Lodge Logic Skillet Black, Cast Iron, 10.25 Inch

The seasoning on this pan was perfect when it arrived. But I still coated it with peanut oil a couple of times and placed it in oven face down at highest temperature for hour at a time twice before I started using it.Then for a first couple of times, there was a little bit of eggs sticking to the bottom, but after using it over a week, now it doesn't stick at all, it is as smooth as a non-stick pan.I am glad that I bought the lodge brand, as the quality of workmanship is exceptional. No dents, no irregularities, no flaws anywhere. 8" is a perfect size to make 2-3 eggs omelettes. I also used this pan to make hash browns and they turned out crispy, but they need a bit more oil than I anticipated. (Pro tip: If you are making hash browns, make sure you wash your grated potatoes thoroughly and dry them as much as you can, and then use a lot of oil to make it in this pan, otherwise the moisture in the potato will suck all the oil and you will burn your hashbrowns instead of getting that golden brown crispy look).We also used this for chicken 65 recipe. Didn't stick to the bottom at all and chicken was fried very well. The size was again perfect for making small batches of about 15 nugget size pieces at a time without wasting too much oil.This is my first cast iron utensil. I was worried about it rusting etc. and saw a bunch of videos on YouTube about how to care for them, but it is really easy. I just let it sit there after cooking is done, allow it to cool down. If there is oil still in it, I just simple use paper towel to clean the debris from cooking and let the oil stay in the pan. Then I wash it just before using it for the next time with water and soap. After washing I immediately heat it and let the water evaporate.If it is too dirty and must be washed before storing it overnight, then I first let it cool down, wash it with cold water and soap, then start the stove and let the water evaporate. Once the water evaporates, then I let it cool down and once it is almost cool, I put about a teaspoon of oil and spread it across both inside and outside surfaces and even the handle. That makes it shine like brand new. If I don't use it more than 2-3 days (that only happened once so far), then I apply a slight coat of oil if I see that the shiny layer of oil is not there.I thought I would be tired of this ritual of putting oil on etc, but it is lot of fun. I won't mind doing it, it is a special pan that requires special care.This pan is expensive, but the good news is you cry only once paying the price of this pan, but then you don't need to buy another one for the rest of your life. This thing can easily last for a hundred years if you don't end up dropping it as it is made out of brittle cast iron material.Can't believe I would be writing a glowing review of a stupid cooking utensil, but here I am... can't help it. I think I have fallen in love with this pan. No joke. I use it everyday and I recommend buying it without any reservations.

The first skillet i received was in very bad packaging and had a crack..contacted Amazon and told them about the same .. was assured by amazon agent that she would return this and as I was ordering another pan would make sure this doesn’t get repeated..,returned it and ordered a second one.. with my fingers crossed hoping there won’t be any issues with this. When I recieved this skillet, packaging was equally poor.. it was just in a torn cardboard box..when I opened it had few rust marks but no crack visible.. the surface of the Lodge skillet is very bumpy.. not at all smooth..I was not sure weather this is a good thing.. searched over net and found that many people find Lodge skillets very rough ...haven’t cooked anything as of now.. will update soon regarding the same.. have seasoned my pan by washing, applying oil and then baking in oven for an hour.. ( searched the net for the seasoning video).. I am sure it will make the skillet better..would surely buy a Indian locally made pan and compare both and update the same...Update... Used the skillet to make dosa... Dosa didn’t stick at all.. but the was an issue removing it as the sides of the pan are pretty high.. so the removal part was a little difficult.. though the dosa was nice and crisp but would buy a griddle for the same...Update- According to many on net... the most difficult is to make eggs I guess.. so I tried it myself.. and the outcome was wonderful.. used very little butter and the eggs came out perfect.. the sunny sides didn’t stick at all and it had a lovely browning effect .. I am really impressed...Lodge is actually quite good..

The skillet itself is beautiful and heavy, but as many people have already mentioned, it ships with insufficient packing (mine was too, but luckily it didn't get damaged). Since cast iron skillet can break on impact, it may get damaged. Amazon really needs to start shipping this securely.The brand is well known and makes really decent and affordable (at least in US. when it reaches India, a lot of shipping and taxes get added and it becomes about 6 times the original price! Then of course you get some discount on Amazon and it turns out to be just 3 times. The price on the label says Rs. 4599. Got it for Rs. 1949. Costs about $10-$12).For those who are buying their first pan:1. Remove label and wash the pan with plain water. Wipe it dry.2. Take any vegetable oil or shortening (any fat that's solid at room temperature) on a tissue and apply an even, thin coating on the pan. Make sure you cover all surfaces. Flaxseed oil works best as it turns into a polymer easily when heated up (that's what I've heard! Seasoning is an hourlong process and I didn't want to find out after an hour that the oil I used didn't turn into a polymer! So I used flaxseed oil). So buy a small bottle of flaxseed oil (100ml). It costs around Rs. 150-200.3. Preheat the oven at 190 degrees Celsius. Line your baking tray with aluminium foil, place the pan on top of it, and put it in the oven on the middle rack for an hour.4. After the hour is over, open the oven door and let the pan cool inside. It will take some time so don't touch it while it's still hot.5. Repeat the oiling and heating process again once or twice. You can do it on the same day or whenever you have time.6. Alternatively, cooking oily things in the pan first few times too would act like seasoning.7. Avoid washing the pan with soap else it might require re-seasoning. If it's necessary then you have to, though.8. After each use, either wipe it clean with a cloth/tissue and store in a dry place, or wash with plain water, wipe it with towel, heat up the pan slightly (till the handle starts to warm up), rub with oiled tissue/cloth and store.Tl;dr: It's a good pan, if it doesn't get damaged in transit. Season it a couple of times before using. Happy cooking!