Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are many combo grill/griddles on the market at a much higher price. None, however, perform like this one, IF properly seasoned. All cast iron cookware, WHEN properly seasoned, in my opinion, are essential weapons in the kitchen. The comments critical of the reversible sides and the effect of heat on the griddle down (or grill down) entirely miss the point. Cast iron is seasoned with oil, fat, etc. All are hydrocarbons. As oil on the cast iron is heated, the hydrogen molecules crack off, leaving a carbon residue. Carbon is an excellent heat conductor, and is the perfect non-stick surface. Over the years, this carbon residue builds up to form a perfectlhy smooth surface, that is a better non-stick than Calphalon II, and you can use a knife on it without damaging the surface. The only problem is that developing this carbon surface takes time. Not simply one seasoning session in the oven, as suggested by the Lodge literature. But everyone who knows about the benefits of seasoned cast iron, immediately recognize that the Lodge recipe of seasoning is bull. You must have patience, and the best will come. Your best bet is to get your grand mother's cast iron skillet. It will be black, smooth, indestructible, and cheap. If that is not possible, get a Lodge, and invest a few years with the seasoning process. Fortunately, the stuff works pretty well after the initial oil and bake routine. But to get the smooth carbon finsish, you must have patience. Season it. Cook fatty meats in it. Always wash it with a soft cloth and soap. Oil it with shortening. Bake it. Whatever. But in a year you will have what I consider the first essential item in any kitchen. The above comment addressed cast iron in general. My grand mother did not have a grill/griddle combo, on so I had to season this myself. Unlike the negative comments, I found that the reversable side feature, actually speeded up the seasoning process. My grill side, after only a few weeks of griddle use, looks and cooks like my grand mother's old skillets. We don't even take this baby off the stove. From pork chops to salmon, and KC strips to vegies, the grill side is used daily. Burgers and crab cakes are done on the smooth griddle side. For pancakes, however, we still use a non sexy electic Farberware griddle that I once bought for a hunting trip.