My New Finex CI Skillet

Finex is a new Northwest company who did a Kickstarter to get going.  I bought in and was part of the first run of 185 skillets, all cast, machined, seasoned and assembled in Portland OR.  The original ship date was before Christmas, obviously that didn't happen...lol...but they persevered and yesterday, my brand new Made In USA Cast Iron skillet arrived! 
 
 
Nice packaging with the burlap bag.  Down the road, maybe Finex could get the bags printed with their logo.  That would be cool.  I know they were just pushing to get the skillets out asap.  The included a super-thin flexible turner, which worked good for the eggs. 


 
Close ups, you can see the milling on the bottom, the spiral handle worked good to keep cool while on the stovetop and




 
First Meal- Breakfast!  There were some bits stuck to the bottom of the pan when I took out the cooked spuds, bits of potato and some seasonings (Mrs. Dash and some CrazyGood green chile dust).  I wiped out the pan with a wet towel, it didn't totally clean the pan, but I thought it was enough to cook the eggs with a bit of butter.  The eggs stuck a bit to the edge (my burner isn't level so the eggs tend to go to one side rather than stay in the middle of the pan.) but I was able to get them over easy-medium without breaking.  And the eggs did have a bit of grey on them, not sure if it was leftovers of the spuds and seasonings or from the pan.  I didn't wash the pan prior to the first cook, just wiped it out with a wet cloth and stuck the potatoes in there with some coconut oil.




 
 
Can I get a bump please?  More Pics to come! 
 
 
 

OHHHHH MY GAAAWWWDDDDD!!!!!

That thing is beautiful! I have recommended that pan to several people but you actually got it!

Congrats SL!!!

Thanks, Scovie!
 
Yep, I got one.  The price for the Kickstarter was about $185, which is a lot for a skillet, and I'm not sure what their final price will be.  I ponied up for it, partly to help out a new business that I though had a great idea and was going to make a much needed item.  They were originally looking for about 180 backers and I think they got something like 500 backers!!!  WOW!  That definitely says that people are ready and looking for good cast iron!
 
Nothing on the market now compares to the quality of the cast.  The mirror smooth bottom is unlike anything I've seen in newer CI.  All the new stuff I've seen is rough and pitted.  The only smooth bottom pans I had were my old CI.  
 
Anyway, here's a couple more cooks-
 
Grilled Ham & Cheese Sammy-
I like to heat upt eh ham a bit before adding to the Sammy which always leaves crud in the pan.  For this one, I swiped the hot pan with a wet paper towel to get most of the bits up. It was enough to let the Sammy cook to a nice golden brown without any of the black bits from the ham.  (You have to be careful swiping with a wet towel as the steam can seriously burn you.)


 
Next up started out to be for chili, then decided to make a Shepherd's Pie thing instead.  I fried the burger, no sticking to the bottom, added the onion and celery, got it all Happy-Happy, added about 1/2 cup of beef broth, then topped with Smashed Taters (spuds, s&p, parm cheese, butter).  Baked it in the over 350F for about 40 minutes until the 'Taters started to get brown around the edges.  Topped with some cheddar, hit it under the broiler until bubbly and DONE!




 
Dinner with a couple drizzles of Sauce Goddess's Sweet Red Devil Sauce.

 
There's some potatoes baked onto the edges of the pan, which are not smooth like the bottom, and there's some beef bits baked onto the bottom.  I probably should of had a bit more broth, it got a bit dry which left some stuff baked on the bottom.  Everythign came out of the pan just fine except for the stuff on the bottom.  I soaked the pan with some hot water, but the dish brush wasn't enough to get all the stuff off the bottom   I had to use a Scotch Brite scrubber pad (NO Detergent!!!) and that works just fine.  Didn't really need to scrub hard at all, just needed that finer abrasion of the green pad vs the dish brush. 
 



 
All in all, I'm very happy with the Finex skillet.  There's been a lot of thought and care put into the design and this is the first really revolutionary cast iron product I've seen.  The large spiral handle is easy to grip and stays cool, there's a tab on the opposite side, which I used when lifting the skillet out of the oven, the octagonal shape for pouring, the milled surface, excellent casting.....I'm looking forward to many years of using this pan.
 
Next thing I hope they make is a lid for the skillet.  Tomorrow I want to do a pork roast/stew in the oven and a lit would be nice.....
 
 
 
 
Check 'em out! FinexUSA
 
 
 
 
 
 

Very very nice! If I didn't already have all the cookware I need/want, this would definitely be a purchase to make. I wouldn't even think twice. You're a cooking fool! We'll be there in 15 minutes... Start up the Alfredo! With Capers

Nice. Thanks for showing it in use. Was thinking about picking one up. I have some old cast that works good. I really like the made in the USA part. I know they were talking about making a lid for it. Any news on that? Looks great. Will only get better in time. Thanks for sharing.

Alfredo in CI is probably right up there with eggs for the Ultimate CI cooking challenge.  So that'll have to be the Dish-Du Jour for our next get-together. 
 
 
 
OCD, I haven't heard anything about a lid coming out yet.  I'm sure they've been totally focused on getting this first run done, and now they have a couple hundred more to do for the next set of backers.  Once that is all done, maybe they'll start working on the next project....hopefully it will be a lid! 
 
If they do it right, they can make one lid to fit the skillet, and then make a taller octagon chicken pan and an octagon dutch oven of the same dimensions to all use the same lid. 
 
The new features like the spiral handle and tab on the side are really nice touches.  It's so hard to grip and lift my chicken pan (which I use for things like a pot roast) out of the oven with just the small flat handle. 

salsalady said:

Alfredo in CI is probably right up there with eggs for the Ultimate CI cooking challenge.  So that'll have to be the Dish-Du Jour for our next get-together. 
 
 
 
OCD, I haven't heard anything about a lid coming out yet.  I'm sure they've been totally focused on getting this first run done, and now they have a couple hundred more to do for the next set of backers.  Once that is all done, maybe they'll start working on the next project....hopefully it will be a lid! 
 
If they do it right, they can make one lid to fit the skillet, and then make a taller octagon chicken pan and an octagon dutch oven of the same dimensions to all use the same lid. 
 
The new features like the spiral handle and tab on the side are really nice touches.  It's so hard to grip and lift my chicken pan (which I use for things like a pot roast) out of the oven with just the small flat handle.

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I thought I saw a video with him talking about a lid. Went to the site and they said they are in the works of a lid and would announce first part of the year. Maybe its still in the works. I hope so. Would be a deal breaker for me.The handle is one of the best features for sure. Keep us up to date as it gets seasoned. Thanks SL

I just looked at the website, and it said new orders were to be shipped in March April.  Which correlates to their original shipping date for the first orders of December...which are just now being shipped in Feb/March.  They are 2 months behind their original ship date.   
 
There's always delays when bringing a new product to market.  Finex was really good about sending out progress reports and updates.  One of the updates was about the hydraulic press at the foundry that broke.  It wasn't their press, it belongs to the foundry.  It Broke, not much Finex can do about it but wait until the foundry got it fixed.  Another delay.
 
 
I really hope they do bring out a lid once these first orders are fulfilled.  The response to their Kickstarter was really good, so I hope, that given some time to get everything under control, they will bring out some other products. 

Great post. I love to hear about startups and old school manufacturing - especially in my own backyard. Definitely will check them out, but haven't cooked much on cast iron (I've got a gas range).

hottoddy said:

Great post. I love to hear about startups and old school manufacturing - especially in my own backyard. Definitely will check them out, but haven't cooked much on cast iron (I've got a gas range).

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Gas ranges and CI go together like Apple pie and ice cream. Hotdogs and Baseball. Ken and Barbie. You get the idea.

Go getchu one of these pans!

+++ to CI -n- gas.
 
 
I'm definitely not a gas chef or CI chef/pro by any means!!!! 
 
But I do know cast iron is perfect for gas cooking.  CI has been around for (????)00 years,  the fuels have been- 
animal dung fires
wood fires
coal fires
coal/wood stoves
gas flame stoves
and eventually....electric burners....
 
 
Cast Iron cookware has been the staple of open flame cooking for centuries.  The funky part is with the advent of electric burners and the lack of open flame cooking....I think cast iron manufacturers sold out. 
 
My neighbors do back country horseback pack trips and one of their staples is cast iron campfire cooking. 

Awesome cast iron there SL.
 
Pretty impressive on the egg cooking for a brandy new cast iron.
 
The fine bottom will certainly facilitate easier seasoning with no pits or uneven bumps to fill in.
 
Love the handle on that 'thang too.
 
Smart!

Nice review, SL. I love, love, love seeing that in-depth sort of thing!

I remember this Kickstarter! This thing caught my eye.

Nice testing.

salsalady said:

Cast Iron cookware has been the staple of open flame cooking for centuries.  The funky part is with the advent of electric burners and the lack of open flame cooking....I think cast iron manufacturers sold out. 
 
 

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All I have at home is electric and I use a bunch of CI. Works just fine. One of these days I'll end up with a Finex. I saw them on Kickstarter and thought they were great, but a bit expensive.
 
Now, at the RV, I have wood and gas to cook with. Definately bring the CI there.

JeffH, I also use my Ci on the electric.  I guess a further explanation of what I was meaning is...
 
...with the advent of electric stoves and subsequent Pyrex and non-stick cookware, cast iron became obsolete as far as everyday-cookware in 'Murica was concerned.  Yea, there were the occasional campers still looking for some CI for their twice-a-year camping trips....but true cast iron cooking and appreciation of CI as everyday cookware seemed to be lost.  That's what I meant by CI makers selling out.  They no longer had a solid market so they cut corners, and outsourced overseas. 
 
I purchased a (really cheap-a$$) dutch oven ~2003 and it cracked the first time on the heat.  I've since read that most of these products are made overseas and the mix of ores in the cast varies from batch to batch, is not reliable and is pretty thin compared to CI of yesteryear.  
 
I purchased a Lodge Dutch Oven ~2005 and have been pretty disappointed because the surface is so rough and pitted, it's pretty much a Stick-Fest every time I use it for anything other than deep frying.....which it does do very well!!!!  It is heavy and has good heat distribution, I've used it for deep frying, and also cooking with charcoal briquettes.  It performed well in the cooking departments, but as I said, the interior surface is so rough, I don't think any amount of seasoning will ever get it as smooth as my old Ci or the new Fines CI.
 
My CI Wok is from a different maker and is definitely better than the Lodge DO, but still not up in the league of the 2 really good old Ci pans i have, a 8" chicken pan and 12" skillet.
 
This Finex skillet is the first cast iron product I've ever seen that is taking a CI product and revising it from the ground up.  I'm really pleased with their first product, I can see a whole product line with the simple features they put into this first pan.  
 
 
Dutch Oven with the spiral handle...Chicken pan and lid with the tab to lift with...(Be Still My Beating Heart~~~~    )

That looks like a great skillet. I'm a member on a CI forum and saw this when it was on kickstart. I have several older Griswold and Wagner Skillets, DO's and other pieces I use on a daily basis. Nothing beats CI when it comes to cooking.

oh wow, you got it! it's beautiful!

It is very nice!  After several months of cooking with it, the Finex is pretty much on the stove every day.  Finex has come out with a lid for the skillet which I got.  Will post pics tomorrow. 
 
Side note- I found a couple CI pieces at my mom's place this week.  A #8 chicken pan with a skillet that works as a lid and a 5" small Griswold skillet with a notched lid that you can open and leave setting on the pan.  The Griswold has a dimpled finish.  Oh MAN!  I'm excited!  But I offered it to my newlywed cousin and she wanted them so...off they go!....  To a young couple in need of some good cookware.  I have to admit....I was really jealous of that little pan with the lid, though.    
 
:sigh:  feeling sentimental ~  

salsalady said:

It is very nice!  After several months of cooking with it, the Finex is pretty much on the stove every day.  Finex has come out with a lid for the skillet which I got.  Will post pics tomorrow. 
 
Side note- I found a couple CI pieces at my mom's place this week.  A #8 chicken pan with a skillet that works as a lid and a 5" small Griswold skillet with a notched lid that you can open and leave setting on the pan.  The Griswold has a dimpled finish.  Oh MAN!  I'm excited!  But I offered it to my newlywed cousin and she wanted them so...off they go!....  To a young couple in need of some good cookware.  I have to admit....I was really jealous of that little pan with the lid, though.  
 
:sigh:  feeling sentimental ~  

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any pics of the lid ?