New High Quality Cast Iron Cookware

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm not in the market for new cast iron but I was excited to see a company making new HIGH QUALITY pans.

The Field Company is advertising #8 and #10 pans made with high quality thin cast iron.
OK, they're not cheap ($100 & $135 respectively) and I'm not going to rush out and buy one but I'm glad to see someone making them.

If you've ever used an old Griswold or old Wagner, you know the difference I'm speaking about. The old cast iron cookware was noticeably thinner and therefore lighter, than the current production cast iron cookware. The old iron was very smooth even before seasoning and only gets better with use. Despite the fact that the old iron was thinner, the quality of the iron was much higher.

Somewhere along the line the quality of the raw materials decreased and new pans became thicker and rougher. I'm glad to see a company bring back the high quality iron and maybe those expensive pans will trickle into the used market where I can afford them

[KCSO]

Never used any but what my grandmother had and passed on. Same with my wife's cast iron all of it from 1920 or earlier.

[waksupi]

I'd won a pair of new cast iron skillets last year. Both were rough on the inside. I took one to the shop to smooth it out, left the other one rough.
I used them equally, and the rough one seasoned much better and faster than the smooth one.

[dragon813gt]

I'd won a pair of new cast iron skillets last year. Both were rough on the inside. I took one to the shop to smooth it out, left the other one rough.
I used them equally, and the rough one seasoned much better and faster than the smooth one.

Have had the same experience w/ Lodge pans. Smoothed one out and seasoned. A lot of sticking. Left one rough w/ their pre-seasoning, not one issue. Even though they're rough they work well. I'm all for lighter pans. I'd gladly pay more for a thinner, but rough, Lodge.

[Petrol & Powder]

Yep, the new stuff is rougher but seems to season OK. The old stuff is both smoother and thinner. I think they used better quality iron back then. Maybe less scrap iron in the mix? Better iron ore to start with? I don't know.

[ryan28]

I don't know about better iron back then, but the cooking surface was machined, lodge doesn't do this anymore.