First and foremost, I’m not getting paid to write this, I’d tell you if I was. That said, I feel obligated to tell you how awesome it is. Lodge Cast Iron is a trusted brand so when I saw this on sale for $30, I figured it would at least be useful. Turns out you can do a whole lot of fun stuff with it.
I love pancakes.
Honestly, that’s the main reason I bought it. I love making pancakes from scratch but if you cook them in a pan, the first couple get cold while you’re making the rest. With this griddle/grill, I can make three or four at a time while also cooking bacon, eggs, and sausage. This alone makes it worth having on hand.
It doesn’t stop at breakfast. I’ve made steaks on both the grill and griddle side, grilled vegetables, kabobs, burgers, sausages. It’s like a mini indoor bbq that delivers the goods every time.
It’s light.
For something this heavy-duty, it’s not as bulky as you would think. While it’s big enough to do most jobs you’ll be taking on in you’re home Kitchen, it’s not massive at all and doesn’t weigh as much as it looks. The good news about that is the fact that, unlike most cast iron pans, it heats up relatively quickly and holds it.
Yes, it’s nonstick.
Lodge Cast Iron seasons all their pans before they’re shipped. I still season mine when I buy em just to make em my own. Once you do this once or twice, you won’t have any issues with it sticking.
Coldwater, scouring pad, oil, heat, salt, more oil. It’s not a hard concept people. Oh, and God forbid you don’t and you get a bit of rust on it? No big deal, just hit it with a scouring pad and some oil, heat it up in the oven and you have a new pan. Again folks, there’s a reason why our Grandparents used these.
It works with both gas, electric, induction and open fire.
One of the other factors that made me fall in love with this is the fact that it’s versatile. Unlike a lot of other materials, Lodge Cast Iron will work regardless of what you’re cooking on. You can put this on a cheep electric range in a small apartment, a $2,000 induction stove or even on a campfire in the back country and it’s still going to work.
In terms of camping, it’s a must have since it’s light, small enough to be packed away and can easily do the job of several pans. My only complaint is that it can’t make coffee but aside from that, it’s really all you need.
In closing….
No lie, it’s been a while since I’ve been this impressed with a piece of Kitchen equipment let alone for under $50. It’s heavy-duty, does a multitude of jobs and with basic care, will last a lifetime or longer. If you’ve been curious about working with Cast Iron, this is a great introduction that will make you a loyal fan after just a few uses. I’ve had mine for 3 months now and let’s face it, if it can last that long in my Kitchen, it will take whatever you throw at it.