If you want a really nice cast iron skillet, check out the Smithey Ironware number 12 for $200, or for the best buy, check out the Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet for just $43.
Cites price (against)
Articles · Where two groups agree
What buy it for life enthusiasts and cooking YouTube both recommend
Price divides the buy-it-for-life crowd and cooking YouTube almost evenly, between who calls it worth it and who doesn't.
About Buy It For Life Enthusiasts and Cooking YouTube.
We have not used any of these ourselves. We read 44 sources and structured what 26 people said. Of the 24 quotes below, 8 are complaints and 2 come from someone with a declared commercial interest. Every one of them links to the person who said it and the second they said it.
Based on 26 people, 44 sources and 405 recorded claims. A declared interest is labelled beside the quote rather than removed.
The answer
The buy-it-for-life crowd and cooking YouTube converge on five products, and the clearest picks come from people speaking for themselves. Julia, of America's Test Kitchen, points to the Smithey at $200, or the Lodge for $43, as the best buy; Cook Culture uses a Field every day and calls it one to cherish; and Christopher Scott, a former HexClad owner now using stainless steel, calls a Heritage Steel sponge one he loves. Prudent Reviews, a cookware reviewer who discloses an affiliate interest on some tests, holds 41% of everything said about it.
The 3 quotes behind this, from 3 people
a pan that i i love and and cherish and use every single day
and we also have these incredible sponges from Heritage steel that are forever sponges they've replaced every sponge we have in our house they're freaking awesome I never thought I'd geek out about a sponge before but I absolutely love these sponges
| Product | Cited in favour | Cited against | Voices | Declared interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodge cast iron skillet | price (2), durability (1) | handle (1) | 2 voices | none declared |
| Field cast iron skillet | none recorded | heat retention (1), maintenance (1) | 4 voices | none declared |
| Smithey cast iron skillet | base and rim (1), durability (1) | price (2) | 3 voices | none declared |
| Le Creuset dutch oven | ease of cleaning (1), even heating (1) | heat retention (1), lid (1) | 2 voices | 1 of 2 |
| All-Clad 10-piece cookware set | appearance (1), durability (1) | size and capacity (1) | 2 voices | none declared |
Where people disagree
- Prudent Reviews calls the Lodge's cost incredible value, while arguing the Le Creuset's performance is matched by cheaper Dutch ovens.
- Prudent Reviews calls the Smithey's handle among the best it has tested, then faults the Lodge's for edges that dig into the hand.
- Prudent Reviews found the Lodge the best of twelve skillets for heat retention, and the Field the second lowest, tracing the gap to their different wall thickness.
The 6 quotes behind this, from 1 person · 3 objecting
The Lodge Classic is also a great option if you want something more substantial, and the value is incredible.
Cites price
Although the performance is great, the same could be said for much cheaper Dutch ovens, especially since they’re all made with the materials - cast iron with an enamel coating.
Cites price (against)
Le Creuset Dutch ovens are significantly more expensive than brands like Lodge, Tramontina, and many others. And based on my testing, you’re not getting any meaningful advantages in performance.
I recently tested six of the highest-rated cast iron skillets on the market, and according to my tests, Smithey is the best overall. It had the best heat retention, the smoothest non-stick surface, the widest pour spouts, and one of the better-designed handles.
Cites base and rim, handle, heat retention, non-stick surface
The biggest issue for me is the handle. It gets very wide where it connects to the skillet, then it narrows toward the end, and the edges feel sharp and dig into your hands.
Cites handle (against)
Despite the lighter construction, it actually had the best heat retention of all 12 skillets.
Cites heat retention, price
On the lower end, Victoria and Lodge Chef Collection are my two top picks.
But because there's less mass to hold on to that heat, it had the second lowest heat retention in the group.
Cites heat retention (against)
The Lodge cast iron skillet's handle is the objection: Prudent Reviews says its edges "dig into your hands."
Prudent Reviews, disclosing an affiliate interest, separately says a Lodge will "last forever, perform really well, and cost under $30," and measured its heat retention best of twelve skillets. BBQ and Bottles, who declares an interest on some of its reviews, compares it against pricier bespoke cast iron and calls the Lodge the clear winner on price at $20 in 2021.
No one among the 26 people quoted states how long they have owned a Lodge.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 2 people · 1 objecting
Few products in the world last forever, perform really well, and cost under $30.
Cites durability, price
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 2:30.
Cites heat retention, price
the field company this is 160 and you know those are directionally in and around the same prices for some really nice bespoke cast iron and of course the field and company coming in a little bit cheaper and i think that just has to do with the amount of weight or material of iron actually used in it relative to the…
Cites price
The Field cast iron skillet's heat retention is the objection: Prudent Reviews found it "had the second lowest heat retention in the group," for its thinner walls.
Cook Culture uses one every day and calls it a pan to cherish, using it "every single day." Jed, who uses the same line professionally, says it cooks "very very similarly" to the best pans in the world. Kent Rollins and Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do!, both sent theirs free, speak well of it too, and more of the Field's claims carry a declared interest than any other product here.
Uncle Scott, who bought his own, was still fighting the seasoning break-in a month and a half in, the longest ownership stated for the Field.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 4 people · 2 objecting
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 9:02.
Cites heat retention (against)
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 0:30.
so as you spend more money on cookware stainless or cast iron the quality difference on how they cook starts to narrow to a point where these two pans that are two of the best quality pans in the world cook very very similarly they do a lot of the same sort of thing
I also am having a little trouble getting the seasoning to develop and come in, or what they call the break-in period. At a month and a half in, I am still having trouble getting non-stick eggs.
Cites maintenance (against), seasoning durability (against)
Owned 2 months
I have reseasoned this pan multiple multiple times. I have seasoned it with Crisco, with grape seed oil, with peanut oil. I have seasoned it in the oven. I have done carbon steel type seasonings on a stove top, getting the pan smoking there.
The Smithey cast iron skillet's price is the objection: Hannah, of America's Test Kitchen, says the Lodge costs only "a quarter of the price."
Julia, also of America's Test Kitchen, points to it at $200 as the pick for a reader who wants a really nice skillet, or the Lodge, priced at $43, as her best buy. Prudent Reviews calls it the best overall skillet, crediting its heat retention and one of the better-designed handles among six it tested.
After more than two years, Prudent Reviews still reaches for it more than most of what it owns.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 3 people · 1 objecting
This pan by Smithey is around $200 compared to the Lodge's, $44 a quarter of the price.
Cites price (against)
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 5:32.
Cites base and rim, handle, heat retention, non-stick surface
I've used Smithey for over 2 years, and it's still one of the pans I reach for the most.
Cites durability
Owned 2 years
The Le Creuset dutch oven draws conflicting verdicts on heat retention: Liz, of BestReviews, scored it a perfect 10 out of 10, while Prudent Reviews, testing separately, called it "the third worst-performing brand" for its thinner walls.
Prudent Reviews also doubts the price, arguing a buyer can find better value elsewhere for the same performance, and elsewhere praises its handles for having the widest openings of any Dutch oven it tested.
No one among the 26 people quoted states how long they have owned one.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 2 people · 2 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
all four ovens scored a perfect 10 out of 10 for heat retention and evenness of cooking
Cites even heating, heat retention, non-stick surface
the L cruset Lodge and stove have a non-stick enamel finish over the interior and exterior of the pots Amazon does not have enamel but instead is pre-seasoned lay cruset and Lodge each scored Perfect 10 out of 10 however we did notice some veggies sticking to the bottom of both the stove and Amazon dutch ovens while…
Le Creuset was the third worst-performing brand. Although I was not surprised by this since it's the thinnest and lightest.
Cites heat retention (against), lid (against), moisture retention (against), weight (against)
Some brands, like Staub, have dimples inside their lids to encourage a self-basting process, but Le Creuset doesn't.
Since Le Creuset has a domed lid with a smooth interior, the evaporated water collected and ran down the sides of the lid rather than evenly dripping back over the food.
If you're purely focused on getting the most performance for your money, you can find better value elsewhere.
Cites price (against)
Along with Misen, Le Creuset handles have the widest openings.
Cites ease of cleaning, handle, heat resistance, lid, weight
Prudent Reviews earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “Those are affiliate links, so I'll earn a commission if you click and buy, but at no extra cost to you.”
Because of that and the lightweight design, it's by far the easiest Dutch oven to pick up, wash, and store.
The lid has ridges that prevent a spoon from slipping off
the knob has a wide top and a thick stem, which makes it easy to grip and control
In my test, both knobs stayed cooler than most other brands, but the plastic knob barely heated up at all.
the plastic knob barely heated up at all
I love Le Creuset's color options, lightweight design, and large handles.
All-Clad 10-piece cookware set
We do not know whether the All-Clad 10-piece cookware set holds up broadly: only Hannah and Lisa, both of America's Test Kitchen, speak to it, and Lisa notes it skips the 12-inch size she'd want.
Hannah's own set, thirteen years old, "looks brand new," the longest ownership claim on this sheet. Lisa says neither this set nor its rival includes a 12-inch pan, so a buyer wanting one would need to add it separately.
The 2 quotes behind this, from 2 people · 1 objecting
'Cause I got a similar All-Clad set for my wedding 13 years ago and I have to say, it looks brand new and I've used it for all those 13 years.
Cites appearance, durability
Owned 13 years
Although we love a 12-inch skillet, neither of these sets have a 12 inch. They have an eight and 10. So you may wanna add that on if you have these sets.
Cites size and capacity (against)
How long each one lasts
The longest figure anyone gives is 13 years, from Hannah's All-Clad 10-piece cookware set in 2026. Prudent Reviews put a Smithey at just over 2 years the same year.
Below that, Christopher Scott logged 12 months on a Made In pot and 1 month on a Heritage Steel sponge, both in 2024. Kent Rollins and Uncle Scott each timed a Field at a month and a half, in 2018 and 2026 respectively, reading the same span two different ways.
Of the products both groups back, only the Smithey and the Field carry an ownership figure from an owner; no one among the 26 people quoted names one for the Lodge or the Le Creuset.
The 6 quotes behind this, from 5 people · 1 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
it doesn't affect the performance of the pan and I can attest we use that pot quite a lot over the last year it performs just fine every single time we go to use it
Owned 12 months
I've only had it for a month right now but I've washed it three times so far and it's come out perfect every single time so we'll see how long that lasts
Owned 1 month
I've been using this skillet for a month and a half every day is it solid black everywhere no it's got some bronze coating to it a little spotted in colored a little motley color
Cites seasoning durability
Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet”
Owned 2 months
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 2:31.
Cites maintenance (against), seasoning durability (against)
Owned 2 months
What happens over time
Hannah's thirteen-year-old All-Clad set still looks brand new to her, the longest ownership claim on this sheet by a wide margin. Christopher Scott, a year into a Made In pot and a month into a Heritage Steel sponge, already praises the sponge in glowing terms well before a month of dishes could prove it out.
Kent Rollins and Uncle Scott each put a month and a half on a Field, in 2018 and 2026, and read the same span differently: Kent Rollins accepts the mottled bronze color as normal for cast iron, while Uncle Scott is still troubleshooting the seasoning break-in. Prudent Reviews, two years into a Smithey, still reaches for it more than most of what it owns.
The 6 quotes behind this, from 5 people · 1 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 10:03.
Owned 12 months
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 15:34.
Owned 1 month
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 3:00.
Cites seasoning durability
Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet”
Owned 2 months
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 2:31.
Cites maintenance (against), seasoning durability (against)
Owned 2 months
Also named, on thinner evidence
Fifteen more products are named on this sheet, none with enough behind it for its own section: the Le Creuset Braiser (3 recommenders), All-Clad cookware (3), Heritage Steel cookware (4), HexClad cookware (1), Made In pot (1), Made In cookware (2), Lodge Dutch oven (2), Heritage Steel sponge (1), Henckels knives (1), Demeyere Industry (2), Demeyere cookware (1), Hestan Culinary cookware (1), Le Creuset enameled cast iron skillet (1), Le Creuset round Dutch oven (1) and an O-Cedar scrub brush (1). Thin coverage is not a verdict against any of them; it is simply what this evidence can carry.
The quote behind this, from 1 person
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 15:04.
Who wants what
Cook Culture, a cookware retailer, praises the Field in the plain language of daily use, a pan to cherish and use every day, while Jed, who uses the same pan professionally, compares its cooking to the best pans in the world in the language of a craftsman. Prudent Reviews, testing both, measures the Field's heat retention against a dozen others in degrees rather than affection. Christopher Scott, a former HexClad owner who switched to stainless, describes Heritage Steel's sponges with the enthusiasm of someone converted, not just a reviewer running through a checklist.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 4 people · 1 objecting
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 0:30.
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 4:01.
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 9:02.
Cites heat retention (against)
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 15:04.
What the evidence suggests
- Choose the Lodge cast iron skillet if price and long-term seasoning matter most: Prudent Reviews says it will last a lifetime for under $30, and BBQ and Bottles calls it the price winner at $20.
- Choose the Field cast iron skillet if you will use it daily and don't mind a seasoning break-in: Cook Culture uses one every day and calls it a pan to cherish, though Uncle Scott was still fighting the break-in a month and a half in.
- Choose the Smithey cast iron skillet if a smoother finish and better heat retention are worth roughly four times the Lodge's price: Prudent Reviews, over two years in, still reaches for it more than most of what it owns.
The 5 quotes behind this, from 4 people · 1 objecting
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 10:33.
Cites durability, price
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 0:30.
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 2:31.
Cites maintenance (against), seasoning durability (against)
Owned 2 months
What the evidence doesn’t tell us
Prudent Reviews alone holds 168 of the 405 claims in these 44 sources, 41% of everything in scope, the smallest single-voice share among these products. None of the 26 people quoted claims to have owned anything longer than the 156 months behind Hannah's All-Clad set. Nine products rest on a single recommender's word, and twelve carry no ownership duration behind them at all; for several, including All-Clad cookware and Demeyere Industry, none of the people quoted speaks as an owner, a professional user, or someone who stopped using one.
The quote behind this, from 1 person
Who says so
Authority here is scoped to the subject, never to how large someone’s audience is. Where we hold no domain expertise for a person, the page says so rather than implying one.
Prudent Reviews
Our mission at Prudent Reviews is to help you find the best products for your home. We take the stress out of shopping by testing, analyzing, and comparing the top products. Our reviews, comparisons, and product guides are in-depth, carefully researched, and completely unbiased. Since launching, we've helped millions of people across the globe find the best products and improve their lives at home. If you have questions or want to partner with Prudent Reviews, email Andrew@PrudentReviews.com. As an Amazon Associate Prudent Reviews earns from qualifying purchases.
Christopher Scott
I’m Chris Maas (aka Christopher Scott) and I help businesses punch above their weight with marketing that actually connects. After growing this as a food channel (Beergr), I realized what I really love is showing business owners how to stand out, tell better stories, and get results from their content and that has been my day job for the last 15 years. That’s what this channel is all about now. If you run a small business, work in marketing, video production or content creation or just want to get smarter about strategy, branding, and content creation...hit subscribe. Every week, I share real-world insights, tools, and ideas you can put to use immediately. Let’s cut through the noise and build something that matters.
BBQ and Bottles
Some of the best memories I've created over the years have been the result of slaving away over a meal that gets shared with friends and family. In this age of technology the dinner table is one of the last few places where everyone puts their phones down to connect again as humans. It's these moments that justify the effort that goes into making the meal and that effort is just another way of showing people some love. We started this channel in hopes of inspiring more people to grill or barbecue at home, to slow down the pace of life for just a brief moment and to create your own memories with family & friends. Thanks for being part of this community! Don't forget to follow us on: Website: bbqandbottles.com Instagram: instagram.com/bbqandbottles/ Facebook: facebook.com/bbqandbotles TikTok: @BBQandBottles Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BBQandBottles/
Cook Culture
We are a small kitchenwares business based in Vancouver Island, Canada. We specialize in lifetime cookware and tools, We believe that the one thing that everyone can make in the kitchen is a better life.
Kent Rollins
Love outdoor cooking? Want to learn more about Dutch oven cooking, cast iron or grilling? Then you've saddled up to the right place. I've been cooking outdoors over live fire for over 34 years as a chuck wagon and cowboy cook. We have a new series on the Outdoor Channel "The Cst Iron Cowboy" You may have also seen me on Chopped Grill Masters, Chopped Redemption or Beat Bobby Flay. Stick around and be sure to subscribe for tips, tricks and recipes. Keep the fire hot and the wood dry... Kent
Liz
Uncle Scott
Our Motto: You can never have too much great cookware and kitchen gear. Our Philosophy: If you have great equipment and great ingredients, with a little practice you can cook any dish in the world. At USK, we make recipes, review frying pans, deep fryers, knives, grain mills, gadgets, pots and pans, and anything else you might find in a high-end kitchen. We teach people how to season carbon steel and cast iron pans, show people the proper way to cook eggs, tell a few jokes, and cook delicious meals. We really like high quality brands such as De Buyer, Falk, Matfer, Lodge, Smithey, Mauviel, Le Creuset, live, Staub, Breville, and others. And, importantly, Uncle Scott buys all of the products he reviews with his own money, and unlike many cookware channels, no free items are accepted for review. This keeps Uncle Scott's reviews genuine, trustworthy, and unbiased. Any sponsored videos or affiliate sales links are clearly labelled.
What this piece cites evidence about
Every product, brand and category named in a claim behind this article, not only the ones with a section of their own above. Where we hold a full page for one, it is linked; the rest are named as text because the evidence has not cleared that bar yet.
Products
- All-Clad 10-piece cookware set
- Field cast iron skillet
- Heritage Steel sponge
- Le Creuset dutch oven
- Lodge cast iron skillet
- Made In pot
- Smithey cast iron skillet
Sources
Short quotes and deep links only. We publish no transcripts, and every quote above opens the original at the second it was spoken.
- Amazon Basics vs Lodge vs Staub vs Le Creuset Dutch Ovens
- Best Cast Iron Skillet - Review of Finex, Smithey, FieldCo and Lodge
- Best Cast Iron Skillet? I Tested Lodge, Smithey, Field, Stargazer, & Calphalon
- Best Dutch Oven? I Tested Le Creuset, Staub, Lodge & More
- Best Non-Toxic Cookware? I Tested All-Clad, Made In, Le Creuset & More
- Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron: Which is Better? | Gear Heads
- Don't Buy Le Creuset Until You Watch This (Test Results)
- Field Cast Iron Review: Egg Problems & Great Gratins
- Field cast iron skillet vs Stargazer - How do I choose?
- Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review
- I Tested Every Cast Iron Skillet, These Are the Best & Worst
- Made In vs All-Clad: Which Cookware Set is Best? | Gear Heads
- Our Journey From Hexclad to Stainless Steel
- Stainless Steel Frying Pan vs Cast Iron Skillets? What's best for you!
- The Best Cast-Iron Skillets
How this page was made
The prose above was written by a model from a fact sheet assembled out of the evidence, then checked line by line: every quote verbatim against the evidence table, every name against a claim, every number against the sheet. Prose that fails is not published. It is derived data, not testimony. The testimony is the quotes.
Verified 2026-09-17
How we handle commercial relationships
When someone quoted here was paid, sponsored, sent the product free or works for the brand, the quote says so and, where they said it themselves, gives their own words about it. We keep those quotes rather than dropping them: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.