Home cooks love cast iron cookware for so many reasons. Flavor-wise, a well-seasoned cast iron skillet will infuse incredible flavor into your meats and vegetables. For even heating, it'd be hard to find something that browns a piece of chicken as well as a superiorly made cast iron grill. And aesthetically, nothing says rustic-chic as much as a vintage cast iron skillet that's been in the family for years. 

Especially for those who love to bake, a cast iron skillet can be perfect for everything from apple cobbler to monkey bread to pan pizza. Yet if you want something that presents more like a traditional loaf, you need Lodge's cast iron loaf pan. It combines the same top-notch construction and seasoned surface of a cast iron skillet with the shape of a loaf pan, and even better, Amazon shoppers can get it for 33 percent off right now. 

BUY IT: $19.90 (orig. $29.85); amazon.com

If you're an experienced baker, you know how frustrating it can be to pour your heart and soul into making, kneading, and shaping bread, only to have it ruined by uneven baking from a non-durable tin. That's why this Lodge pan should be in any loaf-loving home: It won't bend or warp at high temperatures, and its pre-seasoned surface offers the perfect crispy crust. That means you can start using it the moment it arrives at your door without the need to oil it beforehand.

Since the loaf pan has two durable handles, it's so much easier to maneuver in and out of hot ovens. One reviewer said it simply "makes perfect bread," adding that Lodge's pan offers ideal heat distribution. As long as you keep the pan seasoned, it's "a cinch to clean," according to the same reviewer—just approach it the same way you'd clean cast iron skillets.

Related: The Best Small Cast Iron Skillets for Every Budget and Recipe

Another shopper wrote that they "couldn't believe how beautiful" their sourdough sandwich bread came out thanks to this loaf pan, and added that it had "absolutely no sticking." It "didn't even look like it needed washing" because of how little bread was stuck to the loaf pan's surface, they explained.

Whether it's banana bread or some cinnamon sugar pull-apart loaf you're craving, Lodge's cast iron loaf pan is the investment-worthy bakeware you should have—and yes, you can still use it to take advantage of these eight creative ways to use a loaf pan without involving bread. Shop it on sale at Amazon for just $20 now.