YETI Cast Iron….

[KittySlayer]

My son won some ridiculously expensive yeti cooler from his work, and it’s insane how long that thing will keep ice.

I got my free Yeti cooler from work too. It does work well, especially if you pre-chill it. Never would I have paid retail for one but Free is the right price.

 

[Max Volume]

I also won a large Yeti cooler at a work safety meeting and would not have spent my own money on it.

 

[printcraft]

Guys, the pan has the yeti logo on it. Intrinsic value.

 

[Hookeye]

Do you TRULY want a good AR-15 skillet or do you want crap?

LOL

 

[Cameramonkey]

Yeti is a niche brand that has overplayed its hand.

Its original cooler was insanely awesome. It would hold ice for like a week for trips where you just flat out couldn't run to the corner store for more ice. Like deep in the wilderness. And guides and serious hunters ate it up. And the expense was worth it. For ONLY that singular purpose though.

Then they got too big for their britches and decided to trade on their reputation and produce (some below) average products and continue to charge a premium "Because its a Yeti!" And the clueless ate it up. Because it's a Yeti!

My favorite example is their insulated SS tumbler. Multiple youtubers did semi-scientific testing. And surprisingly cheap-a** brands like Walmart's house brand (who's name escapes me ATM) trounced them. They filled the various tumblers with the same amount of ice and put them all side by side and watched the ice melt.

If memory serves, It came down to the Yeti and the WM brand. The Yeti's ice finally melted, but the the WM brand still had ice! It took another several hours to finally melt fully.

Yes, there are claims of IP theft by the Chinese produced WM brand. But I take that with a grain of salt. That doesnt explain how the Chinese did it better.

The takeaway is just because it carries the brand, doesnt mean its actually worth the premium.

 

[Ingomike]

Yes, there are claims of IP theft by the Chinese produced WM brand. But I take that with a grain of salt. That doesnt explain how the Chinese did it better.

So all good with intellectual theft from American companies?

 

[Cameramonkey]

So all good with intellectual theft from American companies?

Never said that.

Thought I have trouble understanding in the case of a double wall vacuum tumbler where IP comes into play.
Edit: So how many Yeti products have you purchased and got screwed by wasting money on the name?

 

[Ingomike]

Never said that.

Thought I have trouble understanding in the case of a double wall vacuum tumbler where IP comes into play.
Edit: So how many Yeti products have you purchased and got screwed by wasting money on the name?

Yeti has won a lot of lawsuits for others infringing on their work. I own a lot of Yeti products, never had a bad one.

Millions of Americans have bought and appreciate their Yeti products too bad they all got screwed…

 

[MRockwell]

YETI wasn't the first rotomolded cooler out there:

About ICEY-TEK Coolers and ICEY-TEK USA

ICEY-TEK USA is a veteran-owned and operated business.The ICEY-TEK cooler brand was originally conceived in Australia in the late 1980s by three avid outdoorsmen who saw there was a market for a rugged roto-molded polyethylene icebox that had the same ice retention capabilities as a fiberglass...

icey-tek.com

For over 25 years many copycats have imitated ICEY-TEK’s rotomolded manufacturing design and ice retention technology, but no other can ever rightfully claim to be first. In fact, ICEY-TEK has private labeled coolers for many companies including Yeti during their start-up years when they licensed ICEY-TEK ice chests to be labeled as their "Roughneck" cooler line.

They just had a good marketing strategy.

 

[Ingomike]

YETI wasn't the first rotomolded cooler out there:

About ICEY-TEK Coolers and ICEY-TEK USA

ICEY-TEK USA is a veteran-owned and operated business.The ICEY-TEK cooler brand was originally conceived in Australia in the late 1980s by three avid outdoorsmen who saw there was a market for a rugged roto-molded polyethylene icebox that had the same ice retention capabilities as a fiberglass...

icey-tek.com

They just had a good marketing strategy.

Yep, Icey-tek was the original manufacturer of the coolers for the founding brothers of Yeti, the ones they made little profit on because of constant warranty issues, so the brothers redesigned the rotomolded cooler to what we see today.

They certainly worked hard on their marketing strategy, and I have enormous respect for those that build successful companies, but it was more than just marketing, quality products, then the brothers built a market where none existed.

 

[tomcat13]

Call me Shocked: Leader in the Over-Priced Cooler market is now marketing Over-Priced Iron Skillets!
As PT Barnum has been quoted for saying: "There's a Sucker Born Every Minute!"

 

[two70]

Do you TRULY want a good AR-15 skillet or do you want crap?

LOL

Are these skillets mil-spec? MPI tested? Properly staked steaked?

 

[Ingomike]

The funny part of all this is, they probably will sell a few thousand skillets, but got millions in name recognition advertising. Near 500 views on this thread alone. Probably on every hunting, fishing, boating, etc. type forum in the country with the associated Glock vs. 1911 back and forth.

Funny thing, I have never heard or read the words xxxxxx is as good as rtic, or Pelican, or any other cooler brand not Yeti.

 

[Nazgul]

I got a Yeti SS tumbler at work free. It sort of half works, not anything outstanding.

My wife uses her Great Grandmothers cast iron skillet for corn bread, about 125 years old at least.

Don

 

[Ingomike]

My wife uses her Great Grandmothers cast iron skillet for corn bread, about 125 years old at least.

This is a general comment to the group, on skillets. For guys that can tell the difference between a few grains in powder in a load or increased accuracy from intricate polishing there seems to be a disconnect in the differences in the details on other things.

All cast iron skillets are not the same. There will be variables and many of those variables will cost a lot in todays world. Why did I get much of the family cast iron? Why did they quit using it? It is heavy, and cheaper is usually heavier. A 12 inch skillet can weigh up to six pounds from cheaper machine made cast iron.

The biggest cost factor is between handmade and forged by hand or machine made. I would think the old school INGO would appreciate the availability of quality handmade America made products no matter if they were in your budgets or not.

BTW, I have some Lodge I use camping and such but my home cast iron is all vintage, way better than Lodge so I suspect the expensive new stuff is probably similar to my vintage not me Lodge.

The only AR a guy needs is a $400 Del-Ton low end, NOBODY needs a $3000 AR…

 

[Ingomike]

Anyone know what the number on a vintage cast iron skillet indicates?

It corresponds to the size of ports on antique wood stoves…

 

[Ingomike]

I liked this review, gives some nuance to the topic. The Yeti is made by Butter Pat.

I am not normally someone who takes the time to write a review, but I want Lancaster Cast Iron to succeed and prosper because they got it right. I am one of those guys who has a lot of skillets both vintage and modern. My wife considers it a mental illness. In the last ten years there has been a renaissance of cast iron. I am not sure what spawned this renaissance after so many decades or dormancy, but it has been exciting to participate in.

My point is that I have tried most of the modern entries, Butter Pat, Field Company, Finex, Lodge-Blacklock, Marquette, Nest, Smithey, and Stargazer. Now I have to say that I think that all of these manufacturers make good products and I use some of these pans for specific tasks. For instance, Finex makes a beast of a skillet that is great for putting in the oven and soaking up heat to pull out and sear a steak, but I don’t fry eggs or make cornbread with it.

The highest compliment I can pay the Lancaster Cast Iron skillet is that if I were to purchase one skillet, and one skillet only to give to a friend or one of my children as a gift, I would give them a Lancaster and here is why: I want the person who I give this skillet to as a gift to have a good first experience with it. Many modern skillets require some cast iron knowledge, time and patience to get them to the point where they become good cooking tools. I pulled my Lancaster skillet out of the box and made cornbread without doing a thing to it. The cornbread released perfectly the very first time.

Excellent surface and factory seasoning. I want my cast iron gift to be a pleasure to use. The Lancaster skillet is very light for a cast iron skillet. The lightest of any of the modern skillets. Not everybody has strong hands and arms. Also, most of the modern world is used to light pans, so when you hand them their first cast iron skillet, they are less than pleased with the idea of using it. Hand them a Lancaster skillet and this will not be the case.

I want my cast iron gift to be versatile and capable of being used for whatever. I love the high walls, pour spouts and classic design of this skillet. I would reach for it for baking or frying. It is just a great all-around use skillet. My youngest daughter loves over-easy eggs in the morning and this skillet heats up so fast and releases eggs like a dream right out of the gate. It takes months to achieve that release with some of the other modern skillets.

That is what you want for anyone who is using cast iron for the first time. A great experience. Otherwise it will end up in the back or some cupboard and never realize its glorious potential. For those who already love and have a history with cast iron, I would still give them a Lancaster. They would love the classic design of this skillet. Now I in no way mean this as a criticism. While the cooking surface if perfect, my skillet has what I like to call some cast character like the old pans when it comes to the company logo on the bottom of the pan, and I love that. It just looks like a cast iron pan should. This will appeal to cast iron veterans.

You can't go wrong with a Lancaster. If you are thinking of trying cast iron for the first time. If you want to give the gift of cast iron. Or if you are a long-time fan of cast iron. Get a Lancaster. You will not be disappointed. I wish you guys great success. Well done. Bravo.

 

[Remington 90T]

You can't go wrong with a Lancaster. If you are thinking of trying cast iron for the first time. If you want to give the gift of cast iron. Or if you are a long-time fan of cast iron. Get a Lancaster. You will not be disappointed. I wish you guys great success. Well done. Bravo.

At 70, I gave my grandkids each one of my grandparents cast iron pans that I have used for years. Today's kids don't have a clue how to take care of a good cast iron pan. Throw them in the dish washer, Never seasoned them. Even after giving them detailed instructions. Plan on collecting them back. Get them some microwave cook wear.

 

[Lpherr]

At 70, I gave my grandkids each one of my grandparents cast iron pans that I have used for years. Today's kids don't have a clue how to take care of a good cast iron pan. Throw them in the dish washer, Never seasoned them. Even after giving them detailed instructions. Plan on collecting them back. Get them some microwave cook wear.

Paper plates and Tupperware.

 

[Hoosierdood]

If I were to buy a good higher end cast iron skillet, I would go with FINEX. A 12” skillet with lid can be had for $240 right now. Check them out.