Depending on who you talk to? Lancaster and stargazer; and then there’s the heirlooms that are 100% worth hunting down (like the old wagners.)
If you’re looking for enameled cast iron, la creusette is top, imo. (Enameled doesn’t take seasoning, but the finish is much more durable than ptfe)
I would suggest Victoria being a good place to start; it’s not going to absolutely wreck the bank. Some of the Lancaster are lighter though making them easier to use… and my faves are some literal heirlooms from my grandma (which went back a few generations further,)
So Victoria has a smoother finish than new lodges- it’s not quite ground, stargazer is ground (like old cast iron used to be. This gets you to the smooth-mirror seasoning people cover with fewer cycles of seasoning.
IMO, out of the box, Victoria’s seasoning is basically right there because of ilthis where new-lodges have always taken a lot even if they say it’s pre-seasoned.
And if you ever feel the need to strip the old to bare metal… well. It’s going to take a weekend or two for a lodge. They’re still great pans, don’t get me wrong, and it’s not especially hard work just tedious.
Depending on who you talk to? Lancaster and stargazer; and then there’s the heirlooms that are 100% worth hunting down (like the old wagners.)
If you’re looking for enameled cast iron, la creusette is top, imo. (Enameled doesn’t take seasoning, but the finish is much more durable than ptfe)
I would suggest Victoria being a good place to start; it’s not going to absolutely wreck the bank. Some of the Lancaster are lighter though making them easier to use… and my faves are some literal heirlooms from my grandma (which went back a few generations further,)
Nice, thank you. I just have a Lodge. Haven’t had any gripes about it, but curious what difference would come from leveling up
So Victoria has a smoother finish than new lodges- it’s not quite ground, stargazer is ground (like old cast iron used to be. This gets you to the smooth-mirror seasoning people cover with fewer cycles of seasoning.
IMO, out of the box, Victoria’s seasoning is basically right there because of ilthis where new-lodges have always taken a lot even if they say it’s pre-seasoned.
And if you ever feel the need to strip the old to bare metal… well. It’s going to take a weekend or two for a lodge. They’re still great pans, don’t get me wrong, and it’s not especially hard work just tedious.