A Cast Iron Skillet Review – Backyard Creations 10×10

I have had this skillet from the beginning. So I wanted to do a review on the first cast iron I ever used.

It’s the pan I learned the basics on before venturing into other skillets.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found the Backyard Creations skillet advertised or sold anywhere except Menards, a hardware store mainly in the midwest (USA).

I worked at Menards so I was familiar with the pan, but wasn’t using cast iron at the time. That I received my first cast iron skillet from the place where I once worked is not surprising.

Menards is a popular hardware store in our area and a favorite spot for my husband to shop. He is the one who gave me my first cast iron skillet, but I am the one who picked it out.

Update 2022: I still use this skillet, but it doesn’t seem to build up seasoning very well. Rust lines often appear on the bottom and randomly I have trouble with my eggs sticking. But until I decide to replace it with another 10-inch square pan, I will keep using it for our breakfast. And it will continue to sit on the stovetop.

Backyard Creations 10×10 Cast Iron Skillet

Product: skillet
Material: cast iron
Brand: Backyard Creations
Buy: see Menards
Dimensions: 10X10 square

Backyard Creations Cast Iron Skillet Overview

What makes this skillet different from any other cast iron pan? Well, for starters, it comes bare. That means it wasn’t pre-seasoned in the factory. You will have to season this skillet in the oven before you use it.

Another thing is it is inexpensive compared to other cast iron skillets.

What makes it the same? This cast-iron skillet is the same in that it is durable, has good heat retention, cooks fairly evenly if it is hot enough, and you can use it on the stove or grill, in the oven, or over a campfire. It is also on the heavier side just like other cast iron skillets.

Backyard Creations cast iron skillet is like any other cast iron skillet in the way that it functions.

It is the only square pan I own but square pans are not unusual. So I’m glad I have at least one.

What I Like About This Skillet

There are several reasons I like this skillet:

• It’s square – for some reason, both my husband and I like this skillet for making breakfast and sitting out on our stove.
• The pan is inexpensive – I knew nothing about where to get a cast iron skillet, so I bought the only one I knew about.
• It seems like a good skillet – now that I own other skillets, I can say make this statement.
• This skillet is my husband’s favorite – he says he likes it best because it’s square.
• It makes delicious tasting bacon and eggs – bacon and eggs are a great way to start your morning.

What I Don’t Like About This Skillet

Here are some things I don’t like about this skillet:

• It’s a stand-alone pan – I can’t buy any other cast iron cookware in this Brand.
• Backyard Creations has no name recognition – I couldn’t find a website, and the only place I found this pan is at Menards.
• It didn’t come with instructions – which meant I didn’t know cast iron needed special care.
• I’m not sure if it’s pre-seasoned or painted black – it doesn’t behave like my Lodge skillets.
• No manufacturer’s warranty – but that doesn’t mean the place you bought from doesn’t have a guarantee.
• Its heaviness – this doesn’t bother me anymore, but it is, in general, a negative about cast iron cookware.

What We Do With Our Square Skillet

As I already mentioned, this is my husband’s favorite skillet. He especially likes that it is square. All my other cast iron pans are round. What does it matter? It doesn’t; it’s more preference.

Every morning we make breakfast and eat together. For over ten years, I left the house for work around 4:40 am, and before that, we were raising children. So eating together has become very significant to us.

We eat bacon and eggs. I started eating this way when I was following a Paleo program set up by one of my trainers at the gym. I only followed this program for six months but some things stuck. Eating bacon and eggs every morning was one of them.

I was getting up at 3 am and eating breakfast around 4 am Monday- Saturday. But on Sundays, my husband and I started eating bacon and eggs together before church.

Once I quit work, we quickly moved into making this part of our morning routine. My husband had retired so we didn’t have to stick to a strict schedule of when to eat. Though we generally eat between 7 and 8 am.

Making breakfast usually goes like this:

1. We preheat the pan as we get out everything we need…bacon, eggs, cheese, fruit, juice, our bacon grease jar.
2. One person cooks while the other starts the dishes – yes, we leave the dishes from the day before to do in the morning, except I always clean the cast iron skillets after each use.
3. We start with putting four slices of bacon in the skillet – this pan is a perfect size.
4. After removing the bacon, we pour out a little of the bacon grease and put it in a jar or can if no jar is available.
5. Then we add five eggs – two for me and three for my husband. I break my yolks, but he likes his yolks runny.
6. After cooking one side, we turn them over just long enough to add cheese and fold or stack.
7. My husband has coffee and juice with his breakfast, and I have fruit and cold-brewed tea.
8. We haven’t gotten tired of this yet. I’ve been eating this way for maybe nine years and my husband less than a year, not including Sundays – I haven’t always made it in cast iron though.
9. Once we eat and read a daily devotion together, the skillet has cooled down enough to clean.

Here are the cleaning steps I go through each time:

1. I take a scraper and get out as much of the tiny bits of food left in the pan.
2. I move the skillet to the sink and give it a good rinse.
3. Then I get the brush, put a dab of soap in the pan if needed, and give in a light scrub – no need to scrub vigorously.
4. I then rinse it.
5. Next, I take my lint-free drying cloth and dry the pan entirely.
6. Last, I sometimes wipe a thin layer of grapeseed oil on the cooking surface of the pan with a lint-free rag.
7. You can use whatever oil you want and many people put the oil on with a paper towel.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it; a cast iron skillet review of my first skillet. This article has been more of a personal review since there isn’t much information on this pan.

I’ve shared with you some of the reasons I like it and some of the reasons I don’t. And I finished with showing you step-by-step what we do in making our breakfast.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this review about the Backyard Creations skillet and if you have any questions, be sure to ask in the comment section below.

Unfortunately, I don’t really recommend this skillet because I couldn’t find out enough information about it.

Let me know your thoughts on this skillet.