Lodge Logic 10-1/4-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet

You can run this pan as hot as you dare without hurting it - works great for steaks, and makes an awesome cheese steak. The pre-seasoned coating works as advertised, and the cast iron gives good heat transfer and VERY even heat across the entire pan. I think I'm going to be using this skillet A LOT.

A handy suggestion regarding cleaning that I stumbled across on another website... be SURE to use a hot pad while doing this! Immediately after cooking, fill the pan with HOT water (not cold; you could crack it!), put it on high heat, and bring the water to a rolling boil... this will lift debris off the pan bottom. Dump the water and immediately wipe dry with a paper towel, set on the (turned-off) burner briefly to dry completely, and wipe the cooking surfaces with oil.

Another note - want those steaks well-done but juicy? Buy the Lodge Logic 5-qt Dutch oven; the lid fits this skillet! Sear both sides of the steak on medium-high (about 3 min each), then flip, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook as desired, flipping the steak once along the way (about 5 minutes per side for a small, well-done filet mignon). Your cooking times may vary, but the combo of cast-iron skillet for searing and lid to keep things moist while cooking works exquisitely. Brown, not black, outside... and tender inside.


Excellent   January 19, 2004
philo_vance (Commack, NY USA)
104 out of 104 found this review helpful

I have 2 pieces of Lodge cast iron cookware. This one and the 12" un-preseasoned skillet which I conditioned myself. I have to add my voice to the chorus of cast iron admirers who don't know how they ever survived without their Lodges. I do about 80% of my cooking with one or the other. Steaks, burgers, any type of sauteed chicken recipe, stir-fry, fajitas, cornbread, bacon and eggs, pancakes, french toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, and on and on.

Cast iron's chief strength comes from its massiveness. It is basically a honkin' big hunk of iron formed into a cooking utensil. This large quantity of metal, once heated, will tend to evenly distribute its heat and stay hot no matter what you put into it. Futhermore, once properly conditioned (which Lodge has done for you here), they are almost as non-stick as teflon.

Unfortunately, cast iron is not without its faults. Its greatest strength may also be its greatest weakness in that it is significantly heavier than other types of cookware. This skillet weighs about 6 lbs. Imagine trying to pick that up, plus the weight of whatever you've cooked in it, with one oven-mitted hand so that you can use a spoon in the other hand to help maneuver your recipe into a serving dish or storage container! If you have weak hands or arthritis or any condition that limits your ability to pick up and manipulate heavy objects, it may not be a good choice for you.

Also, iron will rust if not maintained correctly. Lodge provides you with use and care instructions which are not complicated or difficult, but which you MUST follow to the letter. Read the instructions carefully when you get your pan. No dishwasher, no soap (just hot water and a stiff brush), dry quickly and coat with cooking oil.

I've read some reviews where folks are saying that you can't cook tomato-based or acidic products in cast iron. Though it may be true, I've never found an authoritative source to corroborate this and, in fact, Lodge's website (lodgemfg.com) offers recipes that contain tomatoes and acidic ingredients! I regularly put tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, lemon juice, etc. in my cast iron and haven't seen any ill effects from doing so.

These pans are so inexpensive, it will cost you very little to give them a try. If you do, you'll be singing their praises with the rest of us!


A Southern Girl's Dream   February 20, 2004
A Southern Girl in Jersey (New Jersey)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

I am new to the family of Lodge, but I definitely plan on staying around a while. I was hesitant that the quality of this pan would be poor after checking the price, but I must say I am pleasantly suprised. I bought this pan mainly to make cornbread in and though it is a little large it sure can make one heck of a good pan of cornbread. Growing up in the south I learned quick that cornbread that is actually worth eating must be made with a few simple ingredients: cornmeal, buttermilk, fatback grease, and most importantly, cast iron. Lodge makes the cookware a breeze to use since these pans are pre-seasoned. They're easy to take care of and fairly simple to clean up. I find that just filling it with piping hot water while the pan is still hot removes most of the residue. Anything else can be wiped out with a towel or a sponge, but NO soap. Then just spray with a little vegetable spray while it's still warm and you're all done. You can't ask for easier bakeware. The people at lodge craft their items in a small town in Tennessee. I'd like to think that southerners make the best cast iron, afterall you can't make good cornbread without it.


Season an iron skillet   April 5, 2003
19 out of 34 found this review helpful

To season a cast iron skillet or any other cast iron utensil: 1. Wash and dry. 2. Heat pan until very hot and add a teaspoon of cooking oil. 3. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle a generous amount of table or kosher salt and spread around utensil. 4. Wipe out with paper towels. This is the correct method for seasoning and cleaning a cast iron utensil.


Works well, but I don't understand the "Logic"...   May 31, 2005
PhillyDuke (Philadelphia, PA USA)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

My first Lodge purchase was their square grill pan. I followed the seasoning instructions to the letter, and although I ended up with a properly seasoned pan, I wasn't thrilled with the uneveness or the uncovered spots (the areas where the pan actually touched the oven grate while the shortening was baking on). Over time, the pan has turned out to be a peak performer, and the initial imperfections have been glossed over by a nice shiny black patina. However, a few weeks after my purchase I remained unconvinced, so when it was time to add a regular skillet to my arsenal, I opted to go for their preseasoned "Logic" line.

Performance on this pan has been exactly the same as the unseasoned grill pan...cast iron is really the unsung hero of the kitchen, and at a price point that blows away my Calphalon and All-Clad. On a gas range you can't beat the even heating, heat retention, and fabulous browning. My only complaint with this pan is the Logic "preseasoning", a vegetable oil mix blasted all over the pan and cooked on prior to sale, making it "black" right out of the box. While it does protect the pan from rust, etc., I don't feel that it posesses the same non-stick properties as a properly baked-on finish done over time. Food WILL stick to this. Lodge customer service indicates that their seasoning is only the first step, that the pan will continue to season and get better with age. I haven't found that to be true. I've cooked fried chicken, fajitas, bacon, burgers, and various other meals in this pan and none of the cooking has managed to "add" to the original seasoning, at least not in any noticeable quantity. I even recoated it with melted Crisco and tried baking it in, but it only filmed up on the surface and never really adhered with the pan. On the other hand, my grill pan "Gets better every time" I use it (as the company saying goes).

If you're new to cast iron and want something that's low-maintenance and easy to use right away, I'd recommend this skillet...like I said, it really performs well for such an affordable price. You can vigorously scrub this out after each use, and still have the factory finish left behind. However, if you one day wish to have that shiny black, naturally non-stick finish on your pans, I'd steer clear of this and shop instead for Lodge's "Original Finish" line (which sadly is far outnumbered by the "Lodge Logic" line).