Lodge Manufacturing Company CRS12HH61 Carbon Steel Skillet, 12", Black/Orange

Just what I was looking for, a good, heavy steel skillet. (I almost never rate anything "5-star".) I now can save my (mostly Lodge) cast iron from frying uncured meat which usually results in my having to re-season it. It's not "slick" like my well-seasoned cast iron, but there's no need to worry about scraping it after use-no injury to the cooking surface. Just grease it well before heating, and most stuff doesn't stick. No toxic "non-stick" surface of wonder-chemicals that turn out to be cancer-causing decades later. It passed the test of browning ground meat for chili-didn't stick and cleanup was easy. Heating is even, though the bottom may not be perfectly level (I'm not sure. It seems to be "close enough".) The extra-long handle seems to be designed for campfire cooking-a little unhandy for stovetop frying as well as storage. The 10-inch version fits standard electric stove eyes very well (Main reason I bought it-already have a 12-inch Revere ware stainless skillet inherited from Mama-too big for present range.) The silicone rubber handle protector (easily removable for oven use) is a bonus. I'm sure it'll outlast me! Would definitely buy again- Lodge wins again!

Right out the box, I like the weight. I had to give up cast iron skillets.For the first couple of weeks, I wasn't too sure about it. Then, I found my husband making hash in it. The hash was bubbling away as he was working to get it all browned up. I asked if he'd sprayed it with non-stick before he started and he said no. That's when I knew if this pan was really any good. I must say, the pan is great. After removing the hash, I immediately wiped it with a dry paper towel. Then I let the pan cool completely. Once cool, I took a dry Scrub Daddy (you can get them on Amazon) and lightly scrubbed to remove all bits that the paper towel missed. After that, I put a wee bit of water on the scrub daddy and ran it around the pan. After that, I immediately dried the pan. That is probably all that I had to do but my practice is to put a couple of drops of oil in the pan as the gas is heating the pan (I have the gas on the highest setting) and spread the oil with a folded paper towel held by long handled tongs. Once the oil completely covers the pan, I leave the heat on and take a fresh folded paper towel and wipe out the excess oil. I then let it cook until it steams/burns off for a minute or 2 (no flames/no smoke alarms). No more wiping. I just turn the heat off and let the pan cool completely. I have a made-in carbon steel pan that always loses its seasoning and I found this method keeps the pan in good shape and ready for the next use. If you are looking for a carbon steel pan, I do recommend this Lodge skillet. Just remember to never put a hot pan in water (it will warp), do not use dish soap or cleansers in it (If you feel that you must clean it, pour a lot of salt in the skillet and rub until all bits are removed, then wipe out the salt and take a damp paper towel to remove any salt residue), NEVER soak in water..in fact, don't leave any trace of water anywhere on the pan (if the bottom or sides get wet, fire it up until it is dry).Oh, and I use Avocado oil (also on Amazon) because it's good to 500 degrees F and when refreshing the seasoning or just keeping the seasoning fresh, you want the pan screaming hot.

I bought this steel pan after watching videos on how to use carbon steel cookware. Yes, it comes seasoned but you should wash it gently first, then dry, and re-season again. The first time I tried eggs they stuck somewhat. The next time I was careful to heat the pan sufficiently before I added the oil - this time was much better.Tonight I tried frying potatoes. Keep in mind that the sides of the pan are sloped & it’s easy to spill some oil over the sides. Most likely I crowded the pan too much but even with a lid, some of the oil spilled over the sides. A carbon steel sauté pan with straight vertical sides would be much better - if I can find one. After cooking the potatoes I wiped the oil from the pan then added butter & sautéed salmon. It does come out nice & crispy on the outside- I finished cooking it in the toaster oven on a separate pan made for the oven.The biggest advantage I see is that it performs like cast iron without the added weight. But after each use you have to re-season the pan - that’s why I gave it 4 stars.