Lodge Loaf Pan

Specialty breads like banana, cranberry, and date-nut bake beautifully in this cast-iron pan, which ensures they'll come out with a thin, crisp, wonderfully brown crust. Great for loaf cakes and meat loaf, also, the pan measures 8-1/4 by 4-1/2 by 2-5/8 inches (inside dimensions). It's heavy, must be seasoned with melted shortening and baked, and needs to be coated with oil or cooking spray after each use to prevent rust. Though its weight and care put off some cooks, cast iron--as has been known since the Middle Ages--permits precise cooking and flavor retention, is naturally nonstick when seasoned, and lasts for generations, increasing the value of its moderate price. As it blackens with use, cast iron imparts to food a mystical aura of rustic nourishment and flavor. --Fred Brack