My LeCreuset cast iron skillet met with disaster yesterday and I’m in the market. It was a gift, and I don’t see the need for something that pricey, so I’m looking at Lodge. I’ve read reviews that say the Blacklock skillets are worth the extra cost for their triple pre-seasoning, lighter weight, longer handle and inside silhouette. What’s been your experience after long term use??
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I have three of the Lodge basic junk (12" and 8" skillets, and a square grill pan). I don’t have a single complaint about any of it. While I did slightly warp my 12", it was totally my fault (left it empty on high and forgot about it).
I rarely use the grill pan as I prefer the much more even sear the flat pans give me. I mostly use them for searing meats and shallow frying, and they are exemplary in both regards.
As for seasoning (and I usually don’t get around to this until the day after)…
After frying, I warm the pan on low for a couple of minutes, pour out the oil, wipe out the gunk with a paper towel or two, then buff with an old cotton tee shirt inside and out and plop in a 450°F timed oven for 2 hours.
After searing, i warm the pan up and then scrape the charred gunk with a metal spatula from center to edges, and then wipe, buff, pop in oven as above.
My pans are beautifully seasoned, and IIRC it only took a few reps of the above to get them this way.
The grill pan (because of its ridges) is more complicated, which is another reason I don’t use it very often. Lodge makes a ridged scraper, but it is made out of plastic and doesn’t last all that long (sure wish they made a metal one).
Not familiar with Blacklock just wanted to share …
On a recent outing to Costco I picked up 2 lodge pans, both 12 inch, one with grill and one flat bottomed. It was pretty close to a 2 for 1 deal in the warehouse.
I have Staub that I picked up at Costco they also have some great Staub online deals that you may be interested in checking out.
I hope someone does respond about Blacklock because I’d be interested in learning more.
@ScottinPollock have you tried this product on your ridged square pan ?
I ask because I took advantage of the Lodge Costco deal and have a 12 inch round with ridges and wonder if it is worthwhile to purchase.
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Hi… my only issue with the Blacklock line (other than price) is that it is thinner, and not as good with heat retention for things like searing and shallow frying (things I really want in cast iron).
If you go to their site, and answer their (which pan is right for me) questionnaire, if the recipes you choose are mostly proteins, you’ll be pointed to “Classic”.
I don’t do sauces in CI, or anything else I need good control over. I have done pizza, cornbread, and pineapple upside down cake, but with the exception of pizza, I got better results with cake pans.
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I haven’t… got nothing like it. I do have various steel wools, but hate to use it because of the chards/dust it leaves. And since I rarely wash my CI I am concerned about getting all of that out of there.
But it looks like it may be a very good alternative for getting the gunk from within the ridges to the edge of the pan where it can be wiped out.
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I scored a great deal at Costco then because Classic is the one for me.
Thanks for the prompt and informative response.
Great input. My main use is searing after sous vide, so classic may be all I need.
I got a similar deal from WalMart about a decade ago, but I have had a hard time trying to justify the use of the ridged pan. I suppose if you want grill marks on your asparagus or corn, or if you are a fan of medium-rare burgers (i’m not) it may do the job.
But considering your food is in contact with less than half the surface of the pan, i am just not sure what to use it for. I mean it is CI… and I want the sear, even to the point I’ll put another pan or brick on top of the food to maintain contact with the surface to get it.
So I’d love to hear from folks that use this thing to an advantage… otherwise it just sits in the bottom back of my lower pan drawer. (c;
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I’m looking forward to trying steaks out on the ridged pan and will report back once I do.
LOL, same. I have one (was gifted to me), but I never use it. In addition to the fact that you get almost no surface contact, I find that it doesn’t really do a great job with grill marks since the ridges are VERY thick and take a LONG time to get hot enough to create them - long past the time when the rest of the pan is smoking. It’s also rather small, so even cooking just two or three burgers you run the risk of overcrowding and cooling the pan. It will probably go to Goodwill the next time I do a purge (thanks for the reminder!).
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You could use it as a weight when you need one while cooking in your flat bottomed pan.
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Looking forward to it.
P.S. recommend using a cheap cut. (c;
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I do, sometimes, but because it is square and all of my other pans are round, I find it less useful than a round pan for this purpose.
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I understand completely, I’m lucky that both of my pans are round.
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I do not know much about the Lodge Blacklock. However, I always re-season the Lodge Classic cookware. Partly because its original seasoning layer is mostly to prevent rust. It is not always easy to build on a weak foundation. It is like trying to paint over old paint that is peeling.
For Bloacklock, the triple preseasoning does not attract me, but the lighter weight and longer handle are nice features I think.
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As you’re ready to switch from enameled to bare cast iron, you might want to consider a thick carbon steel pan instead. It would perform just as well at searing as CI and IMHO be more convenient due to its long handle, somewhat lighter weight and easier seasoning/re-seasoning (directly on the stove).
Recommended brands on this board usually include de Buyer (carbon plus and mineral B lines - which are essentially the same except mineral B has a coat of beeswax which is supposed to help with the seasoning), Matfer and Darto. Lodge also offers CS skillets but they are thinner (2mm against over 3mm).
Used a birthday gift card and bought the Classic 12” we’ll see how it goes.
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Enjoy your new skillet ! Happy new sear !
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I was considering steak because we like ours on the rare side.
Jacques Pepin cooks fish in his square pan not CI but non stick:
