What is the most expensive cast iron skillet?

The value of antique cast iron skillets can start at similar to new prices, but a super rare Wagner or Griswold can fetch up to $1,500 apiece. A mint condition, super rare "spider skillet" made in the 1890s by Griswold is worth up to $8,000.

What is the oldest brand of cast iron skillet?

Lodge Cast Iron has been making cast-iron cookware at its Tennessee foundry since 1896, making it the country's oldest surviving cast-iron manufacturer.

Why is Griswold cast iron so expensive?

Griswold cast iron is highly collectible

And this makes the ironware fun to collect for collectors and enthusiasts. So when a rare piece or size comes up for sale, it will attract the attention of many buyers and ultimately drive up the price.

What brand of cast iron is the best?

What is an old cast iron skillet worth?

One of the most surprising valuables around your home may be cast-iron cookware. Worth from $15 to $1,500, this is stuff you rarely want to sell at a yard sale. Fortunately, cookware is usually marked on the bottom with the name of the maker and the catalog or size number.

Is this $200 Cast Iron Pan Better than the Lodge? — The Kitchen Gadget Test Show

What is the rarest cast iron?

What is the rarest Griswold?

One of the rarest of all Griswold skillets the Block EPU (BEPU) is the hardest among the 13s to find as so few were made (people tended to buy them less for the fear of unlucky 13). This one is a beauty with a heat ring, glassy cooking surface and nice mill marks. Super collectable.

Why is Lodge cast iron so cheap?

They're made locally. The fact that Lodge skillets are manufactured in the USA helps, too. Cast iron is heavy and it's cheaper to ship to stores and shoppers from Tennessee than China. A fun plus to being made in America is that the company creates lots of jobs for locals.

What are Griswold skillets worth?

Griswold Cast Iron Price Guide

An antique skillet from the early days of the Griswold iron works can be marketed for more than $3,000, depending on the condition and traceability.

What you should not cook in cast iron?

Is Griswold cast iron better than Lodge?

Griswold Cast Iron Skillet Review Quick Summary

One of the most sought after cast iron skillet by collector. However, the lighter construction and smooth finish actually makes it perform worse. The Chef Series by Lodge will actually perform better.

How can you tell a fake Griswold?

Fakes have rough casting, uneven margin below Griswold lettering. Original has finer detail, especially below the eye, and smoother casting. Lettering font on fake handle is sans-serif.

How can you tell a Wagner cast iron?

The best way to date Wagner Ware is by carefully examining the Wagner Ware logo on the bottom of your cast iron. The “Wagner,” “Wagner Ware” and “Sidney O” logos appeared and disappeared, were redesigned and repositioned on the bottom of the pan every few years beginning with the company's founding in 1891.

What is the biggest Griswold skillet made?

The largest skillet with the Griswold Slant logo is #14.

What cast iron is made in USA?

Lodge cast iron is heirloom cookware. From fried chicken to a cake of cornbread, you will find cast iron skillets in the kitchens of the best cooks around – mom and granny. Lodge has made it easier to cook with cast iron with their pre-seasoned line, and best of all, the majority of the products are Made in the USA.

Is it worth buying expensive cast iron skillet?

Copper and aluminum cookware are lighter still. When comparing cast-iron skillets, lighter is typically considered better, even if only from a convenience standpoint; when comparing cast-iron skillets to skillets made of other stuff, the weight is its moneymaker and the reason we still cook with them.

Is rough or smooth cast iron better?

According to some manufacturers, the modern rough surface cast iron pots and pans helps the seasoning oils to adhere better than a smooth finish would. Smooth cast iron does not sell well commercially compared to rough iron.

Is Lodge cast iron worth it?

Buying Options

If you prefer a pan with higher sides for frying or braising, the Lodge Pre-Seasoned 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet is an excellent option. Like the Lodge Chef Collection skillet, it comes well-seasoned and performed as well as skillets many times its price in our tests.

What is gate mark on cast iron?

Cast iron is made with a sand mold in which liquid iron needs to be poured into it (or injected into the mold.) The liquid iron then hardens and the mold is removed from around it. In the 1800s the iron was poured in via a line on the bottom of the mold which left the line, or gate mark, on the iron once it hardened.

What is a spider skillet?

A spider (also called a spider skillet, spider pan, or iron spider) was an iron vessel with three splayed legs and a long handle used for hearth cooking. The footed skillet or frying pan would be set over a small pile of coals pulled out onto the hearth from the fire.

Who made Erie cast iron?

Griswold Manufacturing Company or its predecessor, Seldon and Griswold Manufacturing Company, produced “ERIE” skillets for 27 years from c. 1880 to c. 1907. Along the way there were significant changes made to the skillets.

What should I look for in a cast iron skillet?

And you can immediately tell the difference. A newish cast iron pan feels rough to the touch. A well-seasoned one is so slick that eggs will slide around on it just like in a nonstick pan. Though most new cast iron comes pre-seasoned, there are typically only one or two layers of seasoning on there.

Is vintage cast iron better?

However, according to many people who love cast iron, vintage pans are far superior to modern ones (vintage, in this case, being defined as any pan made pre-1950). Many cast-iron aficionados swear that older is definitely better—better as in more durable, conducts heat more evenly, and withstands arduous conditions.