I am looking to get a cast iron skillet, Dutch oven and a sauce pot to use with the Kamado Joe. What brand should I be looking at. I want USA made and quality. I have been looking at finex brand so far

PM skinnerback

Lodge cast iron does well for us at the fire station.

My bge puts the hurt on the pans. I would just go lodge and replace as you need

PM Cast he's the authority...

Id say if you're going new, then Lodge as already mentioned. You can find youtube videos on how to resurface the cooking face by sanding it down smooth, then seasoning. Or you can go the 4x expensive route and look on ebay and other places like estate sales for old Griswold and a couple of other old named cookware. Just watch for fakes and knockoffs.

Start with lodge. Walmart or Academy both should have it. Buy the more expensive stuff later if you really use it. If I had an expensive piece of cast iron. I’d be more careful with it I’m pretty sure.

Lodge for new. Put a 60 grit flap disc on the angle grinder and slick off the inside on day one. Then re-season them on the grill outside with bacon grease.

The best ones are found at antique stores and flea markets. And they will cost you more money than a brand new one, and for good reason.

There’s a new manufacturer of high quality cast iron cookware. It’s very expensive. It’s also thin walled and lighter due to high grade cast iron. It wants to be Griswald. But it’s not.

Lodge is American made heavy cast iron. The finish is hit and miss. If you took the time to polish the interior, it will break in and cook just fine. The cast iron is not high grade, therefore it’s got to be thicker and heavier to last. Don’t get the idea that cast iron cookware is fragile, but pieces do crack.

Walter, my advice. Buy Griswald stuff. It’s already proved it’s metal (pun intended) and you’re young enough to get your money’s worth from it. I’ve got some expensive pieces in my Griswald collection but the stuff I use daily is much more affordable. You can get skillets from number 4 to 10 for less that fifty bucks each.

I’ll volunteer to help you sort them out. Browse eBay and text me links to what you like. I’ll check it and render an opinion. Pay no mind to how nasty it is, there’s brand new cast iron under the crud and I have the glass blaster to prove it. Get a few pieces and come over. You’ll learn how to season your new treasures.

I’d suggest getting a set of smaller skillets. I’ve got a 4,6,8 set on my stove right now. That’ll cover most of your needs. Try to find skillets with lids. That’ll drive the price up but it’s so nice to have a lid. You mentioned a sauce pan. Get a small dutch oven instead. Get Lodge, Griswald dutch ovens are rare/pricey. Grab those up through the years. My favorite piece is my Griswald chicken skillet. It’s high sided with a domed lid. I found that one when I wasn’t looking for it.

Good luck.

Lard is what I advocate for seasoning cast iron, but bacon grease is pretty close. I save my bacon grease for seasoning my food.

Another guy that knows a little about cast iron...

Lard is the fat of a hog.

Bacon comes from the hog's belly...

Inspired me to break mine out this morning for some B&E and yes food taste much better cooked out of well seasoned cast iron

Thanks guys. I will get to looking around for some !

As mentioned go with Lodge, best bang for your buck. I also recommend resurfacing & reseasoning right off the bat. If you take care of your cast iron it will last for a very long time, and it cooks better with each use. There are some stupid expensive new pieces out there, but Lodge works just fine.

There is a little difference as bacon has been cured/seasoned and tastes better....both will work just fine. I prefer bacon grease as it’s a good excuse to cook more bacon....

Be aware that Lodge is heavy. Huge difference in weight between same size Lodge and Griswald. Lodge uses inferior cast iron when compared to the black cast iron used in Griswald. Plus, Lodge will never be heirloom grade.

You might also check out Stargazer. A bit pricier than Lodge but the cooking surface it is already smoothed. They seem to get good ratings.
http://www.stargazercastiron.com/

For my BGE, I bought the Lodge pizza pan. Allows me to do fajitas, wings and veggies. Just be careful to not get it too hot.

https://fieldcompany.com/
are you familiar with these Cast?

Ive got a lodge and 2 others, one from my mom and the other I dug out of the sand at our ranch when we bought it. The lodge functions fine but I like the others two more. Lard is the best thing I have found to season with, far better than oil like most manufacturers recommend. I had a little lard left over from making tamales so I gave it a whirl... far superior to oil.

Thanks guys I will order a couple of the lodge pieces to use inside my grill. Will also probably end up ordering a new one from finex to use inside the house and have as an heirloom piece to hand down to the grandchildren one day.

Good deal. Your Lodge pieces can end up being family heirlooms as well, I have lots of Lodge pieces and a few other brands that will be passed down. Don't let the cast iron snobs fool you.

We have a huge pile of cast iron. Most picked up at flea markets and resale shops. Need to go through it and see what I have.

how do you fry an egg sunny-side up in a cast fry-pan?