Hello, I am looking to get myself a cast iron skillet, and I have a couple of questions I’m not finding immediate answers for:
- Does it matter what brand of skillet I get? Is there one brand better than another, especially for beginners?
- What size should I get? My main interest in CI is to make my own pizzas, but I’ll probably expand out from there.
- Should I get a set with multiple sizes?
Thanks! Also, am I missing asking anything else? I don’t know what I don’t know. :)
As far as brand, I’m not that knowledgeable yet. One thing to look for is smooth surfaces. Older cast iron and good, more expensive, cast iron is smooth and easier to cook with.
Hmm, I wrote out a reply, but seems like it didn’t post. My apologies if you get two versions of kinda the same thing.
If you buy a modern Lodge off the shelf, it will have a pebbly surface. This is from the sand they use to cast the iron when the piece is manufactured. And in the olden days, they used to have a second step of grinding that pebbly surface smooth so it was a better cooking experience brand new. Somewhere in the 60’s, they stopped doing that as a cost saving measure (yay capitalism!)
That being said, your new Lodge skillet will get smooth with time and use. It may take a few months of daily use, or longer if you’re not using it as often. But the seasoning will slowly fill in all those little hills and valleys, and it will smooth out with use. So more expensive manufacturers have added that stone grinding step back in, and they are nicer to work with straight off the shelf. But your Lodge will get there too with time and use.
Is it not better to sand/grind out the pebble surface than to let it fill in? I just bought a new lodge skillet for my 17 year old son. All of my cast iron has been purchased second hand or inherited so I never had to deal with this.