I have the same pan and totally agree; it's easy to clean and maintain.

Went from one cast iron skillet that occasionally used for cornbread to owning 3 different sizes and a griddle/grill. We use them all the time. Clean up definitely gets easier overtime once you develop a routine and pan develops a good seasoning.

Our only gripe with them, is uneven pancakes. We have tried warming it slowly and all that. Next time I am going to try warming it in the oven while making the batter is being made.

It is worth seeking out some of the better, vintage cast iron pans. The Lodge pan is widely available and a good pan. The interior surface finish on some of the ancient pans, Griswold, Wagner, Martin, Vollrath... is finished more smoothly and works even better. These old pans are not too hard to find and each has a 'historical patina' that adds to their charm.

My big black fry pan is the most used and loved pan I have.

I got an enameled Lodge pan with a longer, slightly wider handle. It turned out that the interior is also coated with glass (but in a pebbly finish much like anodized aluminum) that is still non-stick and sear-friendly. And you can wash it with soap and water or let water soak in it (or it in water) and you won't lose the finish! Love it. Using it more and more. Low heat is a must, however! Learned that one the hard way...

I have an old Wagner I got off a craigslist for $20. At first I had some issues with it, but now it's perfect. I usually avoid cooking eggs in it because they are notorious for sticking. This weekend I decided try cooking eggs in it for the first time. I made an omelet and there was no sticking at all. Cast iron rules. It seems like anything I cook in it is blessed with deliciousness.

I recently made a cookie in my cast iron pan as well - it was good, but I am interested in learning another recipe! Will you share your recipe?
http://girlfriendlifeline.blogspot.com/2011/03/recipe-giant-chocolate-chip-cookie.html

@tpdval: Here's the recipe.

I recently got an old Griswold cast iron skillet and I'm amazed at how unevenly it heats. I've since read that this is due to iron being a poor conductor. Since this is the case, I don't really understand how people cook with cast iron on a stove top.

I love my cast iron skillets. My favorite is a Griswold I picked up at a train swap meet; someone else had done the work to clean it up. All my others are from my grandmother. They do take longer to heat evenly but once they are heated they are great.

I have a smaller enameled Le Creuset skillet (black interior) that is perfect for eggs, but my two larger Le Creuset skillets sit unused. In side-by-side testing I got far better browning of beef patties, pork chops, or chicken breasts in a plain cast iron skillet than in the Le Creuset.

I got mine from my mother about 40 years ago. She bought it at a yard sale for 25 cents. I use it for any number of things. I especially like roast beef, pork and small chickens. Take out the meat and easily make the gravy in the pan while scraping up the tasty bits.

I have the same pan, and loved cooking with it but hated cleaning it. Specifically, I hated that the handle always left grease on my hand or potholder. I tried just washing the handle with soap, but found it bothersome. Am I just lazy or is there a better way?

I've got 3 Lodge cast iron skillets and use and love all of them. I like them so much better than the Le Creuset skillet that came in my set of cookware. Agree that they are super easy to maintain, and vegetables and omelets come out tasting fantastic.

The only thing that I don't like using my cast iron skillets to cook is scrambled eggs. No matter how shiny the surface, no matter how much fat I add to the pan, it always leaves that eggy residue that takes a bit of effort to clean.

Other than that, though, best pans ever.

We just bought the same one last weekend at WalMart, best $15 I've spent in a long time.

Definitely a must have, if for no other reason than the best cornbread comes from a cast iron skillet!

I have no idea what brand my cast iron pan is. I got it from my Grandma about 10 years ago, and she bought it the year her first child was born - 1938. She said the best way to clean it is to wipe out the remains of whatever was cooked in it, and then pour in enough table salt to make a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. I usually let it sit a few minutes while I'm cleaning up the rest of the mess, and then I use something totally dry (a paper towel, a dishrag, whatever) to give it a "scrub". Grandma said I should never get it wet, and seeing as that pan cooks better than any other one I have, I'm going to do as she said.

@Elizabeth - if you haven't, you *must* make cornbread in your cast iron pan. OMG is it good!

Definitely love my Lodge cast iron skillets for frying and baking. I have a good sized cast iron stewing pot that bakes the loveliest round loaves of bread ever. Best part: haven't had to buy re buy any non-stick aluminum pans in over 15 years. I think the 2 skillets, stewing pot and wok (all Lodge) cost less than $100 with shipping.

I have a Lodge and some other, older one that came from a church rummage sale. The old one is MUCH better and more nonstick. I keep thinking I just need to use the newer one more and it will be as good in, say, 20 years.
I'm with phoxx that the old ones seem to have a smoother surface. Or maybe it just got scrubbed smooth over all of it's previous years of use...?
Heating the pan naked and THEN adding the fat/oil once it's hot is a key to keeping stuff from sticking.

Cast iron skillets make the best pancakes! So fluffy. They're a little hard to clean when you first get them. But I think that was just user error. I have a 12 inch lodge skillet but I am thinking about switching to a 10 inch skillet. The 12 inch is too heavy and I don't have enough room for something so big.

I too have this pan (it lives in my oven) as I had asked for cast iron pans for christmas from my grandmother a few years ago in hopes that I could inherit hers early. Cornbread is a must for anyone who has ever cooked it differently. I'm converted.

I have two other smaller ones as well, one of which is used for spanish eggs:

http://slightlyirritatingandinconvenient.blogspot.com/2011/02/breakfast-spanish-fried-eggs.html

and the other was my great grandmothers, which I probably wont ever use (it's tiny and has sentiment).

If you ever need to re-season your pan use flaxseed oil. America's Test Kitchen found that flaxseed oil bonds at a molecular level to cast iron.

I have a vintage Griswold---it was new in 1938. It's an amazing skillet.

Love mine... but when I get old and weak, it's definitely going to be handed down to a younger, stronger person. LOL.

Large crystal pickling salt and a bit of paper towel or newspaper is the way to clean a cast iron pan after using. Since I started using this method my pans just gleam. Rub in a little oil once in a while as well. I have several skillets and a flat griddle that are family hand me downs one from 1931. Nothing better!

Great article! Don't forget, by cooking in cast iron you double or triple the amount of natural, easily absorbed (no constipation!) iron in your diet. I also think cast iron give food much more character...

When my grandmother was moving out of her house I rescue her spare that was in the goodwill pile.

I really didn't use it until my now husband found it at the bottom of my warming drawer, several moves/years later. I think we use it maybe 4 -5 times a week, plus the griddle. Honestly the running joke is if the house burns down we're grabbing that thing.

We also have a 12" one that is new and just isn't as good, the sides are too sloped, it's not black and shiny enough...

Many of the old ones are smoother because the metal was polished smooth when they were manufactured. If you can find an old, smooth one, do--it makes a big difference.

please suggest the essential castiron cookware we mainly use in a kitchen, I am using 8",10",& 12" skillets, I would like to add more castirons in to my collection, so I wanted to choose the next one wisely. hope someone can help!!!