[dylan's alias]

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My mom gave me a pre-seasoned Lodge Logic cast iron pan recently. I went out and bought a rib eye steak and followed Alton Brown's method for cooking steaks. You can find this on Youtube.

The first time I did it, the steak came out perfectly. I couldn't believe it. This tasted better than any steak I'd ever had, and I did it myself!

I don't know how Lodge compares to other brands, or how pre-seasoning affects quality, but I can't imagine my steaks coming out better. The pan cost only $10.

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The beauty is that there isn't any improvement in cast iron with increased cost. Treat that pan well (no soap, don't scour too hard, keep it seasoned) and use it often. And don't cook very acidic foods (tomatoes). The non-stick surface will continue to improve with age. I had a roommate with a really old cast iron pan that had developed a glossy black surface. You couldn't make anything stick even if you tried. My Lodge is about 8 years old. I'm hoping another 20 years of regular use will do the same for me.