This cast iron was beautiful right out of the box. I used the two tablespoons of oil like they recommended and I had perfect results on steaks, sausages a simple pan sauce and green beans. No sticking or release issues at all. This baby gets hot, so I didn't need to turn in up past medium. I loved that is was roomy enough for 2 large steaks to cook at once which made getting dinner on the table fast. I was skeptical about the washing with soap and water and leaving it out to air dry overnight but it dried perfect and there is no signs of rust even days later. This is a huge win since I have had issue with other cast irons skillets in the past! Looking forward to playing with this more!