Numbers stamped onto pans often refer to the corresponding numbered eye of a wood-burning stove. Lodge is the brand most associate with cast iron, and the company is the only American brand in operation since the 1800s.
Cast iron Dutch ovens with lids may cost (and weigh!) a bit more than regular cast iron skillets.
Cast iron is often passed down from generation to generation (if you are so lucky).
You’ve heard the addage, ‘do not put all your eggs in one basket’? What about all your cast iron in one wheelbarrow? Do not let a little rust scare you away from purchasing a vintage cast iron pan.
It can be removed and the pan reseasoned to be perfectly functional.