76% of 122 verified owners recommend the Lodge Blacklock 12 Inch Skillet, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
“the lighter weight, redesigned handle with the triple pre-seasoning doesn't seem to me to be worth the over double cost”
“I love my Blacklock. It’s surface is smoother than the rest of the Lodge line, and I’ve never had anything stick.”
“Great skillet, stupid handle”
“Beautiful piece of cast Iron!”
“I'd recommend the regular Lodge because it's cheaper, more durable, and will retain heat a lot longer than the thin Blacklock.”
“But Lodge is a good process towards this direction.”
“I dont like the one you un boxed. Why fix whats not broken. Ill stay with my classic lodge skillets i have”
“Ive bought one new cast iron pan and it was a lodge. I've had it 15 years.”
“Got a brand new Lodge Blacklock today and was desperate to try this! I topped mine with prawns and onions as its all I had, worked out really well!”
“consider the weak point which is the redesigned handle. It may be for lessening heat transfer but I see that as a break point”
“I just bought the 10" Blacklock because I preferred it so much over the regular.”
“Had the flaking (inexcusable if you ask me), so I stripped with yellow cap, and started over. Looks less ‘perfect’ than the spray tan they give it, but performs great.”
“As soon as I picked one up I didn't like the feel of the handle.”
“still performs just as well as the classic Lodge my mom has”
“On one hand I got it for a good discount and it’s still $100+ cheaper than Field, Stargazer, etc.. On the other you’re correct about the need for higher quality control on their premium cookware.”
“I would just play it safe and get the traditional.”
“Lodge is the best bang for my buck.”
“I have the same one and it's the one I use the most. The triple seasoning will not last, that's normal. Only complaint is the handle. It is not very comfortable.”
“It's great for I'll call light weight cooking like bacon and eggs. It's too thin to fry chicken. Or I did it wrong. My chicken burned. I really like mine.”
“I prefer my Field #10 over Lodge.”
“Nothing stuck since the beginning and the Blacklock skillet became our go-to skillet”
“Is it just me or does it look like that handle is gonna snap off”
“I actually like my blacklock because it heats fast and cools fast for steak.”
“I don't really consider this a flaw, just a character mark of rough iron. Other than that, there are no flaws that I can see.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
“I have a Griswold 9,7,5,3 which she uses, but I just got the Lodge Blacklock 12 and 14.5 inch skillets because we needed something bigger, but with helper handles.”
“I saw a Blacklock at a store the other day, it’s significantly lighter than a regular Lodge. The other big difference is the sides: it’s shaped like an omelette pan with curvy sides”
“Use your favorite high smoke point oil (people endlessly argue about this. Better use what you have on hand that's cheap). Bake right at the smoke point until it well is smoking, not burning.”
“Satisfying the cravings of your partner—while she is creating life—in the wee hours is the noblest way to christen your new pan. You have elevated it from a potential heirloom to a holy relic.”
“Not op, but last time I did this, I just used Lodge 's jalapeno corn bread recipe and it worked great in my 12". They called for a wedge pan, but it still worked fine.”
“It is my first Blacklock. The weight difference is notable. It looks like its previous owners used it once or twice, so the original seasoning is still there. I will probably give it a go today.”
“The blemishes look like where sand in the mold might have clumped together. They don't look concerning to me. I have a 90 y/old Griswold with a large dimple in the bottom and its still trucking.”
“Want to know about this one too. Just bought one from S.Pittsburg week ago had a couple small imperfections. Wondering if they're all like this super cool skillet tho”
“For the most part they were sliding I did have a little bit stick it’s a new pan. No It’s a week old I didn’t season it I just washed it when I got it and been cooking with it No I hope that helps”
“I didn’t not. I did handle a pan in the store and it was lighter, slides slightly slopes. I figure since there’s less mass, it wouldn’t retain heat for as long but would be plenty good for cooking.”
“Yeah. Smooth isn’t more non stick. It’s easier to clean and has a better feel when using a thin metal spatula. Sticking has lots to do with heat control as well.”
“Lighter weight. Thinner walls. Somewhat smoother finish out of the box, handle design is different (supposed to help slow getting hot), it comes triple seasoned.”
“And went so far as to smooth the interior to create a radial pattern on the bottom surface to vaguely evoke the mill marks of some vintage cast iron skillets.”
“That is surprising. I make 18 egg frittatas in my lodge 12 and it almost spills over every time. I didn’t think the non-egg component was 30 eggs of volume.”
“That's not damage, it just needs a good scrub. Use soap and a scrubby pad, then follow the instructions in the FAQ if you want to get fancy seasoning it.”
“Otherwise known as the bullshit you have to deal with. And as if the alternative to cast iron is a temporary flaky non-stick pan instead of stainless steel, that will last you decades, if not your whole life.”
“One thing the textured pans do better is accept seasoning - I’ve read that’s why Lodge makes theirs as such. Modern manufacturers have to cut costs somewhere and you’re not buying a $30 smooth skillet or pan.”
“The handle and helper cover don’t work well with the Blacklock. They fit my other lodge perfectly. I would say the spout is the same as my other lodge.”
“Thanks! I use a paint strip disc rather than sandpaper. The disc is attached to a drill and I just remove the factory seasoning while smoothing out.”
“I also have a 12” - curious what practical uses you have for the 11”…do you just sub it in as a back-up, or reach for it for specific applications?”
“Probably not worth all that time and effort to get a "look"; just use it and cook! Did the pioneers have angle grinders or emery cloth to do that??”
“But do they slide? Can you flip it with one hand and catch it all back in there? These are the relevant questions for this sub. Also, what is your seasoning process? Are you worried about those pits in the handle?”
“Thanks, I really hope so. Nothing would bring me more joy than to one day have kids who love cooking and pass it down. Give it a while though!”
“I have only been able to find those handles on Lodge pieces purchased from target! Is there any other place to buy the good silicon handles?”