-fre - cast iron grill pan, lodge

Cast-iron Griddle - cast iron, emeril

Click here for more information I went through three non-stick, very expensive pans from the major players, and every time the story was the same. I would really like the pan until I used it about six or seven times, then the non-stick coating would wear off and they would stick like mad. This is because proper grilling can only be done under high heat, in a preheated pan. Doing this to a non-stick pan heats it up well past its tolerances, and destroys the coating.



So finally I tried a cast iron grill pan from Lodge. It was excellent, and took to high heat well. It is pretty hard to clean, the food sticks a bit, and the grill marks are not as crisp as I would like. Still, it was much better than anything aluminum.



When I saw this one, I decided to try it since I like my other Emeril pans.



It is even better than my other one. Interesting, as I strongly suspect these Emeril pans are also made by Lodge. The little tweaks he made to the pan are well thought out. The ridges are tapered such that they almost come to a point. The result is clear sear lines with no sticking. It is also heavier than my other pan, so it holds heat better, and has much higher sides to help contain spatters.



There is one thing to be aware of, however. This pan is smaller than its Lodge counterpart, so it is well suited to grilling for two (even if the things you are making are large). If you are doing more than that, it'll get a little tight in there. I keep my Lodge pan around for the times I need more cooking space, but I can see this one is going to get a lot more use as I normally do two things at a time anyway.



The first time you use it, spray it lightly with cooking spray oil inside and out, then put it on a high heat burner until it smokes. Turn the burner off and let it cool off on the burner slowly by itself. This will help season it a bit (even though it is preseasoned) and make sure that you won't get any sticking the first time you use it.



If you are even thinking of experimenting with grilling, get this pan and give it a try.



Sean P. Logue, 2008

Well, it's a cast iron grille pan. What else can I say about it?



Like all cast iron pans, it's quite heavy, but it will also last for a lifetime(or more). It is also non-stick, providing that it is cleaned and cared for appropriately(there are appropriate seasoning instructions that come with the pan).



Since cast iron is able to reach higher temperatures than non-stick cookware, it makes it a great choice to cook meat when cooking outside is not an option, just make sure to heat the pan for three or four minutes before using it.



If you're unfamiliar with cast iron cookware, follow the instructions that come with it and you'll enjoy a great pan for life. Just remember that it doesn't go into the dishwasher!

This is seriously a heavy duty,, high quality product. The grill has deep grooves which makes for more healthy cooking as the fat stays on the bottom and it just feels like it can definitely take a beating should it ever have to. The only thing I found it lacking (and not really a big problem) is that the handle seems a bit short for a pan of this weight and size. You'd need two hands to carry it securely. Great product overall.

I had long ago given up on cookware with "non-stick" coatings on them. I now use only cast iron or bare stainless steel. When it comes to grilling indoors, cast iron is the only way to go.



Though I already have a cast iron reversible grill/griddle which fits across two burners on the stove, sometimes I find it too large if I only want to grill a couple of burgers or a chicken breast. So I bought the Emeril 10" Cast Iron Grill Pan to handle the smaller grilling tasks. Don't get me wrong, the pan is large enough to grill 4 burgers at a time, but I don't think I've ever eaten 4 burgers in one meal.



First of all, this is a very, very heavy pan. I know that anything made of cast iron is expected to be heavy but this seems heavier than other cast iron pans of this size. The handle seems too thin to support such weight, but somehow it does.



It comes pre-seasoned, however, I would not recommend that you use it immediately after buying it. The first thing I did after I got it was to give it a good scrubbing with warm water and dish detergent. I then heated it up on the stovetop until it was completely dried. After allowing it to cool down enough to handle, but still warm, I coated it with a good coating of vegetable shortening. Then into the oven it went for about an hour at 375. After doing this, the pan was much darker than it was when I bought it; a sign that it was much better seasoned now and ready to use.



So, this past weekend, I was on a grilling frenzy to try out my new grill pan. The first time I used it, I grilled a couple of burgers and some zucchini. The burgers did stick a little, but not bad for first time use. A little sticking is to be expected the first few times of using a cast iron pan. It will become more and more non-stick after each use. The next day, I grilled more burgers and some peppers and onions. This time there was very little sticking. Later in the day, I grilled some chicken breasts and they came out just perfect, with nice brown grill marks and a smokey grilled flavor. Excellent!



Clean up is easy. I run it under warm water and use a bamboo brush to scrape all the food particles off. Then I heat it up on the stovetop to dry.



Please note, this Emeril Grill Pan is not made by Lodge. It is made by All-Clad. As all Lodge products are made in USA, the Emeril Grill Pan is made in China. I can't compare this Emeril Grill Pan with other brands because I haven't used any other brands. But I am quite happy with the performance of this one. It is definitely of high quality and with proper care will last several lifetimes. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. - Cast Iron - Emeril - Cast Iron Grill Pan - Grill Pans - Cookware - Grill
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Cast-iron Griddle - cast iron, emeril