Butcher

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Im looking for cast iron pans and want to know what some good brands are. I checked out walmart and they had lodge logic pans and didn't like the interior surface, it seemed pretty rough.

wolfstar

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Lodge

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beyonder74

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Lodge are the only ones I have been able to get a good season on. I have tried other brands and they never seem to season up good. Even the Lodge Logic pre-seasoned need to be seasoned some more. Crisco is your friend!

Airplanedoc

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Griswold and Wagner

Honestly go get one at a second hand store, flea market etc they can be re-seasoned pretty easily and are a lot cheaper

mb82

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Lodge is the best you can get in the store.

malty_sam

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Best advice for sure.

Wagner & Griswold are two old makers. Cooking surface is as smooth as a baby's butt. In those days you could pay some a dollar a day to smooth out the casting.


lodge is pretty much it now..

Homercidal

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I have never thought about buying a new one. I have seen many at yard sales and planned on buying a couple and sandblasting them fresh and new and re-seasoning them myself. There is a DIY sandblast shop near my MIL that would probably charge $5 each for the amount of time it would take to blast one of them.

FTG-05

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Lodge is good, but as you say, the cooking surface is rough.

If you buy new Lodge, just take some 120-240 sandpaper and lightly sand the cooking surface until you have *about* 50% smooth (or bright) surface. Don't overdo it, you're just trying to knock the high spots off. Then season it, then start cooking bacon or sausage (or both!) in it.

Old Lodge, Griswald or Wagner cookware is great, but can be expensive.

I wouldn't buy or use chinese cast iron if you paid me.

Good luck.

RmikeVT

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Gotta find an old Griswald.
Even covered in rust you can restore.
Scour Rust with wire brush and drill or dremel tool.
Soak in Lye -- research this as its dangerous
Than Season with an Oil that has a low smoke point -- research this as its a technique involving lots of then layers of oil and baking.

chefcurt

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I found an entire set of Wagner Griswald ( 4 sizes) 20 years ago at a garage sale. Paid three dollars for all four.