Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Review

The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pan/Skillet is one of the best affordable options when it comes to purchasing a frying pan or skillet. Most cookware offer non-stick properties, which can not only add up in expenses but seriously shorten the pan’s life span. With the lodge pre-seasoned skillet, you’re getting a very durably cast iron product that is built to last. If treated correctly, the pan has the chance to outlast you. Of course, Lodge isn’t the only manufacturer of cast-iron skillets, so we’ll cover everything you need to know before making your purchase.
Quick Overview
Construction
Features
Price
Durability
Pros
Cons
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet/Frying Pan Review
- 8-inch Skillet can saute, sear, fry, bake and stir fry
- Pre-Seasoned and ready-to-use
- Superior heat retention and even cooking
- Sturdy handle with hole for hanging when not in use
- Made in the USA
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Features
Unlike most non-stick frying pans, there aren’t a lot of features to bring up with this Lodge cast iron skillet. The cast iron is unified into a single piece, so it’s pretty simple to understand. We will spend a little time discussing its handle though.
Handle
The Lodge cast iron skills offers a sturdy handle that is connected to the skillet itself. It offers a hole at its end in case you want to hang it up somewhere.
Pour Spouts
Within the skillet itself, there are two little pour spouts on each end. They’re mostly their in case you’re pouring out liquids, such as extra grease.
Pre-Seasoned
The Lodge cast iron skillet is advertised as pre-seasoned out of the box. However, we feel it needs a true pre-seasoning before the first use. The surface is a little rigid out of the box, so a good pre-season will definitely help it without a doubt. We feel the price point is likely the biggest determinant in why it wasn’t able to be pre-seasoned very well. If you’re willing to pay up a little extra cash, there are better skillets that are ready out of the box.
Lid (Optional)
Depending on your needs, you may choose to buy one of the lodge cast iron skillets with a lid. The lid itself is also made out of cast iron, and it comes with a handle attached. They fit on very well overall. Lids can be included in the 8″, 10.25″, 12″, and 13″ sized skillets.
Sizing Options
The lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillets are truly kings when it comes to their sizing options.
From 3.5 inchses to 15 inches, with six sizes inbetween, if you can’t find a size that works for you, well I’d question what you’re looking for.
Additionally, there are some sizes that you can purchase the skillet with or without a lid. The lodge skillets that you can choose to include a lid are 8″, 9″, 10.25″, and 12″.
Construction Material
The lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillets are obviously constructed out of cast iron. As an additional plus for some perspective buyers, they’re also made in the USA, which is a rare find these days.
Uses
Given the construction of the lodge skillet is completely cast iron, you could really use this over most heating surfaces. Uses could include a stove, grill, or even over a camp fire. About the only thing it shouldn’t cook over is an induction stove top.
Durability
Overall the Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet is extremely durable. It should last for years and years. It is important to note that on some very rare occasions, customers have reported their cast iron skillets breaking. Because this is such a rare occurrence, we feel this is more of a quality assurance issue, and not an issue with the skillet itself.
Concerns
The biggest concern with the lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet is its surface and pre-seasoned claim. Especially for those who’ve never owned a cast iron piece of cookware before, it may be a huge turn off. Pre-seasoning your own skillet is a skill, and it’s a skill one must learn. For anybody who is new to it, it can be frustrating if you go in blind. Of course, if you look up some videos, it’s not a hard thing to learn. You can also pay up a little extra money and find a cast iron skillet that is truly pre-seasoned out of the box.
Conclusion
While the Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet definitely isn’t perfect, it’s an extremely reliable and affordable option. We love this pan enough to have rated it our favorite cheap frying pan/skillet in our best frying pans guide. However, if you’re not all about pre-seasoning your cast iron skillet right out of the box, you can always look to options that may be a bit more expensive. We hope you’ve enjoyed our honest and unbiased review of the Lodge cast iron skillet, and we’d recommend commenting down below if you have any thoughts or questions.