Lodge8" Cast Iron Skillet - Chef Collection - Perfect Sear - Ergonomic Handles - Superior Heat Retention - Cast Iron Cookware & Skillet

I recently replaced all of my non-stick pans with stainless steel and cast iron. I've purchased a few items from Lodge, and this little skillet was my first Lodge purchase. I grew up using cast iron in the kitchen- my mother's skillets and Dutch ovens, some of which had belonged to her mother, who was born in 1888. I think I remember my mom saying her mother had inherited them from her mother, so cast iron- it's going to last, if you treat it right.While Lodge is not quite of the same quality as those sadly long-vanished pans, their pans are pretty darn good. And in defense of Lodge's pans, my mother's ancient cast iron had a seamless surface that had been polished by many, many years of cooking. (The interior finish on my Lodge pans is nice and smooth, though, and given me no trouble.) I love my Lodge cast iron! You get a lot of quality for the price. I always season any new cast iron thoroughly prior to use in the oven, even though it has been pre-seasoned; just my personal preference.This little pan is a joy to use. It heats up slowly but really holds on to the heat, so you can turn the burner down and the pan will put a nice crispy crust on your grilled cheese or tuna melt. It cooks little steaks or a hamburger patty for a cheeseburger for one beautifully. I've heated up frozen spaghetti in it, with the burner on low and a cover on the pan.Works great. I leave this pan out, on the top of the stove, as I reach for it so often.When they are adequately seasoned, these cast iron Lodge pans clean up so easily. Sometimes all I need to do is wipe out the crumbs with a paper towel, but if I've cooked a little steak and there is some cooked-on residue, a quick swish with some hot soapy water and a couple of passes with my favorite scrubbing device for cast iron, a Skoy Scrub pad (sold here on Amazon and really inexpensive, and awesome at cleaning cast iron while not removing the seasoned finish) and this little skillet is nice and clean.I then dry it well, put it on the stove, turn the heat up to high, and add a little bit- like the size of a dime, or less- of canola oil to the skillet. Then I take a wadded up paper towel and wipe the oil into and all over the interior surface, making sure to wipe away any extra oil that might be inside of the pan. I wait until the pan starts smoking (do NOT walk away from the pan while doing this!) wait about 60 seconds, turn off the burner, and leave the skillet to cool down where it is. This procedure gives the skillet a nice little bit of seasoning without doing the hour in the oven thing.I've never had any problem with food sticking to this pan, but if I did, I would re-season it in the oven. Never had any rust, as I don't leave water or wet food in it, not even for an hour, and I either wipe it out or wash and quick season it right away.For the great job at cooking this little skillet does, and for how often I find myself using it, the price of this little frying pan was a steal. Please consider replacing your non-stick cookware with its flaky mystery coatings with remarkably durable and non-toxic cast iron. Lodge makes some great cookware. Their quality does not disappoint.

Received it today. Washed and oiled it. I like this smaller size. It's not heavy. I cooked eggs in it (scrambled and over-easy) and it performed perfectly - eggs did not stick at all. It was easy to wash, dry and re-oil - ready for the next cooking task. I'm very happy with this purchase.

Got it for eggs only. Super smooth after a wash and 2 seasonings with avocado oil eggs slide around. Great skillet. Got I for an omlete pan. Works outstanding.. heats well not to heavy and price was great.

This is a great skillet and I just ordered one in a larger size as well. It's slightly lighter than Lodge's Classic skillet of the same size and this handle is curved and slightly longer. The curved sides make it easy to use a spatula.Food doesn't stick if you thoroughly heat the pan before adding oil or butter. Then after the oil or butter is added, let that heat for a bit as well. Your food won't stick. That's how you do it for cast iron and stainless steel pans. As you can see in my images, I made a 2-egg and greens frittata with olive oil (I like it crispy), saving half for tomorrow, and it didn't stick to the pan at all. There was plenty of room in this 8 inch pan to add two more scrambled eggs if I wanted to.

I was thrilled to order this 8 inch Lodge Chef Collection skillet! I'm done with teflon and other toxic cookware. I was much less excited it took 16 days to receive it after ordering, even as a Prime member.This pan is MUCH lighter in weight than the standard Lodge skillet, so much so I can easily lift it with one hand (and hopefully flip an omelette with a snap of my hand). The handle is about an inch longer and elevated (LOVE). The side walls are shallower and more sloped (LOVE this for eggs). Not sure I'd be crazy about searing a steak or cooking a burger in this only because the sides are so shallow --I can envision oil and butter splattering everywhere. I might save that task for my 10 inch traditional Lodge. A standard 8 inch glass lid fits this skillet perfectly.I am going to wash it and do my standard seasoning in the oven, and then try making an an omelette. I am experienced with cast iron and know how to cook in it. If it sticks very badly, I will take an AvantiPro quick-strip disc and drill to it and totally smooth the surface, reseason it, and try cooking again. I'll post an update after all of the above.

Love these pans. Well made and they cook well. Easy to clean. And best of all, no teflon. Great value.

I am in the process of replacing all the pans I bought about 5 years ago that had a nonstick coating. I have invested in a few good quality stainless pots and pans, but couldn’t find a small pan I wanted for omelets or one egg breakfasts. And, I read that a cast iron pan might be a good option for me. I hesitated because cast iron seems so heavy for me now, but I am throughly delighted with it! I have an electric coil burners on my stove and it heats up well. I have learned to preheat it and water drop test it for heat. With adequate oil, it cooks perfectly and cleans easily! No stickiness! With all the health issues associated with nonstick finishes, I can’t believe it took me so long to discover and appreciate this product.

This pan had worked well for omelets and fried eggs from the first use. We use it daily and have enjoyed the results. One word of caution. If you have been using a smaller pan, as I had been, you will find that fried eggs will spread more and be thinner. Thus making timing more critical. Once you understand this, the results are great.