I honestly don't remember why I even wound up buying this 12 inch Lodge cast iron skillet. It might have been for the first time I tried following a recipe to make Southern-style fried chicken at home. I ordered it from Amazon and I don't remember the exact price but I think it was in the $30 range. I had never used cast iron before and quickly learned that it wasn't automatically non-stick despite the fact that the company described it as "pre-seasoned". I've tried several different methods of seasoning it but to this day all of these years later I would never describe it as remotely close to "non-stick". I've tried all sorts of ways to clean it including just wiping it out with paper towels, hand-washing with some dish soap, and I believe I even ran it through the ... MoreI honestly don't remember why I even wound up buying this 12 inch Lodge cast iron skillet. It might have been for the first time I tried following a recipe to make Southern-style fried chicken at home. I ordered it from Amazon and I don't remember the exact price but I think it was in the $30 range. I had never used cast iron before and quickly learned that it wasn't automatically non-stick despite the fact that the company described it as "pre-seasoned". I've tried several different methods of seasoning it but to this day all of these years later I would never describe it as remotely close to "non-stick". I've tried all sorts of ways to clean it including just wiping it out with paper towels, hand-washing with some dish soap, and I believe I even ran it through the dishwasher once. Nothing has helped/hurt with the "seasoning" of the pan. There really doesn't seem to be anything that sticks for very long. (no pun intended) Unless I am cooking a well-marbled steak I *always* add oil to this pan before putting anything else into it. I didn't have much use for this Lodge 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet when I lived at the house and had regular access to a gas grill in the backyard. These days I am in an apartment so I use this skillet for pan-searing burgers, chicken breasts, steaks, pork chops, etc. at high temperatures to get good color on them. I've done Southern-style corn bread in it along with a few other things. I like that this skillet is so durable. It will last forever and then some. The price is nice. I've just had to learn to accept that I will never get a good seasoning layer in it and cooking eggs in it will have to remain a fantasy. I'm still very happy to have it in my kitchen repertoire, though.

Best pre-seasoned cast iron pan you can buy.

This has been one of the best pre-seasoned cast iron skillets I have ever bought. Worked great with just a quick light wash before first use. It is very well seasoned for a new pan. It is heavy (of course since it is cast iron) so the extra handle is great as it takes two hands to lift it in and out of the oven. The fact that it has two pour spouts on either side is a bonus. The seasoning is both inside and outside of the pan so you shouldn't have issues with rust if you take care of it and don't somehow manage to scrub the seasoning away. So far I have no issues or complaints. Will update my review if anything comes up.

Buy the best. Buy Lodge cast iron.

If it's cast iron cookware you want, look no further than Lodge.Made in the U.S.A. since 1896.The best cast iron cookware you can get IMO and their prices are astonishingly low!I got my 12" skillet for Christmas in 2019, and it's still as perfect as it was the day I unwrapped it.I asked for a Dutch Oven this year-versatility and great for no-knead artisan bread making! Can't wait to make my first batch of chili, and beef pot roast.Just a few tips on cleaning and maintenance.I've never cleaned my skillet with anything but hot water and a plastic scraper. No dish soap. Ever.Make sure your skillet is completely dry after every cleaning.Dry first with a dish towel THEN follow that with paper towels.If the skillet appears to be losing that well oiled sheen, ... MoreIf it's cast iron cookware you want, look no further than Lodge.Made in the U.S.A. since 1896.The best cast iron cookware you can get IMO and their prices are astonishingly low!I got my 12" skillet for Christmas in 2019, and it's still as perfect as it was the day I unwrapped it.I asked for a Dutch Oven this year-versatility and great for no-knead artisan bread making! Can't wait to make my first batch of chili, and beef pot roast.Just a few tips on cleaning and maintenance.I've never cleaned my skillet with anything but hot water and a plastic scraper. No dish soap. Ever.Make sure your skillet is completely dry after every cleaning.Dry first with a dish towel THEN follow that with paper towels.If the skillet appears to be losing that well oiled sheen, massage some cooking oil into it (I use my hands/fingers-honest to God), go ahead and be generous with the oil, then remove any excess oil with a paper towel.(I lay that paper towel right in the skillet the store it back inside my oven.)

Don’t get the cheaper one! Get Lodge!!

I almost bought the cheaper one to save $5. But I read the reviews about it not actually being seasoned well %26 how it actually rusted within a year. I decided to buy the loge 12 inch skillet. It’s amazing! I can’t actually believe it’s 12 inches, it’s bigger than that. It’s extremely solid and excellent quality. But I cannot imagine that I actually put the 14 and 16 inch Lodge cast-iron skillets in my cart and then I read the reviews. Read the reviews first. I couldn’t lift the 16 inch for sure! The 12 inch is bigger than you can imagine and more wonderful. Worth every penny!

Lodge cast iron cookware hasn't failed to impress!

Takes a while to season but it's a well manufactured item. Love the size and the effect of using it over a regular gas stove or alternately a wood stove. Keeps a constant temperature that makes even cooking a breeze. We love this cast iron cookware. Lodge makes superb cast iron cookware... it inspires confident cooking always.I suggested this pan to my wife and she was rather reluctant at first, then as a gift to me ( I love her so much) she came home with this pan for me.Surprise surprise surprise, she statrted using it ( after seasoning it a few times in the oven) and now EVERYTHING she does is in the pan.I'm happy as a pig in a puddle! Great product!!!

My delivery left in outside area for visitors

I was not notified my item was deliveredIt sat it the outside doorway where that is before a security door. My directions are clear. To buzz security. Also this has no wrapping on itCan you imagine why someone would steal an iron skillet that’s left where people are walking in and out all day.Not FedEx nope some fly by night delivery that has done this 3 times nowYou see those 2 black boxes? Those are the names of who to buzz. I was home and no buzzer sounded.

Rather disappointing

Not sure if this was a defect with just this one pan but on the first use my food was burning. It’s weird because it’s supposed to be a seasoned pan and I used oil on it but it was still burning. After the first use I seasoned it again but I’m still having the same issues with subsequent uses. Note that I am using this on low to medium heat so it’s bizarre. I got it because I’ve heard mostly positive reviews but my experience has not been great unfortunately.

Some of the best cookware to cook with!

TLDR: Great cookware, but heavy!Lodge has been a quality product for decades! Their cast iron cookware is durable, maintains and spreads heat better than most cookware. I love you don't need much oil to coat it and can be evenly spread on the surface. It'd be beneficial if, you season it again, even though, it's been seasoned already. I wouldn't suggest using dish soap frequently or putting it in the dishwasher. This is heavy cookware, not for wiggly-armed folk.

great size

I have a smaller cast iron pan I also bought at walmart. I needed to get a bigger cast iron pan since I have to cook for a family of 4 and when making fajitas I found myself having to use two pans to cook enough fajitas for my family. The 12 in skillet is perfect for making enough food for 4 people and sometimes 5. The meat tastes way better when made on an iron skillet, especially when making steak. My boys and I love steak and using an iron skillet makes the meat way tastier. I've used the regular pans when making steak, but they don't compare to how an iron skillet cooks meat.

pre-seasoned pans-lessons learned

There was little to no seasoning, so I ended up having to re-season the pan before cooking. Because of the re-seasoning process, I had to let the pan come to temperature for the seasoning to properly adhere. Once the pan was at the proper seasoning temp, I had to let it cool to finish the seasoning process.This entire process took approximately four to five hours. This also meant that those hours used to properly season a pan that was supposed to be a pre-seasoned pan, meant that, that time interfered with my actual cooking time.From here on out, its best to properly inspect what is refered to as a pre-seasoned pan, or spend the high dollar amount on a pan that has a guarantee on their pre-seasoned pans.