Bayou Classic 7441 1-qt Covered Cast Iron Sauce Pot Features Self Basting Lid Perfect For Small Portions Reducing Sauces Simmering Soups or Boiling an Egg

TALK ABOUT PERFECT!!!I got this to replace the toxic aluminum paint whatever plastic chemical trash rice cooker that I had been using for years, somehow not thinking about how gross… until I recently watched a very long and informative video by Dr. Rhonda Patrick on YouTube (FoundMyFitness) about microplastics and just like that, my original inherent abhorrence for plastics came flooding back in full force… now listen, I know as well as the next outdoorsman, that there is (nearly) no way around this (some exceptions but they’re a bit extreme for average people these days) when it comes to certain products, like extreme cold gear… most gear in general, synthetics are far superior for a slew of reasons (imho)… but when it comes to the things you cook with and eat from… the things you wear, the things you clean your body and mouth with, what you walk in, work in… what you sleep in… man, it was just time to invest in some products that will keep me healthy and happy, that will last a lifetime, that feed the soul as well as the body… this small cast iron sauce/soup or in my case, rice pot, with cast iron lid, is just about exactly the same size as the trash I gladly just placed in the “sell box.” (Don’t worry I’m not ripping anyone off, I like to bulk up items and sell them all for a flat rate, cheap-as-dirt, to help someone else acquire a lot of items they need and get a little bit of cash in my pocket for the time/effort. This time it’s kitchenwares.) It makes about 2-4 servings of rice depending what you consider a serving. I usually split the rice between 2 adults, it’s plenty with meat and veggies. This pot appears to be great quality. I’m not new to cast iron but still appreciated the care, cleaning and use instructions they provided. Nice to have any knowledge at all on paper these days. I kept that with the rest. I haven’t used it yet, just gave it a quick (very light soap because no telling where it’s been… rinse and dry.) I will be seasoning it to my liking along with the rest of my collection. So glad I snagged this!!!

good product

I'm new to the world of cast iron cookware, but this is my 7th piece that I now have in my kitchen. I bought this Bayou Classic 1 quart saucepan specifically to cook my oatmeal that I have for breakfast pretty much every day. I've been using this for about a week, and it just keeps on getting better. I wash it immediately after using it and then season it every day because it's so new. The oats come right out of this saucepan after boiling for a few minutes without any scraping of any type required, and it cleans up easily with a regular kitchen sponge. Due to my seasoning efforts, the release of the oats from the saucepan and also the cleanup after is just getting better and better, which is what I expected.The saucepan was delivered in more serviceable condition than my 3 pieces of Lodge cast iron cookware! My Lodge cookware had a very rough texture inside that made me decide to sand it down and start over with the seasoning from scratch. No way could I fry an egg using that stuff as delivered. But this Bayou Classic saucepan has a fairly smooth texture inside. I'll call it "the most usable piece of cast iron cookware upon delivery out of 7 pieces so far."As far as the seasoning is concerned, I would HIGHLY recommend that you run the saucepan through the oven DRY before doing anything else with it. The reason is because the seasoning feels just a bit soft, as though it's not fully polymerized or something. I personally did a partial sand down upon delivery using 60 grit sandpaper, and the seasoning clogged the sandpaper instead of ending up becoming a dry powder. I believe that this sanding effort was unnecessary, but I did it anyhow. I sanded it down maybe about 50%, and then I ran it through the oven at 500 degrees F to harden up whatever seasoning remained, which worked out just fine. Then I seasoned it with very thin layers of oil once or twice (I can't remember because I seasoned some other cookware with it), and then I started using it with zero problems and no looking back. For the record, I use canola oil because it has a high smoke point at 425 F, and is why I season my cookware at 500 F.I constantly see people asking the question: "Is it seasoned and ready for use...???" The answer that I believe in is: "You have to continue seasoning cast iron cookware for the rest of your life, and new cookware needs to be seasoned very frequently in the early stages with many thin layers until the seasoning is (1) thick, (2) hard, and (3) smooth." So, the REAL answer to that question is: "Just stick with traditional nonstick cookware because cast iron cookware requires constant maintenance especially in the early stages, which makes that question sound like you want something that's 'wash-n-go' instead of what cast iron cookware ownership truly is."Sorry if that statement is rude and blunt, but the question is silly. I can cook stuff after only one or two layers of seasoning after being sanded down to bear metal. The thing that's more important than "pre-seasoned at the factory" is "sanded smooth at the factory." This Bayou Classic saucepan is what I'd call smooth enough to begin using right out of the box...once the factory seasoning has been hardened up by a trip through the oven.-Brian

Love it perfect fit

So a few things: If you are just learning how to use cast iron, Bayou Classic is always a good choice because of their form factor and their lack of expense. They tend to be heavier than other brands, but that's not a bad thing. Honestly this was a perfect piece to add to my little collection, but right out of the box it definitely needed a little bit of work. Bayou Classic pieces are great, but they tend to come with a tacky, almost sticky pre-seasoning that has a slightly rancid/oily smell to it. While they are fine to use with a good scrub and a quick seasoning cycle in the oven, what I've found across all of their products is that it's worth your time to scour off the pre-seasoning on the interior of the pot and then put at least three layers of your own using grapeseed oil. Of course, you don't absolutely have to do that, but if you happen to dislike the sicky, slightly smelly pre-seasoning, be prepared to put a bit of elbow grease into this piece.

I like the pot, but I was a bit turned off with how filthy the packaging it was sitting in was. There was a sticky residue on the inside of the pan as well – definitely did not look or feel like normal “seasoning.“ Plain and simple, it was dirty. There was a lot of dust and dirt caked on whatever the sticky stuff was. It got a good washing.

Item came as described.

Solid quality and turns out to be just the right size for my XL BGE to render down fat trimmings for briskets I’m smoking. Quality similar to lodge and the seasoning is good right out of the box (light cleaning) highly reccomend