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101 of 103 found the following review helpful:
 Great pan ... good size ... excellent for stovetop to oven cooking Feb 28, 2006
By C. Fitzgerald
Purchased this pan to sear roasts before transferring to the oven. I am very happy with the size, the design, and the heft.
The pan measures 12 inches square and includes grill ridges that extend almost to the edge of the cooking surface. The cooking surface has a 3/4-inch tall lip surround. The main handle and assist handle are well sized for the pan and seem sturdy. This pan is heavy.
The pre-seasoning on this pan is pretty decent, but is not as smooth as the type of seasoning you would get after years and years of use. However, it's a good start -- I figure it'll smooth out over time.
When I use this pan, I toss in some salt between the ridges before I put the meat on the pan. The salt helps to absorb and prevent juices, etc. from sticking between the ridges (makes for easier cleanup). And since the salt is between the ridges, the meat never gets salty. Also, I let this pan heat up for a good five minutes before searing.
Cooking with Cast Iron is great, but only if you use it under the correct circumstances.
One of the reasons Cast Iron still has a use in the kitchen is that it has an extremely high heat capacity -- higher than any other metal used in the kitchen -- once you get the pan hot, it stays hot (even if you drop in a cold steak). If you need a pan that can quickly respond to changes in temperature, I'd recommend getting a Stainless Steel pan.
Another point to remember is that Cast Iron is not truly "non stick" -- no matter how much you season it, or how "pre-seasoned" the pan is (or how much the manufacturer claims it is). It is, however, "stick resistant" provided the pan is seasoned and you use enough fat (butter, oil, lard, etc.) while cooking. If you require a non stick surface, then you're probably better off with an Anodized Aluminum pan.
The only down side to using Cast Iron is cleaning it. Cast Iron should never be washed with detergent and should NEVER be washed in the dishwasher. The reason for this is simple -- detergents cause the seasoning to disintegrate. The seasoning on a Cast Iron pan is nothing more than polymerized fat (fat that is solidified in the presence of heat) -- it sounds gross, but its perfectly normal.
I use salt to clean my Cast Iron. After I'm finished cooking, I let the pan cool a bit (to the touch), scrape/wipe out the residue, then rinse it under warm water. Then I pour in a thick helping of table salt and use the backside of a (rinsed) scour sponge to grind the remaining residue out (the salt works like sand paper and doesn't destroy the seasoning). I rinse the pan and repeat with the salt until the salt crystals stay relatively white. Once the cleaned pan is rinsed and dried, I warm it for a few minutes on the stovetop and apply a little oil with a paper towel. The pan is now ready for storage.
51 of 52 found the following review helpful:
 Not as good as the !0 Inch pan. Jul 31, 2006
By W. Bailey
Having used and enjoyed the 10 inch fry pan shaped Lodge Pre-seasoned grill pan, I hoped to duplicate the experience in a larger capacity Lodge grill pan.
Much to my disappointment, I found the 12 inch pan to be lacking. The grids are more shallow and closer together.
They don't have the sharpness of the 10 inch pan, thus leaving indistinct grill patterns on the meat.
It cooks well enough but really can't compare with the results achieved in the old 10 inch pan. Sorry for the purchase.
22 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 Perfect for Grilled-food-lover Mar 26, 2005
By Windy
"Windy"
My husband loves everything cooked on grill, it's nice to do in summer time, but i really don't know how to do in winter until i found this pan.
This pan is wonderfully pre-seasoned, after i got it i just washed it in hot water, after it dry completely, i spray some vegetable oil, and then it's ready to use.
everything cooked in it got beautiful seared-mark, just as it cooked on BBQ grill. Taste so good, even u can feel summer in winter. the meat sit on the ribbed bottom and the extra fat can be taken out easily.
This pan is so easy to clean, just use hot water, then wipe it dry, spray some oil before store it.
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
big surface area - super hot cookin fun! Mar 15, 2006
By Rachael S. Traub
"rachiegirl"
the salmon I grilled on this pan was superb - crisp outside and moist inside. I especially like the dimensions of this pan, it would fit 5 or 6 portions of chicken or fish easily.
However, I wouldn't recommend this for use in kitchens that do not have a high speed fan, as it does throw a lot of smoke. I have a 900 cfm rangemaster fan which handles the task quite well.
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Difficult to Rate May 28, 2007
By NuJoi
"Create with me"
Let's face it, grill pans are great in theory, but reality sometimes falls short. This is my fourth grill pan. It is the second hardest to clean, but it's a workhorse. I've tried turkey bacon, tuna and chicken breasts on it -- all with moderate success. I've just purchased a grill press, which I think will make me love the pan more.
I like it because it's cast iron, although I agree with others that it heats unevenly. It does give you good sear marks. The pre-seasoning works OK, not as well as in my pre-seasoned skillets. I know it will get better with time.
I have yet to find a grill pan that didn't give me problems. I loved my cast aluminum, until the nonstick coating wore off. The ridges in my All-Clad pan are too round to get good marks and because it's nonstick, I can't use high heat. This one, dare I say, is the best of the bunch. The only two materials I haven't tried are enameled cast iron and anodized aluminium.
If you're looking for an average product that will last forever, this is it. I'm not sure perfection exists in a grill pan.
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