New cast iron

[William Woodward]

Well I have managed to find some pieces but not too many. I did find a nice DO that my wife just loves. It is a tite top with the basting rings on the lid.
If a person was interested in buying some new cast iron who would you recommend. Looks like lodge is the big name in the new stuff. I can't believe how cheap it is.
I think of how much I have paid for the teflon coated stuff that always gets scratched up.
Any input would be apprectiated

Thanks
John

[Steve_Stephens]

John,
LeCruset may be the best of the new iron if you like porcelained pieces.  Costly, too.  Lodge is very uniform, very heavy (not good in my opinion), and very available.  Wagner will be selling some older pieces resurected from their foundry that closed in 1999.  To be sold on
 sometime in the near future I have heard.  There may be some unique and rather scarce items being sold there.   Iron cookware from overseas is usually pretty crummy in one way or another.  They will also be selling newly made items soon that were cast in the old Griswold foundry but finished in the Wagner foundry.

But, why buy new iron when the old is SO much better quality, holds its value, and when many pieces can be had pretty cheaply, too.  If you are buying regular skillets and dutch ovens they can often be found for very reasonable prices in very good condition.  All you  need is a good eye for the better pieces or someone to help you along (many of us will be happy to do so if you let us know what you need to know).  

Guess I'm just stuck on the older pieces that have such good quality and style and light weight compared with new pieces.  In the long run the added cost (if any) over the new is not really much considering the better cooking and added joy in using old pieces-especially ones you have paid little for as junkers and have restored to perfection.
Steve

[William Woodward]

Thanks for the input Steve.
I am trying to buy some older pieces. Once I started to get into this I was amazed at how excited my wife got. I had some pieces from my mother that were really crusted out. I have since cleaned them up and they are great.  But what really amazed me was how gaga my wife went over this cast iron DO that I found in a thrift store for 5$. Once I cleaned it up she loved it. I have a lot of 6's and 9's and 8's in the frying pans. Since I cleaned the pans we are cooking less and less in the teflon and more and more in the iron.

I was looking at some of the novelty pans from lodge like the fish shaped corn bread pans. I am trying to get my children to appreciate the finer things in life like corn bread, fried okra and pinto beans.  

It's like the old country boy who comes home from college and his uncle ask him what he has learned. The boy thinks and replies pi r square. His old uncle gets a look of disgust on his face and says I don't know what they are teaching you in that there college but pie are round cornbread are square.  Well I make the round cornbread for the kids and they won't have any of it. I figure if I can make it in some fun shapes then maybe I can get them to try it a little easier.

But you are right, now that I think about it. I can get some old stuff at really reasonable prices. Out here in San Diego I haven't found many places to buy old stuff.
I have been going to thrift stores everyday at lunch
Until I got the blue book I was buying a lot of junk. Please don't laugh, the first wagner pan I came across I thought "wow this is from australia it must be worth a lot" little did I know there was a town in Ohio called Sydney. I really enjoyed the history part of the book very much.
I am just starting in this hobby and have very very much to learn. I think it is great that you guys run this forum I know that it takes a lot of your personal time. I have found many answers here.

Well I am rambling.

Thanks again
John

[Steve_Stephens]

I was looking at some of the novelty pans from lodge like the fish shaped corn bread pans. I am trying to get my children to appreciate the finer things in life like corn bread, fried okra and pinto beans.  

 Well I make the round cornbread for the kids and they won't have any of it. I figure if I can make it in some fun shapes then maybe I can get them to try it a little easier.

Out here in San Diego I haven't found many places to buy old stuff.

I am just starting in this hobby and have very very much to learn. I think it is great that you guys run this forum I know that it takes a lot of your personal time. I have found many answers here.

Well I am rambling.

Thanks again
John

John the rambler.  Sort of like I am...
Try this one for a "novelty" Lodge piece:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3256825185&category=976

The price isn't all that bad for this pan and this was a nice one.  Your kids might eat corn bread made in that pan.

No iron in San Diego?  I cleaned out the place years ago.  Actually, I used to find a lot in the area.  My family is in Carlsbad and I used to do a LOT of antiquing there and at the Long Beach flea market and the Rose Bowl along with all over LA.  Not nearly as much there any more.  But you still can find some pieces.  Thrift stores are a long shot.  You might find a goodie after a lot of looking.  Ebay can be good if you bid with care (snipe it) and ask sellers questions and have a little luck.  Nowhere else can you find as much good stuff.  Usually you will pay for it but not always as much as locally.  But, then there is the shipping (yuk!).  

I'm glad your wife loves the stuff.  Have a friend whos wife HATES the hobby and he has to hide what he is buying.  Best advice is to start a bit slowly until you know what you want to buy.  Don't go and buy any old piece but specialize in quality rather than quantity.  Spend a little more on a little less.  Some very good iron can be had for very little but not always the better known brands.  If all you want to do is cook in it look for lesser known makes, some of which are of very high quality.  Mi-Pet by Western Hardware Foundry comes to mind.  Not a lot of different items available but enough to put a nice set together.  And always have fun.
Steve

[Clark Rader]

Good story John the Rambler,    JR
I live about about 1 1/2 hours  drive from Sidney.   ::)John the Rambler is a good name for a cast iron collector. Old iron is better like Steve said.
                                                                          clark

[William Woodward]

John the rambler. I'll use it.
Well at least I now know why I can't find any iron in San Diego.  ;D
You are definitely right about the thrift stores. I think I am going to start trying estate sales and swap meets.  Don't yet know if I will become a collector or just use the stuff to cook.  In any case I am having fun.
I especially like it when I find something to make the wife go gaga.
Recently in the thrift stores I have been talking to people who are buying pans and dishes trying to recover from the big fire. What a disaster. I have what I consider one of the most unbelieveable pictures of the fire. I know its not for the forum. But if you would like to see it I will send it in.

John the rambler

[William Woodward]

Wow steve I just went at looked at that novelty pan on
ebay. I figured the link was to something new. I must admit I got one heck of a chuckle out of that. I am not sure what I would do with cornbread shaped like that.
As far as my wife going gaga I am not even going there.

Ha ha

'John

[Greg Stahl]

This is why I don't have a P*E*N*I*S pan!! Too expensive for me