I love my deep cast iron skillet that I paid $40 at a antique/junk shop---I know that sounds high but I haven't found anything like it---it's the only thing that I use to make my gumbo roux in---it's fantastic and I only wished that it didn't weigh so much so that I could pack it in my suitcase to Kazahstan. Roux and cast iron skillets go together.

When I was in the Navy we cooked on steel cooktops, and the food didn't stick. I wasn't a cook, but one of the grunts that helped cook. But they didn't have any fancy cookware, and made a lot of food for us. I think it has to do with how they seasoned the grills much like we do with cast iron cookware.

Have you tried to cook eggs in the cast iron cookware? I'm thinking of something like an omelet, sunny side up or over easy that would normally stick to pans without non-stick coatings or a lot of oil. That would be a good test of your seasoning skills.

Pack the cast iron skillet in a box twice the size of the skillet and it won't feel so heavy. Really. Try it.

Old Bay,

I will certainly give that a try as we have tons of boxes around here--I sure did miss old Ironsides overseas----made a batch of cornbread in her the other evening. Heavenly, and I leave this Saturday to go back.

Hope your travel goes well, and take the cast iron with you. Keep in touch with us here.

I guarantee you that if you put that 12" skillet in a 16" x 16" x 12" box packed with cornstarch peanuts that the box won't feel as heavy as the skillet alone does. Can't really explain why as it does weigh more, but feels like less. I think Isaac Newton would say it has something to do with density of matter.