Bought this beauty BNIB. Need some info.

S

Srinath Seshadri

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www.lodgecastiron.com

Seasoned Cast Iron Combo Cooker

Two pieces of cookware and three different configurations—a smart solution for small kitchens and on-the-go cooks. That’s one dutch oven and a skillet that doubles as a lid, for those keeping track. Cast iron provides great heat retention, durability, and a naturally seasoned cooking surface...
www.lodgecastiron.com www.lodgecastiron.com

I was looking for this for a while, so glad to have got it and for $20 BNIB - totally worth it.
When did lodge start making these, should I search for the holy grail of the smooth ones of yore ?
This one is pretty rough (being a new lodge I expect that).

The lid/frying pan fits my deeper 5qt I think dutch oven and the dutch oven with the drip points fits it, it also fits my shorter taiwanese (my most used) skillet.

Now the lodge dutch oven I have has the 2 little ear handles. Did they make a 5qt dutch oven with the long handle and the helper handle on the opposite side ?
Should I look for one of those too ?
 
Lodge's double skillet set first appeared ca. the early 1940s, and has been through several iterations ("Foursome", 4 in 1, combo cooker, double dutch), the oldest having the star on the lid with the cross-in-circle 4 in 1 logo and hammered finish with handles shaped like those seen on Griswold hammered double skillet sets. Over time the polished finish gave way to a plain finish top/polished finish bottom version, then to both unpolished. What old Lodge catalogs called a "dutch oven skillet" set was really just a chicken fryer with either a low or high profile cover. I am not aware of any actual 5-qt. dutch oven pan with a long handle like a skillet.
 
I'm not that well versed in lodgeism as you are. But the conclusion I'm getting is -

1. No 5qt from the smooth or rough era with long handle. So my 2 ear 5qt is as best as I can get. Stop looking for that.
2. Smooth versions of these as well as the foursome are out there. AKA, find those, and dont try to grind these smooth.

I already have the smooth bottom skillet both lodge and taiwanese, have smooth lodge 5qt dutch oven with ears not handle. Basically I need smooth top skillet. Then I'll give this away to my brother LOL.

foursome = short skillet, taller skillet (both with long handles) and dutch oven with ears and top pan with handle - all in smooth finish ???
I will strive to get the parts of that I dont have if that's the case. I have 2 of those 4 already. Only taller skillet and top skillet are awol in the smooth finish.
 
Foursome and 4-in-1 were just Lodge marketing-speak for functionality, not number of pieces. Its uses were touted as a skillet, fryer, dutch oven, and a griddle (lid). That Lodge later called its 2-piece unit a "combo cooker" bears no relation to the Blankenship or John C. Johnson 3-piece combination cookers.
 
Oh, OK. So, the 2 piece "combo cooker" in my link in the original post is all that it was. 4 functions with 2 pieces. But they made them in the "smooth" era too right. I've tracked one of the oldies down. I'll try to get it this week.
 
Oh never mind, I saw the book that was in the thing. The 5qt is called a double dutch oven, and it has a lid that doubles as skillet that has ears like the 5qt one I have. That's the piece that matches that which I dont have, I have the drip point lid not the skillet lid.
 
I bought one of those years ago with making no-knead bread in mind. It's kind of what started the whole CI thing for me. The pattern for it actually is derived from ones they acquired from BSR.

 
I'm a little disappointed in these, and in new lodge in general. They're far too rough to be used the way I like to use em. I cook with enough oil, then either scoop out what I've cooked, or tip it out, and when its still blazing hot, wipe with rough paper towels and it gets put away. No washing. Period. My early 2000's grill pan (with ribs) after a few years of use was essentially put away to rust. And rust it did for nearly 18 yrs. Then I started liking CI again, got it out and the subsequent wire wheel operation to get the rust out resulted in a far far far far better pan. Sadly these need the same treatment. Worse yet the lid is so effing heavy, its essentially near impossible to lift it with my left and hold it while giving the contents a stir.
I'm glad the lid fits nearly everything I have, but its a bit too much and yet not nearly enough. 3qt is too much for 1, and too small for the family. The lid is too heavy and harder to clean than my taiwanese or my birdsboro both of which accept the lids just fine. I'm going to find old lodge if I can, this is getting traded or sold, or gifted to my brother who actually washes and does this and that each use. I wonder if say 1 yr of rust just on the top with vinegar applied judiciously will get it to where the roughness has been eaten by the rust and a wire wheel will clean it to being smooth ? And likely the 3qt deeper pan needs a hand sand after that cos likely my angle grinder wont get it all.
 
Doug D. said:
I bought one of those years ago with making no-knead bread in mind. It's kind of what started the whole CI thing for me. The pattern for it actually is derived from ones they acquired from BSR.

Click to expand...
Is this lid also heavy ? Much heavier than a skillet of the same size from any other good old manufacturer (wagner, Griswold, birdsboro etc).
In fact I compare its weight to the grill mark skillet from ~2003. Horrendously heavy - but atleast without that heat retention on that one you wont be searing cross hatch lines in meat. So its needed on that IMHO, not on this.
Also what was the year they started making these ?
 
The earliest catalog I've seen them in is from 2008. They did not appear in a 2005 catalog, so somewhere around there.
 
Doug D. said:
The earliest catalog I've seen them in is from 2008. They did not appear in a 2005 catalog, so somewhere around there.
Click to expand...
Oh crap. Then I'm not getting one of those. But the 5qt dutch oven with ear handles not long handle is much older right ? Cos mine is a lot smoother than these 2 BNIB's. Maybe it was just rusted and I cleaned it to the shiny artifact I have. I really think I need to rust them and wire wheel polish them and see. or trot down to the lodge store (I live within 5 miles of the only one in a 100 mile radius) and 1 of 1 outside of TN.
BTW I'm impressed with the taiwan ones, even the stupid design wood spinner handle has an amazing machined and smooth surface.
And I'll put up the birdsboro against anything ever made. Smooth as glass and a lot lighter than the lodge or a fair bit less than the taiwanese and yet thick where it counts (on the bottom) and thin walls. It rivals and IMHO beats the french courances I dropped off with my ex.
Time to trot down there I guess.
 
I know I'm not supposed to like them taiwan ones etc etc, but the wood handle one with the Y shaped connetcor to the pan absolutely impressed me today. Its as machined as I've seen, and not as slick as the birdsboro or the other taiwan one, however it has a helper ear, and no heat ring, so on my glass top it made full contact, and the wood handle absolutely did not spin, and did not get hot, it rocked a wee bit but 100% cool to touch and really awesome.
Winners are well, its too close to call, but I'll give the edge to the birdsboro just for its exceptional smoothness. Then the metal handle taiwan one, and the shock is the wood handle one came so so close. Let down by some machining roughness. And pushed closer to the #1 by the wood handle that didn't spin, the helper ear and the lack of heat ring.
Will the lodge get smooth if I let it rust and wire wheel it ? I really am in a dilema now. I'll never use the "find" I was looking for for 6 months now. I'm so sad. Hopefully the vintage ones I have located will turn up smooth likely cos someone let it rust and then wire wheeled it smooth.
 
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