Cast iron quality

Not an expert on cast iron, but have come to love it after finding a few choice pieces at yard sales... Lodge, Wagner, Griswold.  Yard sales and thrift shops is where I would shop for name-brand pieces.

You should consider basic condition, especially if you are looking at older pieces.  Is the bottom absolutely flat?  Cast iron pans warp too.  No cracks, no bad pitting.  I like the older Griswold and Wagner pans as the castings are finer than the current Lodge pans.  They also machined the interiors of the old pans, which are consequently much smoother than the new pans commonly available. Lots of nice pieces out there.  I don't think pores make much of a difference since you will be seasoning the pan anyway (and it's kind of non-issue for a pan with a machined interior).

The things to look for in cast iron are:

 

• No cracks. This applies mainly to used pieces.
• Even casting. Same thickness in the base throughout and the sides though they may have some taper and be of a different thickness than the base.
• Smoothness of the cooking surface. Remember that un-seasoned pans are shipped with a coating of wax or grease to prevent rust and that will hide some of the surface roughness. The exteriror smoothness is not as important.
• Even lip, one where the lid fits tightly and doesn't rock or gap.

 

And yes, you can find pieces of very good quality from any foundry, but some foundries have better quality control than others. If you're buying sight unseen over the internet, Lodge, CampChef, MACA are the only brands I'd buy unseen. they're reliably good quality and pretty smooth. Once you get into Ridgeway, Texsport, WFS, Harbor Freight and no names, you need to inspect them carefully in person.

 

Cast iron is heavy. Helper handles are rare in the 12" skillets. Lodge Pro-Logic has one and is a very nice piece of cast iron, pre-seasoned even.

 

Griswolds are good pans too, but you generally only find them used.

 

As you're in Europe, a carbon steel pan is just as good as cast iron, lighter and more readily available. Something to consider.

Good point.  Given the OP's location, I was wondering if a carbon steel pan would make more sense than paying a fortune to ship a cast iron pan sight unseen.  Unless you really need the pan to hold the heat, carbon steel might make more sense.  It certainly can be as non-stick as cast iron and good pans should be more readily available.

I think you'll do fine with a no-name cast iron pan.

I got a number of them, made at different foundries and definitely not with the best quality control, and I'm happy with most.

Patch brought up some good points to check. Don't buy the first one you see, just check the inside and all and get the smoothest one.

I had some that were a bit rough on the inside and used fine sand and water to scrub them down and managed to get them very smooth inside.

If you cook on gas or open fire, I won't be too worried if the bottom is a bit warped, if you are going to cook on an electirc or induction stove it's a different matter altogether.

 

And for 14 U$ it's a no-brainer. Check them out, choose the best one, sand them if necessary, season it, and if you don't like the pan you can always consider importing one

I'm actually trying to convert all my cookware to cast iron. However, throwing out my old (10-25 y.o.) cookware has been difficult, as I'm afraid I might be unhappy with its cast iron replacements. Are there any pieces of my stainless pieces that I should absolutely keep around? Already planning on keeping my stainless stockpot and wok, of course. I have a 3-, 5-, and 7-qt enamel-over-CI dutch ovens, and 6-, 9- and 12-inch CI skillets. And, yes, I mastered eggs in the CI, so Teflon is, hopefully, among the things you'll say I can ditch.

I find good quality cast has to be old, Griswold, Wagner or Piqua.  Antique shops are usually a good source.  Thin with a glass smooth interior, no pitting.  You can find ebay stores & other online sites that will export.