Review on Lodge Square Pre Seasoned Draining Grilling by Lauren Perry

This grill pan is great! I live in an apartment but have been craving traces of the grill and improved flavor from the outdoor grilling. I also don't have good ventilation so cooking in a room that produces too much smoke is not a good idea. I originally looked at electric griddles, but reviews of most of them indicated that they break easily. I like my regular cast iron skillet so I gave this one a try. So far I've made sausage, corn on the cob, mixed chicken, bacon and then onions caramelized in fat (for the quiche), eggplant, homemade ground chicken with garlic and jalapenos, and zucchini. I also took it with me on a hike. Nothing stuck, and I only used vegetable oil the first few times (the rest were either natural fats or I used drops from fatty foods I cooked before, which really takes the flavor of the food up a notch). For those who haven't tried it, you don't have a cast iron skillet or it has rust on it: DON'T LET IT GET WET. I mean, no air drying, no soaking, no "let me loosen it up by letting the water sit for a while while I do other things and forget about it." You MUST dry this pan thoroughly and then oil it (make sure that the pan is warm). Don't use soap either! One of the best things about a cast iron skillet is the "seasoning" that forms. Soap will corrode it, and then: 1. You'll have to go to the trouble of reseasoning it in a "long" way by baking the pan over high heat, and 2. Your food will likely taste soapy. This is how I maintain mine and have never had any problems (like rust, cracks, etc.). This is the same advice I got when I bought my first cast iron skillet, mixed with internet research, and this is the safest option to ensure it lasts long: • Let the skillet cool before rinsing (sudden temperature changes are not good, cold water in a hot pan (this is called heat stroke and will result in a cracked pan) • I use a special silicone sponge that I never use to wash dishes in warm water. I also bought a Lodge grill scraper because it makes cleaning so much easier than climbing into each groove one at a time • I wipe the pan down with a paper towel • I heat the grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat until the remaining water has evaporated. • After the pan has cooled slightly (but is still warm), I use a clean paper towel to rub the oil over it (it's made out of a single piece of metal, so you need to protect everything, including the handle and back). page) • I put it back in the cupboard and never put a damp/wet pot or pan next to it. Alternatively, you can use salt instead of dishwashing. I don't use this method because it adds one more thing to worry about when buying and/or uses up my good salt so I can just wash it easier. But some people swear by the salt method. Simply add salt to the pan right after cooking, let the food and oil soak up and then wipe out with oil and season while still warm (or after heating) as described above. Tips: • Olive oil has a low smoke point and is therefore not suitable for grill pans. Instead, use an oil with a higher smoke point (e.g. corn oil or grapeseed oil) • do not heat above medium • handle carefully, as it stores heat for a long time and heats up very evenly, so it is hot to the touch! I have a silicone handle cover AND silicone oven mitts and with them I feel confident holding the pan when it's warm/hot but otherwise I would avoid it because the pan is heavy (especially for a woman) so you have to hold her. and you're likely to drop it if you don't protect yourself from the heat • You can use metal utensils, but be careful not to scrape these precious spices • Do not cook overly acidic foods in it, as acidic spices (such as tomatoes ) • If your food is too smoky, reduce the heat and/or reconsider the type of cooking oil you are using. • Thoroughly clean and oil the pan every time you've used it for a while. (If I'm cooking different dishes in a day or two, sometimes I just keep using it, just wipe it down so you don't have to clean it right away, but don't leave it for too long, and also don't use a lot of oil in seasoning , because oil can go bad over time and never leave it wet!) to cook food. Do a little research on long-term care, e.g. B. when and how to remove and re-season the entire pan and what type of oil is your favorite and should love this pan.