Bayou Classic 7435 16-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

Bayou Classicpretty good! I want to start off by saying that I am pretty much a Lodge follower, and most of my cast iron products are from the Lodge company. However, this is a good buy.I wanted a very large pan to make pizzas in, and Lodge has a 17" similar skillet (but without the handle).I was not concerned much whether there was a handle or not, since these pans are so big (covering 2 burners on the stove) that no one in their right mind would be carrying it by the handle alone (no handle would have been better for my home use, but not a deal breaker). Even with outdoor use, the handles aren't really long enough on these large pans to make a huge difference in safety or ease.

I also preferred Lodge due to my comfort-level with their consistently fine products. However, the Lodge 17" inch was nearly double the price of what I purchased this one for, and I had a good experience with the Bayou Classic company previously, having purchased one of their high BTU outdoor burners (for turkey frying and pressure canning). Additionally, reading the Lodge 17" reviews, it seemed that 17" was actually larger than a lot of standard ovens, not allowing an oven door to shut all the way.i tried measuring my oven, but just couldn't get a precise enough measurement due to an inset section on the door itself, so that I wasn't completely sure my oven would be one that worked with a 17 inch pan.Lo and behold, I find this lovely 16" and at half price.It was hard to say no and I took a chance.

Well, when i touch this pan, i can tell Lodge is much smoother to the feelThe Bayou Classic is roughernot as finely castbut for me, it's not paying double the price rougher either.Additionally, and more importantly, it absolutely fits in my oven. i'm pretty sure now that the 17" never would have fit, since the 16" is right up against the oven door (the handle you turn sideways, and there's no problem).The one pizza i've made so far turned out fabulously (if you've never tried cast iron for pizza, you're missing out on a great crustyou can even crisp the crust up more on the stovetop), and I'm very pleased with this purchase.I also have the Lodge 14" inch (flat) pizza pan, but that extra 2 inches helps with bigger portions, and higher siding is the only choice for deep dish pizza, obviously. All in all a good find, and I'm very happy i bought this.

Update: since I've purchased this about two weeks ago, the price on the Lodge 17" went down.Still, I would buy this product againmainly because it fits in my oven!

Docking 1 star for a lack of finishing and there is no seasoning as advertised.

It's a nice clean cast but is missing that final touch. I suggest a nice medium grit sandpaper to smooth it down a bit, especially the edges of the pan, which can be pretty sharp. Afterwards, you will need to wash and season as the included instructions, with a heavy emphasis on the wash. The paraffin coating the skillet is coated with is a nasty color, not telling what may be in it.

Actual dimensions:

Across the skillet round (lip to lip): 16.5 inches

Inside skillet round: approx 14.5"

Handle to handle: 22.75"

Edit: After sanding and seasoning twice through the oven, as per the directions, I have another thing to point out. The bottom of this skillet is domed. The center is higher than the sides quite noticeably. I cooked a whole pound of minced bacon and it did allow the grease to run away from the the pile of bacon. While this may help keep some of the grease out of your food, it doesn't help with the seasoning process, as the "high & dry" foods will tend to stick at first. Not sure if this is a feature or defect, but I'm going to keep using it and see how it turns out.

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I bought this cast iron skillet after I used my friend's for cooking Paella. Remember to season the skillet before using it, it pays to do it. I roasted bell peppers on this skillet and the smell and flavor were unbelievable. Great size for paella and large cooking.. originally I wanted a bigger one, but once I got this 16-inch, the size is perfect

Enjoy

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This skillet is huge, we needed for old turkey cooker we converted to fry fish.Does the job we wanted.

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my friend wanted badly a really large cast iron pan and couldn"tfind one.I purchased one for them as a anniversary gift.Amazon had just the thing they wanted.You should have seen the look on her face as she felt the weight of it and the humungus size.t was large enough to feed the whole neighborhood.It was at a great price and well made.This one could easily handle ostrich eggs.My grandson said maybe a dinosaur egg but it would difficult to get one but if you do get one it would do the job.signed: POPPY.

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