This will be my first cast iron skillet. I will be purchasing a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet made in the USA. Just not sure of size/type. Which is the most universal?
Lodge brand comes seasoned.
By novice I mean I can cook basic homecooked foods. I have been cooking for years. I guess I should have said intermediate.
Unless you have ever cooked with a cast iron skillet, you might want to re-think your purchase until you have more cooking skills (since you indicated "novice cook").
Cast iron skillets REQUIRE special preparation when you first obtain one. They have to be "seasoned" and it can be difficult to someone unfamiliar with it. They also are not cleaned as you would normal cookware. "Cleaning" them can cause you much grief and headaches during use.
The other reason to wait until you have more experience, is you will know what size you’d like to have. My Mother & Grandmother both had several sizes depending on what they were going to use them for…small (8") for eggs, medium (10") for cornbread and a huge one (15") for frying chicken/fish.
Save your money until you know for sure what you want to use the skillet for, then you might want to buy a pre-seasoned one from a flea market or yard sale to try it out.
Good luck and happy cooking
http://www.google.com/url?url=http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lodge-10-1-4-Cast-Iron-Skillet/
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Google
If you mean the thing with a ribbed bottom use a 8" square on.
If you mean a frypan use a 10" one.
If you mean a pot use a 2l one.
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9 inch will handle most of your needs. For big feeds try 12 inch. Hope you know how to season your skillet?
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Unless you have ever cooked with a cast iron skillet, you might want to re-think your purchase until you have more cooking skills (since you indicated "novice cook").
Cast iron skillets REQUIRE special preparation when you first obtain one. They have to be "seasoned" and it can be difficult to someone unfamiliar with it. They also are not cleaned as you would normal cookware. "Cleaning" them can cause you much grief and headaches during use.
The other reason to wait until you have more experience, is you will know what size you’d like to have. My Mother & Grandmother both had several sizes depending on what they were going to use them for…small (8") for eggs, medium (10") for cornbread and a huge one (15") for frying chicken/fish.
Save your money until you know for sure what you want to use the skillet for, then you might want to buy a pre-seasoned one from a flea market or yard sale to try it out.
Good luck and happy cooking
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Splurge and get two. The ones I have are not Lodge but one is 8 1/8 inches the other is 10 1/8 in.
You need the larger one for lots of things including cooking ground beef for tacos, and the smaller one is fine for a hamburger for one and lots of other small jobs.
And used together you can make a pressed sandwich with ease.
If you had to choose get the 10 1/8 inch it is the most versatile, but really get two you’re worth it.
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I’d get a 9" or a 10". Just make sure it’s well seasoned before you use it the first time. Otherwise you could ruin it. If you are going to use it for grilling meat, I’d get one with the grill ridges in the bottom. But if it’s primarily for cornbread or eggs, I recommend a flat bottom. Lodge is a good brand, so is All Clad. What ever brand you get, make sure it’s thick. And don’t be fooled when it says "pre-seasoned". That means they squirted oil on it at the factory and thought they would appeal to a lazy chef who doesn’t now any better. But you do!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWP6AqmjO98
I have a 12" that I use all the time good for ’bout all your needs
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my kitchen
Glad to hear you are considering cast iron, simply the best in my opinion. Eventually you’ll need 3- a six inch, a 9 -10, and a 12-15. As you become more accomplished you will be looking at a stew or bean pot usually about 10 in diameter & 6 deep. Don’t let anyone scare you off by declaring the seasoning process difficult, it isn’t. Cleaning is not a problem either. The big deal is they MUST be DRY before you store them. They rust. They’re not ruined at that point but you will have to re season them. You’re going to hear a lot of stories about how difficult it is to season them but all you really have to do is fill them with high temp oil then boil the oil. Dump the oil, warm them up again & wipe with a paper towel. After that the cooking process will continue the seasoning process. What you are doing is filling the pores of the cast iron with carbon. That creates the slick surface found on old cast iron. Cleaning is a matter of scrubbing them out under running water. Don’t use harsh soap as it will remove the carbon coating you have built up & the seasoning process has to start again. If you can find your skillets in rummage or flea markets even better. In this case old is good. Buy used even if they are all gunked up or rusted. I have put mine in the charcoal till red hot to rid them of excess build up, just reaseason & start again. The only thing to stop you from buying is a crack. Doesn’t happen often but it does happen.
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