Lodge cast iron???

[mombh]

So i just bought this cast iron dutch oven at walmart. It is " Lodge " brand and says made in the U.S.A in tennesee , looks good I already used it and love it They also had a bigger one that was coated with enamel...and I don't know if it as safe and as good for cooking ..anyone know anything about this?/ I would appreciate any info. Iam relatively new to cast iron cooking , the last fry pan I had I accidently left it in the sink and it got badly rusted, I did try to re-season but it is still not 100%
I really want to make this work and slowly do all my cooking in cast iron and that enamel coat looks tempting....I am just concerned that it is not as healthy as plain cast iron and has harmful chemicals ykwim???

[mamadelbosque]

I have mostly lodge cast iron. I have two of the big dutch oven-type pots (10" and 12") - mine have the wire curly handle and no legs so they work on the stove top (they have some with handles and legs for camping), along with a couple fry pans, griddle, muffin pans, wok & pizza pan. I love them! I've never bought any of their enameld stuff... I think its actually made in China I could be wrong though... but I thought I noticed that when I was looking at it last time. It DOES look very pretty though!

[miss_sonja]

Lodge is a classic cast iron maker. Good stuff. A rusty pan can be rescued, it just takes some time, steel wool, oil and scrubbing.

[CrunchyFarmGirl]

Yep, their enameled ware is made in China.

[ChristieB]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

I have mostly lodge cast iron. I have two of the big dutch oven-type pots (10" and 12") - mine have the wire curly handle and no legs so they work on the stove top (they have some with handles and legs for camping), along with a couple fry pans, griddle, muffin pans, wok & pizza pan. I love them! I've never bought any of their enameld stuff... I think its actually made in China I could be wrong though... but I thought I noticed that when I was looking at it last time. It DOES look very pretty though!

I've thought about trying those, but wasn't sure how to use them. Do you heat them first? If so, when do you grease them? Any tips? Thanks!

[mamadelbosque]

I grease them then fill them and stick'm in the oven just like normal pans. As long as you grease'm my muffins don't stick! I've forgotten to grease once or twice... and THAT was a mess! So... just make sure to grease, and grease well!!

[ChristieB]

Hmm, I guess I always thought you'd have to heat them before, with cast iron taking so long to heat up. Are they thinner than other cast iron? Do they bake the same amount of time? I guess it just sounds too easy.

[mombh]

thanks for all the info so far, I think I will just stick to the plain cast iron and leave the pretty enameled ones in the store.
I have found that cast iron actually heats up more evenly , and I'm trying to get everyone in the family to use the cast iron fry pan so that they will get used to it. We joke about getting strong muscles ( who needs to lift weights with cast iron around

[ChristieB]

If at some point you do decide you want enameled cast iron, try Le Creuset. It's more pricey, but made in France and doesn't leach heavy metals or anything else from the glaze. I use cast iron a ton, but I also use Le Creuset a lot, especially for soups and stews (and making stock).

[mamadelbosque]

No, the muffin pans are just as heavy as everything else... Honestly I think my ovens off by a few degrees cause everything seems to take an extra 5-15 mins in it than the recipes say... but my muffins come out wonderful

[ChristieB]

Thanks for sharing. I'm thinking once our finances are in better shape I'm going to need to try a cast iron muffin pan.

[Leilalu]

Originally Posted by ChristieB

Thanks for sharing. I'm thinking once our finances are in better shape I'm going to need to try a cast iron muffin pan.

try thrifting! My MIL found a great corn muffin pan that she recently gave me, at an estate sale. I have also found great pans thrifting. You just need to scrub them and wash and season.

[ChristieB]

Originally Posted by Leilalu

try thrifting! My MIL found a great corn muffin pan that she recently gave me, at an estate sale. I have also found great pans thrifting. You just need to scrub them and wash and season.

Unfortunately, I can't because of gluten. Any used pan is pretty much guaranteed to have had gluten in it, and since cast iron is porous, gluten can't be removed from it. I still need to replace my griddle, too (for now we use our skillets).

Dh did suggest trying ebay. They might have new pans for cheaper than elsewhere. I still think I’ll wait until our deck is finished. I want the deck more than I want the pans. (Not that the pans would make or break us, but every little bit helps, right?)

[wakkun]

Originally Posted by ChristieB

If at some point you do decide you want enameled cast iron, try Le Creuset. It's more pricey, but made in France and doesn't leach heavy metals or anything else from the glaze. I use cast iron a ton, but I also use Le Creuset a lot, especially for soups and stews (and making stock).

I totally agree with that. I have the LeCreuset pots and love them. They are a bit pricey but worth the price because you can keep them for a very long time, well, unless you drop them or something. Plus, there is a warranty on it and if there is a problem with the pot, you can send it back (with prior approval from the company first).

Actually, I am looking into buying a plain cast iron pan for myself (the one I currently have is great but a bit small) and think I will get the Lodge one cuz it is made in USA. I saw the one the enameled one you mentioned awhile back and thought about it, but saw where it was made and that kind of dissuaded me from getting it. I think the plain one is so good when heated well and so non stick.....

[jocelyndale]

Originally Posted by ChristieB

Unfortunately, I can't because of gluten. Any used pan is pretty much guaranteed to have had gluten in it, and since cast iron is porous, gluten can't be removed from it. I still need to replace my griddle, too (for now we use our skillets

Oh, you can still buy thrifted pans, you just need to remove the seasoning. It's the seasoning that's the problem so far as gluten goes, not the iron itself. The problem is that removing the seasoning completely can be a bit of a bear. Using a fire or the grill or the self clean function on your oven can result in a cracked pan, though when it does work, it's pretty useful!

[ChristieB]

Originally Posted by jocelyndale

Oh, you can still buy thrifted pans, you just need to remove the seasoning. It's the seasoning that's the problem so far as gluten goes, not the iron itself. The problem is that removing the seasoning completely can be a bit of a bear. Using a fire or the grill or the self clean function on your oven can result in a cracked pan, though when it does work, it's pretty useful!

Actually, I've been told that the pan itself is porous and absorbs the gluten. It seems to be fairly common knowledge in the GF community. I can't say that I tested this thoroughly. It wasn't worth it to us. But ds reacts to such miniscule amounts of gluten, we just changed ours out (except the skillets that had not had gluten in them, at least not for several years).

[Leilalu]

Originally Posted by ChristieB

Unfortunately, I can't because of gluten. Any used pan is pretty much guaranteed to have had gluten in it, and since cast iron is porous, gluten can't be removed from it. I still need to replace my griddle, too (for now we use our skillets).

Dh did suggest trying ebay. They might have new pans for cheaper than elsewhere. I still think I’ll wait until our deck is finished. I want the deck more than I want the pans. (Not that the pans would make or break us, but every little bit helps, right?)

aww, bummer! scratch that then!

[425lisamarie]

speaking from someone who's healed from allergies, I wouldn't risk it either!!

I LOVE my Le Crueset, but there's nothing like cornbread from a cast iron skillet I could live on corn bread though