About That Pot

MSgt Anthony says in comments, from this post yesterday: I hope that's a Lodge.

No, Master Sergeant, it's not.  Neither is it a Griswold.  It has no markings whatsoever.   I picked it up several months ago at an auction.  What it IS, is a good cast iron pot.  The side walls are uniform, the bail is securely fastened, and the lid fits properly.  When I purchased it, it was in fair shape and needed only a good cleaning and re-seasoning.  The seasoning isn't quite right yet, but that will come with time.

Lodge makes pretty fair cookware, but I don't like their "pre-seasoned" coating.  It's rough and the last thing you want on the bottom of a cast iron pot or skillet is roughness.  You want the bottom of cast iron to be as smooth as glass. If I get a piece of Lodge cookware, the first thing that I have to do is sand the interior with good wet-or-dry sandpaper until it is smooth, then re-season.  Most Lodge cookware is good cast iron, but you look for the same things in a Lodge that you look for in all cast iron ovens.  Uniform sidewall thickness, a flat base, a sturdy bail properly affixed, and a lid that fits properly.  I have been known to coat the lid/pot junction with valve grinding compound and rotate the lid against the pot until it fit properly.  We want a good seal and sometimes that is the only way to get it.

Good cookware is where you find it.  I find mine at auctions or garage sales, and I'll pass on about half of what I find because it's either over-priced or damaged inn some way.  But, there is nothing magical about the brand name on a cast iron pot as long as it is well constructed.