Lodge L5SK3 Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 8″

The classic size for scrambled eggs or a batch of cornbread, the Lodge 8″ skillet combines timeless design and flawless function. The pan itself comes pre-seasoned with natural vegetable oil so there’s no need to season this pan yourself. Sturdy handle with hole for hanging when not in use, and two subtle side lips for pouring. Skillet makes preparing and transferring hot sauces meats and meals a breeze. The Lodge Cast Iron Skillet is a multi-functional cookware that works wonders with slow-cooking recipes and all your favorite foods. Fry up a chicken, saute vegetables or bake an apple crisp in this generous pan.

• Size: 8″
• Material: Cast iron
• Foundry seasoned, ready to use upon purchase
• Use on all cooking surfaces, grills and campfires
• Oven safe
• Saute, sear, fry, bake and stir fry to heart’s content.

Cast iron loves a campfire, a stovetop, or an oven, and can slow-cook foods without scorching. It retains heat well so you can sear meat at higher temperatures and will keep your delicious meals warm for a long time. Whether used in a kitchen or camp, theses virtually indestructible cookware should last for generations. Made of cast iron, this Skillet evenly distributes heat from the bottom through the sidewalls. Sporting a stylish black color, the cast iron Skillet looks good in most kitchens and it doubles up as an excellent source of nutritional iron. Cast Iron, like your grandmother used, still ranks as one of the best cooking utensils ever made. It gives you a nearly non-stick surface, without the possible harmful fumes generated by preheating chemically treated nonstick cookware. The American-based company, Lodge, has been fine-tuning its construction of rugged, cast-iron cookware for more than a century.

• Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet
• Pre-seasoned skillet is ready-to-use right out of the box

*The black patina given to the cookware by the factory seasoning process is, in fact, vegetable oil that has been baked into a piece of cookware that has emerged from an individual sand mold. This coating of oil is a functional application and not a cosmetic application. The cookware is hanging as it rides through the electrostatic sprayer and commercial conveyor ovens at very high temperatures. This allows the oil to penetrate deeply into the pores of the iron which creates an easy release finish. As a result of this process, you may see a blister or bubble of oil at the southern-most point or at the end of the handle of the cookware piece. If visible, it will rub or flake off with your finger, leaving a brown spot. Don’t worry, it’s not rust but a seasoned spot that is brown, indicative of the varnish stage of seasoning. As a matter of fact, this is the color of home seasoned iron until it has been used several times. The brown spot will turn black with use.

Multi-Functional Cookware

*The right tool for searing, sauteing, simmering, braising, baking, roasting, and frying.

• Made of Cast-Iron

Cast-Iron is a form of cookware developed over a millennia ago remains as popular today as when it was used to prepare meals hundreds of years ago. Cast Iron is one of only two metals compatible with induction stovetops. Unparalleled in heat retention and even heating.

• Can Be Used With A Variety of Heat Sources

*At home in the oven, on the stove, on the grill or over the campfire. Skillet may be used on various heat sources including gas, electric, induction and ceramic-glass top stoves and ovens. When using on glass stove tops, be careful not to slide the cookware around as it’s possible to scratch the surface. Seasoned cast iron can also be used on the grill or outdoor fire and coals for camp cooking. Begin heating cookware on low and slowly bring heat up to medium or medium/high. Always remove cookware from the stovetop after cooking.

Use and Care:

• The following use and care instructions for Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron will help your cookware last a lifetime.
• If you do Nothing Else…

• Hand wash. Dry immediately – even before first use.
• Rub with a light coat of vegetable oil after every wash.
• How much oil? Enough to restore the sheen, without being “sticky”.
• Why? To keep the iron “seasoned” and protected from moisture.

Seasoning – It isn’t Salt and Pepper

• “Seasoning” is vegetable oil baked onto the iron at a high temperature: not a chemical non-stick coating.
• Seasoning creates the natural, easy-release properties. The more you cook, the better it gets.
• Because you create, maintain, and even repair the “seasoning”, your cookware can last 100 years or more. Chemical non-stick coating cannot be repaired, limiting lifespan.

Let’s Cook!

• Lodge Cast Iron is right at home on induction, ceramic, electric and gas cooktops, in your oven, on the grill, or even over the campfire. Do not use in the microwave. (Some induction tops will not work with 2-burner griddles)
• On glass or ceramic cooktops, lift cookware; never slide it.
• Lodge cookware is safe at high temperatures; use metal, wood, or hi-temp silicone utensils.
• Some foods may stick to new cookware (especially eggs). Use a little extra oil or butter until you’ve built up the seasoning.
• Acidic foods like tomatoes, beans, and certain sauces can damage seasoning, and should be avoided until the seasoning is well-established.
• Cast Iron rarely needs to go above a medium heat setting when properly pre-heated. For the times when you do cook at higher temperatures, bring the pan to temperature gradually and add oil to just before adding food to prevent sticking.
• Our handles get hot; use mitts. Use trivets to protect countertops from hot cookware.

To Soap or not to Soap…

• If no soap is too scary, wash with mild soapy water and dry and oil immediately. However, consider that cookware is 400-degrees F in 4 minutes on medium heat and is sterile at 212-degrees F, so soap isn’t always necessary.
• Dishwashers, strong detergents and metal scouring pads are not recommended, as they remove seasoning.

Rust?! Don’t Panic, it’s not Broken

• Without protective seasoning iron can rust.
• It’s really easy to fix. Scour the rust, rinse, dry, and rub with a little vegetable oil.
• If problem persists, you will need to thoroughly remove all rust and follow our re-seasoning instructions (below).

Refurbish Your Finish
While maintaining the seasoning should keep your Cast Iron and Carbon Steel in good condition, at some point you may need to re-season your cookware. If food sticks to the surface, or you notice a dull, gray color, repeat the seasoning process:

• Wash the cookware with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. (It is okay to use soap this time because you are preparing to re-season the cookware).
• Rinse and dry completely.
• Apply a very thin, even coating of MELTED solid vegetable shortening (or cooking oil of your choice) to the cookware inside and out. Too much oil will result in a sticky finish.
• Place aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven (not directly on bottom) to catch any drips.
• Set oven temperature to 350 – 400 degrees F.
• Place cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven to prevent pooling.
• Bake the cookware for at least one hour. After the hour, turn the oven off and let the cookware cool in the oven.
• Store the cookware uncovered, in a dry place when cooled.
• Repeat as necessary.

Some Basics

• Gas flames should not extend up the sides of cookware.
• Match pan size to burner size.
• Don’t use in the microwave.
• When deep frying, fill cookware only to 1/3 of capacity.