Lodge 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder – Pre-Seasoned Frying Pan for Stove, Oven, Grill & Campfire – Made in the USA – Durable, Nonstick Cast Iron Cookware – Black

I had some misgivings when buying this skillet. I was concerned that food would stick. Fortunately, this didn't happen.The skillet is advertised as being seasoned already. This is true, more or less. They had done something, but it wasn't effective in preventing sticking. I found it necessary to season the skillet myself. Once I did that, the surface was truly non-stick. Seasoning is not difficult, but it's inconvenient. Fortunately, you don't have to season the skillet often. I only had to do it the first time; since then, it's worked nicely.This skillet is *heavy*. That's something I overlooked, though upon reflection it should be obvious that a 12-inch cast iron skillet is going to be heavy. There's an "assist" handle opposite the main handle, so you can use both hands.A cast-iron skillet has a few features or quirks you need to consider. First, its weight as I mentioned. Then there's the fact that it responds slowly to changes in heat. When you put this on a high flame, it takes a few minutes for the skillet to get hot enough to cook. And when you're getting close to the end of cooking, you need to turn off the flame a bit early, because the skillet is going to stay hot longer than most pans. You get the hang of it quickly, though.This delay may seem inconvenient, but it's the reason why this skillet heats evenly.Another consideration is that the whole thing is made of iron, so the heat is going to travel into the handles. When that happens you'll need to use oven mitts or hot pads to protect your hands. If you forget, you'll get a sharp reminder.You can wash this skillet with soap and water, despite what some people claim. Gentle cleaning won't do any harm. If the skillet was properly seasoned, there won't be much to wash away anyway. Once you've washed it, you need to put a thin coating of oil on it to prevent rust. This coating can be very thin, just barely covering the surface. It's not there to avoid sticking, but only to keep it from rusting.Overall this skillet requires a bit of effort and getting used to. It's not as convenient as a Teflon pan, and as I said, you need to adjust your cooking times a bit. But the benefits are great. You can have a non-stick surface that isn't destroyed by using metal utensils. If you do damage the surface, you can reseason the skillet. This skillet could become a family heirloom, because there's almost nothing that can destroy it. And this surface, unlike Teflon, doesn't shed plastic into your food.

Great cast iron but the silicon handle is loose fit and slides around. So when pan fying a thick steak and cooking top side with butter it’s hard to get a grip on the handle. I just took it off and used an oven mitt it was so annoying. I have another cast iron at my other house and it came with an orange silicon handle and it fit like a tight glove. Was hoping this was the same. Oh well. Pan is great

So far this skillet is living up to expectations. It's very heavy, which is always to be expected of a quality cast iron skillet, and it heats up evenly and cleans up easily. It's a great value for the price.

Made in USA , I use RADA stainless steel spatulas on this and stainless steel forks works great USA made

Great pan at a great price. They come preseasoned, but it takes some time to truly get them seasoned properly. This is my second Lodge pan and I have no complaints on either of them.

Originally purchased for my mother then I had to purchase another for myself it’s large heaven with the silicone Handel works very well. I stored it in pan it the oven . I forgot it was in there when I turned oven on . The Handel cover withstood a preheated oven V of 375

I GREW UP WITH CAST IRON SKILLETS AND I'M BACK COOKING WITH THEM... i THREW AWAY MY NON STICK SKILLET CASE THE STUFF THAT IT IS MADE OF' IT IS MADE OF CANCER' IT WILL COME OFF AND IF YOU EAT IT ACCIDENTLLY IT WILL GIVE YOU CANCER!!!

You can't go wrong with Lodge cast iron. Good for oven or campfire cooking.