Lono, I dunno why your Cabelas store would not have Lodge in stock. Cabelas has been carrying the Lodge product line non-stop for years. If the local store had any problems with quality, they could ship every one of the Lodge pots back to them and they would replace it if need be. I had a 16" lodge camp oven that had a cracked lid. It took almost 4 months of use before the crack was found, but it had been there since I first bought it. I told Lodge, shipped them the lid, and they replaced it for free (I only payed the cost to ship it to them, they paid the return shipping costs).

Lodge cast iron isn't cheaply made, but they have streamlined the production process to reduce the costs as much as possible. I believe the correct term is efficiently made. Here's a video of how they do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgTKTh1UfiU

You will still pay for quality, so don't expect to find new Lodge cast iron cookware for sale at a huge discount.

There's other really good product out there at competitive prices and I own a fair share of it. Camp Chef, Maca, and a few others make pretty good pots and pans at pretty reasonable prices. There's also a fair amount of junk out there, and you gotta check for yourself with that for lid fit, warp, uneven thickness, pits, and cracks. Some of my best pots are from 2nd rate mfrs. I just happen to know what to look for and pick what I know will work.

I just bought a nib Lodge Do from my sister never opened since she got it 18 yrs ago 20 bux. Imo lodge rules.

Lee

Cabelas is selling more Lodge cast iron then ever -- enamel and "Lodge Logic" (pre-seasoned):

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...rentId=cat20075

This thread has cost me -- ordered the Lodge 17" skillet (from Amazon because of the free shipping).

Will be fantastic at camp.

It has cost me as well, I've ordered some of the smaller Lodge Logic pieces as well, including a couple of Mini, 12.7 cm Lodge Wonder Square Skillets (looks perfect to prepare individual Toad in the holes), a 26.5cm Lodge Round Skillet with Handle and a 10 1/2 Inch Diameter Lodge Logic Round Griddle (perfect to prepare drop scones, Girdle bread and pancakes etc on the stove). I might also get a couple of the smaller skillets as well for some individual yorkshire puddings.

LOL - the American cast iron industry is getting a boost!

One of my favorite Lodge acquisitions has been their wok. I've been an avid stir fryer since growing up with a mom who got her first wok (steel) 40 years ago.

Love the way Lodge's cast iron wok works on chicken.

I also have all Lodge's small serving items and tiny skillets. They can be very useful, especially when cooking for one or two.

Think I may have sausage and eggs for dinner -- which will further season my 12" skillet.

Well-used cast iron is like a well-used, well-oiled baseball glove. But will last a lot longer.

Just looking at an old well-seasoned cast iron frying pan conjurs up the aromas of bacon, onions and spuds, or shore lunch walleye. Each fall, my dad cooked chili over an open fire in a big cast iron kettle suspended from a chain, while we picked the ripe apples from the trees on the hillside. These things I remember. I have no fond memories of teflon and aluminum pans though.

Just received the Lodge Logic 26.5cm round skillet and the the 10 1/2 inch Diameter Round Griddle. They look to be excellent quality. I also got another of the cheap Tesco casserole pots for about $12 as well as another large 27cm enameled cast iron casserole pot from a brand called Linea (House of Frasers own brand).

The cast iron collection should do quite nicely for emergency home cooking on my cast iron double burner stove. (looks very retro along with a Simplex No4 Chrome Copper Kettle. )


Foker Cast Iron double burner with FFD

The only downside to the cast iron pots and pans is their weight and the difficulty of handling such weighty cooking pots and pans.

Hard anodised aluminium pans looks to be a more practical solution though for everyday use such as this range of pans.

Plus, they do need to be taken care of. They shouldn't be cleaned in a dish washer, or some say with soap at all. After using, while they're warm, rinse them under very hot water and dry them thoroughly. Then a light rubdown with fat or oil will keep them rust-free. The best way to care for them is to use them - a lot. I've used them on the stove top, in the over and on the grill & smoker.
They are one of the best cooking tools because of their versatility. Get the pan hot on the stove top, sear your steaks (30-40 seconds a side), then pick up the pan and put it in the oven to finish (3-4 minutes a side). If you do burn something in one the pans, put the pan in the oven and set it to a very high temperature for about an hour (self-cleaning ovens work great for this). When it cools, all that's left will be fine ash. Dump it out and clean the pan, and you're back to new again.
I've read that they're healthy, especially for women, because they add iron to your diet. I've also read that the non-stick type of pans are not, because if you heat them too high, the non-stick coating starts to break down and adds things to your food that you don't want - e.g.: carcinogens.
If you take care of them, they'll take care of you!

(Agree with the Simplex - I have a #4 that boils water for my "porridge" every morning.)

Just came across this yesterday when searching for a way to stop eggs from sticking to my Lodge pan.

Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How-to

Mine looks like the one on the left. It's a lengthy process but it's claimed that it can be made to look like the one on the right.

Does anyone use their cast iron pots and pans with an induction hob? Apparently they are extremely efficient (30-40% more efficient than standard electric hotplate) and just as quick and controllable as as gas hob. Can anyone recommend a portable dual plate induction hob as a backup to the main built in kitchen hob.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_cooker