Lodge Fire and Cook Stand

We really like this product. Our first one came with missing parts and a broken part. However when we called for help we received wonderful customer service and got a replacement.

This is exactly what I wanted to be able to cook over our fire pit. The Lodge name was a big selling point. I can easily balance a cast iron grill grate on top of this stand. Works like a charm. One caution, do not tighten the bolts too tight has you can easily snap off the screw. Other than that definitely one our better buys for the year.

For easier assembly, I strongly suggest lathering the cooking stand with some cooking or bacon grease! This will also make assembling the tiny 1/8 inch nuts and lock washers much more fun, including the ability for loosing the nuts and washers in the grass and leaves!Well, greased, assembled and tossed onto the campfire for seasoning. Will follow-up concerning usability.PROS1) Hey, it's Lodge quality cast iron pans and tools?CONS1) They used 1/4 inch thread bolts rather than 1/2 or 3/8 inch thread bolts!2) Not sure if both cast plates can be assembled in same direction or opposing directions. (I burned my instruction sheet, so not sure if the instructions specified. And, none available on the Internet!)3) Difficult or finicky assembly.4) No extra nuts or washers, in the even the customer looses the tiny nuts and washers!5) Although I get really gleeful and gitty after seeing a manufacturer include some cheap assembly tools, the include cheap wrench is far too thin and too cheap of metal! About half way through the assembly, the wrench metal began stripping on the nuts. Wrench also seems slightly larger than the nuts, but this maybe due to the overly thin stamped metal tool.

I bought it so, in a pinch, I can use the fireplace instead of tea lights to cook. It holds my great-grandmother's old cast iron pot, a 1 qt cast iron saucepan, and all the rest of our frying pans and griddles. It displays the antique pot by the fireplace now. Very nice. Easy to assemble.

And can attest that the bolt welds are indeed terrible. Not sure why Lodge went that route. Bad welds make the bolts too short to thread the nuts. And you also can’t get any of the legs mounted square. I tightened all 4 as best I could and on a flat surface it was all over the place. For $35…going to return and go with a different option. I read all the reviews and thought I’d chance it. I was wrong. If you chance it and get lucky to get a quality piece, hats off to you.

Easy to put together and works as advertised.

Should last for a long time

Really cool! You can place skillets or grills High away from flames or low near coals by standing up or laying it on its side. Great addition!