Fresh Australian Kitchen 12" Cast Iron Skillets Nonstick - Pre Seasoned Frying Pan Cookware Pan for Cooking

The last time I used a cast iron skillet was 40 years ago. I also have not used aluminum in years due to the current research on aluminum and Alzheimer's. I have used ceramic, ceramic enamel and copper. But my brother is also very concerned about Alzheimer's and I convinced him to try a cast iron skillet. He bought one, seasoned it and has been extremely happy with the results after some initial problems with seasoning the pan. Meanwhile, my current skillet began showing signs of wear, and since copper skillets have an aluminum core, I decided to try this cast iron skillet. I selected this one because it looked sturdier than the newer ones, which were pretty light weight. Once upon a time, you used only lard or bacon fat to season a skillet. Be warned if you use standard vegetable oil, you will probably be unhappy with the result, which is what my brother did. There are numerous articles on the web that will give you instructions on how to season a pan, and excellent instructions came with this pan. If you are vegetarian, try hard Crisco shortening because even though it is a vegetable based, its consistency allows it to seep through the porous surface of the pan. You can also use grape seed oil with equal success. However, standard vegetable oil cannot seep through the surface of the pan and what you end up having to do is re-season the pan. Pre-seasoned does not mean the surface of the pan is ready for cooking. Your food will stick if you try the pan without properly seasoning it first and the instructions that come with this pan tell you that. So I used bacon fat and then followed the rest of the instructions that Fresh Australian Kitchen provided. It takes 2 to 3 hours to properly season this pan, so plan it for a rainy afternoon or a time when you aren't doing anything else important. Remember that you are placing a pan upside down in a hot (500 degrees) oven for two hours. Remember to put aluminum foil or a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil underneath it because as the oil heats and drips there is always the possibility of an oven fire. If you catch that grease you probably won't have any problems. Also be aware that the pan will smoke as it seasons. If you have super sensitive fire alarms, ensure you have the hood fan on before you start the oven. In another place where I lived, I absolutely guaranty that if you seasoned a pan, the fire alarm would go off, whether the hood fan was on or not. Cast iron retains heat for a surprisingly long time. Leave the pan in the oven for two hours and do not remove it until the pan and the oven are both completely cool. This will also give the grease you heated time to harden. During the first use, you will find that you will have to adjust cooking time if you are used to using other surfaces. The heating time is slower but the cooking time is faster due to the thickness of the iron, which retains more heat than other surfaces. It also takes a long time for the pan to become cool enough for you to clean it. I recommend using an ove glove, a mitt or silicon handle holders to protect yourself from burns because that handle gets really hot. Follow the instructions on cleaning from Fresh Australian Kitchen. Do not use soap or you will have to re-season your pan, which can become a royal pain in the neck. Make sure you dry the pan thoroughly after cleaning or using liquids with it. Iron rusts. Then you will really have to start from scratch on getting the rust out and re-seasoning the pan. Once your pan is correctly seasoned, the more you use it, the smoother and more non-stick the surface will become. I think you will really be pleased with it and the fact that you are not ingesting chemicals like Teflon or metals like aluminum. The good news is that there is some transfer of iron. If you tend to be anemic, as many women are, seriously consider cast iron.

Great cast iron skillet. Works as good as more expensive brands. Be sure to follow directions to get it ready to use. It is heavy

Love this cast iron - comes with instructions for those who are new to cast irons and how to care for them. Seasoning it to help get the coating stronger was a breeze, followed their instructions and now this is my go to cast iron skillent for all meal preps. Amazing cast iron skillet!

I’ll keep it short and to the point. It is a great pan and very versatile. It is also pretty light for a cast iron. The cons, I had to do a lot of TLC to this cast iron. I had to use 60 grit sandpaper to really smooth it out and season it 2-3 times. I put in a lot of work because I know this cast iron will last a lifetime as long as you care for it. Since October of 2024, I have been cooking on this thing daily. I highly recommend it if you are willing to put a little TLC in it.

I love this cast iron. Please read the reviews carefully. Those that have rust in their cast iron didnt season it, the either washed it in the dishwasher or washed it with soap and water and left it on the counter to dry. CAST IRON MUST BE SEASONED AND COOKED or it will looked like in the pictures. I use this cast iron almost everyday and yes it's a chore to clean it but oh so worthy. There are other ways of cleaning cast iron (foil costs too much) so if the one above is too much then search online. I'll be buying myself another cast iron from here as well as getting my sister the 12 inch on. Cast irons are amazing it's just a chore to clean properly.

Love this pan! Great quality, nothing sticks!

We have a lot of cast iron, some inherited antique and a lot of new. We're new to the Australian brand but have found it to be some of the best on the market. especially for the depth. My wife wanted one to fry chicken and fish in and we haven't been disappointed. So now, we own two of them. A few tips on how she seasons her cast iron for new cast iron users: Washes with warm soapy water when she receives it. Immediately seasons it after washing, (Will not get rust on it then) Warms the skillet on the stove, adds can Crisco in it. No oils of any kind. She "never" heats nor cooks with her cast iron past a medium high heat. That includes searing steaks or any other kind of meat. Rubs the Crisco all over the skillet, inside and out, and then wipes it dry. Lets it set for about 15 minutes then wipes it dry again. The first time she cooks in it she fries only chicken breast. No flour on it, no garlic or any other thing in the skillet with it, only about an 1 inch to 1.5 inches of "vegetable oil only". She'll season both sides of the breast with Kosher salt, black pepper and spices such as Lowery. Nothing else. Heats the vegetable oil to 325 degrees f. She takes the skillet off the burn and lets the skillet cool with the vegetable still in it. When it cools she pours the oil out of it and wipes it as clean as she can get it. She cleans the skillet with some salt in it, hot water and a soft scrub brush and then dries it. Puts it on the stove and warms it again and re seasons it again with the Crisco, nothing but Crisco. Usually after that one time of re seasoning the skillet, from then on all she has to do is clean the skillet without the re seasoning process unless something burns in it, which very seldom happens with her. All of Her cast iron is clean, smooth and pretty on the insides. 99% of her cooking is done in cast iron. She also teaches cast iron cooking and is writing a cast iron cookbook. She went to the Fresh Australian website and registered both of those skillets and received an email back saying they're registered for life now.

I bought this iron pan to fry on a outdoor gas cooktop and it was amazing! A great product at a great price! It fried the fish I was cooking a golden crunchy brown! Will be getting a deeper one when available!

I have recently purchased a Gozney Dome and, wanting to do more than pizza, bought this 32cm skillet. At a third of the cost of a similar-sized Lodge, I have to say it is excellent value. Although it came preseasoned, I gave it a quick wash and another coat of oil before popping it back into the oven. This barramundi and potatoes is one of the first things I roasted and it came out beautifully. Nothing stuck to the bottom and clean up was a breeze.

Excellent product that should outlast me. This is not a pan, you thrown in the dishwasher, or attack with metal scourers. You need to treat it with respect and love. Take your time seasoning it, and wash with clean water only and a cloth and it will over time build up a lovely non stick surface. No more dodgy Teflon coatings for me. Would definitely recommend and it cooks a perfect steak. So season, wash, and oil correctly, and you won't get any rust and it will last forever.

Short handle that gets very hot. I love it though. No non-stick spray or treatment, which means no chemicals. Easy to clean, but beware, you need to oil it after the clean. It's iron and it will rust. It's not much heavier than a normal pan that size. This will outlast you.

I bought the Double Dutch Oven Casserole Pot and 30 cm cast iron skillet, I've used the skillet so far twice in the week since receiving it. Delivery was quick I didn't expect them so soon but it was a good surprise. It doesn't take long for the skillet to heat up, it's fairly thick and for the money, it's a great value. The 30 cm skillet holds a decent amount of food and the first thing I made was smoked scalloped potatoes and they turned out great. I've yet to use the dutch oven but looking forward to it because of the quality, I'm sure the results will be the same.

Enjoy using this " Fresh Australian Kitchen" product so much so that I think I may purchase one for each of my children that have moved out of home. Great size and once hot - its great, keeps the heat and nothing sticks ! Only negative, would be that the handle also heats up - perhaps a wooden handle would be better