iittala Dahlstrom Collection

I invested in this line of cookware about 6 years ago.I have two 3L, 5L, and an 8L of these pots.(There are also some super heavy cast iron skillets that I highly recommend.) They are truly top quality, and are of similar clad construction to allclad.The extra bonus is that they are very stylish.I won't lie... I am willing to pay extra for style with substance.

They also form a mighty impressive display on my potrack ;-)

here is what's good about this cast iron skillet:

1)very sturdy, very manly, very well mounted,polish steel handle, stays very very cool to the touch even on high heat, even the closes part of the handle near the skillet is a bit warm but not very hot to burn you.

2) black enamel coating in and out, unlike true cast iron pans, these resist rust and if you get them wet and forget to clean and dry them right away the enamel coating prevents rust from starting.

3) cast iron is very heavy, the designer thought of reducing the weight by making the side walls of the pan thin to reduce the weight. unlike the kind from lodges the wall of those pans are thick and adds to the weight.

4) the base of the pan is extra thick, thicker than ordinary cast iron pans from lodges. This pan sits flat and so thick it won't warp over constant heat and cooling every time you use it.

5) this pan is not made in china. would be foolish to buy a pan for $140 and made in china. made in netherlands to somewhat justify the hefty price.

6) if you take care of the enamel then this should last a very long time. nothing cheap about this pan's handle and manufacturing process and technique. However cast iron material cookware is cheaper than stainless steel.

7) if you are looking at other cast iron enamel fry pan this is the best one. better than le creuset or other china made le cruset style cast iron skillets.

8) the side wall are flared out at a wider angle so easier to accommodate cooking utensils such as thongs without accidentally burning your hands on the rim of the skillet.

what I don'tlike about this pan

1)only comes in black but that is minor and just a preference

2) the inside flat part could be 1/4" smaller in diameter than a regular 10" skillet. 2 pieces of center cut pork chop would be a tight fit, can be cooked pan fryed but the 2 pieces of meat would be touching each other.

3) Cast iron cookware is cheap, so why so much as $140, would be nice if it is priced below $100. This make it the most expensive cast iron fry pan I ever came across.

4) very heavy and enormous long handle size. This is not a negative, this is the only way the pan's handle can stay cool to the touch from cast iron heat retention properties. I can only imagine women that are around 110 pounds would probably hurt their wrist if held the pan and lift it with one hand. I am a 200lb male and I use 2 hands to carry this thing. but can use 1 hand on the stove if needed to turn the pan so handle faces another direction. amazingly cool handle from a cast iron pan! this pan has the best heat stability, even cooking, and heat retention due to it's hefty weight. but very heavy. itsa good thing the walls are thin otherwise it be more heavy.

5) sometimes if you shop around, new or vintage, for a true cast iron skillet, you can find older cast iron pans with smooth cooking surface and commonly newer ones with bumpy rough cooking surface. I prefer the smoother surface. This pan is enamel coated but it has a rough surface not the smooth kind. I wonder if it still can be just as good of nonstick of a smooth cast iron pan if properly oiled and heated.

Buy iittala Dahlstrom Collection Now

My dad has a pot like this and we love borrowing it.When I saw this available, we bought it, even though it is pricey.But when I opened the box, the first thing I saw was a sticker on the box saying it's made in South Korea.Nothing against Koreans, but if I am going to buy a European product at European prices, I expect it to be made in FInland like my dad's pot, not at some cut rate supplier price.The quality of the product even looks "cheaper" than the one my dad has, and his is well used already and still looks 1000 time better.I returned it right away!

Read Best Reviews of iittala Dahlstrom Collection Here

Aesthetically, the Dahlstrom fry pan is a thing of beauty. I had read about it and saw it on Amazon. I had to have it! I ordered it knowing full well that it weighed a ton and so when it arrived I was not surprised by the sheer heft of it. So be warned, this pan is not for anyone who might have problems lifting a pan that's almost 6 1/2lbs.

As to its ability to heat up and do the job of frying, it's right up there with my trusty 20 year-old Lodge cast iron skillet. No complaints and the over-length handle is a real asset compared to the short stubby handles seen on most cast iron skillets. So that's the good news. Now the bad. And it all revolves around that handle.I expected it to be attached by rivets. It is not. Instead there are two screws that attach the handle to the frying surface. And those screws are my problem. After a very short time they became loose and the handle became wobbly. I've tried re-tightening the screws a number of time but I can't seem to make them secure.I believe that this is a design fault. Or perhaps, I just got a very heavy lemon from Scandinavia.

Want iittala Dahlstrom Collection Discount?

This item (iittala Dahlstrom 10-1/2-Inch x 9-Inch x 2-Inch Oven Pan) is smaller than another (iittala Dahlstrom 13-Inch x 12-1/2-Inch x 2-Inch Oven Pan).

But this item is more expensive than another.

I think that this item's price is wrong. (Actually the price is different on other sites)

I wanna buy smaller one.

Please check the price and correct it!!