Lodge BOLD 14 Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan, Design-Forward Cookware

A cast iron pizza pan can be used to make pizzeria quality pizza. After comparing a lot of different pans I think this Lodge is the best choice. It comes with a great ready-to-use surface and the handles make it manageable (it is fairly big and heavy). I bought two of these (family of three) and am very happy with them. I use them for making pizza and roasting vegetables. They work well in the oven or on the grill and clean up easily. For pizza dough, depending on time and convenience I either make my own or pick up raw dough at a local pizzeria. Search youtube for examples on making dough. It's fun/rewarding and only takes 25 minutes but you have to be able to start about 2 1/2 hours before you are ready to cook. I use 1 1/2 cups warm (105 degree) water + 1 tsp sugar + 1 package instant active dry yeast (mix gently and let sit for 7-10 minutes), then add 3 3/4 cups flour + 2 tsp kosher salt + 2 T olive oil, mix well then pour onto a counter and knead for 8 - 10 minutes (adding another 1/4 C flour, 1 T at a time, if necessary if it starts to get sticky) then separate into two halves and let rise 2 hrs. This makes two pizzas which feeds three with lots of left-overs. When it is ready I stretch and shape it on a well-floured granite countertop then put it in a room-temp pan. Then I spread on sauce, cheese and sliced mushrooms then pop it into a pre-heated oven (a little higher than the middle rack) at 435 degrees F for 16 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. (A lower rack or pre-heated pan will make the crust crunchier if that's your thing). Five minutes before the first comes out of the oven I prepare the second so I can pop it in when the first comes out. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes when it comes out of the oven then slide it onto a wood cutting board to cut and serve from. If you like this pan I recommend you also pick up a Lodge 10 1/2" griddle (or two) and Lodge 12 1/2" and 10 1/2" skillets. That combination covers a lot of cooking uses, is very affordable, is high quality, and will last generations. The griddles work well for pancakes, chicken tortillas (corn), quesadillas (wheat), and roasting vegetables, and the skillets for searing and baking steaks, frying bacon, scallops, baking corn bread, etc. FWIW, I've gotten ride of all my teflon-type non-stick pans over the past 8 years. Once you get used to cooking on cast iron, and learn that this cookware really is also non-stick but it also lasts forever, you'll never look back. As long as you don't subject iron to thermal shock (e.g. by putting cold water into a hot pan), which may cause it to crack, or put a cold pan on a stove burner turned on high (quick and un-even temperature changes may warp the pan, but as long as you pre-heat the pan (medium heat for 2-3 minutes) that will not happen. You also have a little to learn about maintaining iron prevent it from rusting and to promote the non-stick surface development, but that simply involves following a few rules (pre-heat the pan before using it, cook with a little fat - butter, oil, etc.), and wash with warm water and a sponge, that is certainly worth it because your pans get better and better to use over the years as the seasoning matures. New to cast iron? Go to the Lodge website and read about how to care for and use it. 15 minutes invested there will make you an expert. Or ask your grandmother - her generation knew and appreciated quality and durability. The throw-away and replace society we all participate in today (e.g. modern non-stick surfaces) is wasteful and can be carcinogenic. PS - don't let my cast iron fanaticism above review scare you away from this pizza pan. The pizza pan is the easiest one to take care of because dough has a little oil in it so it helps season the pan. To take care of the pizza pan all you need to do is rinse with water (no soap because that eats away at the oils which help maintain the pan) when the pan is still warm, scrubbing with a sponge if needed, then dry it with a dish towel or if it's warm and will dry quickly just do that. Spread a very thin layer of olive or other oil on it (to and bottom) if it looks dry when you take it out to use again.

Arrived in new condition and damage free I wanted the largest "skillet" I could find, and this is a true 14 inch diameter, excluding the handles. Many others are including the handle in the listing dimensions. It is dead flat, no warping. The seasoning looks good, but I always do a seasoning cycle. Heating this on a typical stove top... forget it. Super hot in the middle, and significantly cooler progressing outward. Maybe if you have an absolutely massive commercial range. For oven use, not an issue. This is what I was expecting, but had to try. My solution to the stove top problem was to also buy a large 1/2" thick aluminum plate to use as a heat diffuser. It takes ages to heat up, but it does heat evenly out to the edges. My use case is large tortillas when I can't do it outside. I'm sure it's great for pizza, no reason it wouldn't be. I don't love the "Bold" line in general, but in this case there is very little in the way of styling. basic handles which are large enough to hold steady, but also nice and flat.

Something I did not learn until I was an adult is that cast iron is an insulator. This is not a bad thing, as the fact that it takes a long time to heat up also means that it does not chill quickly when you put frozen pizza on it. If someone complains of hotspots when baking, you can be sure they did not preheat the pan in the oven for long enough. Preheating only until the beeper goes off, or worse, putting the pizza or bread on the cold pan, yields results worse than not using it at all. And do yourself a favor: Buy a nonstick pan sized for pizza and put what you are baking in that, then place it on the Lodge unit after the latter is piping hot. It eliminates the need for washing the cast iron and re-seasoning it, or dealing with rust if you don’t immediately re-season. We’ve been using ours for five years with no need to wash or re-season. This is also perfect for baking croissants, bread, rolls, etc. It also improves delivered pizza by an order of magnitude. Goodbye soggy, soft, or floppy middle, hello crisp, chewy crust. Just put it in the oven to preheat before you order at about 350 degrees, then put the delivered pizza in your nonstick pan on top of the Lodge pan. It takes perhaps 10 minutes, but could be less. But seriously, buy yourself a large, flat, nonstick pan to go with it, and save yourself the grief of keeping cast iron clean and seasoned. (The pans with rippled or perforated bottoms don’t really work well.)

We love LOVE this pizza pan! At first I was skeptical about buying a cast iron pizza pan vs. traditional pizza stone, but the reviews sold me on trying it, and I'm incredibly pleased with this product! We've been making homemade pizzas at least 2 times a week since we got our Lodge Pro Cast-Iron pan.(had it for about a month). I have had 2 pizza stones before, and the pizzas I made with those were perfectly fine... but the pizzas we've made on this cast-iron pan have been extraordinary! My last [traditional] pizza stone split in half & broke because a roommate forgot to temper it, but I expect this cast-iron pan to last years! Pros: 1) Makes the best pizzas with solid base crusts to hold toppings well (we made thin and thicker crust- no soggy, drooping middles, as long as the toppings are proportionate to crust thickness) 2) Pan gets really hot and retains its heat, even if you mess up placing the dough on it and spend minutes with the oven door open trying to re-arrange it. Instructions say to heat it up for 45mins in oven before using, but I have had great results with only 20 mins. 3) Fairly large- not pizzaria large, but perfect for average home appliance oven. 4) SOLID material! I researched cast-iron and, with proper care, cast iron is known to last years/decades... vs my previous pizza stones, which were very unforgiving and broke after about a year with basic handling. Basically, this pan is almost klutz-proof* 5) Versatile - can be used on top of stove as a griddle! 6) Easy to clean. The instructions basically say NOT to wash it (yay!), just brush it off & a little water rinse... which is the same with regular pizza stones, yes, BUT you don't see any oily or grungy spots on this thing, which is awesome. Cons: Hmm... no major ones really, so far. I would have preferred this pan come in large rectangular shape (to fit perfectly over 2 range tops as a griddle, or so I could fit other things in the oven with/on top of it), but I haven't noticed any inconveniences. Also, it's pretty heavy, but so are pizza stones. Tip - I'd recommend a pizza peel, almost as large as the stone itself, since it does get so hot. I got one with this pan (Epicuren 10-inch) and, having never used one before, had difficulty sliding the dough onto the pan the first time. Pizza still turned out great, but it was a pretty interesting shape after re-arranging it (this is why it's great this pan retains so much heat!). After the first pizza, though, using the peel was super-easy because I read reviews saying to put plenty of flour or corn meal on it :P *This pan did break when it was first delivered to me. One of the handles broke off because my UPS guy threw it over my 6-ft tall gate and it landed on my cement patio =/ The rest of the pan was still intact though, which says a lot. I returned it the same day, and Amazon got another one back to me within 2 days... no sweat. Pretty awesome service.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PIZZA PAN!!! I MAKE HOMEMADE PIZZA AND THIS CAST IRON BAKES THE CRUST TO A BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN BROWN AND THE CRUST IS WONDERFULLY CRISPY!!! IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT BUYING THIS PAN, DON'T HESITATE IT'S WELL WORTH THE MONEY!!!

Many years ago, one of my first ever jobs I had was at a pizza place and recently I decided I wanted to make some pizzas at home. I was looking for some good quality pans for regular use that cooked evenly and held the flavor of the pizza. Having previously owned some Lodge brand skillets, I have found that there are no better-quality iron skillets/pans around. These pizza pans are great quality and solid and will last a lifetime. In fact, they have a lifetime warranty, but I dare anyone to try to break these as these are heavy and well made. These pans cook evenly and heat up well and retain the flavor for a pizza. The downsize to these of course, like any iron pan, you have to keep them oiled and seasoned and you can only hand wash. These are also a bit pricy as compared to cheaper steel/aluminum pans. But in this case, you get what you pay for, a good quality pan that cooks well and will last a lifetime. Pros: Extremely well made Solid quality Lifetime warranty Cook and heat up evenly Easy to hold with handles Helps retain flavor Cons: Expensive as compared to aluminum/steel pans Needs regular maintenance Hand wash only Heavy 4 stars

I make pizza often, it's tasty, wonderful, affordable and I can make it as I like it. I have in the past used the Lodge flat skillet for pizza but wanted this beauty for so long. I got it on Christmas Eve and wow, it's better than i had anticipated! It's HUGE and HEAVY. This till will last 100 years easily. I like moderate thick but crispy crust. I'm a perfectionist to my crust, that to me is the most important part. after the first rise of the dough I put the pizza pan in the oven at 325 degrees to heat up. I form the pizza shape and let the dough do the second rise about 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and flop the flat double risen dough onto the hot pizza pan and into the oven it goes for about 5-8 minutes. Take it out and flip the dough over. now apply the sauce, cheese and toppings and back into the oven till done. Perfection. I serve the pizza on the pan still to keep it warm. the pan stays hot for over 30 minutes. Be careful...it's hot....hot...hot.... the pizza is wonderful. Now using the skillet to me that's one meal, but this thing I can easily get two meals out of it and I'm a BIG eater. Clean up is a snap. I use paper towels and wipe it off. This is a beautiful and impressive piece of cookware. I am thrilled to own it, it shows people I care about my cooking. I may use the skillet more as it's the perfect size for me and I love making pizza a couple times a week so not too concerned to have left overs ready. next I'm going to use this to place my cast iron bread pans on. To preheat this baby so when I place the cool cast iron loaf pans with the double raised dough in it, to get the instant heat to the iron loaf pan and brown a bit better. I'm also going to use the pizza pan on my grill for shrimp stir fry on my next cook out. I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT

Let me summarize this pan in one word and one word only. WOW! Logic has an awesome hit on their hands with this incredible pizza pan. If you love pizza this is the pan for you and your family. I ordered this pan earlier this month, received it about 6 days ago and used it the very next day. Our sausage pizza was to die for. For starters, I purchased two pounds of already made pizza dough (I know, not as authentic as making it myself, but give me a break, after a long day at work, who has time to knead dough?) and let it rise for about 45-50 minutes. I then placed a thin layer of olive oil on the pan and dusted it with yellow corn meal. Afterwards, I rolled out the dough with a roller on my counter (using a little flour on my hand and counter to help avoid sticking) until it looked close to being a good fit for my pizza pan. Once in the pan I adjusted the fit and pressed the edges to create that authentic looking pizza crust everyone loves. Once that was done, I coated the dough, using a cooking brush, with a thin layer of olive oil. I coated the ENTIRE dough. On the area where the sauce goes it creates a barrier so the dough does not absorb the sauce, not good if you want a more crispy pizza. Coating the "crust" area will also help your crust to come out a nice golden crispy brown - yummy! Once this was done, I poured about a 1/3 cup of store purchased pizza sauce (I know, I know : ),sprinkled a nice layer of mozzarella cheese and one COOKED 12oz pack of mild pork sausage onto the raw dough. Again, the order of things: thin layer of olive oil, sauce, cheese and lastly, COOKED mild pork sausage,or whatever topping you choose (topping goes last). Just make sure all meat/poultry is precooked. After I took several pictures of my "creation" and sent it to a few very hungry friends, I placed my cast iron pizza pan in my oven at 475˚ (degrees). One important note, the key to a nice golden brown pizza is a very very HOT oven. So, make sure your oven is on at 475˚ for at least 30-45 minutes before you put your pizza in. Once in, your pizza will be done anywhere from 14-17 minutes, give or take a few minutes. Keep an eye on it, especially at this temperature. You will know your pizza is done once the outer crust is a nice golden brown. Remove from oven, place in safe area because both this pan and your pizza will remain hot for some time. You can cut and serve from this pan (I did) without fear of ruining anything. If you are reading this review, I hope it helps you make the decision to purchase this awesome pan. Oh...did I mention, the pizza you will make using this awesome pan will also be a great addition to the pool parties, picnics and other summer activities so many of us will be a part of this year. If you enjoy pizza either as a main dish or even as an appetizer this pizza pan is a serious contender, not to mention at a fabulous price. Weighty? Not at all. Any adult, young or old can handle it. Just remember to remove from oven and handle with oven mitts, since it will definitely be too hot to touch. Well, I have to go now. I am getting ready to order several items for my new hobby of pizza making, pizza cutters, liners, pizza boxes, carrying insulated bags, peels, etc. By the way, did I mention my family members are still licking their fingers from the delicious sausage and cheese pizza we had earlier this week, that barely lasted one day. Ma ma mia.