Lodge L8SGP3 Cast Iron Square Grill Pan, Pre-Seasoned, 10.5-inch

This grill pan is great! I live in an apartment but longed for the grill marks and enhanced flavor from an outdoor barbecue. I don’t have good ventilation either, so indoor cooking that produces too much smoke is not a good idea. I was originally looking at electric grill pans, but most of them had reviews indicating they broke down easily. I like my regular cast iron skillet so I gave this a shot. So far, I’ve made bratwurst, corn on the cob, different types of chicken, bacon and then caramelized onion after in the fat (for a quiche), eggplant, homemade ground chicken burgers with garlic and jalapeño, and zucchini. I’ve also taken it camping. Nothing has gotten stuck, and I only used cooking oil the first few times (the others were either naturally fatty or I used the drippings from fatty foods cooked prior, which really kicks food up a notch in terms of flavor).To anyone who hasn’t owned a cast iron skillet, or has gotten rust on theirs: DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO STAY WET. I mean, no air drying, no soaking, no “let me loosen it up by letting the water sit a while as I do other things and forget about it.” You MUST dry this pan thoroughly, and then coat it with oil (make sure the pan is warm). Also, don’t use soap!! One of the best things about a cast iron skillet is the “seasoning” that forms. Soap eats away at it and then: 1. You have to go through the trouble of re-seasoning it the “long” way by baking the pan in high heat, and 2. Your food will probably taste soapy. This is how I care for mine, and I’ve never had any problems (e.g. rust, cracking, etc.). It’s the same advice I got when I bought my first cast iron skillet, mixed with internet research, and it’s the safest option to ensure its longevity:• I let the pan cool down before washing it (sudden temperature changes aren’t good, especially cold water on a hot pan... this is called thermal shock and will lead to cracks/broken pans)• I use a dedicated silicone sponge that I never use dish soap on to wash it in warm water. I also bought the Lodge grill pan scraper because it makes clean up much easier than getting into each groove individually• I wipe the pan down with a paper towel• I heat the grill pan on the stove on medium-low heat until the remaining water evaporates• After the pan cools down a little (but while it’s still warm), I use a clean paper towel to rub oil ALL over it (it’s made of one piece of metal so you need to protect the entire thing, including the handle and reverse side)• I put it back in the cabinet and make sure never to store a damp/wet pot or pan near itAlternatively, you can use salt instead of washing it. I don’t use this method because it adds another thing I have to worry about buying and/or I’d use up my good salt, so I just find it easier to wash it. But some people swear by the salt method. You just pour salt into the pan right after cooking, allow it to soak up remaining food bits and oil, and then wipe it down and season with oil as described above while it’s still warm (or after you’ve reheated it).Tips:• olive oil has a low smoke point, which means it’s ill-suited for use with grill pans. Use an oil with a higher smoke point instead (such as corn oil or grapeseed oil)• don’t go above medium heat• be careful when handling it, as it retains heat for a long time and heats very evenly, which means the handles are hot! I got the silicone handle cover AND silicone pinching mitts and with those, I feel safe handling the pan when it’s warm/hot, but otherwise I would avoid it because the pan is heavy (especially for a woman) so you have to hold it tight and you’ll probably drop it if you don’t protect yourself from the heat• you can use metal utensils on it, but be careful not to scrape that precious seasoning off• don’t cook overly acidic foods in it because the acid will eat through the seasoning (such as tomatoes)• if your food is smoking too much, turn the heat down and/or reassess the type of cooking oil you’re using• do a thorough cleaning and season the pan with oil every time you are done using it for a while. (If I’m cooking different meals over a day or two, I’ll sometimes just keep using it with only a wipe down, so you don’t have to clean it right away, but don’t let it sit too long and don’t use too much oil when seasoning it because eventually the oil can putrify. And never, ever leave it wet!)If you follow these rules, this pan should last decades, and you’ll have a great seasoning on it whenever you cook. Do a little research on long-term care, such as when and how to remove and re-season the entire pan, and what type of oil you’ll like most, and you should love this pan.

Fabulous, American made quality crafted to last a lifetime! Excellent pan!We have used it several times since it arrived and it provides top performance. No cold or hot spots! Our food cooks evenly and the pre-seasoned pan cleans up beautifully. We have used it for chicken burgers (famous for sticking to pans!) but they did not stick to this pan at all and the grill marks are wonderful! We also cooked ham steaks in it and we roasted peppers too. Everything cooked perfectly!We have both Le Creuset and Lodge cast iron pots and pans in our kitchen. Lodge is economical and Le Creuset is expensive, but BOTH perform beautifully with absolutely no difference (other than the price). We would not trade our Lodge pans for anything!Perfect craftsmanship, quality and endurance every time. Great for grilling indoors any time, especially on rainy days when outdoor grilling isn't fun. Also great for camping!I would leave this pan ONE MILLION STARS if I could! You will not be disappointed! AAA+++

I just bought one of these it has performed very well. Before the first use, I gave every surface a light coat of canola oil and put it on the middle rack of the oven upside down, at 450, for one hour and let it cool in the oven. Did that a total of four times (be sure you cover the bottom of the oven with a piece of foil - it will drip). With cast iron, I always wipe a little olive oil on the surface before use. It doesn't smoke any more than any other pan. For clean up, I use a little Dawn liquid and a wire scrub pad (like a Chore Boy), then rinse with hot water and thoroughly dry with a paper towel. Takes about two minutes.

This is a good buy! This skillet is heavy, holds heat and overall cooks fine.

I love cast iron and this griddle makes barbecued steaks and cooking meats taste great. Cast iron lasts forever and beyond. As long as you keep it dry and well treated it won’t ever wear out. You can’t beat Amazon for prices on cast iron pans, they are the best.

I just used this pan last night and it performed perfectly. I wanted to sear a steak and then finish cooking it in the oven and when I took it out of the oven, it looked delicious. Better -- it tasted delicious. Cooked to perfection. I have used cast iron pots for years but having one that is pre-seasoned, made my life so much easier. (no rust spots to worry about!) I did lot of research before buying this pan and so happy I decided on a pan from Lodge. I highly recommend!

Love this pan perfect when you want to grill but don’t want to fire up the big grill outside. Also a great price

It's rather heavy for me (I'm older) and maybe not the smartest choice for electric stove top but it's a great size and just what I wanted. It will be well used.