I had a cast iron skillet some time ago, and it got ruined, or sold, or lost. Not sure by who. Certainly wasn’t me! (At least that’s my memory.) But my mother-in-law got me a Lodge skillet for Christmas 2019, and it has been one of the most dependable tools in my kitchen toolbox.

It’s one that will last me, and will last you, a generation.

Talk about a solid investment!

Here’s a brief review and why you should consider buying one.

Lasts “forever:” a great investment

Were I not to have ruined my last Lodge skillet — oh, did I say “I” did it? I meant “someone else” — no doubt I would be using it for years to come and passing it along to probably my youngest son. He’s rapidly becoming the foodie of the three sons. Willing to experiment, etc. Now I have a new skillet to hand down.

I take care of mine by washing it properly and drying it right away, then seasoning it. You can wash it with steel wool or a sponge (Lodge reps attest to this), but mild detergent is best for cleaning. Lodge does sell scrub brushes, mentioned below, and I plan to get one.

I should also quickly add that Lodge is American-made since 1896 in Tennessee. When you buy a Lodge, its like buying government bonds, except better!

Cook anything in it

My go-to meal to cook in my Lodge is chicken fried steak, simply because of the size of my skillet and the ability to cook multiple pieces at once. I have the 15-inch, which definitely builds the forearm into the size of my waist. Or is my waist increasing because of the chicken fried steak…? Either way.

I’ve cooked lots of things for bigger family meals. So it’s not the best, frankly, for smaller meals for my wife and me.

An important note: my skillet is still a bit too “young” (unseasoned) to cook acidic foods (containing tomatoes or lemons, for instance). But it soon will be up for the task, as any Lodge representative will tell you. Just keep it seasoned.

Overall benefits/strengths

• Basically indestructible
• Can whack home intruder over the head if you have the forearm to lift it. (Use two hands if necessary.)
• Deep sides for frying chicken or steak
• Made in America
• Something that over time will be seasoned with memories

Tools to go with it

Lodge sells utensils to go along with your skillet, including tempered glass lids, scrub brushes — remember, you can also use steel wool; it won’t hurt your skillet — splatter screens and silicon handle holders.

I would highly recommend the glass lid, which I own. (As I do the screen; I plan to get the handle holder but not the brush.)

Final word on the Lodge Skillet

There would be a lot of things I couldn’t or wouldn’t cook without my Lodge skillet. You can get various sizes, but I prefer the 15-inch. it will last “forever” and be one of those things that one of your kids will say, “Mom used this to cook us…”