Twelve Reasons Why I Love Lodge Cast Iron Cookware

I have a small but well used collection of Lodge cast iron cookware. I add new pieces to it as my husband or I find something we love and have a use for. We just added a 20” griddle, in part because we like to cook pancakes when the kids visit and I frequently cook tortillas from scratch. I grew up using cast iron pans in my grandmother’s and my mother’s kitchen. My grandma loved to take us camping and her camp box always included at least one cast iron skillet. In winter, she often cooked in the fireplace in a dutch oven that had a lipped lid so she could stack coals on top. She didn’t have to cook like that, she just liked cooking that way.

We only buy Lodge cookware, and for good reasons. Below are twelve reasons we always purchase Lodge cast iron cookware, and lately we have been eye balling some of the enameled cookware. We believe it is important to support companies that demonstrate concern for their local community and a social and environmental conscience.
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1. Good quality cast iron cookware can last forever, or at least for generations. I am using a 10” skillet that was my grandmothers and it still cooks just as good as when it was new. If you take care of your cast iron cookware, it can become a family heirloom. If you collect several pieces, the kids and grandkids might be vying for who gets it.
2. It can be recycled. Iron is the main component of steel. According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, more than half of all steel foundries rely on scrap metal. Cast iron is just one part of the 20,000+ tons of materials recycled by Lodge annually.
3. You can cook on the kitchen stove top, in the oven, on an outdoor grill or over a campfire, all in the same skillet. It works for induction cooking as well. It can go anywhere.
4. Food tastes better thanks to the excellent heat retention and even heating of cast iron.
5. You can cook almost anything. Fry, sear, sauté, bake, broil and so much more.
6. It has a naturally nonstick finish if cared for properly and re-seasoned as needed. I have successfully cooked fried eggs with minimal oil and no sticking by following the instructions on the Lodge web site (scroll down to see video). We love our fried eggs and we get very peeved when they stick to the skillet. Now they never do. I think this is a much healthier version of nonstick than anything chemically coated.
7. It’s reasonably priced. A 10.25” skillet, round or square, is about $25 online. Keep in mind that this is a skillet that will last you the rest of your life and cook just as good in 20 years as the very first time you use it…as long as you keep it properly cleaned and seasoned. Which just isn’t that hard.
8. Lodge cast iron cookware is easy to use and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes for all kinds of cooking. You can also get Lodge porcelain enameled cast iron pans or seasoned carbon steel if you prefer something equally durable but a little different.
9. It has been produced in the United States since 1896. Lodge has two foundries in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. They are the oldest and longest-running cast iron manufacturer in the United States. You can buy their cookware online or in factory stores located in South Pittsburg, TN, Pigeon Forge, TN, Sevierville, TN and Charlotte, NC. You can also find some of their products in the big box chain stores but you get a much better selection at the Lodge stores.
10. Lodge is a fifth generation family owned business and has raised over $1 million to support the local community of South Pittsburg, TN, and the surrounding area. Each year they sponsor the National Cornbread Cook-off and donate the proceeds to local initiatives. They sell a cookbook on their website, written in collaboration with the South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society. Since the books release in 2002, they have sold more than 250,000 copies and donated more than $245,000 back to the Society. They have many more charitable initiatives.
11. Lodge has been proactive in developing green initiatives for recycling, reducing pollution and minimizing electricity use. They reduce pollution with a Zero Hazardous Waste Foundry and storm water settling ponds that make their waste water cleaner than the river it flows into. In 2008 and 2009, they replaced foam packing inserts, bubble wrap and styrofoam with biodegradable paper and corrugated packing material. They accepted the ENERGY STAR challenge in 2011 to reduce energy consumption by 10% over 5 years. They surpassed that goal in less than one year. They implemented a company wide recycling program for paper, steel shot, mixed metals, plastic, motor oil, aluminum cans and lead acid batteries that diverts more than 700 plus tons per year away from landfills. They also recycle used foundry sand by donating it where it can be used within the community such as construction of a baseball field.
12. They provide online and printed resources for caring for your cast iron cookware as well as using it for campfire cooking. The web site has loads of recipes or you can buy one of the Lodge cook books. I have one and love it because it has camping recipes as well as stove top recipes. It also shows how to dig a bean hole and use it for cooking beans in a dutch oven. I get inspired to cook outside more every time I look at it.

Myths About Cast Iron Cookware
Myths abound regarding the usability of cast iron, but here is the real info on cast iron cookware.
Myth: You can’t use soap.
Fact: Yes you can but its not usually necessary. If you use soap, use a mild dish soap. The more often you soap, the more often you will have to re-season.

Myth: It’s ruined if it rusts.
Fact: Rust can be removed with steel wool and the pan can be re-seasoned. To prevent rust, dry promptly after each use and wipe on a light coating of vegetable oil.

Myth: You can’t use metal utensils.
Fact: Cast iron is durable. You can use any kind of utensil on it—wood, metal or silicone. No nonstick coating that can be scratched and ruined. Tough as nails.

Myth: You can’t use cast iron cookware on glass top stoves.
Fact: It is safe for glass top stoves BUT handle with care. Don’t slide it across the top and remove it from the top as soon as you finish cooking.

Myth: You have to season a new Lodge cast iron pan.
Fact: They come pre-seasoned and ready to use. You should rinse with hot water and wipe them dry before you add food for the first time, however.

Myth: You can’t cook acidic or alkaline food in cast iron.
Fact: Small amounts cooked quickly should not matter. Larger amounts cooked for extended times may require that you re-season after you clean the pan.

Myth: Foundry-seasoned cast iron cookware never has to be seasoned again.
Fact: You should care for you cookware by washing with warm water, drying promptly and rubbing with oil after each use. It may require re-seasoning, depending on how it is used. Honestly, it’s just not that hard to re-season.

Myth: Cast iron cookware is unbreakable.
Fact: Cast iron is not indestructible. If you use it as a hammer or a weapon or drop it off tall buildings, it can break. Treat it like any other piece of cookware.

Myth: The black patina is created by using a chemical coating.
Fact: Lodge does not use black paint, like some cookware companies do. The color comes from a 100% natural seasoning with vegetable oil, which is baked on in a huge oven during the manufacturing process. The black patina that remains is a carbon deposit left by the vegetable oil on the skillet.

Myth: You can’t use cast iron on induction cook tops.
Fact: You can use cast iron cookware on any heat source, indoors or outside. Just don’t use it, or any metal, in a microwave.

Below is a selection of my favorite pieces (affiliate links). Some of these I use every day in my kitchen. You can also shop on this page for Lodge cast iron.

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