It may be the heat. When you made potato cakes they did not stick. but when you cook hash browns they do. For potatoes we use a newer Lodge or BS&R. They are heavier skillets, think more mass, like in chemistry class. You heat the skillet and oil, then you throw a pound or two of cold potatoes into, it sucks all the heat out of the skillet, the temp drops, the skillet goes from frying to steaming the potatoes, and they stick. When you cook potato cakes, you are usually talking smaller portions, the temp of the pan and the oil remain high, the cakes fry, and don't stick.