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Belarus, Minsk
1 Level
735 Review
41 Karma

Review on 🍳 Ultimate Cast Iron Skillet: Utopia Kitchen Pre-Seasoned 12.5-Inch Pan for Indoor & Outdoor Cooking by Brian Lee

Revainrating 5 out of 5

quality casting!

Let me start by saying that I have used cast iron pans, pots and casseroles for years, ALL my cookware is moulded. I inherited most of these from my great grandmothers, so these things have been in my family for years! I was skeptical about the new brand, I'm not a fan of "pre-treated cast iron" as spices are generally always applied and this leaves today's housewives with very unrealistic expectations of cast iron. BUT this review is not about my general feelings towards cast iron. ha ha. I've read some other reviews of this pan and agree with one lady that the coating on the pan is a little rough but that is due to pre-treated cast iron. Ladies and gentlemen, these are NOT your Teflon coated aluminum/stainless steel/copper pans! These are CAST IRON heavy grain particles that will burn your hands and bind your wrists with their weight if you don't handle them properly. These are pans your great-grandchildren will appreciate, and these pans will help you cook MUCH better IF you know the difference between them and others. The first thing I did when I took this pan out of the box was to admire its weight. It's heavy and durable, it's WAY bigger than I imagined, I know the sizes are listed but we women have been lied to about sizes our whole lives if we see what we believe! ha, I washed it in some soap at dawn, rinsed it and immediately put it on the stove. Why? because thermal drying is the KEY to cast iron care. DO NOT put a wet pan in the cupboard, it will rust and no kitchen towel will dry these pans, heat well. This is the only way to ensure that you do not let any plaster rust in the closet. NEVER, and I mean NEVER, PUT CAST IRON IN YOUR DISHWASHER. Second rule: never submerge a pot in water. If food is stuck, fill it with water, maybe a little dish soap, and turn on the stove. Cook until foods are tender and you can scrape them off easily. Yes, you can clean the patch, but you risk damaging the pan. The great thing is that if you damage it, it can always be repaired. Don't throw away the pot, if you think you screwed up, find the Actor Owners Facebook group and ask them how to fix it. As for this Utopia pan, I immediately seasoned it myself once it dried out (follow the instructions that came with it, except I only use bacon fat and lard for the plaster, but anyone's own coconut oil will do), why? because, like I said, I'm not a fan of pre-seasoning. I can say this is going to be an amazing pan because I took it out of the oven 30 minutes ago and it's still warm to the touch. why is it good It tells me that this pan keeps heat from stove to table so my family won't eat cold food after grace and that the metal used is of good quality. This pan will accompany me for a long time! I LOVE the grip on it. Remember where I said above they would stretch your wrist, hopefully this pan won't since I can carry it with two hands. Everything for this pan! Update: I've used this pan for several meals. It makes a great coating and it was so great to have the extra space in this pot. I can easily cook 3 grilled cheeses in this pan if that helps with the size. I cooked chicken in it one night and it stuck, but the same thing happens to the rest of my dishes if I neglect to season! The great thing about cast iron is a stove, oven or fire, your food will be delicious! (PS: If you're cooking over a fire, be sure to clean the outside of the pan with soap when you're ready to put it back on the stove, or your hands will turn permanently black from handling the pan! Haha, the hard way learned )

Pros
  • Large selection
Cons
  • No mold required