It’s contentious, people will have brand loyalty but honestly it’s splitting hairs a lot of the time on which is better. At the end of the day it’s cast iron, aside from splitting it into pieces it’s kinda hard to fuck it up so bad that a little tlc wouldn’t solve the issue

Frankly, no, it doesn’t.

I think there are two grades of cast iron pans today: the cheap, heavy, extra rough surfaced, relatively easily cracking generic Chinese cast iron you find in Walmart store brands, and everything else. Lodge is at the bottom of the “everything else” pile; it’s a little heavier and rougher than vintage Griswold or high end modern pans, but the difference is really not that big, and it’s still durable enough to outlast you and your grandkids.

And honestly, even the cheapest $10 Walmart skillet cooks just fine and will probably last for decades. Season the pan well and you won’t see or taste any difference in the final product.

I don’t have any experience with cheaper pans but I assume the quality of the casting and metal could get worse with cheaper pans. If you don’t plan on using your pan as a weapon I can’t imagine it would matter though.

The short answer is what everyone else has already said: Not really. Any cast iron pan, properly seasoned, will work as well as any other.

The long answer: I’ve been able to directly experience 3 brands myself; my everyday skillet is a Griswold from the 30’s, and I also have a tiny Wagner skillet and a large Lodge one.

From what I’ve seen and read online, the only practical difference between different brands is that some offer a smooth finish out of the box instead of having to build up a smooth finish via the seasoning.

Really old cast iron pans tended to have that extra smoothing step during manufacturing by default, where as most modern brands (Lodge) don’t bother as a cost reducing measure, and leave the ban bumpy and rough. If you’re looking for an affordable smooth pan, I recall seeing some chinese ones that came smoothed on amazon that seemed to perform well.

My old Griswold is smooth, and when well seasoned is truly non-stick. But saying that, a good seasoning in a bumpy pan will act very similarly, and when I cook large meals in my bumpy Lodge, they don’t stick either (but probably wouldn’t be quite as ideal for eggs).

I guess another thing I noticed is that Lodge pans tend to be quite beefy and thick, which makes em heavy. My old medium sized griswold is quite thin walled, making it a bit easier to handle 1-handed.

Lastly, I just wanted to mention that it’s really darn easy to restore an old crusty looking cast iron pan from eBay. Putting it in your oven during a self-clean session will completely burn off any stuck on carbon, and allow you to re-season it as though it were virgin metal.

I feel like the only things that are likely to matter quality wise are surface finish and casting quality, which could maybe theoretically make a cheaper pan more liable to crack? And I once picked up a cheap cast iron and found it much lighter than expected, though I don’t know if there are any real problems with that, other than just the tradeoff between thermal mass and ease of handling. But it could potentially be indicative of a quality issue that could matter.

I think unless you’re getting a really nice cast iron pan with a smoother surface, or an enameled cast iron item, where there’s a lot of variation in the quality of enamel coating, the brand isn’t going to make a hugs difference. There’ll probably be differences still, at least in the shape, weight and thickness of the pan, but I don’t think its a thing where one brand stands head and shoulders above the rest until you get to the expensive smooth cast iron stuff, or the La Cruset enameled stuff.

not that I’ve noticed, though I will say that enameled cast iron is superior - and it commands a superior price.

First of all, I am amazed at a cast iron thread without rabid fingerpointing and angry replies. Bravo humans, bravo. I have a lodge as my daily driver. Earlier this summer, after reading some advice, I sanded all the carbon and junk off. Did a basic seasoning with olive oil in the over, twice. And it has been nonstick and easy to work with. I do agree it is weighty, my MIL has an older pan, idk what brand, but it is much lighter and thinner. If/when I go for new pan weight will be my main concern.

Honestly I would have said no until my wife got me an antique Griswold. Its smoother surface and significantly lighter weight has made keeping a good seasoning on it easier as well as cooking with it an absolute joy.