Cheap pre seasoned iron skillets?

AhhBisto

AhhBisto

AhhBisto

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So I've tried every frying pan tefal to ceramic and they all eventually end up in the bin. I've always wanted a iron skillet, I love the durability, usability and care that goes into them but really never got one for some reason.

I saw these 3 Utopia pans on amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Utopia-Kitchen-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Skillet/dp/B06X8ZFGHP

They seem too cheap, but they are cast iron pans so what could be bad?

Is there a reason I spend more on perhaps Lodge brand etc, as far as I'm aware as long as they are cared for it's the same?
 
Not all cast iron are made the same, some are better then others but they all require the same care and treatment and seasoning, even ready seasoned ones.

I do have a cheap one and honestly having been using it for over a decade now, it’s fine, I can fry an egg on it and it won’t stick.
 
Got a lodge one and initially was disappointing with food sticking, but it’s all about good seasoning, it’s great now. I use it on bbq, oven and hob. I also have le Creuset pans which are good but wouldn’t take the same abuse.
 
I'd just get a cheap one to start with, learn to season it and how to look after it correctly.

I know not quite the same thing but the best wok I have is a dirt cheap carbon steel wok I bought in a Chinese supermarket.
 
AhhBisto said:
So I've tried every frying pan tefal to ceramic and they all eventually end up in the bin. I've always wanted a iron skillet, I love the durability, usability and care that goes into them but really never got one for some reason.

I saw these 3 Utopia pans on amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Utopia-Kitchen-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Skillet/dp/B06X8ZFGHP

They seem too cheap, but they are cast iron pans so what could be bad?

Is there a reason I spend more on perhaps Lodge brand etc, as far as I'm aware as long as they are cared for it's the same?
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We've got this set a few weeks ago, and while they do seem a little lightweight, they seem fine the couple of times we've used them. While they are "pre-seasoned" I would definitly recommend giving them a few coatings of seasoning yourself before you begin to use them. The small pan really is small, about the size for a large fried egg. The other two I think will be more useful sizes.

Even if you decide to upgrade to a heavier pan at a later stage, they'll be a good way of learning cooking with cast iron and how to maintain it.
 
So I went with a impulse buy of a carbon steel 28 inch pan at a local Charlies for just under £10 and it's ace.

Quite heavy obviously and compared to my tefals holds heat and heats up extremely quickly across the pan on my electric cook top. The carbon steel whilst and impulse buy is logical for my cooking, it has a very smooth cook surface and even an idiot like me got a really lovely season.

I've made some lovely meats and epic burger patties on it and it's been a better non stick then my tefals by far.
 
AhhBisto said:
So I went with a impulse buy of a carbon steel 28 inch pan at a local Charlies for just under £10 and it's ace.

Quite heavy obviously and compared to my tefals holds heat and heats up extremely quickly across the pan on my electric cook top. The carbon steel whilst and impulse buy is logical for my cooking, it has a very smooth cook surface and even an idiot like me got a really lovely season.

I've made some lovely meats and epic burger patties on it and it's been a better non stick then my tefals by far.
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AHHAMMMMMMSKILLETAHMMMMMMMMMMCHICKENDINNERARGHMMMM Terrible cough this evening. :D
 
We've made it (well, close(ish) to this recipe anyway) 2-3 times now, and yes, it's brillaint. To be fair we've just done it with packs of chicken thighs, rather than buchering a whole chicken, mainly for ease. Parboil some veg and new potatoes and put in the same pan. Once everything is cooked take cooked things out of the pan, wipe away the excess oil from cooking (and the fat from chicken skins) then put some stock in the pan with a little flour to make a gravy from the remaining juices and browned bits.

AhhBisto said:
That looks bloody delicious funny thing is I have chicken in the oven now
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Keep the chicken carcass to make your own stock. It's what we've used to make the gravy, and it ended up incredible.
 
seabiscuit said:
We've made it (well, close(ish) to this recipe anyway) 2-3 times now, and yes, it's brillaint. To be fair we've just done it with packs of chicken thighs, rather than buchering a whole chicken, mainly for ease. Parboil some veg and new potatoes and put in the same pan. Once everything is cooked take cooked things out of the pan, wipe away the excess oil from cooking (and the fat from chicken skins) then put some stock in the pan with a little flour to make a gravy from the remaining juices and browned bits.


Keep the chicken carcass to make your own stock. It's what we've used to make the gravy, and it ended up incredible.
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Will definitely try this, i like straight forward recipes.

I've always bought my chicken stock as you can probably tell by the name :P
 
Lodge is definitely worth the premium.

My best possible tip: use a very thin layer of flaxseed oil after each time you clean the pan; just make sure it's food grade and not stuff for mixing paint! It's a "drying oil" which means it leaves a hard residue instead of staying sticky. You can find it in Asian shops as "alsi oil".
 
soulhunter123 said:
Lodge is definitely worth the premium.

My best possible tip: use a very thin layer of flaxseed oil after each time you clean the pan; just make sure it's food grade and not stuff for mixing paint! It's a "drying oil" which means it leaves a hard residue instead of staying sticky. You can find it in Asian shops as "alsi oil".
Click to expand...

Seasonings been going really good on the carbon steel I got, nothing sticks defiantly my fav pan.
 
AhhBisto said:
Seasonings been going really good on the carbon steel I got, nothing sticks defiantly my fav pan.
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Yeah carbon steel is great as well. I would say they retain heat less than cast iron, though, which might matter if you're cooking things in batches (like pancakes for example). Carbon is great for instant high-temperature searing of steaks etc. though.
 
Not the cheapest around but no complaints about my 10" Lodge, didn't mind spending the premium as it should basically outlast me.
 
I had a de buyer cast iron pan and followed all the instructions to season it and whatever i tried, food would stick unless I put a thick layer of oil on the bottom of the pan (and it was still far worse than a non-stick pan). Unfortunately, I couldn't apply a thin, even coating of oil, because the centre of the pan had warped somehow and bowed ever so slightly upwards, which meant all the oil ran to the edges unless I tipped in about 200mls. I assumed it was damaged by the power of my induction hob or something. Anyway, it went in the bin as an experiment that didn't work out.
 
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