Side by Side Comparison of: Cuisinart vs Lodge

Great for keeping grease off of meats and chicken. Adds a nice crisp skin to salmon, fantastic! I do wash this pan by hand, and it does have groves so there's a little more work but it's non stick and cleans pretty well.

I killed my grill pan a few weeks ago and needed a replacement. I didn't want the same kind, and I'd heard Cuisinart was a good brand. This is definitely a terrific grill pan. Nothing sticks to it, and I cook the same stuff in it I cooked in my old pan and it stuck to the old pan! I know this says dishwasher safe but I haven't put it in the dishwasher. Since nothing sticks I just throw a little dishwashing liquid and warm water in there, give it a few swishes and it's good as new. I love the size, the shape, and the way it cooks, too. This is going to get a lot of use in my house. I bought this with my own money, no discounts. I love giving my opinion on things.

If you want great grill lines on your cooked food without the hassle of using an outdoor grill, along with easy hand or dishwasher cleanup, this is the pan for you.I grew up many decades ago in California, back when the patio and outdoor grilling were introduced as essentials of American suburban living. However, as much as I loved the aroma and taste of grilled steaks and chicken I never did like the hassle of starting the charcoal, cleaning the grill and removing the ashes. While over time the grilling process was simplified and made cleaner through the use of gas, the clean-up remains a huge disincentive.Years ago I tried the old cast-iron grill pans but they were unwieldy due to their weight and also were a hassle to cure and clean. We now live in Florida and not long ago gave away the unbelievably dirty outdoor gas grill that came with the house, so I figured it was worth trying a grill pan that can be used indoors.Well, this pan rocks. It cooks fast and clean (no soot and related products on the meat) and pretty much cleans up with a quick rinse and dry with paper towels--but it will also go into the dishwasher with no problems. It cooks and cleans up much more easily than my old cast-iron grill pans and it is much lighter and easier to handle. Whatever is cooked does not stick to this pan as with cast iron, and the cooked food can be removed from the pan without tearing or damaging the food. I don't happen to like the overall charred/blackened look of food that often results from a gas grill, but a similar effect can be achieved with this pan by sprinkling the meat/fish/chicken with herbs, which will turn brown or black along the grill lines.Bottom line: I know it is hard to get excited about a piece of cookware, but this one is so well designed and does its job so well that I can only give it the full five stars.I paid for this item myself and I have no personal or business relationship with the vendor or manufacturer. I find I do much of my shopping via Amazon Prime because front porch delivery is so convenient and Amazon's return policy is very fair.

This is a really nice quality pan. It is heavy enough to be very solid, but not like a cumbersome cast iron pan. The non stick surface is excellent. It is harder than the nasty old Teflon style. I don't think I can make a mark on it and it is still non stick. I don't use oil at all in this so much healthier. Just let it cool and clean it out with a sponge or whatever. I like it very much.

So, I got this pan based on the stellar reviews. First of all, I love the light weight of it! So many times pots and pans are so heavy, especially once water is in them for cleaning or whatever. This one is a sturdy weight, but not heavy. I cooked 2 ribeyes in it today. As the directions stated, I didn't put oil in the pan. I did rub some olive oil and salt on the meat. Sure enough, let the pan cool, went to wash it in hot water and the grease ran off easily and it was super easy to clean. Nothing stuck to it! Super good find and a steal! Can't wait to "grill" more in it!

Since I'm alone and don't use an outside grill, I wanted something to grill a small steak or hamburger on my kitchen range and have the grill marks like those grilled outside. This pan worked perfectly. As it says in the instructions, use no oil. Just heat the pan on medium heat and when it's hot enough grill your burger or steak until it's as you like it. After the pan has cooled, just wash it in warm water with dish liquid. I didn't put it in the dishwasher because it's so easy to clean in the sink. It is big enough to grill a larger steak and a few hamburgers.

Living in California, it is possible to grill outdoors more often than not. With the number of rainy days we had this past winter, grilling was much more challenging. I had wanted one of these more or less for those days when grilling really wasn't an option, but you wanted to get some of the effect of grilling. The more I used this pan, the more often I used the pan. It grows on you. I am glad that I bought it, use it reasonably often, and although I still prefer to grill outdoors, this makes it very easy to "grill" indoors. Knowing what I know now, I would buy it again, and wish I had bought it sooner. Just a nice addition to the pan collection.

This has become my favorite thing in the kitchen. And this was incredibly inexpensive, even compared to getting it at a major retail store. Keep in mind that this is cast iron, and there is a way you have to take care of it to prevent rust. I've seen the negative reviews on here and I feel like they did not take proper care of it. Here's some tips to help you out (thanks, Google):Instructions1. Clean the skillet immediately after use, while it is still hot or warm. Avoid soaking the pan or leaving it in the sink, or it may rust.2. Wash the skillet by hand using hot water and a sponge or stiff brush. Avoid using the dishwasher, soap, or steel wool, as these may strip the pan's seasoning.3. To remove stuck-on food, scrub the pan with a paste of coarse kosher salt and water. Stubborn food residue may also be loosened by boiling water in the pan.4. Thoroughly towel dry the skillet or dry it on the stove over low heat.5. Using a cloth or paper towel, apply a light coat of vegetable oil or melted shortening to the inside of the skillet. Some people also like to oil the outside of the skillet. Buff to remove any excess.6. Store the skillet in a dry place.Additional Notes:Using soap, steel wool, or other abrasives is not the end of the world, but you may need to re-season the skillet. If the skillet is well-seasoned from years of use, a small amount of mild soap may be used without doing much damage – just be sure to rinse it well and oil it after drying.Remove rust using steel wool or by rubbing it with half a raw potato and a sprinkle of baking soda (seriously, it works!). Again, it may be necessary to re-season the pan after cleaning.

I love lodge cast iron products, it really helps with getting an even heat source.Make sure to clean the cast iron with a sponge to material that won't scratch the cast iron, also you gotta be sure to coat the whole cast iron with a light coating of some oil to prevent it rusting.I learned the hard way about coating it with oil after washing. I had left it on a dish drying rack over night after washing it for the first time, and the next morning it was covered in rust.

I've used it twice now, for thick boneless New York steaks, and it's done a fine job. I did season it again before using. I used olive oil. I turn the heat on the electric burner up very high. Yes, there is a lot of smoking. I did my cooking of the steaks on warm days, with several windows open, the kitchen ceiling extractor fan running, and the kitchen and adjacent room's ceiling fans going. The smoke dissipated pretty fast that way. The steaks turned out fabulous. I realize not everyone is going to have the ventilation and fans that I have so be prepared for smoke (white smoke) and try to "shoo" it out windows or a door. The results are worth the smoke.I found that the 10.5" size I bought was just right for the steaks, and they were large.

Got this pan because we like our cast iron skillets. We bought it to cook steaks with hoping the fat would be drawn away from the steaks. Well it did just that and left great grill marks. But.. it was a lot of work to clean. It took twice as much salt to get into the groves and you can't just wipe it clean like any other skillet. We don't use it as often anymore because it is hard to clean and the steaks just don't taste as good without all the juices and butter that goes into cooking it. It would probably be great for other meats but we just haven't tried it yet. Will probably have to do some research to see what the best way is to cook with it.

I bought this to take on a 10 day camping trip in place of my Weber Smokey Joe Silver, because it takes up so little space compared to the Weber, a chimney starter, and a big bag of charcoal. Plus, the Weber is messy being a charcoal grill and all. Although this is a pre-seasoned grill pan, I've owned enough cast iron pots and pans to know that seasoning it once more before I use it never hurts. So I seasoned it and off we went camping. What always amazes about cast iron is how the food tastes. I'm not sure why but the burgers we cooked on this griddle may have been the best I've ever tasted. We also made chicken and it was also superb. For clean up, we just pour a little boiling water in it and scrub it quick and then rinse again with boiling water. I dry it and put it back on the heat, coat it with a light coating of oil and out it away. To be able to buy a pan that will last generations for under $20 that produces great tasting food is the bargain of a lifetime. I'm still not sure why food tastes better when it's prepared on cast iron but there's a noticeable difference.

Cooks really well but heat is not very evenly distributed.

Used multiple times and has always provided superior release compared to any other non-stick I've used, so will buy 11 pc. set. Recommended medium heat is not preferable when trying to get grill marks. Ridges too low/wide for grill marks.

If you are looking for a great non-stick grill pan, this is not it. Those pans are far more expensive. However, at this price point, this gets the job done. For better non-stick action, I recommend dipping a papertowel in your oil or butter and using that to lightly coat the pan. I have found that otherwise, my fish needs a little (but not enough to break the filet) prodding when I go to flip it. This isn't a pan that I would recommend transferring to the oven.

I got this Cuisinart pan specifically for pan cooking tuna. I use the pan on the side burner of my outside gas grill. Works well....grill marks on the tuna and, relatively, easy clean up afterwards. I discovered that filling the pan with hot soapy water and letting it soak for awhile made clean up much easier. I found lots of great recipes for cooking tuna with the perfect crust. Raw in the center and crusty on the surface. This pan works great for those recipes.....like mustard and whole peppercorns. The handle manages to stay cool while the tuna is cooking. I am guessing that the pan would work fine for hamburgers, turkey burgers and maybe even a thin steak.

I like this pan. I thought it was wrought iron though. Thanks.

I was and have been impressed by this grill pan. I read the instructions, followed them and it grilled my steak wonderfully. Love this grill pan. Use to grill outside until I got to old to deal with the grill. This pan gave me back the taste of grilled steak.

I like it, but clean up is a chore. I bought the grooved clean up pieces as well, and they are definitely helpful, but it is still difficult to clean in between the raised ridges. They create lovely "grill" marks and obviously cast-iron is great in the kitchen. I would have given it a 5 star but for the cleaning issues.

I love that is this a made-in-America product and the ridges are thick. I wish this pan had deep, angled side divots like the Staub grill pan to drain the cooking grease, which would make it the perfect pan. I also found that the initial seasoning to be uneven, so I seasoned the pan with six coats of cold-pressed, organic flax oil when it arrived. Upon first use, the pan is already just as good as any non-stick pan I've ever owned without nasty chemicals. While it's not the flashy enameled goodness of a 12" Staub grill pan, the Lodge's $19 price tag could fit my budget whereas the $249 Staub could not.

For the price, this product is definitely worth it. It's fairly heavy so it feels like it is a high quality product and it gets the job done. I've tried to cook many things on this, from sauteed vegetables, to steak, to grilled corn, to chicken thighs, and they've all come out great. Since the skillet is also fully metal, it's been doing great when I leave it in the oven on high temperatures. The pre-seasoning on the product is very pleasant and it's been able to retain a lot of the flavors I've used in previous cooking sessions, which is always really nice.One thing that has been difficult for me is the cleaning aspect of it. If I read correctly, you're not supposed to wash cash-iron skillets with soap and a sponge, so I've had a hard time fully cleaning the pan. I've acidentally cleaned it with a hard sponge before and I could see some of the metal scraping off the skillet. It's much easier if you clean it directly after you finish cooking -- when the skillet is still hot and the juices / food haven't caked in yet.

This is a great pan. I knew a cast iron pan was a must have if you really want a good sear on food. I didn't have experience with a cast iron pan before, but I knew I wanted one so I did done research and came across this one. I went with a grill pan. It said it is pre seasoned, but when I sear the food with a little EVOO it sticks sometimes, maybe it's because I try to flip it before it "naturally releases" but I'm afraid by then it'll burn. It is very heavy, I'm 26 & very petite (under 90lbs) and I have to use both hands and make sure I have a stable grip on it. So if you're petite and not very strong, it may be difficult for you too. I usually sear the meat for a cpl minutes each side then finish in the oven/broiler. The handle gets extremely hot even with the silicone handle on, so don't scotch yourself like I've stupidly done taking out of the oven. I hand wash it and haven't had any problems with rust.

First use, I rinsed, wiped dry, oiled and put it on low flame while I seasoned some lean pork chops. In eight minutes or so on low flame, the pan got quite hot. Chops did stick a bit, but moved them quickly and did not stick again. Chops cooked beautifully!Took other reviewers' advice - rinsed and brushed with vege brush while still warm. Then wiped with vege oil on paper towel. Since it is not yet fully seasoned, took some effort to clean after first use, but should be fine after several uses. Will resist the urge to use soap.This pan is VERY heavy. Takes two hands to move it.Very happy with first use, and looking forward to getting it fully seasoned. We have many fine pots and pans, but excited about this baby.

This is a good pan for cooking like a grill. For me, the pros include: looking like grill cooked food and that the fat can go into the grooves away from your food. The pan does cause some smoke but it wasn't too bad. I did make sure my meat was room temp-ish and that my pan wasn't too high, thanks to other reviewers tips. My biggest con was the cleaning up of this pan. Yes, it does get better with time but I highly recommend reading and following the helpful tips of other reviewers with cast iron experience. I can now include my helpful bit about the cleaning part which would be to buy a piece of chain-mail to clean this item. First I bought the lodge plastic cleaning things for it and wanted to cry after the first hour, even though I'm sure it was better for the pan than what I wanted to do, which was use a Phillips flathead. I will still season this pan after every use. I don't use this pan as often as I thought I would but at least I have it and it will be nice to use in the winter. Fits about 2 decent steaks.

I love this pan only it does do what actually grill does. I 'll keep it amd use it but obviously not the same.

If all you want is the appearance of grill marks, it's an OK pan. It absolutely does not work like a cast iron skillet.

An okay pan. It is very lightweight although made well. Great for getting grillmarks but I am not impressed.

while it is a good product the bottom was grooved as well. I didn't care for this since I use a glass cooktop.

I don't like this as much as I thought I would. The pan is non-stick, but certain foods demand oil. This pools in the grooves and burns on high heat which then burns the meat.

THe only downside are things like cheese and stuck on sauces. Even with using/washing with kosher salt and a little dishwashing liquid, these are very cumbersome to come off. Plus with the grates, it's like food sticks more and it makes cleaning a challenge because you never seem to be able to get it completely clean.

This pan wasn't pre-seasoned. The burgers I cooked on it stuck horribly. When we washed it after, rust was everywhere. It actually left some light rust stains in our sink. So right now, it's not my favorite pan. However, I do love cast iron. I'm sure after some real seasoning and care it will become one of my favorites.

Product quality is great, as expected from Lodge. The issues is the design itself (and my not thinking through how the product work.) Unlike a true "grill" that allows heat up through the "grills" to cook, the only on this comes from where the food touches the raised "ribs". Mean longer cooking, uneven cooking, and a pain to clean up. I've tried chicken, steak, and burgers - all with unsatisfactory results. I do like it for "grilling" vegetables - zucchini, onions, pepper, etc....adds a nice texture to them.

I tried SO LONG and SO HARD to make this the best pan I owned. I mean, I cooked the right stuff in it; seasoned it; stuck it in the oven; seasoned it; never washed it, only scraped it; seasoned it...again and again and again, and basically did EVERYTHING I could to make it NON-STICK... For freaking months. Then one especially disastrous dinner time I opened the back door and hurled the damn thing right across my backyard...it dented my fence. Anyway, I do appreciate that lots of people have mastered the art of cooking in a cast iron pan and making it non-stick and that's why I didn't give it 1 star; I accept user error may be partly to blame.

The pan is advertised as "pre-seasoned," but I think you would be better served in seasoning the pan yourself. My first couple of uses were okay, but there was a greater level of sticking than I am accustomed to in using a cast iron pan. The pan also heats up quickly and tends to be hotter than other cast iron pans in my collection. That should be taken into account as you cook.

I have had a lodge logic pre-seasoned frying pan for 8 years now. I love it and cook it it almost daily. I choose the grill pan to grill meats (particularly fish).Cooking: It has an even cooking temperature and is similar to a grill. I loved the lines on the product.Warning: The meat and several foods stick to the pan's ridges. It's almost impossible to clear. I hardly use it but will occasionally with caution. I had the pan almost a month now so I won't return it but buy with caution.

The grill lines are imprinted into the base so it's not a flat surface touching the stovetop, this leads to very uneven heating. The material is really thin as well, which makes for a less than ideal cooking experience.

I'm not sure why but I thought this would be a heavy duty grill pan and it's super thin and lightweight.

It's already dented, I don't think it's very well made.

I love this can I have used it quite a bit it gets very rusty sometimes and I'm very disappointed in that. But other than that it seems to work well almost as if I'm using it as a barbecue. Make sure that you wear gloves because this pan gets really really hot. When I buy this pan again I'm not sure if I had to do it over again I might buy the Teflon version. I will think about it.

I really really really wanted to like this. But honestly, cleaning this thing is one of the worst ordeals I face when I use it. If you wash it with water, it will rust. If you try and clean it with a cloth, it remains dirty, if you leave it be, all the burnt marinades/sauces will be stuck and build up within the pan...

I just got mine in the mail, and am planning to use it for the first time this afternoon. I wanted to go ahead and write a review beforehand just to point out something disappointing that I haven't seen in other reviews. The top edge all around the grill pan is very "sharp" because the iron is not rounded, like the panini press. I realized that I am going to have to be very careful handling this pan and, since it is fairly heavy, that is going to make it tougher. Sure seems like Lodge could've corrected this "flaw" by now. I hope that, otherwise, it will be a very nice grill pan.

First of all, I cannot believe the countless positive reviews of this grill pan. I feel incredibly frustrated with it. I used PAM coconut oil on the bottom to grill 2 chicken breasts and the outcome was terrible. Stuff got stuck to the pan to the extent that I was unable to clean it entirely anymore. The food is tasty indeed but is the trouble worth it? Not really. Since I can't return it having used it, this item will probably land straight into the bin. I would give it a 0 star if I could! Just lost $20.Update: I contacted Amazon and they were willing to offer me a refund. Five stars for the Amazon customer service.

I'm a huge fan of Lodge Cast Iron and own several frying pans, an enamel-coated Dutch Oven, two outdoor/camp Dutch Ovens with all the accessories (trivot, lid stand, gloves, lid lifter). That having been said, I'm very disappointed with this grill pan. It works okay enough and the price is reasonable, to be honest, it's just completely unnecessary. Save yourself a lot of time and frustration and just use a regular cast iron pan for everything. It will sear better and will be WAY EASIER TO CLEAN. That's the biggest problem with this pan; it's far too difficult to clean. I barely use this pan and will most likely be getting rid of it very soon...

I thought this would be a good alternative to grilling outside. Wrong! The pan size is great and it heats evenly, however, cleaning it is a nightmare unless you're going to washing all the grease down your sink drain (definitely a no-no). I grilled 7 burgers and at the end the grease was just trapped in the grooves and since I couldn't handle this pan until it cooled because this entire pan gets scalding hot the grease dried out in the grooves. Needless to say I had to figure out a way to remove the dried on grease before could actually wash it. Tons of paper towels later and a lot of brillo it finally got 'somewhat' clean. I want to throw this thing in the trash but my husband won't let me.

The nonstick surface started coming off about 6 months after I purchased it.

I don’t like it, is heavy really heavy.And if i leave it in the sink for 1 h starts to rust :(Quality not so good, unfortunately!

This rusted after 1 use and I followed cleaning directions

Terrible pan, everything sticks even if you use too much oil. Too bad I can't return it. Sorry I purchased it.

This product completely rusted after one use and looks completely discolored. It also gets really hot as the handle is connected to the rest of the hot plate.

We bought it and hardly used. Its getting rust all over and we had to discard it.

So disappointed in this pan! I just opened this it came out of the box with rust on it! (see picture) I would think twice about choosing this as a grill pan if it already comes brand new and is damaged.