Using a $160 Cast Iron For 30 Days 

I really appreciate your transparency in telling us that ATE paid for the pan and that you all receive compensation if the viewers purchase it. It gets frustrating sometimes to watch videos with products like these and not know what the motives are, so thank you for letting us know!

My favorite cast iron was an antique when I bought it and has served me well for many years. If you plan to use the same cast iron pan your whole life, I don't think $160 is too much to pay, but my $10 one has been going strong with no signs of stopping for decades. I wouldn't judge someone for spending a lot on a tool they'll use for decades, that's all I'm saying.

Alvin has committed a crime by not letting us hear the sizzle of the pan

I use the salt cleaning method as well, but something that I learned from a chef friend is when you're ready to clean, you heat the pan back up on the stove then add a bit of salt (and oil if the pan is fairly dry), then use a paper towel or something similar to clean the pan while it's hot with the oil & salt abrasive mixture. Heating the pan before cleaning makes it a bit easier to remove any stuck bits & pieces.

Just so you know, if a dutch baby is pudding-y that probably means it’s undercooked. My guess is that since you did 50% more batter even though the area of your pan is actually less than the combined area of two 6” pans, your baby was too thick and therefore not able to cook properly. The sign of a good Dutch baby is that it will puff up really really high (and invariably collapse before you can eat them. Seriously it happens every time). Other than that, great vid!

Seasoning is actually a polymerization process, where the oil forms a bio-plastic. There is a lot of discussion on what oil and temperature combinations are optimal (flaxseed and grapeseed being my favorites) - but many thin layers are better than one thick layer by far. The pan can be too cold or too hot, which results in failed polymerization or just burned oil. When done correctly, this bio-plastic makes a non-stick coating through its material properties and by filling the pores of the metal pan surface.

So, they gave you a product for free to review. And purchases from that company with your link will deal you money? Yet it’s not a sponsor? How else can you define a sponsor? Lol.

Im from South Africa, and my grandmother taught me the oven method, is very easy to be honest After you oiled the cast iron, stick it into the oven and let it "bake" dry essentially at 180°C (not sure what that is in °F) Takes a while but very full proof. Also when storing it, you have to ball up news paper and place it into the pan. Not sure why but keeps very well in that sense

only real takeaway I got was you enjoyed the larger pan diameter. Could you also not get a larger cast iron in the same brand you already have? probably cost $40 instead of $25

I really appreciated Alvin's honesty when he said NO he would not pay $160 of his own money for a cast iron pan.

The current trend of many kitchen cookware reviewers of emphasizing the fact that the "appearance" or "look" doesn't hold up when the cookware is used is frustrating. Every type of cookware; stainless, aluminum, non-stick, carbon steel, and cast iron, loses its shiny newness when they are used. The "look" of the pan (aside from the beauty of it's design, as you mentioned, for serving purposes) after use is irrelevant to its ability to properly cook the food someone puts in it. Unless one is buying a pan to merely hang on their wall for decorative purposes, and never intends to use it for its intended purpose of cooking, then there is very little value in mentioning how a pan lost it's luster because you cooked in it. Having said that, your video is great. Showing the many types of food one could cook in cast iron cookware is very well presented and your film shots are excellent and the food looks delicious. I feel a lot of the value of this pan is in its engineering. The handle design and length is much more comfortable to use than the too-short, and slightly sharp-edged, Lodge handles. It also has the helper handle for two-handed lifting in or out of the oven or moving around the work surface. The micro-textured interior seasons easier, being smooth, compared to the rough sandy-bottomed Lodge. And the pour spouts are much better sized for use than Lodge. That isn't to say Lodge doesn't make good cookware, because they do and have obviously lasted the test of time. But some of these newer brands have better, more ergonomic designs that make them easier and more comfortable to use in the kitchen. I have several quite old Lodge pieces that I still use, but I definitely appreciate the longer handle of the Smithey (and other brands) compared to the lodge brand. I hope you do a follow-up video someday. Now, nearly a year on, have any of your thoughts on it changed? Have you continued to use the Smithey? How has it help up compared to your Lodge pan?

$135 is an awful lot of extra money to spend on something whose only advantage is "it looks nicer." Your pans are, at the end of the day, tools. How they look should always be secondary to how they perform.

The honesty feedback is excellent. It did looked like a great pan, and if you have the extra money that one is willing to spend on it, I'm sure they will. The honesty and transparency across the whole video is amazing to see. I doubt the company will like it, but the honesty feedback is great for the company to possibly implement further changes or study on their products. I've actually wanted to get a cast iron pan to play around with but I'm always sketched out at different brands. Thanks for letting us know which one you're using, it gives me an ease of mind of what pan to look for.

Just a plain old Lodge 12" costs $25 and they work perfectly. You're also better off with a pan that isn't polished, you want the slight texture, it help keeps the seasoning base in place. The seasoning is just burnt on oils that builds up with use, especially when browning fatty meats at high temperatures. My two pans have a very polished appearance, but that's from seasoning build up over the years. They clean up with ease, I no longer worry about losing the seasoning (if you ever tried to clean up a well used aluminum sheet pan that is used for browning bones for stock, you know that it's almost impossible to get the baked on grease off with any thing less than a steel scouring pad and lots of scrubbing), I use tap hot water, soap, a scrubby sponge, and minimal effort, everything comes right off my skillets. As an added bonus, no one dares to insult your cooking while you have a cast iron skillet in your hand

I'm usually not into product review videos where the product was given for free. Having said that, I liked the honesty you had here, Alvin, and how you - against my expectations - said that you wouldn't have paid $160 for this cast iron in lieu of using the one you had which cost $25. That it didn't make _that_ much of a difference. Most of the time with videos like this, people tend to praise the product to the skies because it's a product review, after all, and they received the product for free. Which is why I, and probably many others, don't like these kinds of videos for the most part. But, again, I appreciate the honesty, and am always up for watching a cooking video. (Why else would I be subscribed?)

Alvin is like Bob Ross. His voice is really really soothing and it feels just like watching Bob Ross but instead of painting, its cooking which is a foodie's dream come true.

I’m so glad you have such an honest review on this! It’s rare to see actual opinions on gifted products, was a bit concerned at the start, but another great video!

My oldest and most used cast iron was made on July 28th 1867, was free, and I love this video about using them!

Cast iron is cast iron. You can reseason it with oil takes a moment. I love my cast iron, been used for 50 years.

Great vid but this should probably be renamed “using a cast iron for 5 days”. I was so surprised when you said you’d only be using it once a week…

For sticky pans, add an inch of water and put on the stove for a couple minutes. Cleans beautifully.

Love how there was no bias with the provided pan. Alvin’s honesty was inspiring. Entertaining and educational as always!!

I watch your cooking vids on your main channel and this is the first time I've heard your voice. You are just so perfect for video, I love the style of all of your videos, the tranquil background music, your voice is so clear and easy to understand. And of course the food looks incredible!

I own a Lodge pan (Bought directly from the manufacturer's site to support the company better), and I love it. I cook with it 4-6 days a week. One thing that IMMEDIATELY struck me, and WASN'T mentioned in the video, is that the demonstrated Smithey pan has a POLISHED INTERIOR. This is like some of the highly sought-after Griswold or Wagner vintage pans, and two Wagner pans my partner and I inherited are ALSO polished smooth. The lodge pan I have works wonderfully, but doesn't have the polished interior, so I have to clean it intensely every time I cook with it. After doing some research, I've learned that THAT is the reason why the classic pans are so prized, and I'm betting the extra effort that Smithey puts into making the interior smooth both contributes to the easier cleaning/scraping, as well as the higher price.

That "satin finish" can be obtained with lots grinding & sanding. I have Lodge Cast Iron skillets & roasters. I used Avanti Pro sanding disks. It took about 3 days of work, but the Lodge skillet had an almost mirror-like finish. I seasoned it 3 times using flax seed oil. It's much easier to use. Nothing sticks to the bottom but the sides aren't as polished, so stuff sometimes sticks, but it's easy to clean....

$160 dollar cast iron seems great! But after all, I still love my old cast iron. I think it is just as capable but it also feels like a huge piece of memory~~

I am full time in an RV, 1 small burner over 1 small oven, I have two cast irons and I will ABSOLUTELY try all these recipes!! They all look amazing and, as you implied quite heavily, super satisfying! Thank you for sharing!

I love this video. Really like how authentic you leave it with all of the mistakes with your cooking

I find myself quite the cast iron enthusiast and this video had some good tips but I have some suggestions. Instead of salt I would recommend a chain mail scrubber it is strong enough to scrub off whatever and wont scratch the seasoning that much. To that note metal utensils are great for using in cast iron personally I like a fish spatula so you can both scratch off fond buildup and have some good square footage to flip larger things. I would not recommend throwing your cast iron on a ripping hot stove as the quick change in temperature could crack it. You really don't have to worry about using soap on it as it no longer contains lye. For storage there is no need to season after each use just dry and if needed lightly oil. Not a fan of this seasoning method as most paper towels leave tiny fibers behind does not really effect performance but I don't like the look especially on vintage or any smooth cast iron. Looking at the dutch baby it looks like he may have not used room temperature batter, slightly too much batter, or slightly too cool of a pan. They really should be puffing up at the sides of the pan more.

Also check out Field cast iron. Season it with grapeseed oil on the stove 3 times. Make a couple cornbreads, then season after each use. (takes 3 minutes). I haven't brought my lodge back out of the cupboard in 4 months, and cook everything in it. It is the #8, and I did get the lid for it. I It is hands down the best one I have ever used. NOTHING sticks to it. I also only use a wooden spatula from Kent Rollins store. Cleans the bottomeasier than my plastic spat, and doesn't damage the pan.

I sincerely appreciate your honesty. It really shows the difference between you and other channels. Thank you.

Glad I found you again. RU-vid is horrible at dropping my favorites. I LOVE the ones when you don't talk....AND I Love how you narrate this video AFTER you made the video. So soothing and really good audio

So wait in thirty days he cooked with it fiveish times? That makes the video title feel misleading to me. I'd expect thirty days to mean at least once a day, if not breakfast/dinner.

The video feels so honest and personalized.

Thanks for such a helpful and informative video. Honestly you answered a lot of questions I had and I am grateful for the help. Keep up the good work.

I recently acquired a Lodge 10.25 inch skillet. I went ahead and did seasoning on the stovetop using canola oil. I've been using it daily and it has become my favorite pan. I'm considering getting a dutch oven.

Honestly, I have these Lodge scrapers and they work great...not only for cleaning my cast iron pan, but for cleaning all sorts of cookware. And now that you've experienced the joy of cooking with a 10" pan, why not buy a larger, less expensive cast iron? Thanks Alvin...as always, great video!

I just love all of Alvin's videos ❤️

I loved seeing you use this and loved the honesty. You like the product but didn't see enough of an increase in performance other than aestetic and I find that refreshing. and I'm glad Smithy makes a great very useful product even if it isn't quite right for you and your needs and budget

Always been a fan of your passion for food/cuisine.

I really appreciate this honest review. I completely agree with Alvin's assessment that it's probably best as a gift to someone else than to go out and buy it. A good quality cast iron can last for actual decades, so they make an excellent wedding gift. But are they something you need to drop triple digits on? Nah, not really.

15:48 Weird but I love this part. In so many things like this it feels like people pretend to love something because they have to. But I love that he’s admitting he doesn’t like something. While also not heavily critiquing it.

YES! this is a great and informative series. Please keep it up. :D

i've been using a $30 lodge 12 inch cast iron and its delightful.

I have an enameled cast iron pan that cost about $150 and I love it - because of the enamel coating it doesn't really require seasoning or requires very rare seasoning. It's also a bit easier to clean and you don't need to worry as much about being careful about using soap or water on it. Because of all that, it brings the utility value that I don't see this expensive cast iron bringing.

$160 comes and goes really easily in all our lives. A speeding ticket, a nice dinner, theater tickets, a blown tire, ect. A week or two later you don't miss the money at all and you barely remember what it was spent on. This $160 gives you a better cooking experience for the rest of your life. Seems like money well spent.

Watched this 1st time twice in a row replay. It's all the good food cooked up.

Amazing showing with your detail about it💓💖💚💛

What I don’t like about cheap pans is their rough surface. It’s annoying when you want to season it, but the pan shreds your paper towel. I want to enjoy using a thing that’s supposed to last more than a lifetime.

Wish we got to see a fried egg test! Love my well-seasoned 9 inch lodge that I sanded down to a shiny finish, can even cook scrambled eggs in it!

I've been using a 25 dollar one for about 6,000 days now. I cook every day, every meal. Works better than anything else. I just wash it with soap and water and dry it. It's seasoned for life. I can't ruin that pan. I even bake in it. It's pretty much all I use.

Around this time of year (November December) one of the items you'll often find in certain supermarkets/stores in both the US and UK is a cast iron mini pan, sometimes paired with a cookie mix, or brownie mix, and the last time I saw them a few years back, they were just £5 or about $6. They are such fun little items, pretty well seasoned, though I seasoned mine several times (I got 3 of them) and they are great for small dishes, or entrees or side dishes and camping have been really useful. Best £5 (each) I have spent in a very long time.

Been using the same cast iron pan I found rusting in a crawl space back when I was in college some 30 years ago. Don't think it's ever seen a drop of soap since the day I resurrected it with my drill and wire brush attachment. I've had to do some maintenance on the seasoning over the years from wear and tear, but I'll never part with it till the day I die.

I'm pretty torn on this. A cast iron is a product that really lends itself to industrial production, without losing alot of its utility or longevity. It's more up to the owner to treat it write. So going for the cheaper one doesn't hurt. I've been thinking a lot lately though that something lost on us these days is considering for how long we'll use something and who was involved in making it, when gauging its value. A cast iron can last generations if you treat it well. If Smithey is a good company, i.e. if the people there are nice to their costumers, if it's a good place to work at, and if they generally try to be a sensible company, then I would probably still safe up and buy a pan from them. Especially if they have a shop I could visit to just see who they are and what they are like. This last part obviously depends on whether or not you happen to leave near them, but if you don't, then maybe there is another good company near you instead that sells high quality cast irons.

These pans are a show piece and cook amazing. I have this pan and used lodge Dutch ovens for decades, Smithey cleans up and provides non stick is far better. I use their chain mail scrubber and apply a much smaller amount of oil, my favorite pan by far. They are pricey but to me they are a decoration and am saving for another.

I appreciated your honesty, it was a welcome ending!

If you apply the oil directly to the paper towel, you can get a thinner layer of oil on the pan with less to wipe away.

umm yall might wanna double check the closed captions for the macerated strawberries lol

what an interesting and helpful review! very helpful insight into cast iron pans

I appreciate your honesty.

Should be titled. “What happens when someone who knows little to nothing about cast iron cooks in a new, lightly seasoned pan?” Price of the pan is irrelevant. Great video for that. Great for showing the diversity of iron and taking the fear out of it.

I have a $23 Lodge 10.5 cast iron and I love it. Actually I have all kinds and sizes by Lodge, so I am here to see if skillet you're cooking with is worth the price tag since I've been getting ads for it on Facebook.

Thank you for this video. Very well documented.

Thank you for the excellent video!!

The only new cast iron I buy is Lodge. Otherwise I buy antique. Lodge is nonstick right off the shelf and doesn't cost very much. Hard to beat that

For anyone considering buying this pan with a ceramic stove top dont, if you look close the bottom is indented with a protruding edge meaning your pan will not be touching the flat surface of a ceramic stovetop, so it would work well only on coil or gas tops.

this channel is so relaxing

Your observation on the 6” pans was probably 100% correct. Presentation on the blue cloth was aesthetically appealing for sure! And you’re also right about bigger pans. I almost never use 8” pans. I would spend the $160.

now that induction is going to take over kitchen stoves we should move towards cast iron and steel pans.

Alvin, get a 10” Lodge, and it will feel more efficient. That’s not a featured of a $160 pan

Honest guide, thank you.

I really like his honesty.

great review, typically I just throw some water in the pan while it's still hot after burgers or steak and it cleans right up. I have only ever seasoned my pan once after I bought it and even eggs cook like a nonstick, just gotta have the temp right.

Someone probably explained this before, but the reason you heat your pan up with oil to season, is because the pores in the iron, open up at higher temps, allowing the oils to penetrate and stay on the pan better.

I had the same experience with my new Le Creuset Dutch Oven.. everything is just a little more fun 😍

Glad to see someone else notice that with the seasoning. I own three, they've all done that same thing. Thought it was something I'd done, now I feel better.

A longer handle is a necessity for me when it comes to cast-iron pans.

A fair summation would be that it is better than a $25 pan. Whether or not the difference in price is worth it to an individual depends on that persons aesthetics and finances. (I have both fwiw). Great Food can come from either lodge or Smithey!

Even though all influencers let you know if sponsored or paid for via very small text, it’s refreshing to see somebody state this upfront in the video in person. Transparency very important.

Omg after watching your relaxing cooking channel like so many times I finally see what your whole face in a video lol love you Alvin keep making those content I love it

Alvin, thank you for your transparency, great recipes, detailed review and all your *fun* but really hard work on this video🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍 quick question, why don't you just get the 10" version of the one you have for about the same price or less🤔🤔🤔😂😂😂

Few things... first off cooking onions and apples in a cast iron will definitely strip the seasoning if it's not well seasoned, like a years worth of build up. Secondly, the easiest way to clean a cast iron without scrubbing much is to just toss it into a 400 degree oven, or heat on the stove top and just immediately run it under hot water, the water will lift anything stuck to the pan, use a pair of tongs to hold a scrubby and lightly scrub the inside of the pan (steam will burn your hand otherwise). And third, lastly, all cast iron pans are pretty much exactly the same, only difference is size, and aesthetics. The main reason why cast iron has existed for so long and is so popular is because they are cheap to make, and priced for affordability! So yes, 160 dollars for a cast iron pan is ridiculous.

Thoroughly enjoyed your review. There’s a lot of more technical/precise videos of food utensils on America test kitchen but I enjoyed the videography and what you made! Suggestions upcoming videos: 1) cutting boards 2) Dutch ovens 3) non stick 4) woks Again I’ve watched videos on the above but interested in your teams take and excited to see the videos! Pls add some ASMR effect…I WANNA HEAR SIZZZZZZZZLING!!!

I have a $25 Lodge skillet and also a $50 Lodge wok. Because I cook lots of stir-fry stuff, I really enjoy the wok. Then I also enjoy a carbon steel wok which is lighter and easier for tossing and cleaning. All in all, cast iron and carbon steel pans or woks are all you need. Never buy another coated non-stick pan or wok.

This video doesa good job of showing off cast iron, but all of the"issues" this pan "solves" over his $25 pan are actually fixed with re-seasoning and getting a bigger pan.

This was a great video. I've been using my Lodge cast iron pan everyday lately and I've wondering if fancier, more expensive cast iron pans are any better. Thank you for the honest review.

Doing the seasoning works well on a BBQ. You can flip the pan upside down to minimize pooling of fats and drips don't matter so much as in the oven. But you can always just have a lined cookie sheet under the pan in the oven as well.

Our close friend helps run the plant where these are made. I was given one as a gift and it is by far my favorite pan to cook with. I am able to cook a steak and then use the residual heat from the pan to cook fish or shrimp and they always turn out great. Yes the cost is high, but I promise the result is always amazing.

So basically, it's prettier, but that's it. I've had my Lodge cast iron skillet literally my entire adult life. I got it at a Cost Plus World Market for $20 when I moved out of the dorms and got my own apartment when I was 18. It has served so well that I doubt it'll ever retire in my lifetime.

I dislike how the "second question" is posed, implying it has many features that a normal (low cost) cast iron pan doesn't have - while not stating any of these "features".

In culinary school we were tought to season with the salt technique. Rub the entire pan in a thin layer of oil, place a sheet pan under the cast iron pan and throw it in the oven upside down. Sometimes I will use the grill. Honestly, just buy a $25 Lodge cast iron pan, I recommend having 2 different sizes to CYA lol.

Basting and seasoning after or during the cutting of cooked beef actually incorporates more fresh flavor. Its faster and become my go to method

You cooked more because of the size, so buy a bigger cheaper pan.

I actually never knew seasoning your cast iron pan was a thing. You learn something new every day!

Anither amazjng cleaning technique for cast iron is after your done cooking to pour some water in enough to cover any burnt foods that have acclaimed on the sides and let the water boil! It will lift all the burnt foods at the bottom! Give it a little bit of agitation and it should come as clean as new! Do this twice if you have to and then re oil the pan when your finished! Im still using the same cast iron my dad gave to me many many moons ago 👌🏼

You can use dish soap for cleaning btw, modern soap doesn't contain lye so doesn't effect the seasoning

My experience with the Smithey is that it's a beautiful skillet, but won't hold seasoning. The first 2 or 3 times I used it, the seasoning (and my reseasoning) almost completely stripped off. I actually got some flash rust after drying it after the first use. I've had much better luck with my Fields, Butterpat, Stargazer, Lodge ... well everything else. With 20/20 hindsight, i wouldn't buy a Smithey.

15:09 Sub says mast*rb*t*d strawberries 💀

Hello Alvin!! Waiting for your video!!! ❤️❤️❤️ love the castiron!!

little tip here, even if your skillet is supposed come seasoning do seasoning again and caramelizing some onions it helps pull away the metalic taste youll get from new a skillet