Quality

When I bought my 8" Lodge cast iron skillet from Walt-Mart, I noticed that their surface was a little bit rough than my 12", when new. I thought that it might have been a quality problem, depending on the stores or brands. As I looked around for identical products in different stores when I go out, I noticed that most of the cast iron skillets do not have the smooth surface. I just think that Target or high end stores recieve slightly better cast iron skillets. Regardless of the surface's smoothness, it is not a problem. For someone who is picky, he or she needs to look around a little harder. Overall, Target has the best prices on 12" and 10" skillets. Wal-Mart has the best price on 8" skillets. Dick's Sporting Goods has wider and practical selections for camping. Crate & Barrels has more little cast iron cooking accessories. Williams-Sonoma has the high end enameled cast iron cookwares. For me, bare cast iron cookwares are more practical, even though they require regular seasonings.