Lodge has made this puppy for a million years. The great thing about cast iron is that you can get it smokin' hot to sear a steak or a piece of fish. Then you can flip it over and make pancakes or eggs for a bunch of friends. It used to be that you had to season cast iron before you used it. Now Lodge is doing the first seasoning for you so that you can use it the day you buy it. That sure makes cast iron a lot more fun to use.