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Model: Lodge Combo Cooker Cast Iron, 10.25", Black
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I've heard that lodge quality has gone down in recent years. Anyone have exp with this set? I'm in the market for new cast iron.
After cooking on some higher end cast iron, I understand why people don't love lodge. The cooking surface is a bit rough and ruddy. Not the end of the world but not as non stick as a smooth finish. For bacon and frying it's fine, otherwise I'd recommend carbon steel for eggs and stuff.
I've heard that lodge quality has gone down in recent years. Anyone have exp with this set? I'm in the market for new cast iron.
I haven't seen any evidence their quality has gone downhill over the last 15 years of consistently buying Lodge products. I bought a pizza pan a few weeks ago and it was actually better finished than I expected.
That said, Lodge is not, and has never been, in their 100+ years of operation, a premium brand.
They're sturdy, consistent, and serviceable. But back in the day they weren't a Griswold, and now in the day they aren't a Smithey, etc.
After cooking on some higher end cast iron, I understand why people don't love lodge. The cooking surface is a bit rough and ruddy. Not the end of the world but not as non stick as a smooth finish. For bacon and frying it's fine, otherwise I'd recommend carbon steel for eggs and stuff.
You're wrongly blaming your own deficiencies in cooking on and properly maintaining cast iron cookware onto the cookware itself.
If your eggs are sticking to any Lodge skillet, the fault is with the user not Lodge's skillet, as either you're starting your cooking process at the wrong temperature or your skillet has a substandard seasoning which is all under the control of the user.
Any smooothed pebble-grain to the surface, as on modern factory Lodge cookware, is immaterial and is not the cause of any sticking.
I can cook eggs, over-easy, over-medium, or over-well, and they glide across the skillet as if it were teflon. The pebble-grain is totally immaterial.
If it were gritty sandpaper surface like on many of the cheap China-made Ozark Trails and others, then yes that would effect the cooking, but the smooth pebble-grain of any Lodge isn't at all the cause for eggs or foods to stick.
As for the first poster who 'heard' Lodge quality has gone down? Where on the cookware has it gone down? Those complainers need to be specific, which I'd bet they can't do. Lodge has not gone down in quality at all, judging from all their cookware I've seen, up close, and have regularly used over the past 5 decades, including recent years.
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Warning to anyone anticipating using this for bread making (because it's often billed in certain internet circles as the best cheap oven for baking bread): this thing gets very hot and very heavy in the oven, especially if you're holding it upside down (which, again, is sometimes recommended for bread making). I pulled mine out of the oven one day with some oven mitts where the padding was worn, and I sustained second-degree burns on my fingers as a result, which has in turn caused some potentially permanent nerve damage (only about two years later do my fingers finally feel like they no longer have a sensory dead-zone where the burns were).
Obviously, yes, black cast iron gets hot, I get that. Not trying to skirt responsibility here. You may just not be fully cognizant of how hot it gets, and the combination of the material and the weight likely made the burn on my hand much worse than had it been some other kind of vessel.
You're wrongly blaming your own deficiencies in cooking on and properly maintaining cast iron cookware onto the cookware itself.
If your eggs are sticking to any Lodge skillet, the fault is with the user not Lodge's skillet, as either you're starting your cooking process at the wrong temperature or your skillet has a substandard seasoning which is all under the control of the user.
Any smooothed pebble-grain to the surface, as on modern factory Lodge cookware, is immaterial and is not the cause of any sticking.
I can cook eggs, over-easy, over-medium, or over-well, and they glide across the skillet as if it were teflon. The pebble-grain is totally immaterial.
If it were gritty sandpaper surface like on many of the cheap China-made Ozark Trails and others, then yes that would effect the cooking, but the smooth pebble-grain of any Lodge isn't at all the cause for eggs or foods to stick.
As for the first poster who 'heard' Lodge quality has gone down? Where on the cookware has it gone down? Those complainers need to be specific, which I'd bet they can't do. Lodge has not gone down in quality at all, judging from all their cookware I've seen, up close, and have regularly used over the past 5 decades, including recent years.
If you take the time to build up the seasoning, yes, it'll be as nonstick as a smoother surfaced pan. But guess what you're doing by building up the seasoning? Filling in the cracks, and creating...a smooth surface. My pan has been through more than a few rounds of seasoning, and it's still not as non-stick as higher end (or even old Wagner) cast iron.
Last edited by EricC3492 May 23, 2025 at 05:33 AM.
If you take the time to build up the seasoning, yes, it'll be as nonstick as a smoother surfaced pan. But guess what you're doing by building up the seasoning? Filling in the cracks, and creating...a smooth surface. My pan has been through more than a few rounds of seasoning, and it's still not as non-stick as higher end (or even old Wagner) cast iron.
Cracks? Filling in the cracks? Where did you get that from?
Cast iron may have micro pores and a 'grain', just as EVERY cast iron cookware has, whether its 'high end' (which I personally find laughable, as any surface smoother than Lodge's is not required for non-stick cooking).
The 'smooth surface' I create still has bumps. It still has that pebble-grain factory Lodge surface and my eggs and food very rarely ever sticks and when it does it's only roughly 5% of the sticking level you're talking about. Most times food glides across the skillet.
People say they have seasoned their cookware with numerous applications of the seasoning process, yet I will bet the house that one person's 'seasoning' may be vastly inferior ot another person's seasoning process and the former person doesn't realize that.
You sure sound like you're trying to replace the necessary/vital seasoning process altogether with some kind of 'magical high end skillet' that somehow would be the first to not require any seasoning process/maintenance at all. That's a ficticious and failed path.
There are so many variables to the process of seasoning that you (or anyone) can't just say "my pan has been through a few rounds of seasoning" because that is as vauge as you can get. Very detailed specifics are required to really know the level and quality of one's seasoning.
The seasoning process is also necessary on 'high end' or 'old Wagner' cast iron cookware, so it does undergo the same effect that you are putting the spotlight on my seasoning process, as if it was something unneeded to be done on your 'high end' cast iron cookware, which is untrue.
The fact is... there are boatloads of ppl that have cooked only once or twice on $200-$300 Stargazers, Finex, and other polished baby-butt smooth 'high end' cast iron skillets and have immediately returned them as the food stuck miserably. That alone proves that it's not the 'high end' OR the baby-butt smooth surface that ensures a non-stick cooking experience.
A true cast iron amateur will ALWAYS blame it on "cheap cast iron cookware" and never accept the reality that it's in the one holding the skillet's handle.
Warning to anyone anticipating using this for bread making (because it's often billed in certain internet circles as the best cheap oven for baking bread): this thing gets very hot and very heavy in the oven, especially if you're holding it upside down (which, again, is sometimes recommended for bread making). I pulled mine out of the oven one day with some oven mitts where the padding was worn, and I sustained second-degree burns on my fingers as a result, which has in turn caused some potentially permanent nerve damage (only about two years later do my fingers finally feel like they no longer have a sensory dead-zone where the burns were).
Obviously, yes, black cast iron gets hot, I get that. Not trying to skirt responsibility here. You may just not be fully cognizant of how hot it gets, and the combination of the material and the weight likely made the burn on my hand much worse than had it been some other kind of vessel.
I use my lodge dutch pot for bread making. Never experienced anything like this. Sorry that happened to you.
Warning to anyone anticipating using this for bread making (because it's often billed in certain internet circles as the best cheap oven for baking bread): this thing gets very hot and very heavy in the oven, especially if you're holding it upside down (which, again, is sometimes recommended for bread making). I pulled mine out of the oven one day with some oven mitts where the padding was worn, and I sustained second-degree burns on my fingers as a result, which has in turn caused some potentially permanent nerve damage (only about two years later do my fingers finally feel like they no longer have a sensory dead-zone where the burns were).Obviously, yes, black cast iron gets hot, I get that. Not trying to skirt responsibility here. You may just not be fully cognizant of how hot it gets, and the combination of the material and the weight likely made the burn on my hand much worse than had it been some other kind of vessel.
Immediately following the details of your mishap, you said... "Obviously, yes, black cast iron gets hot, I get that. Not trying to skirt responsibility here."
Sorry, but it sure seems that you 'didn't get that' and are doing exactly what you claim you're not doing in that you're blaming the cast iron cookware and its best qualities (heat conductivity and heat retention) and trying to turn those good qualities into 'somethind bad or undesirable'.
Cast iron doesn't get even 1° hotter than your actual oven temp or any other cookware material. It's just the weight that made the heat transfer thru the worn mitt padding onto your fingers much more 'expedient & effective'.
My point is that you shouldn't be trying to turn ppl away from cast iron cookware (maybe it's not your intention) with this 'warning' because of something that was your fault and no fault of the cast iron cookware itself, tho I am sincerely sorry this incident happened to you. I smh if ppl need to be told how heavy a piece of any cookware is, or the combo of hot and heavy. They should know that when placing the raw dough in the cookware.
BTW, I used to bake bread on occasion in my Lodges, as well as baking 'tons' of cornbread in them on a very frequent basis, but I enjoyed the fact that my cast iron skillets and dutch ovens (rimmed lid and unrimmed) were very heavy and had those unique heat transfer/heat retention qualities for bread baking within the cookware that other cookware materials lack.
Cracks? Filling in the cracks? Where did you get that from?Cast iron may have micro pores and a 'grain', just as EVERY cast iron cookware has, whether its 'high end' (which I personally find laughable, as any surface smoother than Lodge's is not required for non-stick cooking).The 'smooth surface' I create still has bumps. It still has that pebble-grain factory Lodge surface and my eggs and food very rarely ever sticks and when it does it's only roughly 5% of the sticking level you're talking about. Most times food glides across the skillet.People say they have seasoned their cookware with numerous applications of the seasoning process, yet I will bet the house that one person's 'seasoning' may be vastly inferior ot another person's seasoning process and the former person doesn't realize that.You sure sound like you're trying to replace the necessary/vital seasoning process altogether with some kind of 'magical high end skillet' that somehow would be the first to not require any seasoning process/maintenance at all. That's a ficticious and failed path.There are so many variables to the process of seasoning that you (or anyone) can't just say "my pan has been through a few rounds of seasoning" because that is as vauge as you can get. Very detailed specifics are required to really know the level and quality of one's seasoning.The seasoning process is also necessary on 'high end' or 'old Wagner' cast iron cookware, so it does undergo the same effect that you are putting the spotlight on my seasoning process, as if it was something unneeded to be done on your 'high end' cast iron cookware, which is untrue.The fact is... there are boatloads of ppl that have cooked only once or twice on $200-$300 Stargazers, Finex, and other polished baby-butt smooth 'high end' cast iron skillets and have immediately returned them as the food stuck miserably. That alone proves that it's not the 'high end' OR the baby-butt smooth surface that ensures a non-stick cooking experience.A true cast iron amateur will ALWAYS blame it on "cheap cast iron cookware" and never accept the reality that it's in the one holding the skillet's handle.
Can you recommend any tutorials for doing this correctly? I once spent the better part of a day seasoning a cast iron pan and it turned out ok but you seem to have the process down much better.
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Combo cooker was my second piece of lodge cookwear. Had it since everyone had flip phones.
I find it to be the right size for most stoves where larger dutch ovens won't fit. the 3qt is a good size for frying 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time. most things defined as chicken fryers are very shallow and splatter. this is higher and more useful.
the lid is perfect for pancakes. I don't use it for steak unless outside.
Last edited by madmax718 May 27, 2025 at 03:21 PM.
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That said, Lodge is not, and has never been, in their 100+ years of operation, a premium brand.
They're sturdy, consistent, and serviceable. But back in the day they weren't a Griswold, and now in the day they aren't a Smithey, etc.
If your eggs are sticking to any Lodge skillet, the fault is with the user not Lodge's skillet, as either you're starting your cooking process at the wrong temperature or your skillet has a substandard seasoning which is all under the control of the user.
Any smooothed pebble-grain to the surface, as on modern factory Lodge cookware, is immaterial and is not the cause of any sticking.
I can cook eggs, over-easy, over-medium, or over-well, and they glide across the skillet as if it were teflon. The pebble-grain is totally immaterial.
If it were gritty sandpaper surface like on many of the cheap China-made Ozark Trails and others, then yes that would effect the cooking, but the smooth pebble-grain of any Lodge isn't at all the cause for eggs or foods to stick.
As for the first poster who 'heard' Lodge quality has gone down? Where on the cookware has it gone down? Those complainers need to be specific, which I'd bet they can't do. Lodge has not gone down in quality at all, judging from all their cookware I've seen, up close, and have regularly used over the past 5 decades, including recent years.
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank AdmiralAsshat
Obviously, yes, black cast iron gets hot, I get that. Not trying to skirt responsibility here. You may just not be fully cognizant of how hot it gets, and the combination of the material and the weight likely made the burn on my hand much worse than had it been some other kind of vessel.
If your eggs are sticking to any Lodge skillet, the fault is with the user not Lodge's skillet, as either you're starting your cooking process at the wrong temperature or your skillet has a substandard seasoning which is all under the control of the user.
Any smooothed pebble-grain to the surface, as on modern factory Lodge cookware, is immaterial and is not the cause of any sticking.
I can cook eggs, over-easy, over-medium, or over-well, and they glide across the skillet as if it were teflon. The pebble-grain is totally immaterial.
If it were gritty sandpaper surface like on many of the cheap China-made Ozark Trails and others, then yes that would effect the cooking, but the smooth pebble-grain of any Lodge isn't at all the cause for eggs or foods to stick.
As for the first poster who 'heard' Lodge quality has gone down? Where on the cookware has it gone down? Those complainers need to be specific, which I'd bet they can't do. Lodge has not gone down in quality at all, judging from all their cookware I've seen, up close, and have regularly used over the past 5 decades, including recent years.
Cast iron may have micro pores and a 'grain', just as EVERY cast iron cookware has, whether its 'high end' (which I personally find laughable, as any surface smoother than Lodge's is not required for non-stick cooking).
The 'smooth surface' I create still has bumps. It still has that pebble-grain factory Lodge surface and my eggs and food very rarely ever sticks and when it does it's only roughly 5% of the sticking level you're talking about. Most times food glides across the skillet.
People say they have seasoned their cookware with numerous applications of the seasoning process, yet I will bet the house that one person's 'seasoning' may be vastly inferior ot another person's seasoning process and the former person doesn't realize that.
You sure sound like you're trying to replace the necessary/vital seasoning process altogether with some kind of 'magical high end skillet' that somehow would be the first to not require any seasoning process/maintenance at all. That's a ficticious and failed path.
There are so many variables to the process of seasoning that you (or anyone) can't just say "my pan has been through a few rounds of seasoning" because that is as vauge as you can get. Very detailed specifics are required to really know the level and quality of one's seasoning.
The seasoning process is also necessary on 'high end' or 'old Wagner' cast iron cookware, so it does undergo the same effect that you are putting the spotlight on my seasoning process, as if it was something unneeded to be done on your 'high end' cast iron cookware, which is untrue.
The fact is... there are boatloads of ppl that have cooked only once or twice on $200-$300 Stargazers, Finex, and other polished baby-butt smooth 'high end' cast iron skillets and have immediately returned them as the food stuck miserably. That alone proves that it's not the 'high end' OR the baby-butt smooth surface that ensures a non-stick cooking experience.
A true cast iron amateur will ALWAYS blame it on "cheap cast iron cookware" and never accept the reality that it's in the one holding the skillet's handle.
Obviously, yes, black cast iron gets hot, I get that. Not trying to skirt responsibility here. You may just not be fully cognizant of how hot it gets, and the combination of the material and the weight likely made the burn on my hand much worse than had it been some other kind of vessel.
Sorry, but it sure seems that you 'didn't get that' and are doing exactly what you claim you're not doing in that you're blaming the cast iron cookware and its best qualities (heat conductivity and heat retention) and trying to turn those good qualities into 'somethind bad or undesirable'.
Cast iron doesn't get even 1° hotter than your actual oven temp or any other cookware material. It's just the weight that made the heat transfer thru the worn mitt padding onto your fingers much more 'expedient & effective'.
My point is that you shouldn't be trying to turn ppl away from cast iron cookware (maybe it's not your intention) with this 'warning' because of something that was your fault and no fault of the cast iron cookware itself, tho I am sincerely sorry this incident happened to you. I smh if ppl need to be told how heavy a piece of any cookware is, or the combo of hot and heavy. They should know that when placing the raw dough in the cookware.
BTW, I used to bake bread on occasion in my Lodges, as well as baking 'tons' of cornbread in them on a very frequent basis, but I enjoyed the fact that my cast iron skillets and dutch ovens (rimmed lid and unrimmed) were very heavy and had those unique heat transfer/heat retention qualities for bread baking within the cookware that other cookware materials lack.
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I find it to be the right size for most stoves where larger dutch ovens won't fit. the 3qt is a good size for frying 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time. most things defined as chicken fryers are very shallow and splatter. this is higher and more useful.
the lid is perfect for pancakes. I don't use it for steak unless outside.
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