Using a $160 Cast Iron For 30 Days
“I hope this makes cooking really exciting”
If you're looking to get either of these cast iron pan, you can find them here:
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iton Pan - amzn.to/3pkLExv
Smithey No. 10 Cast Iron Skillet - bit.ly/3G4mXLG
Just so you know, we may collect a share of sales from the link above.
0:00 Intro
1:28 Unboxing
2:23 Day 1 - Caramelized onions and beef
3:50 Cleaning & seasoning
6:51 Day 7 - Tarte Tatin
9:00 Day 14 - Steak
11:08 Day 21 - Cheeseburgers
13:38 Day 30 - Ricotta Dutch baby pancake
16:26 Answer time
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I really appreciate your transparency in telling us that ATE paid for the pan and that you all receive compensation if the viewers purchase it. It gets frustrating sometimes to watch videos with products like these and not know what the motives are, so thank you for letting us know!
KZhead is firmly build about the US-american concept of "making money" so why you demand something widely out of this busines model? If there is any fault, ist not to be blamed to contibutors.
@@andyking957 So ef ethics basically
@@menelikiii5004 yea
I thought he said that the company who made the cast iron skillet paid it and they, the ATE team, will be given a commission for every purchase of the product with the link in the description. idunno, that's what i understood. but yeah , looooove the transparency
@@andyking957 Normally, they actually do tell us if it was sponsored or if they got the item for free... That's common courtesy and legally required.... you basically have to admit if it's an ad or not...
My favorite cast iron was an antique when I bought it and has served me well for many years. If you plan to use the same cast iron pan your whole life, I don't think $160 is too much to pay, but my $10 one has been going strong with no signs of stopping for decades. I wouldn't judge someone for spending a lot on a tool they'll use for decades, that's all I'm saying.
Came here to check if someone realised this is an antique one, which to me feel closer to a carbon steel pan. I think in general the lack of texture makes it more non stick but on the other hand the seasoning is more delicate specially at the beginning. Anyway it's beautiful
@@corecanarias How is that brand new pan out of the box, ‘antique’? I no I’m understanding your comment…
@@esalenchik maybe its manufacturered the old school way? Standard modern cast iron has a lot more texture and is a lot harder to season to the point of nonstick
@@priestesslucy3299 Seasoning a pan, any pan, is easy.
@@corecanarias smitheys aren't vintage like griswolds or wagner ware pans. just in the same high quality bracket which is rare for a new pan.
Alvin has committed a crime by not letting us hear the sizzle of the pan
Stay tuned for a Shorts video featuring the sizzle in question!
or hear some "alvin sounds"
He didn't even make bacon in it... Or give it a proper seasoning...
@@AboutToEat yay…. Shorts… 🙄
he said the size.. 10 inch pan
I use the salt cleaning method as well, but something that I learned from a chef friend is when you're ready to clean, you heat the pan back up on the stove then add a bit of salt (and oil if the pan is fairly dry), then use a paper towel or something similar to clean the pan while it's hot with the oil & salt abrasive mixture. Heating the pan before cleaning makes it a bit easier to remove any stuck bits & pieces.
TIL!
and if it isn't cast-iron - get it a bit warm (or, even better, get it while it's still warm), then wipe out with a damp paper towel. makes washing with soap much easier.
I find the whole paper towel thing just leaves a layer of paper fluff all over my pan.
bandanas are a common and reusable lint-free cloth for cast irons. also, wok brushes!!!
@@AboutToEat Just use a regular pad.
Just so you know, if a dutch baby is pudding-y that probably means it’s undercooked. My guess is that since you did 50% more batter even though the area of your pan is actually less than the combined area of two 6” pans, your baby was too thick and therefore not able to cook properly. The sign of a good Dutch baby is that it will puff up really really high (and invariably collapse before you can eat them. Seriously it happens every time). Other than that, great vid!
A 10 inch pan has 39% more area than two 6 inch pans, so the 50% increase was only a bit too much
Agreed! When you mentioned a bread-pudding-like texture I was curious what went wrong. It looked very thick on the bottom too, so I agree here it's probably underdone. In my experience, they're basically just like large Yorkshire puddings (you noticed how they're made the same too!) , and puff up with the same intensity. The butter and pan may not have been hot enough for it to quickly puff? Or maybe the sheer volume of batter made it cool down more than it would've with less. Shrug! I'd be interested to see more goes of this! I really like Dutch baby pancakes and it's interesting to see people do fun things with them.
I also think the use of a food processer would impact the structure of the batter.
@@heideturner4113 I've tried hand mixed batter and blender mixed batter, and they puffed the same. The dutch baby on the video just looks undercooked (low raise, moisture on top and in the middle). Ragusea mentiones that you shouldnt open the oven while cooking cause of all the steam you let out. Also he mentiones that cheese might affect the amount of puff you get. Maybe it is the case. Also the sheer amount of butter seems excessive.
Im from South Africa, and my grandmother taught me the oven method, is very easy to be honest After you oiled the cast iron, stick it into the oven and let it "bake" dry essentially at 180°C (not sure what that is in °F) Takes a while but very full proof. Also when storing it, you have to ball up news paper and place it into the pan. Not sure why but keeps very well in that sense
*fool proof I also like that method, i use higher temperature tho :)
I do the oven method too after I read about it in Cooks Illustrated.
For how long?
@@beddytear6112 an hour
better use parchment paper instead of a news paper, because news paper has ink on it which is toxic if it touches food products or kitchen utensils. Be safe.
only real takeaway I got was you enjoyed the larger pan diameter. Could you also not get a larger cast iron in the same brand you already have? probably cost $40 instead of $25
No, the real take away was that he preferred the looks of this cast iron over the regular one... for a bigger size, you can still buy cheap options... the size has little to do with the price... Cheap cast iron is not made pretty, but it's easy to create, which makes it cheap. To make it look better, it takes way more work.... but that work doesn't improve the performance... Cast iron is the best for cost to performance ratio because of how easy the basic cast iron pan is to make....
I couldn't stop thinking the exact same thing
Exactly
@@TheDeathmail the pretty aspects that.. .the food is almost always covering?
I mean his takeaway at the end is that no, he wouldn't get it for himself but he would get it as a gift for someone else
Seasoning is actually a polymerization process, where the oil forms a bio-plastic. There is a lot of discussion on what oil and temperature combinations are optimal (flaxseed and grapeseed being my favorites) - but many thin layers are better than one thick layer by far. The pan can be too cold or too hot, which results in failed polymerization or just burned oil. When done correctly, this bio-plastic makes a non-stick coating through its material properties and by filling the pores of the metal pan surface.
Hello. What temp do you set your oven at with flaxseed oil? It' has a low smoke point, yes? Does the temp need to be above the smoke point to trigger the chemical reaction/transformation to create this "bio-plastic"? Or does the smoke mean it's burning? Have seen many opinions on this and trying to figure out the best way to proceed. Thanks.
@@SM80FG I season at 500 F for around an hour and have found thin layers, pre-heating, and cooling between layers to be more significant. Stripping the pan, cleaning it carefully, and setting it upside-down in the oven helps too. Really, you have to avoid altogether destroying the polymer layers (which is much harder to burn); wiping will remove the small amount of carbonized oil. The reaction will happen over time even if left out at room temperature - the heat makes it take minutes instead of days.
I really appreciated Alvin's honesty when he said NO he would not pay $160 of his own money for a cast iron pan.
I think we all new that the pan isn't worth $160 for most people. You can get EIGHT Lodge brand 10 inch skillets for the price of one Smithey. And in the end, it's still just a cast iron pan. Is anybody really going think too hard between buying a $30,000 blue Toyota, compared to a $240,000 green Toyota of the same model? It only makes sense if money is no object and you really like green.
we all know thats a lie to make himse;f appear more humble
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894I have cooked with Lodges for over 30 years, a Smithy or a Field Skillet are more like a Cadillac, not a different cored Toyota, where Lodge is the Toyota. To me, they are very worth it as I enjoy cooking on them and cleaning them more than my mass produced Lodges.
The honesty feedback is excellent. It did looked like a great pan, and if you have the extra money that one is willing to spend on it, I'm sure they will. The honesty and transparency across the whole video is amazing to see. I doubt the company will like it, but the honesty feedback is great for the company to possibly implement further changes or study on their products. I've actually wanted to get a cast iron pan to play around with but I'm always sketched out at different brands. Thanks for letting us know which one you're using, it gives me an ease of mind of what pan to look for.
Buy a cheap one, keep it clean, season it after every use and you'll be happy.
For 160 bucks?! I’d rather buy enameled glass, lol.
@@pumpkingamebox enamel cracks and breaks eventually and then you have glass in your food :D
@@pumpkingamebox it's a reasonable price to pay for a hand made item that will last you a lifetime and be able to be handed down as an heirloom.
@@DrBojangles007 It isn’t a fair price when you research how much cast iron heirlooms usually cost. Bro, you got scammed by capitalism. “It’s expensive so it must be good” when a shop across the street sells literally the same thing for 30$. Remember, cast iron is cheap. This company is artificially inflating the price just cause of aesthetics. And if you worry about the aesthetics of your tools instead of aesthetics of your art. Man, I’m disappointed.
Just a plain old Lodge 12" costs $25 and they work perfectly. You're also better off with a pan that isn't polished, you want the slight texture, it help keeps the seasoning base in place. The seasoning is just burnt on oils that builds up with use, especially when browning fatty meats at high temperatures. My two pans have a very polished appearance, but that's from seasoning build up over the years. They clean up with ease, I no longer worry about losing the seasoning (if you ever tried to clean up a well used aluminum sheet pan that is used for browning bones for stock, you know that it's almost impossible to get the baked on grease off with any thing less than a steel scouring pad and lots of scrubbing), I use tap hot water, soap, a scrubby sponge, and minimal effort, everything comes right off my skillets. As an added bonus, no one dares to insult your cooking while you have a cast iron skillet in your hand
You can clean aluminum sheet pans with oven cleaner. Spray it on for 15 minutes, then wipe if off and rise with soapy water to get rid of the leftovers. Back to new again.
Agreed, the best is Lodge. There is no real reason to spend a penny more.
Hahah loved the insult bit at the end there. Agree with everything you said though!
My oldest and most used cast iron was made on July 28th 1867, was free, and I love this video about using them!
That's so cool,how do you have a cast iron from 1867??
@@michellekennedy4426 I don't have one that old, mine's from the late 1910s, but I'm guessing they figured out the same way I did: the maker's marks on the back. The company that made it might have been in existence for only a few years, or it has a series mark that was only used for a few years, or layout of the marks was used one year only. There's collector guides online that give timelines for some of the major and niche brands that exist. If you have one you inherited or bought a vintage one, just start googling the marks on the back.
@@michellekennedy4426 found it at my hubby's job, they were getting rid of it, so bonus! ..we own many but that's the oldest, I love cooking with pots or anything cast iron 😊 my grandma in Tennessee had older ones from the family but sadly I didn't get any when she passed, I didn't realize how cool they were
@@Aretemc exactly, and if you scrub them down to the base you will be able to read it
@@michellekennedy4426 imagine, that was just after the civil war right, amazing..keep your eyes open and you can find them at goodwill or garage sales etc
I’m so glad you have such an honest review on this! It’s rare to see actual opinions on gifted products, was a bit concerned at the start, but another great video!
Cast iron is cast iron. You can reseason it with oil takes a moment. I love my cast iron, been used for 50 years.
I'm usually not into product review videos where the product was given for free. Having said that, I liked the honesty you had here, Alvin, and how you - against my expectations - said that you wouldn't have paid $160 for this cast iron in lieu of using the one you had which cost $25. That it didn't make _that_ much of a difference. Most of the time with videos like this, people tend to praise the product to the skies because it's a product review, after all, and they received the product for free. Which is why I, and probably many others, don't like these kinds of videos for the most part. But, again, I appreciate the honesty, and am always up for watching a cooking video. (Why else would I be subscribed?)
It goes two ways sometimes. The customer might want to justify the sunk cost of the pan and thus would convince themselves that it is a good pan
Good point. How often do you see a review and the person says the item just isn't worth the price, compared to cheaper options? Let alone when they got it for free. It looks like a very nice pan, but lets be honest. You can get EIGHT Lodge brand 10 inch skillets delivered to your door on Amazon, for the price of ONE of these pans. It's a no brainer which one is the better deal. Lodge - $20.
Alvin is like Bob Ross. His voice is really really soothing and it feels just like watching Bob Ross but instead of painting, its cooking which is a foodie's dream come true.
For sticky pans, add an inch of water and put on the stove for a couple minutes. Cleans beautifully.
Yup! Works great with pots too. Just boils some water in them
My mom taught me that trick! So useful.
Thanks for the trick. I might try when it happened.
Boiling water is also great for cleaning other greasy/dirty stuff like stove tops. But you need a heat proof rubber glove. Just dunk a rag into the boiling water with a gloved hand and use it to wipe away grease/wax/scum, etc. You can add soap to the water, too.
soap.
That "satin finish" can be obtained with lots grinding & sanding. I have Lodge Cast Iron skillets & roasters. I used Avanti Pro sanding disks. It took about 3 days of work, but the Lodge skillet had an almost mirror-like finish. I seasoned it 3 times using flax seed oil. It's much easier to use. Nothing sticks to the bottom but the sides aren't as polished, so stuff sometimes sticks, but it's easy to clean....
I did that too, but after a year of a lot of use its turned black like my other cast iron skillets
How well did the flax seed oil hold up? I tried it but it flakes off. Ive heard that happens to others too.
Jesus Christ you ruined that pan lmao
@@Joe-dd5fi You can do better?
@@franmidi you took away the chemical and structural composition of what made that cast iron actually cast iron by sanding it.
Love how there was no bias with the provided pan. Alvin’s honesty was inspiring. Entertaining and educational as always!!
The video feels so honest and personalized.
$160 dollar cast iron seems great! But after all, I still love my old cast iron. I think it is just as capable but it also feels like a huge piece of memory~~
I find myself quite the cast iron enthusiast and this video had some good tips but I have some suggestions. Instead of salt I would recommend a chain mail scrubber it is strong enough to scrub off whatever and wont scratch the seasoning that much. To that note metal utensils are great for using in cast iron personally I like a fish spatula so you can both scratch off fond buildup and have some good square footage to flip larger things. I would not recommend throwing your cast iron on a ripping hot stove as the quick change in temperature could crack it. You really don't have to worry about using soap on it as it no longer contains lye. For storage there is no need to season after each use just dry and if needed lightly oil. Not a fan of this seasoning method as most paper towels leave tiny fibers behind does not really effect performance but I don't like the look especially on vintage or any smooth cast iron. Looking at the dutch baby it looks like he may have not used room temperature batter, slightly too much batter, or slightly too cool of a pan. They really should be puffing up at the sides of the pan more.
Thank you for those tips! 😌
I am full time in an RV, 1 small burner over 1 small oven, I have two cast irons and I will ABSOLUTELY try all these recipes!! They all look amazing and, as you implied quite heavily, super satisfying! Thank you for sharing!
I sincerely appreciate your honesty. It really shows the difference between you and other channels. Thank you.
I own a Lodge pan (Bought directly from the manufacturer's site to support the company better), and I love it. I cook with it 4-6 days a week. One thing that IMMEDIATELY struck me, and WASN'T mentioned in the video, is that the demonstrated Smithey pan has a POLISHED INTERIOR. This is like some of the highly sought-after Griswold or Wagner vintage pans, and two Wagner pans my partner and I inherited are ALSO polished smooth. The lodge pan I have works wonderfully, but doesn't have the polished interior, so I have to clean it intensely every time I cook with it. After doing some research, I've learned that THAT is the reason why the classic pans are so prized, and I'm betting the extra effort that Smithey puts into making the interior smooth both contributes to the easier cleaning/scraping, as well as the higher price.
The Lodge is $20. That means you can get EIGHT of them for the price of the Smithey. It's a no brainer, unless you're a millionaire.
just checked amazon reviews for a lodge pan, some buyers have sanded it to make it smoother
So, they gave you a product for free to review. And purchases from that company with your link will deal you money? Yet it’s not a sponsor? How else can you define a sponsor? Lol.
Sponsor is really like a normal sponsor you find from other youtubers.
@@MohammedAlhameli-hi6knlol what?
Sponsors usually pay while sending the merchandise.
It’s not really a sponsor. More just an affiliate link. He wasn’t paid to do this video but he will earn money if you buy the product using his links. Athletes get sponsored to wear branded clothing. They don’t go out of their way to beg you to buy the product using their discount code. Their celebrity and following will do that alone.
@@leannelu8792 read above
I have an enameled cast iron pan that cost about $150 and I love it - because of the enamel coating it doesn't really require seasoning or requires very rare seasoning. It's also a bit easier to clean and you don't need to worry as much about being careful about using soap or water on it. Because of all that, it brings the utility value that I don't see this expensive cast iron bringing.
I have a $30 enameled dutch oven that I love, but the enameling is thin and has chipped in places. It still works great but I'd love to get one with a thicker enamel coating.
yes, and is healthier too, cast iron every day is absolutely not good
i dont think that coating is a good heat transfer
Hm.. never had an enameed one recently, but all the other ones seem to chip... i think i'll stick with carbon steel and cast
@@lilykep isn't enamel like glass? Meaning that if it chips, it will have small / micro shards that you will probably be eating and likely will chip more and more? Seems a bit on dangerous side
$135 is an awful lot of extra money to spend on something whose only advantage is "it looks nicer." Your pans are, at the end of the day, tools. How they look should always be secondary to how they perform.
I do agree p, but I think for food bloggers this may be different. If you rely on pretty photos than this may be important to you.
A cast iron does cook differently, more evenly but if its not a priority, it isnt worth it for sure
It does make a difference as a serving plate though no? Not sure that’s worth the extra $135 haha
@@unfrgtblmemoriez You can get a good cast iron pan for far less than $135.
Personally, I think this would make an amazing gift for a friend who is passionate about cooking (if you can afford it). The experience of cooking Will not only be heightened by better aesthetics but also the memories that someone bought you an expensive tool that you will treasure.
i've been using a $30 lodge 12 inch cast iron and its delightful.
The 10 inch Lodge is only $20 on Amazon.
Me too! Love lodge! Lodge rocks!
Also check out Field cast iron. Season it with grapeseed oil on the stove 3 times. Make a couple cornbreads, then season after each use. (takes 3 minutes). I haven't brought my lodge back out of the cupboard in 4 months, and cook everything in it. It is the #8, and I did get the lid for it. I It is hands down the best one I have ever used. NOTHING sticks to it. I also only use a wooden spatula from Kent Rollins store. Cleans the bottomeasier than my plastic spat, and doesn't damage the pan.
I had a cheapo for years, I got a #8 Field dutch oven combo and a Stargazer 12". I never used the cheapo again. Gave it to my daughter and she hated it because she came home and used my Stargazer during break. I had to buy another Stargazer.
I recently acquired a Lodge 10.25 inch skillet. I went ahead and did seasoning on the stovetop using canola oil. I've been using it daily and it has become my favorite pan. I'm considering getting a dutch oven.
Honestly, I have these Lodge scrapers and they work great...not only for cleaning my cast iron pan, but for cleaning all sorts of cookware. And now that you've experienced the joy of cooking with a 10" pan, why not buy a larger, less expensive cast iron? Thanks Alvin...as always, great video!
I really appreciate this honest review. I completely agree with Alvin's assessment that it's probably best as a gift to someone else than to go out and buy it. A good quality cast iron can last for actual decades, so they make an excellent wedding gift. But are they something you need to drop triple digits on? Nah, not really.
the $20 on amazon does 95% of what this does. this one is just prettier
Been using the same cast iron pan I found rusting in a crawl space back when I was in college some 30 years ago. Don't think it's ever seen a drop of soap since the day I resurrected it with my drill and wire brush attachment. I've had to do some maintenance on the seasoning over the years from wear and tear, but I'll never part with it till the day I die.
I watch your cooking vids on your main channel and this is the first time I've heard your voice. You are just so perfect for video, I love the style of all of your videos, the tranquil background music, your voice is so clear and easy to understand. And of course the food looks incredible!
I just love all of Alvin's videos ❤️
I'm pretty torn on this. A cast iron is a product that really lends itself to industrial production, without losing alot of its utility or longevity. It's more up to the owner to treat it write. So going for the cheaper one doesn't hurt. I've been thinking a lot lately though that something lost on us these days is considering for how long we'll use something and who was involved in making it, when gauging its value. A cast iron can last generations if you treat it well. If Smithey is a good company, i.e. if the people there are nice to their costumers, if it's a good place to work at, and if they generally try to be a sensible company, then I would probably still safe up and buy a pan from them. Especially if they have a shop I could visit to just see who they are and what they are like. This last part obviously depends on whether or not you happen to leave near them, but if you don't, then maybe there is another good company near you instead that sells high quality cast irons.
$160 comes and goes really easily in all our lives. A speeding ticket, a nice dinner, theater tickets, a blown tire, ect. A week or two later you don't miss the money at all and you barely remember what it was spent on. This $160 gives you a better cooking experience for the rest of your life. Seems like money well spent.
his point is the $160 pan doesn’t give a better cooking experience than a $20 pan did you even watch the video, but getting it as a gift and knowing it’s expensive is in itself an experience and pleasure to use
@@KimoKimochii Yes, I watched the whole video. You must have missed the part where he talked about using it to serve the food because of the superior esthetics of the pan. That means better functionality and a better overall experience.
@@michaeldonnan6767 Aesthetics is not functional mate 😂
@@KimoKimochii If it allows you to serve it in the pan rather than transfer it to a platter that is additional functionality.
@@michaeldonnan6767 and the $20 pan you can’t? you must be trolling
I love this video. Really like how authentic you leave it with all of the mistakes with your cooking
The current trend of many kitchen cookware reviewers of emphasizing the fact that the "appearance" or "look" doesn't hold up when the cookware is used is frustrating. Every type of cookware; stainless, aluminum, non-stick, carbon steel, and cast iron, loses its shiny newness when they are used. The "look" of the pan (aside from the beauty of it's design, as you mentioned, for serving purposes) after use is irrelevant to its ability to properly cook the food someone puts in it. Unless one is buying a pan to merely hang on their wall for decorative purposes, and never intends to use it for its intended purpose of cooking, then there is very little value in mentioning how a pan lost it's luster because you cooked in it. Having said that, your video is great. Showing the many types of food one could cook in cast iron cookware is very well presented and your film shots are excellent and the food looks delicious. I feel a lot of the value of this pan is in its engineering. The handle design and length is much more comfortable to use than the too-short, and slightly sharp-edged, Lodge handles. It also has the helper handle for two-handed lifting in or out of the oven or moving around the work surface. The micro-textured interior seasons easier, being smooth, compared to the rough sandy-bottomed Lodge. And the pour spouts are much better sized for use than Lodge. That isn't to say Lodge doesn't make good cookware, because they do and have obviously lasted the test of time. But some of these newer brands have better, more ergonomic designs that make them easier and more comfortable to use in the kitchen. I have several quite old Lodge pieces that I still use, but I definitely appreciate the longer handle of the Smithey (and other brands) compared to the lodge brand. I hope you do a follow-up video someday. Now, nearly a year on, have any of your thoughts on it changed? Have you continued to use the Smithey? How has it help up compared to your Lodge pan?
I have a $23 Lodge 10.5 cast iron and I love it. Actually I have all kinds and sizes by Lodge, so I am here to see if skillet you're cooking with is worth the price tag since I've been getting ads for it on Facebook.
Great vid but this should probably be renamed “using a cast iron for 5 days”. I was so surprised when you said you’d only be using it once a week…
Thank you!!! “I used it a few times over the course of a month” would have been a better title.
@@bigskybob that doesn’t get views
Maybe he did, but for brevity's sake, it was reduced down to the 5 key dishes cooked over a 30 day period.
@@usmcplu works both ways, he cooked 5 dishes over five days. It doesn’t really matter if he’s had the pan for 30 ya know, brevity and logic says 5 days.
Glad I found you again. KZhead is horrible at dropping my favorites. I LOVE the ones when you don't talk....AND I Love how you narrate this video AFTER you made the video. So soothing and really good audio
Around this time of year (November December) one of the items you'll often find in certain supermarkets/stores in both the US and UK is a cast iron mini pan, sometimes paired with a cookie mix, or brownie mix, and the last time I saw them a few years back, they were just £5 or about $6. They are such fun little items, pretty well seasoned, though I seasoned mine several times (I got 3 of them) and they are great for small dishes, or entrees or side dishes and camping have been really useful. Best £5 (each) I have spent in a very long time.
Wish we got to see a fried egg test! Love my well-seasoned 9 inch lodge that I sanded down to a shiny finish, can even cook scrambled eggs in it!
Not just using something correctly and care for it, but also improve it. You're a rare breed, my friend. 👍
I have a Lodge griddle (skillet with no sides) that I fry eggs on daily. I didn't do any sanding though. I also have a small square shaped skillet (about the size of a slice of bread) that I use sometimes. I've done scrambled eggs in that and fried eggs. Both work fine, if you wipe oil on with a paper towel before you put the eggs in. And keep the heat on low medium.
If you apply the oil directly to the paper towel, you can get a thinner layer of oil on the pan with less to wipe away.
I loved seeing you use this and loved the honesty. You like the product but didn't see enough of an increase in performance other than aestetic and I find that refreshing. and I'm glad Smithy makes a great very useful product even if it isn't quite right for you and your needs and budget
Thanks for such a helpful and informative video. Honestly you answered a lot of questions I had and I am grateful for the help. Keep up the good work.
15:48 Weird but I love this part. In so many things like this it feels like people pretend to love something because they have to. But I love that he’s admitting he doesn’t like something. While also not heavily critiquing it.
I’ve been seeing more stuff like this and I just love when influencers are honest about their opinions and thoughts on things rather then lying to appeal to the sponsor or public. The chair video with the try guys makes me wonder how many ads are lies and just, this. Yes. Honestly Review the product. Gives the company good criticism.
Alvin, thank you for your transparency, great recipes, detailed review and all your *fun* but really hard work on this video🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍 quick question, why don't you just get the 10" version of the one you have for about the same price or less🤔🤔🤔😂😂😂
Watched this 1st time twice in a row replay. It's all the good food cooked up.
Seasoning the pan works because when you apply very high heat to the oil you're polymerizing it. Excess parts burn off as the smoke you see and the surface is left with a hardened, smooth cover that latches onto the rough surface of the cast iron. Eventually you can build up a surface smooth enough to act just like a non-stick but without the mysterious chemical coatings.
For anyone considering buying this pan with a ceramic stove top dont, if you look close the bottom is indented with a protruding edge meaning your pan will not be touching the flat surface of a ceramic stovetop, so it would work well only on coil or gas tops.
I have the 12 inch version of this pan and a ceramic cooktop and find that it cooks no differently than my lodge with a flat bottom. If anything, the edges prevent the pan from spinning/wobbling as some cast iron pans do due to uneven casts.
So wait in thirty days he cooked with it fiveish times? That makes the video title feel misleading to me. I'd expect thirty days to mean at least once a day, if not breakfast/dinner.
same! I was expecting something like what inga did with that expensive toaster thingy. she did so much with it. still love Alvin though!
Do you use your own cast iron that often? This aligns with my normal life use of a cast iron. I think he just used it over 30 days of his life as he would his $25 one. I think it’s better this way as it’s a review centered around normal life rather than basing his life around the pan
@@WaaluigiBoard I tend to use one of my three cast irons whenever I'm in the kitchen. I do see your point, but again the implicit expectations in a title like "testing a cast iron five times" are much different than "for thirty days".
@@PaceYourself can’t argue with you there.
In culinary school we were tought to season with the salt technique. Rub the entire pan in a thin layer of oil, place a sheet pan under the cast iron pan and throw it in the oven upside down. Sometimes I will use the grill. Honestly, just buy a $25 Lodge cast iron pan, I recommend having 2 different sizes to CYA lol.
What I don’t like about cheap pans is their rough surface. It’s annoying when you want to season it, but the pan shreds your paper towel. I want to enjoy using a thing that’s supposed to last more than a lifetime.
You can sand the interior of your pan and re-season it. It works like a charm.
if you use the pan long enough it'll get smoother from use. I do prefer machined cast iron though. it is just better.
You're pushing down way too hard if your paper towel is shredding while you're applying oil during the seasoning process. You can always use a lint free cloth/rag as well. It's what I use and those work great.
keep seasoning it and it will be smoother and oil will make a layer over a layer
That is actually a good thing when seasoning (to a degree) because a really smooth pan isn't going to let that seasoning hold on
now that induction is going to take over kitchen stoves we should move towards cast iron and steel pans.
These pans are a show piece and cook amazing. I have this pan and used lodge Dutch ovens for decades, Smithey cleans up and provides non stick is far better. I use their chain mail scrubber and apply a much smaller amount of oil, my favorite pan by far. They are pricey but to me they are a decoration and am saving for another.
I had the same experience with my new Le Creuset Dutch Oven.. everything is just a little more fun 😍
great review, typically I just throw some water in the pan while it's still hot after burgers or steak and it cleans right up. I have only ever seasoned my pan once after I bought it and even eggs cook like a nonstick, just gotta have the temp right.
Yeah, this guy isn't using the pan right. You shouldn't have to re-season the pan every time you use it, and blasting off the fond is the main cleaning task to do.
The only new cast iron I buy is Lodge. Otherwise I buy antique. Lodge is nonstick right off the shelf and doesn't cost very much. Hard to beat that
Your observation on the 6” pans was probably 100% correct. Presentation on the blue cloth was aesthetically appealing for sure! And you’re also right about bigger pans. I almost never use 8” pans. I would spend the $160.
The CC on those strawberries is quite interesting. 15:08
umm yall might wanna double check the closed captions for the macerated strawberries lol
Yeah, found several mistakes on those captions but the strawberries got me lol
This was a great video. I've been using my Lodge cast iron pan everyday lately and I've wondering if fancier, more expensive cast iron pans are any better. Thank you for the honest review.
Unless you dislike the uneven surface- no, they aren’t. But they are prettier. My favorite one is a Stargazer. I might buy a 10’ one day just because it’s so darn beautiful!
Thoroughly enjoyed your review. There’s a lot of more technical/precise videos of food utensils on America test kitchen but I enjoyed the videography and what you made! Suggestions upcoming videos: 1) cutting boards 2) Dutch ovens 3) non stick 4) woks Again I’ve watched videos on the above but interested in your teams take and excited to see the videos! Pls add some ASMR effect…I WANNA HEAR SIZZZZZZZZLING!!!
I have a $25 Lodge skillet and also a $50 Lodge wok. Because I cook lots of stir-fry stuff, I really enjoy the wok. Then I also enjoy a carbon steel wok which is lighter and easier for tossing and cleaning. All in all, cast iron and carbon steel pans or woks are all you need. Never buy another coated non-stick pan or wok.
A fair summation would be that it is better than a $25 pan. Whether or not the difference in price is worth it to an individual depends on that persons aesthetics and finances. (I have both fwiw). Great Food can come from either lodge or Smithey!
My experience with the Smithey is that it's a beautiful skillet, but won't hold seasoning. The first 2 or 3 times I used it, the seasoning (and my reseasoning) almost completely stripped off. I actually got some flash rust after drying it after the first use. I've had much better luck with my Fields, Butterpat, Stargazer, Lodge ... well everything else. With 20/20 hindsight, i wouldn't buy a Smithey.
Always been a fan of your passion for food/cuisine.
You can use dish soap for cleaning btw, modern soap doesn't contain lye so doesn't effect the seasoning
A longer handle is a necessity for me when it comes to cast-iron pans.
Few things... first off cooking onions and apples in a cast iron will definitely strip the seasoning if it's not well seasoned, like a years worth of build up. Secondly, the easiest way to clean a cast iron without scrubbing much is to just toss it into a 400 degree oven, or heat on the stove top and just immediately run it under hot water, the water will lift anything stuck to the pan, use a pair of tongs to hold a scrubby and lightly scrub the inside of the pan (steam will burn your hand otherwise). And third, lastly, all cast iron pans are pretty much exactly the same, only difference is size, and aesthetics. The main reason why cast iron has existed for so long and is so popular is because they are cheap to make, and priced for affordability! So yes, 160 dollars for a cast iron pan is ridiculous.
Our close friend helps run the plant where these are made. I was given one as a gift and it is by far my favorite pan to cook with. I am able to cook a steak and then use the residual heat from the pan to cook fish or shrimp and they always turn out great. Yes the cost is high, but I promise the result is always amazing.
I'm sure it's nice, but you can get EIGHT Lodge brand 10 inch skillets for the price of one Smithey. It's a no brainer.
How do you find the length and comfort level of the handle? I'm uncertain about which cast-iron skillet to purchase, I've found the handle experience directly correlates with my frequency of use.
Glad to see someone else notice that with the seasoning. I own three, they've all done that same thing. Thought it was something I'd done, now I feel better.
Someone probably explained this before, but the reason you heat your pan up with oil to season, is because the pores in the iron, open up at higher temps, allowing the oils to penetrate and stay on the pan better.
Perhaps the pores do open up, but the main reason you heat the pan up with oil is because you want the oil to polymerize, which is when it stops being an oil, and more like a plastic. Think oil paint. This is the reason why it's a myth that detergent removes seasoning, since the oil is no longer in a liquid form. The myth comes from a time when residual products in lye soap, which isn't used as dish soap anymore, would dissolve the seasoning.
@@simonholmqvist8017 Interesting, I will have to research that further, always good to learn things into a more refined science. Appreciate the comment.
I appreciate the level of transparency you have demonstrated in this video. However, I do wish that you mentioned whether the company had any editorial input or if they reviewed the video before it is published. To me, that would put the transparency at the close to the highest level you can get through a KZhead video, especially product review videos.
little tip here, even if your skillet is supposed come seasoning do seasoning again and caramelizing some onions it helps pull away the metalic taste youll get from new a skillet
I have a 17" enameled cast iron pan, and it's been the only pan I've used since I was 19. I'll be turning 37 this September. They are more pricey, but anyone who wants to cook on a high quality cast iron and have it last literally your entire life, buy a ceramic or enameled cast iron. It also gives you the added benefit of being able to cook the more acidic foods you'd normally want to avoid cooking with iron.
This video doesa good job of showing off cast iron, but all of the"issues" this pan "solves" over his $25 pan are actually fixed with re-seasoning and getting a bigger pan.
A Lodge 10 inch skillet is actually $20 delivered, on Amazon. He bought a more expensive 9 inch skillet. That's not a problem, it's a poor decision. Personally, I bought a Lodge skillet at Goodwill for $10. You're going to have to clean and reseason a skillet after you get it dirty, anyway. You might as well pay half price for a used one. A new one is only new until you use it the first time.
Alvin, get a 10” Lodge, and it will feel more efficient. That’s not a featured of a $160 pan
Exactly . Mine cost $30
He has one that he’s had for like 10 years
@@ethang7242 9”, not 10”. That’s 23% bigger.
@@SL-vs7fs lmao watch their “3 ways we use cast iron” video. He has a 10” lodge. It’s 100% fact
@@ethang7242 Did you watch this video? Just going by what he says at 9:30. You are right about the other video. He says 10” there. What I want to bet on is if you are still going to lean into your “100% fact” :-).
Basting and seasoning after or during the cutting of cooked beef actually incorporates more fresh flavor. Its faster and become my go to method
Doing the seasoning works well on a BBQ. You can flip the pan upside down to minimize pooling of fats and drips don't matter so much as in the oven. But you can always just have a lined cookie sheet under the pan in the oven as well.
Should be titled. “What happens when someone who knows little to nothing about cast iron cooks in a new, lightly seasoned pan?” Price of the pan is irrelevant. Great video for that. Great for showing the diversity of iron and taking the fear out of it.
any time you get a new cast iron or carbon steel pan you should spend time seasoning the pan before cooking. The factory seasoning is never that good. This same thing applies to when you pay anything leather or wood--you need to oil it before your first use.
this channel is so relaxing
i have a few cast iron pans, i have one that is from the 1890s ive got walmart cast irons too, and they work and are seasoned, BUT, the old stuff pre 1940s iron is much much smoother and ive had to strip one to bare metal and its still smoother than the post 1950s stuff thats never even been rusted
I actually never knew seasoning your cast iron pan was a thing. You learn something new every day!
Love how real they keep on her. Yup I wouldn't pay 165USD
YES! this is a great and informative series. Please keep it up. :D
my grandmother pretty much only used cast iron stuff. never really "cleaned" it. amazing food always.
So basically, it's prettier, but that's it. I've had my Lodge cast iron skillet literally my entire adult life. I got it at a Cost Plus World Market for $20 when I moved out of the dorms and got my own apartment when I was 18. It has served so well that I doubt it'll ever retire in my lifetime.
So if I understand this correctly, you need to do the seasoning almost every time after cooking? And wiping in the middle of cooking? Omg, why? That's such a huge amount of work for me. Non-stick is my go to. I won't be doing crepes (they would stick on the first one!) or cooking carrots on a cast iron.
Yeah It can be a lil tedious, but if you look after your cast iron pan it can last you a life time compared to non stick which will eventually lose their non stick coating and need to be replaced.
Not necessarily. Seasoning is just the natural polymerization of fats/oils, which can be attained through regular cooking on its own. If you cook bacon or fried chicken semi-regularly, you'll get there. Depending on how the pan was treated prior to sale, you may need to develop an initial seasoning. That'll be a little involved. But once you've had your skillet for awhile, as long as you don't mistreat it, it'll be very easy to maintain.
No, that's not the case for a well-used cast iron. You only really need to do that when you first get the pan or if you cook something that's guaranteed to remove seasoning (tomatoes, acids, copious amount of water, etc). Alvin here cooked with wine and lots of water (or stock) in the period where one would typically avoid those things to create your extra protective layers of seasoning. If you cook some of the same things in non-stick pans, you are slowly removing some of the non-stick coating (toxic) which seeps into your food. If you want non-stick minus the toxic coating, carbon steel or cast iron is your next best non-stick cooking surface. My wife makes crepes all the time in our carbon steel pan (lighter, but similar care to cast iron). They never stick.
You do have to season it more often when new, but over time the seasoning layer builds up and you hardly have to season it at all. In my 5 year old pan I wipe it down with kosher salt and paper towels right after the food comes out, rinse with water and that’s it.
1- for me it seems that stovetop reasoning works better when the pan is just at smoking point then dial it back a notch to not burn off the new oil. 2 - besides the more expensive pan being a more convenient larger size, the smooth inside can be recreated in a cheaper one by sanding it down and re seasoning.
I’ve had a cast iron skillet for over twenty years. My husband found it at a junkyard. He had it sandblasted to remove rust. I seasoned it back to life.🙌🏻🍳
Great idea! Take an old pan by an auto body shop/blasting shop and bribe them to blast it for you. It will only take a minute.
This may sound a little crazy but listen to it anyway Costliest sugar , salt and pepper
Just to say, I'm going to have to try that beef and onion jam thing. I made an onion jam before, and while it was delicious, I didn't really have anything to serve it with (and frankly forgot it in the back of the fridge for a year). This sounds like something I definitely need to try on the weekend.
I appreciated your honesty, it was a welcome ending!
I have this same pan! it was a gift, as I do love it, I tend to use my 30 year old gifted cast iron. forgetting the brand rn but it's lovely. Both are great tbh
I dislike how the "second question" is posed, implying it has many features that a normal (low cost) cast iron pan doesn't have - while not stating any of these "features".
I guess the features were mostly just size and style.