Cast iron is pretty much cast iron.<-never uses cast iron in the house, but a ton on a fire. I use cast for 90% of my cooking. I'm not used to the copper, so it gets used less. I think the cast Sears better also. J, I recommend not buying lodge because the way they cast it leaves a rough surface. In my opinion you should hit it with a grinding wheel to smooth it out if you had one. You can buy old one for cheap. If they are a little rusty it's not a problem. It's easy to clean up.