Read First Before Buy Lodge Logic LGPR3 Pre Seasoned Cast Iron
I really cannot find any down side to this grill/pan press. It is precisely as advertized, does the job I bought if for, is attractive and the thing will last far, far beyond my lifetime. This is the third press of this sort I own; all by lodge.
The grill press being reviewed here is seven inches in diameter. The working side (the bottom) is completely flat as a good grill press should be. This one of course is round and I purchased it to use with two specific pans...both being round. Of course I use this press on our flat square grill also, as well as the gas grill on the porch.
Traditionally, I suppose, these are made to make your bacon flat. Curled-bacon is a pain, cooks uneven and well, just looks unsightly...especially if you have an obsessive sort of personality. Be that as it may, this little thing does indeed give me perfectly flat bacon. I also use it on hamburgers, ham steaks, grilled sandwiches and anything else that needs a bit of pressure. When I grill particularly thing cuts of meat (pork in particular) on the grill, I often times find the edges curling. This thing puts a stop to that.
This product does require some slight assembly on the buyer's part. We are talking putting two screws, two washers and two hex nuts into place. This is not high tech stuff folks; a small pliers or crescent wrench and a small screwdriver is all you need and the procedure takes about three minutes. I do believe this is the only product I have ever purchased which required "some" self assembly where I did not have parts left over; I mean I am the sort of guy who can purchase an anvil to set on my work stump near the barn and have something left over...it is pathetic.
This particular piece is of course cast iron which means that if you take care of it properly they will still be using the thing six generations from now. DO NOT put this into the dishwasher. I use a lot of cast iron cook wear and trust me; keeping it clean and healthy is not a great chore. You simply wash it off with hot water and a non abrasive scrubber (I never use any sort of detergent on mine), let it dry thoroughly and apply a light coat of veggie oil. It does not take much oil and the procedure is quick. As to the complaint that the screws in this device will "collect dirt," I have not found this to be the case at all. It is no more difficult to keep clean than any other piece of cook wear and if you should happen to miss a speck or two of grease, the heat during the next you use it to cook with will pretty well kill any grunky that may be lurking there.
The top of this press has been hammered and forged with a nice "hammered" looking finish which makes it look like a good cast iron piece should look after years of use...you get a head start on the process!
Now a word about the "Cool Grip" spiral handle: This handle is made of metal. If you were not sleeping through Jr. High science class, you will know that metal conducts heat. Yes, this handle does get hot, especially it you use it on your open gas grill and it is advisable to use some sort of heating pad (I like gloves) when you lift the thing off the pan or grill. The handle will not get as hot as the actual press, but hot it will get!
I have no complaints as to this product; only praise. Like another reviewer there though, I do wish that Lodge would make presses to fit all of the different size pans they offer. This would be of great help.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
Not much more to say. You can also use it for keeping split chicken flat etc. I like it. It does what it says it is going to do.
BalasHapusThis is a good product - heavy weight, but easy to use. This really keeps the bacon flat and the cooking time is reduced. It cleans up easily with hot water. I always rub a little cooking oil on it after I wash and dry it. I was worried that the handle may get hot during use, but it is very comfortable to the touch.
BalasHapusI really cannot find any down side to this grill/pan press. It is precisely as advertized, does the job I bought if for, is attractive and the thing will last far, far beyond my lifetime. This is the third press of this sort I own; all by lodge.
BalasHapusThe grill press being reviewed here is seven inches in diameter. The working side (the bottom) is completely flat as a good grill press should be. This one of course is round and I purchased it to use with two specific pans...both being round. Of course I use this press on our flat square grill also, as well as the gas grill on the porch.
Traditionally, I suppose, these are made to make your bacon flat. Curled-bacon is a pain, cooks uneven and well, just looks unsightly...especially if you have an obsessive sort of personality. Be that as it may, this little thing does indeed give me perfectly flat bacon. I also use it on hamburgers, ham steaks, grilled sandwiches and anything else that needs a bit of pressure. When I grill particularly thing cuts of meat (pork in particular) on the grill, I often times find the edges curling. This thing puts a stop to that.
This product does require some slight assembly on the buyer's part. We are talking putting two screws, two washers and two hex nuts into place. This is not high tech stuff folks; a small pliers or crescent wrench and a small screwdriver is all you need and the procedure takes about three minutes. I do believe this is the only product I have ever purchased which required "some" self assembly where I did not have parts left over; I mean I am the sort of guy who can purchase an anvil to set on my work stump near the barn and have something left over...it is pathetic.
This particular piece is of course cast iron which means that if you take care of it properly they will still be using the thing six generations from now. DO NOT put this into the dishwasher. I use a lot of cast iron cook wear and trust me; keeping it clean and healthy is not a great chore. You simply wash it off with hot water and a non abrasive scrubber (I never use any sort of detergent on mine), let it dry thoroughly and apply a light coat of veggie oil. It does not take much oil and the procedure is quick. As to the complaint that the screws in this device will "collect dirt," I have not found this to be the case at all. It is no more difficult to keep clean than any other piece of cook wear and if you should happen to miss a speck or two of grease, the heat during the next you use it to cook with will pretty well kill any grunky that may be lurking there.
The top of this press has been hammered and forged with a nice "hammered" looking finish which makes it look like a good cast iron piece should look after years of use...you get a head start on the process!
Now a word about the "Cool Grip" spiral handle: This handle is made of metal. If you were not sleeping through Jr. High science class, you will know that metal conducts heat. Yes, this handle does get hot, especially it you use it on your open gas grill and it is advisable to use some sort of heating pad (I like gloves) when you lift the thing off the pan or grill. The handle will not get as hot as the actual press, but hot it will get!
I have no complaints as to this product; only praise. Like another reviewer there though, I do wish that Lodge would make presses to fit all of the different size pans they offer. This would be of great help.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
We're vegetarians so I can't speak to its meat-cooking qualities, but it's great for making paninis and grilled cheese! It doesn't entirely fit (as in touch the bottom) in our 8-inch Lodge cast-iron pan, but of course fits into the 10 and 12-inchers. Very high quality and can't beat the free shipping. There is also a rectangle-shaped Lodge grill press elsewhere on this site.
BalasHapusA great addition to my kitchen, this grill press is heavy enough to work as advertised, but small enough to handle easily. Works MUCh better than the foil-covered brick I've been using!
BalasHapusDoes a great job as a medium heavy press. Just remember to preheat and you won't have to flip!
BalasHapusEverything I expected. Heavy, functional. The review about difficult assembly made me a little hesitant before purchasing; however, assembling the handle can be accomplished easily in less than a minute. I've even used it like a paperweight on some "almost permenantly rolled up" newspapers to help them lie flat. Still, its best use is for the really thick slices of bacon that come from the local butcher, as intended. Cast iron is a great cooking tool as far as I'm concerned.
BalasHapusThis is a wonderful product. It helps with sausage, bacon, burgers, chicken, chops, and anything you can imagine. Except for the stripes, it would be fine for panini too.
BalasHapus
BalasHapusThis is something that had been on my wish list for a while. I had not used one before but I liked the concept. Finally got one for my birthday a couple of years ago, and this has grown into one of my favorite tools. For bacon, nothing is better. I cook up 5 pounds at a time and freeze in 4-slice packs, and this little beauty makes the cooking process easy. Nice flat pieces that are great for that after-work BLT. Works great for panini and is definitely cheaper and easier to use than a specialized machine that does the same job for 5 times the price.
BalasHapusThis is a real low-tech old school way of cooking that proves over and over again why its still so popular.