So, for a long time if you asked me to list the most essential things you should have in your kitchen, I would have included a 10 inch cast iron skillet pretty much at the top of that list.
I love cast iron, it speaks to my love of history and heritage. This is the same cookware, you mothers, grandmothers, GREAT-grandmothers all used.
But it also speaks to my love of things that are just well made, that have a timeless design that doesn't really need to be improved upon.
And lastly, it speaks to my love of things that are just an incredible value. Sure, there are some companies out there today that make some VERY expensive cast iron but a basic Lodge cast iron skillet is an extremely affordable purchase and one if properly maintained can last a lifetime.
To me, the 10 inch cast iron skillet is just the perfect combination. It's large enough to cook up some meals for 2-4 people but it's small enough that it's not too heavy or difficult to move around. When my kids were small if I cooked up the occasional breakfast, or round of grilled cheese, THIS is the pan I reached for.
But...
Somewhere along the way I decided I wanted a 12 inch cast iron pan. I thought the larger size would be useful for my larger family. When I read reviews about the best skillets or pans the 12 inch pan is usually cited as THE pan to get. But I still favored my smaller 10 inch pan!
Until...
A few Christmas' ago when I got a 10 round pancake griddle. This is something that I always liked the look of. The sort of thing you can imagine being pressed into service for the big Sunday breakfast 80 or 100 years ago. I never could pull the trigger on buying one because heck I can cook pancakes and anything else you'd use the griddle for in my trusty 10 inch skillet. But I put it on my Wishlist and lo and behold there it was under the tree.
A bit to my surprise, it quickly became maybe my favorite piece of cast iron, almost certainly, my most used. Not having to deal with the sides of the pan made flipping pancakes a breeze and it HAS to be the easiest pan I have EVER used to fry eggs! It's also good for warm tortillas, or really any grilled sandwich. It really truly has become a pan that I think EVERYONE should own.
But wait...
As much as I love the griddle it's not a pan, you can't cook everything in it. Scrambled eggs would be a disaster!
That brings me back to the 12 inch skillet. Since I've gotten the griddle I hardly ever use the 10 inch skillet, because as much as I think it's the most versatile the griddle is just better for fried eggs, grilled cheese, and pancakes. And when I need a pan with sides, the 12 inch just gives me more real estate for sautéing, or cooking up chicken, burgers, or even those scrambled eggs. It's also a great size to make smothered chicken, shepherd's pie, or even a meat sauce for some American chop suey.
If you could only buy one, go with the 10 inch skillet, but if you can buy 2, I'd suggest picking up the 12 inch skillet and the 10 inch round griddle. And the best part is you can go pick up both from Lodge for like less than $40. Not bad for two pieces of cookware that can provide years of service.
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