Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

OK, I wanted a cast iron skillet because I was tired of buying non stick pans with bad for me coatings that flaked off. Cast iron pans are cheap but scary for a couple of reasons: seasoning and weight. So, after reading food blogs and ratings for weeks on the Internet, I decided Victoria was best for me because the factory seasoning was supposed to be better out of the box and the 12 inch pan was 1.1 pounds lighter than Lodge with a longer handle and a better helper handle. So I got a good deal for a few bucks more than Lodge and here are the results. (1) SEASONING. Even though the factory seasoning is supposed to be good, everything I read said you must enhance it for the best performance. I enhanced the seasoned by heating it on the stove, wiping it all over with Cisco (if it was good enough for Grandma, good enough for me), and placing it upside down in an oven at 500 degrees for one hour, let it cool in the oven, and wipe off excess, if any. I did this 4 times. Some people recommend 6 seasonings but the pan had gotten really dark and black after 4 so I called it quits. Every time I use the pan I wash it out with water and a scrub brush (no soap), put in on the stove over medium heat to dry, wipe all over with Crisco, let it set to cool off a bit, and then wipe off excess. Avoid using paper towels when seasoning because they leave little bits of paper behind and that is not something I want included in my seasoning. Use a lint free towel instead. After only six weeks, I am thrilled that my eggs (using a pat off butter) slip around this thing better than my non stick pans and they cook more evenly. (2) WEIGHT. I have some arthritis issues in my hands and back. Was I crazy for getting a 6.6 pound frying pan? I sure as heck wasn't going to be tossing stir fry or flipping omelettes in this baby. But with that extra long handle and the nicely designed helper handle, I can move this around pretty well. You always have to use oven mitts because the handles gets screaming hot but still it isn't hard to hold onto. I can brown a nice pork loin roast with rub on all sides in the pan, remove, thrown in some root vegetables and onions and toss in oil, put the roast back in, throw in the oven at 350 degrees until roast is 145 degrees ( about an hour) and have a great one pot dinner with fabulously carmelized vegetables without killing my back. The frying pan is lighter than a cast iron dutch oven. Have you tried cast iron pizza? It is the crispiest pizza crust I have ever eaten. Corn bread? Yum. BOTTOM LINE. A cast iron pan is incredibly versatile. My Victoria 12 inch cast iron frying pan is well-designed, lighter-weight, incredibly well-seasoned after only 6 weeks. It is an amazing value that I expect to last the rest of my life. I am having a heck of a lot of fun discovering a new way of cooking. Although there is a new rule in my house, no one touches my cast iron but me!