Over the years I found a few big ones, like 12 inch, that somebody let get too hot too long and the bottom warped outward. So they throw it out. That's also fixable but you have to be careful. Get it pretty hot, take it outside, turn it upside down and gently hammer it flat with a two-by-four between it and the hammer.
You could make your own GF sourdough starter or this company (the brand, not the selling site) seems to be spoken well of (have never used them in general and I"m not GF) https://shop.culturesforhealth.com/...MIlOOlooe98QIVmwaICR0OPQvdEAQYAiABEgLz3PD_BwE
Have you considered using carbon steel pans? They have some similar properties to cast iron, but weigh much less.
+1 on carbon steel. Since getting one I gave up on most iron pans except for the comal for quesadillas and the dutch oven for bread. Mostly because I have not bought steel replacement pans. Yet!
Most mornings I fry three sunny side up eggs in a cast iron Lodge skillet. I cook burgers and bacon and other things in it too, but not every day.
You must tell me by what magical incantation you are able to do this! Every time I've ever tried to fry an egg in cast iron, it's been a stuck on disaster. (Thus, I use ceramic coated for eggs.)
Highly seasoned cast iron pan, near searing hot, with an amount of your favorite oil/butter/ghee/lard/bacon grease. I keep bacon grease for this very purpose. Crack egg on side of pan, let the golden & clear treasure hit the near searing hot surface.....~60-90 seconds I flip (edges getting crispy)....I like them over easy. I also lightly season with salt/pepper sometimes, sometimes it's just Tabasco sauce. Cast iron pans are awesome this way for keto diet.... Start to eating is ~8-9 minutes on our gas stove top with a 10" pan, most of that waiting for the pan to get hot. If you try to do this as the pan warms up....it'll stick to the pan like JB Weld.
One little trick….rinse your hand under light running water, shake off excess into sink. Then spritz the pan, by flinging your fingers at it, from a distance. If the water immediately dances/sizzles, the pan is hot enough. Whatever oil/grease you are using, just a good damp shiny coating, not a depth.
I don't get my pan screaming hot for eggs. I heat it on low medium for at least a few minutes while I get everything out before cooking. I use just a drop of oil and on my well seasoned pan, eggs are no problem. They are also super easy on carbon steel as long as you pre-heat it as well.
Dale is right....searing hot, screaming hot....relative terms to each one's stove/pan/oil combination. Our natural gas stove top, set to 3/4 'high', along with 3-4 minutes using a 10" Lodge pan is enough to get the water dancing, and I'm starting to crack eggs. Once the eggs are sizzling, I drop the knob setting to 1/2. Another super helpful tool is a metal spatula, with a rather keen/beveled edge. If the egg sticks, it's pretty easy to scrape it (clean) to the metal surface, and it usually doesn't stick anymore.
I use a lid with my skillet. I have a gas range. I fire it up on full heat. Quickly before it gets hot, I crack my three eggs into there and put the cast iron lid on. I think this procedure my be easier to replicate and standardize and fine tune, if the eggs go into a cold skillet. About 20 seconds after I hear it start to sizzle, I shut off the gas and then I wait another minute. I use a metal spatula, or whatever the proper name is for the thing that everyone calls a spatula, and after I get the eggs out I scrape the surface of the skillet with the spatula under a layer of liquid bacon oil just to make sure that it stays smooth. Bacon grease is what I use to lubricate the skillet. The bacon oil stays liquid at room temperature. I don't clean the grease out of my skillet unless the grease gets dirty from burgers or other things. Eventually the eggs will use up all the grease and that's when I fry more bacon. The actual carbonized surface of the skillet is relatively non stick as long as you don't burn it. One of the things that I really like about cast iron, is that if you do happen to ruin the nonstick surface, you can put it back on again. I always thought "the Teflon Don" was a good name for John Gotti because nothing is stickier than worn out teflon.
For eggs I preheat at medium-high, add about a teaspoon of avocado oil and a pad of butter (I eat Keto). When the butter stops foaming I break my eggs into the pan then reduce heat to just above medium. Flip the eggs when the edges start to crisp. I use a slotted metal spatula that I believe is commonly referred to as a fish turner. The eggs usually slide around the pan with no resistance. This is what works for me. Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk
Well, I hope you enablers are happy. I just ordered a set of 2 Lodge Cast Iron Skillets (10" & 12"). We have some ceramic non-stick pans that aren't as non-stick as we'd like, so it's time to replace them. OK, that's only part of the reason. I am finding that I love cooking on the cast iron. The old pans still have some life in them, so we will donate them.
Lol life is about experiencing it all. Money only is good when you’re alive. Those pans will give you more years of good meals.
