Lodge Pro Logic 12 Inch Square Griddle
This popular Pro-Logic Cast Iron Griddle is Pre-Seasoned and ready to use. 12″ square with 3/4″ deep sides makes it ideal for cooking bacon, eggs, sausage, hash browns, French toast and pancakes. Contemporary rolled edge look and ergonomic handle.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Not so hot.
I have a collection of Lodge pans in the kitchen “tool box” so it was a no brainer that getting this griddle would be an exciting addition. It showed up in perfect shape and was even pre-seasoned. I was sure that cooking would be a snap but was quickly very disappointed. After mixing up some delicious home made pancakes, I quickly ruined the first pan full by the pan burning the ones in the middle and under cooking all the others. We use a state of the art G.E. gas stove with very good ratings. The burners all are very even and heat perfectly. After shifting the griddle around to other burners, there was no change. This problem usually stems from poor materials and inconsistent construction. For any other griddle, I would take it in stride but for a Lodge product, this was surprising and unexpected. For comparison purposes, I put on the large skillet and cooked up a perfect set of pancakes. I’ve never had such an experience and couldn’t believe it! This shouldn’t stop you from buying their skillets but I can’t believe the handling of this griddle. Very disappointing. Very unexpected.
5 Stars Can’t beat Lodge Logic
I have five pieces of Lodge Logic cast iron cookware with another on the way. I’ve only been using cast iron for a couple months. First the down side: They’re heavy, they’re noisy when slid across oven racks and being cleaned, and the handles are HOT. Advantages: Even heat distribution, easy cleanup, nothing sticks if the cookware is properly seasoned, they should last a lifetime. Get yourself a couple of high temp handle mitts. This griddle is the perfect size for bacon, pancakes or grilled cheese sandwiches or just about anything for the griddle. Watch for sales and free shipping.
4 Stars Better than non-stick, but…
Okay, it’s a square griddle. And it’s Lodge Logic.
Both of which are good things – it’s bulletproof, pre-seasoned, and nothing sticks to it. I’ve got plenty of Lodge Logic cookware and love the stuff.
However, like most griddles, it’s significantly hotter in the center than at the corners, at least on an electric range. Making a consistent batch of, say, hash browns, is possible only with attention… just like any other griddle. I’d really hoped for a thicker bottom with enough thermal mass to give more even heating over the entire surface.
That said, I like to use it in the oven unheated for garlic bread and mini-pizzas to keep the crust from browning before the cheese, and pre-heated for fries and such to minimize/eliminate the need for flipping them – exquisite browning, no oil required. In these applications, this pan surpasses anything else available.
For most things on top of the stove, I’d be more inclined to use my 12″ round Lodge Logic skillet.
If I had to pick *one*, I’d choose the 12″ round skillet over this griddle… but if you really want a griddle, this one still works better than ordinary non-stick and does some amazing work in the oven.
2 Stars A Lodge product that disappoints me
I’m certainly not the only person who loves Lodge’s generally amazing reliability with cast iron cookware… for the price, you really can’t beat it. However, this piece… missed the mark big time. Considering I have a Le Creuset oval griddle and a big square cornbread cooker to judge it against, it’s fair to say this … is not level. It wobbles, which I’d only expect if I was using a Betty Crocker nonstick “first pan for college cooking” type unit. The handles don’t feel right, either… it doesn’t behave at all like Lodge… more like that Bayou brand carried at Target and Wal Mart… So yeah, disappointed is a good word to sum it up.
One other detail to toss in here is a slight “beef” with Lodge for not offering anything with coated bottoms. The looks are not the issue… the issue for me is that I would LOVE to buy their flat, square cornbread cooker (or one of the better-performing griddles) for someone to make pancakes and the like with instead of one of the dozen “panini grills” with the ridges out there, but nope, not going to happen because that person has a glass cooktop. So an FYI many people could stand to know in this modern day and age=you can’t use uncoated cast iron pans on glass or ceramic cooktops. Check Lodge Manufacturing’s site if you doubt me, but it is very frustrating, as I have to pay a fortune just to get something painted and ultimately don’t get exactly what I want (a flat square cooker with a couple inches of depth to hold more than just a pancake). Lodge has the shape and flat inner surface, but it’ll ruin the cooktop, so oh well, bye bye Lodge, hello… big oval Le Creuset again. Maybe they’ll “get it” some day and recognize that even a cheap T-Fal finish would suffice for those of us who don’t really care if the paint chips but don’t want the cooktop to stop conducting heat evenly from all the damage of cast iron.
5 Stars Just what I wanted…
I ordered this griddle to replace my Teflon one – trying to replace all my teflon cookware piece by piece. I’m VERY happy with it. It came pre-seasoned and ready to use, and I’ve used it a dozen times already; for pancakes, for quesadillas and most recently, for grilled cheese sandwiches. It does take some “getting used to”. It is very heavy for one. And it takes a while to pre-heat, because you don’t want to heat it up too fast. I usually start it out on low heat (around 3 or 4 on my electric range). I pre-heat for about 5 minutes. This way, the heat gets evenly distributed. If you start cooking too soon, yes, it will be unevenly heated. Once you bring it up to heat, you need to watch it to make sure it doesn’t get too hot. I leave it on 3 or 4, closer to 3 for pancakes, closer to 4 for grilled cheese – and it has cooked everything perfectly. Cleans up like a professional non-stick item and is tough, tough, tough. I use my steel pizza cutter to cut through quesadillas right on the griddle before serving them – something you definitely CAN’T do on Teflon!
Admittedly, a few drawbacks – the weight, the long time to pre-heat. But once you get used to it, you will love it just like I do.
Buy/More Info
Tagged as:
Brainer,
Cast Iron Cookware,
Cast Iron Griddle,
Comparison Purposes,
Five Pieces,
French Toast,
Gas Stove,
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches,
Hash Browns,
Heat Distribution,
Kitchen Tool,
Lodge Cookware,
Oven Racks,
Pancakes,
Perfect Shape,
Perfect Size,
Poor Materials,
Pro Logic,
Rolled Edge,
Skillets
