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The Complete Buying Guide to Lodge Cast-Iron Skillets and Cookware

From skillets that go for $10 to the only USA-made enameled Dutch oven, this is everything you need to know about Lodge’s enormous catalog of cast-iron cookware.

The-Complete-Guide-To-Lodge-Gear-Patrol-lead Chandler Bondurant

By Will Price, Grace Cooper, and Johnny Brayson

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It’s hard to find a more classic piece of cookware than a Lodge cast-iron skillet. When cleaned well and seasoned properly, one of these pieces can last a lifetime. As one of the most iconic US-made cast-iron brands around, Lodge has a pretty hefty catalog, but we made you a cheat sheet of its skillets, pans, dutch ovens and more, so you know what you’re looking for.

Products in the Guide

History of Lodge Cast Iron

It goes like this: Blacklock Foundry began as a 25-man iron casting company making kettles, pots, broilers and skillets in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. After a fire destroyed the facility in 1910, its founder, Joseph Lodge, reopened with a new name: Lodge Manufacturing.

Where Is Lodge Cast Iron Made?

Lodge is still made in South Pittsburg to this day, and you can even make a visit to the brand’s first factory store and museum.

What Makes Lodge Cast Iron Good

In the 120 years since, Lodge has become the name in cast-iron cookware. Unlike many of today’s small-production manufacturers, Lodge proudly makes its cast-iron skillets, ovens, griddles and grill presses for the masses.

How to Date Lodge Cast Iron

If you’re buying pre-owned, vintage Lodge cookware, it can be difficult to tell when your cast iron was made. But if you pay attention to the engravings on the pan, you may be able to figure it out. Lodge’s iconic modern-day logo, where the “o” in Lodge is replaced with an egg in a frying pan, was only implemented in 1973. So anything without that logo you know is at least 50 years old. Depending on the model you have, there may be other markings, like a year or the name of the line, that you can look up to find a more precise date.

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Cast-Iron Skillets

Cast-Iron Skillet

  • Sizes Available: 3-inch, 5.5-inch (square), 6.5-inch, 8-inch, 9-inch, 10.25-inch (round and square available), 12-inch, 13.25-inch, 15-inch

Lodge’s bread-and-butter product seems like it’s been around for ages. It hasn’t. The company shifted from a hand-poured casting system to total machine casting in 1950, and it wasn’t until the early 2000s that Lodge began pre-seasoning all of its standard cast-iron skillets. Both were good moves. In the last two decades, Lodge has quadrupled its manufacturing capabilities to meet new demand for cast-iron cookware. The standard skillets are heavy and a little rough around the edge. But they come pre-seasoned and start at all of five bucks. You won’t find a more accessible combination in all of cookware.

Chef Collection Skillet

  • Sizes Available: 8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch

One of Lodge’s newer skillets, released in early 2019, the Chef Collection Skillet is 15 percent lighter than its standard skillet — a cut that drops half a pound from the 10-inch pan and more than a pound from the 12-inch. The Chef Skillet also sports longer handles with a more ergonomic taper and more gently sloping side walls. Altogether, the Chef Skillet is a slightly pricier, more maneuverable cast-iron skillet.

Blacklock Skillet

  • Sizes Available: 7-inch, 10.25-inch, 12-inch, 14.5-inch

Named in honor of Lodge’s original foundry, this cast-iron skillet is lighter weight than the brand’s classic model. The longer raised handle design is intended to keep the handle cooler as long as possible (although we still recommend having an oven mitt ready). And its unique markings on the bottom of the pan make it easily identifiable if you’re shopping for pre-owned cast iron.

Deep Skillet

  • Sizes Available: 10.25-inch, 12-inch, 3.2-quart, 5-quart

The deep skillet is the most straightforward of the bunch — think of it as Lodge’s standard skillet with higher walls. That increases the weight but also your cooking options. Deep skillets can act as vessels for true deep frying, baking breads, deep dish pizza and just about everything else. And it’s also available with a lid.

Blacklock Deep Skillet

  • Sizes Available: 4-quart

Another item from the Blacklock Collection, this skillet provides all the benefits of a cast-iron skillet with some of the versatility of a Dutch oven. It can go from the oven to the stovetop and has more depth than a regular skillet for baking or cooking a stew. And although it looks hefty, this skillet is only about 11 pounds, making it again a few pounds lighter than Lodge’s classic deep skillet.

Heat-Treated Skillet

  • Sizes Available: 5-inch, 6.5-inch

Although still made of cast iron, this skillet has been heat-treated, making it rust-resistant and, conveniently, dishwasher-safe. It only comes in a couple of smaller size options, so it’s best used for side dishes, desserts or one- to two-person servings.

Baker’s Skillet

  • Sizes Available: 10.25-inch, 12-inch

For bakers, Lodge designed this two-handle skillet that is oven-safe, but it can go pretty much everywhere else too. It’s about two inches deep, perfect for cooking rolls, cornbread and more.

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Chef Collection Dual Handle Skillet

  • Sizes Available: 14-inch

Similar to the Baker’s Skillet above but offering a larger size at 14 inches, this dual-handled skillet from the Chef Collection is a versatile piece of cookware and bakeware. It’s only 9.8 pounds but roomy enough to feed a family with whatever you’re making.

Special Series

  • Skillet sizes available: 6.5-inch, 8-inch, 10.25-inch, 10.5-inch, 12-inch, 13.25-inch
  • Other products: Seasoned Cast-Iron Mini Cake Pan, 3.2 Quart Cast-Iron Cabin Combo Cooker, Square Grill Pan, Griddle, 5-Piece Set with 10-inch Dutch Oven

Every once in a while, Lodge releases a themed series with unique designs. These include the nature-themed Wildlife Series, the collab with Mexican artist Lourdes Villagómez on a Day of the Dead series and the travel-themed Wanderlust series. These functional skillets are the ultimate gift-worthy keepsake for a cast-iron lover.

Lodge x Yellowstone

  • Skillet sizes available: 5-inch, 10.25-inch, 12-inch, 17-inch Dual Handle
  • Other products: 10.5-inch Grill Pan, 3.2 Quart/10.25-inch Combo Cooker, 8 Quart/12-inch Deep Camp Dutch Oven, 8-inch Trivet, 8-inch Grill Press

In a match made in Americana heaven, Lodge has teamed up with the hit TV western Yellowstone on a range of licensed merchandise. The line includes a series of cast-iron skillets and other cooking tools emblazoned with Yellowstone imagery — most notably the “Y” logo. The entire collection is in cast iron, made in the USA and designed for both indoor and outdoor use.

Pans

Dual Handle Pan

  • Sizes Available: 8-inch, 10.25-inch, 12-inch, 17-inch

Pans are not skillets. Lodge’s cast-iron pans are handleless and instead sport grips on either side. Why? The lack of a long skillet handle means it takes up less space — making it an especially adept baking tool (where space is limited) or stovetop sitter. The inclined grips on either side are especially useful with the larger sizes, too, as you’re not going to be able to lift a 17-inch skillet with one hand anyway.

Chef Collection Everyday Pan

  • Sizes Available: 12-inch

The lighter, lid-toting cousin of the standard cast-iron pan adds pour spouts and is a lot more expensive. Like all Lodge pans, it comes pre-seasoned and ready to cook out of the box.

Baking Pan

  • Sizes Available: 15.5 by 10.5 inches

This Lodge pan takes the shape of a classic aluminum baking pan with the heft of cast iron. From roasting to baking, this sheet pan will give your food rich flavor and a nice crust.

Loaf Pan

  • Sizes Available: 8.5 by 4.5 inches

Although you might not think of cast iron immediately when you’re getting ready to bake, it provides a nice, even heat, which makes it a great tool in the oven. And as a nice detail, this loaf pan has a handle on either side that makes it easier to carry around.

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Dutch Ovens

Dutch Oven

  • Sizes Available: 2-quart, 5-quart, 7-quart

Unenameled Dutch ovens feel a bit antiquated nowadays. Enameling means you don’t have to season anything and you can clean with all the soap your heart desires. But, unenameled iron still outshines its enameled counterparts when it comes to searing (enameling lowers the cookware’s heat ceiling) and cooking outdoors. Why? Potential chipping issues aside, has anyone ever brought a $300 Le Creuset to a campsite?

Enameled Dutch Oven

  • Sizes Available: 1.5-quart, 3-quart, 4.5-quart, 6-quart, 7-quart (oval), 7.5-quart

Lodge did to the classic Dutch oven what it did to the cast-iron skillet: it took an expensive market and turned it on its head. Where Staub, Le Creuset and others of their ilk charge hundreds for a single pot, Lodge’s full-sized enameled Dutch ovens run in the mid-$50 range. There are plenty of color and size options, too. But if you want a step up in quality, Lodge has you covered there, too …

USA Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven

  • Sizes Available: 3-quart, 4.5-quart, 6-quart, 7.5-quart

The latest addition to Lodge’s collection is quite notable, as it represents the only line of enameled cast iron cookware currently being made in the U.S. The enameled cast-iron Dutch oven is made right in Lodge’s hometown of South Pittsburg, TN, and features a stainless steel knob on the lid and inlaid stainless steel handles. Oven-safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and available in three colors — red, white and blue, naturally — the USA Enamel series represents a new high point for Lodge. And with that raised profile comes higher prices than we’re used to seeing from the brand. A 6-quart USA Enamel Dutch Oven costs over three times as much as Lodge’s standard, non-American-made Enameled Dutch Oven in the same size.

Dutch Oven with Bail Handle

  • Sizes Available: 5-quart, 7-quart, 9-quart

This version of Lodge’s classic Dutch oven comes with a lid and a bail handle, making it easier and safer to lift up and over campfires. This piece is perfect for someone who wants to enjoy perfectly seared food or a delicious stew during their outdoor adventure.

Double Dutch Oven

  • Sizes Available: 5-quart

What’s different about this unenameled pot? Its domed lid is also a cast-iron pan. Other than the obvious value of having both, it also makes for a much more rounded lid top, a helpful attribute for those baking high-rising breads.

Chef Collection Double Dutch Oven

  • Sizes Available: 6-quart

This double Dutch oven from Lodge’s Chef Collection puts a twist on the classic style by making the lid a grill pan, perfect for getting clean grill marks on what you’re cooking from the comfort of your own kitchen or without having to store a full grill.

Enameled Double Dutch Oven

  • Sizes Available: 7-quart

When you take off the lid of this enameled Dutch oven, it’s actually a grill pan in disguise. Use the bottom and top together or separately, either way, this Dutch oven will definitely earn its keep. And the MSRP of $90 is actually less than the $120 price tag on the regular 7.5-quart Dutch oven.

Combo Cooker

  • Sizes Available: 3.2-quart

This combo cooker is definitely the way to go if you want the most bang for your buck. It essentially combines a deep skillet and a regular skillet that when put together creates a Dutch oven. In total, this triple-duty cast-iron piece weighs about 12.9 pounds.

Camp Dutch Oven

  • Sizes Available: 2-quart, 4-quart, 5-quart, 6-quart, 8-quart, 10-quart

A campfire staple. Lodge’s big, heavy, affordable camp oven comes with a ridged lid to place hot coals onto, legs to keep it stable and a handle to hang it over a roaring fire beneath. The lid flips over into a griddle, too. A word to the wise: be careful not to put the pot too far into a larger fire — temperatures that high can very easily melt what seasoning you’ve developed on your rig.

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Grilling

Grill Pans

Other than applying aesthetically pleasing grill marks to steak, pork chops and all manner of vegetables, Lodge’s grill pans are different from the everyday skillet in that they render fat away from food instead of cooking food in it. Hot tip: buy the grill pan-specific scrapers.

Grill Presses

  • Sizes Available: 6.75-inch, 7.5-inch (round), 8-inch (round), 8.25-inch

This weight flattens curly bacon, pork chops and weirdly-shaped chicken thighs. Beyond ensuring a more even sear, it also levels out the thickness in larger cuts of meat, so especially meaty chicken breasts will cook a bit more evenly.

Griddles

If you want a surface that’s wider and flatter than your cast-iron skillet, then a griddle is your best friend. They can give you a flat surface on your grill or be used as a faux grill on your stovetop or over a fire. And Lodge’s models have a lip of about an inch or so to keep everything contained.

Reversible Grill and Griddle Combo

The simplest way to turn your kitchen into a diner? Place the heavy-duty combo griddle over adjacent burners and crank out pancakes, paninis and bacon with room to spare. Use the flip side when the weather is too bad to go outside. And as a bonus, it pairs perfectly with the grill press.

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