Popular on Food52
42 Comments
adrien L.
September 19, 2021
Hi all--looking for a cast iron skilled that measures 7" surface inside and 7.5 bottom, to replace my very old Griswold. I like and use my lodge and lancaster pans but need this smaller size..I trust 52 with all my cooking questions--hope you have the answer this time as well:) and please...only those made in USA. Thanks so much-
al
al
berkopat
June 6, 2020
What is the weight of the 12" pan? I have a very old one but it's getting too hard for me to work with, at 7.4 lbs.
Grammy
September 3, 2019
These are NOT made the vintage way. The good old cast iron had a completely smooth bottom surface. I would not use anything that didn't have a smooth bottom. Yours has a ridge on the outer edge which prevents it from setting down evenly on large burners.
Greg C.
May 28, 2019
I have an Induction Cook Top and I am wondering if the lip that is on the bottom that makes the pan sit up slightly above the cook top will affect how the pan heats if the bottom of the pan isn't sitting directly on the coils.
Cynthia P.
November 26, 2017
I LOVE cooking with cast iron and we have a collection of old ones - including the Griswold I grew up with in our family camping kitchen, and an unnamed heavier one (with a smooth finish) that I got at a yard sale for 25 cents back in the early 1980s. I've always been torn about the new ones - really liking that they are made in this country where I have at least some say in the laws that govern workers' wages and safety - but not liking the pebbled finish. Our #12 big one is the only pebbled one we have out of the five that are in regular use in our kitchen.
A year or so ago I saw someone else who was marketing a newly made smooth pan, but for cost reasons he had eliminated both the pour spout and the hole for hanging - both of which seem necessary in my kitchen. So glad so see someone is making them again like this even if it does cost more. I agree with the commenter who pointed out how little over time the cost is if you keep it for a lifetime. These would make wonderful wedding or house-warming gifts.
We season ours after every use by heating them up and rubbing a very light coating of olive oil onto it with a small bit of paper towel. We don't worry about scrubbing the dickens out of it or using soap or whatever else that a lot of people say you shouldn't do. We've been handling ours this way for decades.
A year or so ago I saw someone else who was marketing a newly made smooth pan, but for cost reasons he had eliminated both the pour spout and the hole for hanging - both of which seem necessary in my kitchen. So glad so see someone is making them again like this even if it does cost more. I agree with the commenter who pointed out how little over time the cost is if you keep it for a lifetime. These would make wonderful wedding or house-warming gifts.
We season ours after every use by heating them up and rubbing a very light coating of olive oil onto it with a small bit of paper towel. We don't worry about scrubbing the dickens out of it or using soap or whatever else that a lot of people say you shouldn't do. We've been handling ours this way for decades.
Dayn R.
July 4, 2017
I'd like to make an obvious comment about pricing. From what I can gather this is made here in the States. It is crafted, not just "assembly-lined" so many others. It's basically under or around $2.00 per year to own it provided you actually care for it, pass it along and pass it down and keep it for 100+ years. Will it last that long? Good question. How much "stuff" do we purchase made elsewhere in the world then turn around and complain about quality or horrible working conditions of those other places, etc? Not trying to soapbox here but in a way, yeah, I am. The term here is Craftsmanship. I'd like to believe that is what made all those vintage pots and pans last as long as they have and do. Say what you will but I have several generations of Saladmaster cookware that I've personally used for 30+ years and it was old when I got it! Different company for sure and I don't always agree with the current owner's manufacturing ideas... Craftsmanship. That's gotta be worth a lot on Scrabble, right?!
Priscilla L.
February 24, 2017
Is it necessary to have two pans - one for sweets and one for savories?
Jim
February 24, 2017
I've never used two pans. If properly seasoned, a cast iron surface isn't that porous.
Rachel
January 30, 2017
In 1980 I worked in northern California, near Mt. Lassen during a year break from college. The thrift store in my little town yielded up over the year a graduated set of 4 ancient and smooth cast iron skillets. These served me well for years and traveled all over the country and beyond. When I married a man with enamel cast iron skillets and received All Clad for our wedding I gave away my old skillets to someone I thought would appreciate them. Big mistake, giving the skillets away. Happily, the marriage was not.
Holly D.
January 29, 2017
I'm so excited about this! I inherited a small (6 or 8 inch maybe?) pan from my great grandmother and it's a COMPLETELY different pan than my more modern lodge cast iron skillets. I've always wanted a bigger one for more every day cooking so I'm thrilled to know there's someone out there who's making them!
Brian
January 29, 2017
I was given my first cast iron pan when I went away to college. My roommates and I abused it not having any idea how to care for it but we loved how we it cooked steaks and game meat we got from one of our Dads. When I got my first apartment I liked the Griswold insignia so I cleaned it up and hung it on the wall and spent a bunch of money Calphalon pans I had to be every two years. We then were given a Le Creuset and started to get the bug. As I got into grilling and smoking I would use the Griswold on the grill. I swapped out the grates on my grills to cast iron and started to look into how to properly clean and season my Griswold pan. In that research I learned about all the logos and the history of the companies and determined the pan I have been abusing for 15 years was from 1935 and that flaxseed oil was the way to go to season it. I stripped the pan down to the bare steel and hit it with a wire wheel and then put on 7 coats. Best non stick pan ever. I now have a small Wagner from the 50's and a larger Sears and Roebuck pan from the 60's which may be about the last smooth finished pan made, I make pizzas with that one and take it camping. I use my Cast Iron on my glass top stove every day no issues just be careful not to drop it. I am so happy to hear about Smithey. Cast Iron cookware is such a great American tradition I hope I will get to see Isaac's place if I am in SC and thinking I am in the market for a dutch oven.
Timothy M.
January 29, 2017
I'm 60 years old and I have my grandmothers Griswold iron skillets: 12", 10" and 6". The bottoms are smooth as glass. They are as black as pitch. I never understood why anyone would want these new Lodge "pebbled-bottomed" skillets. I thought these superior old grandpas were a thing of the past. So great to see this.
Marit G.
January 29, 2017
Love my cast iron pans (one old and one new) and will use them as long as I am able to lift them, getting older they seem heavier
Allison
January 27, 2017
I notice you're selling these in the Food52 shop. Is this article an ad / sponsored content?
Olivia B.
January 27, 2017
Hi Allison--No, not an ad or sponsored content. We simply wanted to share why we're so excited to have launched these skillets in their Shop (mentioned at the top of the article), and the great story behind them.
sfmiller
January 24, 2017
Very good piece. I wish Isaac Morton the best. I'd long thought that surely it must be possible to make a modern cast iron pan that outperformed Lodge's current offerings and had the virtues of vintage cast iron pans.
It's a testament to how bulletproof cast iron cookware is that there's so much of it is still around after 50 or 100 or more years. I don't think you'll see much of a market for most contemporary cookware 100 years hence--or even 20 years hence!
It's a testament to how bulletproof cast iron cookware is that there's so much of it is still around after 50 or 100 or more years. I don't think you'll see much of a market for most contemporary cookware 100 years hence--or even 20 years hence!
barbara N.
January 24, 2017
I'm staying with my American made Lodge, they're plenty smooth enough and work on any stove top except glass. If I'm going to spend $200 it's going to be enameled.
Laurel
January 24, 2017
Initially, I balked at the price of these pans but then I read Isaac's story and realized this is actually s great buy. Of course it helps that he's so handsome AND has one blue eye and one brown eye. I'm sure these pans are s unique as he is!
Louise T.
January 24, 2017
My neighbors moved out last summer, and threw out all manner of everything. They were in a rush, so I asked if I could take things to Goodwill. They threw out working electronics, space heaters, Doc Martin boots, clothes, blankets, towels, dishes, jewelry...on and on. I made 4 trips to Goodwill. Then, I found the pan.....a crud-encrusted pan that seemed heavy enough to be cast iron, but was so abused it was nearly unrecognizable, as such. I found instructions online,. cleaned it up (a three-day process)...An expert online with whom I shared photos said the pan was manufactured in the USA between 1840 and 1920. And it has a rare wood handle. It is now my most prized pan :-). And mu first cast iron one, other than my glazed dutch oven.
Poppygold
January 24, 2017
Your link to tell Smithey that a Dutch oven would be a great addition to his line is broken/not found [He mentioned that they love to hear from customers about what they want next—a Dutch oven? A bigger size? A smaller size? He'd be happy to hear from you!]
His site has no 'contact us' link to let them know Dutch ovens would be a great addition as they would indeed.
Finally, I look for old Wagner's and Griswold's all the time and still feel that the Smithey a good price given what the vintage ones are priced at and I smile when I think of the Smithey being cherished and handed down to my son...
His site has no 'contact us' link to let them know Dutch ovens would be a great addition as they would indeed.
Finally, I look for old Wagner's and Griswold's all the time and still feel that the Smithey a good price given what the vintage ones are priced at and I smile when I think of the Smithey being cherished and handed down to my son...
Olivia B.
January 24, 2017
Ah, thanks for letting me know—I've updated the text (the e-mail is [email protected]).
Blair D.
January 24, 2017
I was fortunate enough to inherit my mother's cast iron skillet that originally belonged to my grandmother. It is at least 50 years old and I love using it. I purchased a Lodge and the surface finish of the bottom is so rough that I have always felt I need to make it smoother. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. Great article and nice looking pans. If I "need" a new one I will definitely check out Smithey
Join The Conversation