3 ms·

I'd like to put in a plug for Finex cast iron. They're milled smooth on the bottom which I prefer to the finish on the Lodge pan that I have. Regardless, +1 f

by Tcepsa 10y ago

I'd like to put in a plug for Finex cast iron. They're milled smooth on the bottom which I prefer to the finish on the Lodge pan that I have. Regardless, +1 for cast iron!

agentgt 10y ago
Finex is for sure superior but they just don't make a lot of sizes (and of course the price). For example I use a 15" cast iron skillet to cooked spatchcocked chicken. With 15" I have even cooked spatchcocked turkey and duck.
s0rce 10y ago
Cool! I haven't seen a modern cast iron pan that I've liked as much as my ancient Wagner Ware pan, the smooth interior surface is so much better than the bumpy as cast surface on the sand cast models that aren't finished. Not sure I would pay the asking price for these Finex ones, you can still get old ones at flea markets, thrift stores and ebay if you look around.
- agentgt 10y ago
  The bumpy to polished surface is more of an aesthetic and ergonomic thing than a stick thing. That is the bumpiness of a lodge eventually goes away and the initial bumps really have little correlation on the stickiness. Think of it this way... Sticky tires for race cars are actually extremely smooth. What people don't like is the sound a spatula makes on the new lodge pan compared to polish pans but in my experience the lodge pans are in most ways less prone to stick than older pans because the heat is more even (this is perhaps because they are heavier). In some ways the bumpiness might actually improve slip because it creates pockets of fat but again the bumpiness goes away pretty quick regardless. Some even say the additional bumpiness also aids in adding additional seasoning. You absolutely have to cook with fat on cast iron pan (either the food has the fat or you add it). Cast iron pans are not even remotely comparable to teflon nonstick when it comes to sticking (and by the way most teflon pans are bumpy as well so.. again bumpiness has little correlation to stick). There is an incredibly amount of bullshit and false information about cast iron pans on the internet (like comparing it to teflon and how older pans distribute heat better) with very little actual experiments done. If people really want smooth milled surfaces than a carbon steel pan is far superior as well as distributes heat more evenly (albeit I prefer cast iron for baking).

by Tcepsa 10y ago

I'd like to put in a plug for Finex cast iron. They're milled smooth on the bottom which I prefer to the finish on the Lodge pan that I have. Regardless, +1 for cast iron!

agentgt 10y ago

Finex is for sure superior but they just don't make a lot of sizes (and of course the price). For example I use a 15" cast iron skillet to cooked spatchcocked chicken. With 15" I have even cooked spatchcocked turkey and duck.

s0rce 10y ago

Cool! I haven't seen a modern cast iron pan that I've liked as much as my ancient Wagner Ware pan, the smooth interior surface is so much better than the bumpy as cast surface on the sand cast models that aren't finished. Not sure I would pay the asking price for these Finex ones, you can still get old ones at flea markets, thrift stores and ebay if you look around.

agentgt 10y ago
The bumpy to polished surface is more of an aesthetic and ergonomic thing than a stick thing. That is the bumpiness of a lodge eventually goes away and the initial bumps really have little correlation on the stickiness. Think of it this way... Sticky tires for race cars are actually extremely smooth. What people don't like is the sound a spatula makes on the new lodge pan compared to polish pans but in my experience the lodge pans are in most ways less prone to stick than older pans because the heat is more even (this is perhaps because they are heavier). In some ways the bumpiness might actually improve slip because it creates pockets of fat but again the bumpiness goes away pretty quick regardless. Some even say the additional bumpiness also aids in adding additional seasoning. You absolutely have to cook with fat on cast iron pan (either the food has the fat or you add it). Cast iron pans are not even remotely comparable to teflon nonstick when it comes to sticking (and by the way most teflon pans are bumpy as well so.. again bumpiness has little correlation to stick). There is an incredibly amount of bullshit and false information about cast iron pans on the internet (like comparing it to teflon and how older pans distribute heat better) with very little actual experiments done. If people really want smooth milled surfaces than a carbon steel pan is far superior as well as distributes heat more evenly (albeit I prefer cast iron for baking).