Look, we’ve no time to waste—it’s already mid-February, and you haven’t made good on your New Year’s resolution to finally pick up a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven and learn how to use it. Now, you’re probably having one of two responses: Either you’re hanging your head in shame, thinking, He’s right, I did fail myself, or you’re thinking, Hey, what’s he talking about? I was never thinking about cast iron! Well, you are now, buddy! And that’s how inception works.
Cast iron cooking is timeless. Occasionally, people still question whether it’s still worth it, but the answer is always yes. Ultra perfect sear on your steak? Low and slow roast on some delicious chicken? Skillet pizza? Virtually anything is possible with cast iron. I mean, look, it’s literally a slab of metal that you get hella hot and cook food on—what’s not to like? Sure, there’s plenty of talk about how to properly season your skillet, and it can be overwhelming. (If only there were a video with almost 8 million views about how to season and restore cast iron….) But people have been cooking in cast iron since like the 5th century B.C., and none of them had YouTube videos, so you really have no excuse for 2024 not to be your year.
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Why now? Well, in case you aren’t an office worker savoring any excuse for a day off a patriot, let me fill you in on a little secret: Presidents Day is coming up, and sales abound. We’ve spelunked through the best cookware deals on Amazon and found that legendary cast iron brand Lodge has some of its dankest goods on sale right now. For one, the 10.25-inch cast iron pre-seasoned skillet is freaking 42% off, meaning you can enter the world of cooking like Ina Garten and Guy Fieri for the price of seeing Poor Things at a nice theater (which you still should do). Or, if you still fear the skillet (or simply don’t need one, because you’re still in soup mode), go the more manageable (but equally versatile) route with the 6-quart enameled Dutch oven. It’s 40% off right now, and your future self—we talked to them, and they’re dying for some chili and fresh sourdough—will thank you.
If you’re truly a baller and want to flex on all your homies with a perfectly seared steak sandwich on house-made bread (or a gumbo and some cornbread), get both of these suckers.
Presidents Day? Naw—this is your day, baby. Give us a call when that steak sandwich is ready.
Buy the Lodge cast iron skillet and/or the 6-quart Dutch oven on Amazon.
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.
