Articles · A disputed claim
Yair decided against a cast iron pan because of the upkeep, and he is one of eight people in these 51 sources faulting its maintenance.
About Cast Iron Skillets.
We have not used any of these ourselves. We read 51 sources and structured what 36 people said. Of the 27 quotes below, 13 are complaints. Every one of them links to the person who said it and the second they said it.
Based on 36 people, 51 sources and 147 recorded claims.
Hannah, of America's Test Kitchen, states the routine for a traditional cast iron pan. She says to wash it, dry it thoroughly, and put a light film of oil on it after each use. Prudent Reviews is a cookware reviewer that tests large numbers of pans head to head. The reviewer says re-seasoning is easy and seldom needed, so long as the pan never sits wet. Eight of the 36 people quoted fault that upkeep. Three praise it. Nothing in these 51 sources settles whether it is a chore or a triviality.
You want to wash and dry these pan thoroughly and lightly oil them each time after use to prevent rust and build up that non-stick surface.
Cites maintenance (against), rust resistance (against)
You also never wanna leave these pans soaking in the sink, so if you're that type of cook, maybe cast iron isn't for you.
Although cast iron without seasoning will rust, the seasoning process is easy and you don't need to do it often
Cites durability (against), rust resistance (against)
However, cast iron is actually brittle. It contains about 98% iron and 2% carbon. The carbon adds hardness but also makes the material more brittle
Unlike other metals like aluminum and steel, cast iron isn't ductile, which means it will break before it bends
If you drop a cast iron skillet or subject it to extreme pressure, especially against a hard or pointed surface, it can crack and break
In the meantime, just make sure to dry it thoroughly after washing, otherwise it can rust.
Cites maintenance (against), rust resistance (against), seasoning durability (against)
I feel from my friends that have iron cast pans and from videos I saw online, because before I bought this stainless steel one, I was thinking what should I buy, I had the feeling that iron cast pans are a bit like Tamagotchi that you need to take care of it, and you need to make sure to not cook specific things, like…
Cites maintenance (against)
Critics will say it is heavy. They will say it requires maintenance. They are right.
Cites maintenance (against), weight (against)
I do feel that every kitchen needs a cast iron skillet they're all cheap and they're all indestructible
Cites durability, price
I cooked in my grandmother's pan for 35 years until one day up on the Choptank at our at our house there we'd finish breakfast and I was walking out and did the yard scraped something out of the pan into the compost pile I dropped the pan that tumbled down the stairs and I could hear it going ding-ding-ding clunk and…
Owned 35 years, no longer, stopped because the pan cracked after being dropped down the stairs
I dropped the pan that tumbled down the stairs and I could hear it going ding-ding-ding clunk and on the clunk I knew that it had that it had cracked
Its ability to hold temperature so stable is why cast iron is the ultimate cookware for searing.
Cites heat retention, searing and crust, surface finish, versatility
Stainless steel is the ultimate all-purpose cookware. You can use it to sear meat and fish, saute vegetables, boil pasta, simmer sauces, and much more.
Stainless steel is also the best type of cookware for pan sauces. Since it's uncoated, cooking meat in a stainless steel pan creates fond, which is the brown stuck-on bits of concentrated meat flavor at the bottom of the pan.
and once again this result with the liquidus on the stove it kind of dispels the myth of cast iron being able to being the best at retaining heat
Cites heat retention (against)
the most difficult thing to cook on l cruset or any cast iron for that matter is over easy eggs or over medium eggs anytime you need to cook an egg and then flip it over to the other side it is extremely difficult
Cites non-stick surface (against)
And with plenty of views in the right care, their surface becomes naturally non-stick.
Cites non-stick surface, seasoning durability
As Hannah said, an important feature of cast iron skillets is its natural non-stick ability.
Repeated exposure to smoking hot oil continues to build on this coating, making it more slippery and durable. That's why even though most skillets these days come with a factory seasoning, the surface will become even more non-stick with repeated use.
cast iron skillets are pretty heavy especially when you're getting a 12-inch skillet
Cites weight (against)
even this 10 inch skillet is still pretty heavy that's probably one of the biggest things that i don't like about cast iron skillets is you do tend to get fatigued
they're much lighter than a cast iron skillet but they're heavy and they develop an amazing nonstick coating
i think for cast iron skillets she doesn't like picking up any of the big skillets and she tends to stay with the smaller skillets because they're really heavy
cast iron has notoriously been blamed for it's too heavy you know but folks cast iron was built so many years ago for one reason uh to cook with but also heaviness is heat retention
Cites heat retention, weight
In terms of cooking, there's very little these pans can't do.
Cites even heating, heat conduction, heat retention, searing and crust, versatility
Its superpower is that it can retain and conduct plenty of heat for deep browning of food.
like regular cast iron, these pans have excellent heat retention, so they'll sear, fry and braise well maintaining the heat you want without undesirable temperature dips as food is added or flipped
Though all of these are gonna sear a great steak.
A thick heavy pan has the mass and density to hold more heat than a thinner pan does, and once preheated will cook more evenly than a thinner and lighter pan
Cast iron skillets are one of the most versatile pieces of cookware you can buy since they work on the stove top in the oven, even on the grill.
Cites acid resistance, induction compatible, maintenance, oven safe, stovetop compatibility, versatility
Best of all, you can cook almost anything, even acidic foods that need to be simmered for a long time like a tomato sauce because the enamel seals the cast iron making the pan rust proof and non-reactive.
While both regular and enameled cast iron pans are induction compatible, the smoother enameled bottoms can be a little gentler on glass cooktops
Enameled is for the person that never wants to think about seasoning their pan. Enamel doesn't need it.
This is 24 cm. Really versatile. Definite definite recommend.
Cites versatility
The artisanal pans are a little less maintenance than the traditional pans and they just look beautiful.
Cites appearance, maintenance
Testers love these smooth finishes because they were super easy to clean.
Cites ease of cleaning, non-stick surface, seasoning durability
These were easy to clean, easy to season, they had great stick resistance, so that was a real benefit.
Acidic foods like tomatoes can strip the seasoning from traditional cast iron if simmered for too long in the pan.
Cites acid resistance (against)
The enamel isn't toxic, but you certainly don't want that in your food and it does make the surface more sticky.
Cites non-stick surface (against)
Another downside, don't expect enamel cast iron skillets to be or become non-stick.
The enamel coating can sometimes heat and expand and retract at different rates, which can lead to cracking, an issue called crazing.
Cites crazing (against), non-stick surface (against)
While some manufacturers claim their pans will do this and become more non-stick with use, in our hands-on testing experience, we found that not to be the case.
And it's very heavy also, so my wife won't be able to use it because she won't be able to lift the pan easily from place to place.
Cites weight (against)
Dennis Powell's 35 years with his grandmother's pan is the longest ownership anyone quoted states. It ended when the pan hit the stairs. The lifetimes David Chang, Kent Rollins and Julia describe are asserted rather than timed. None of the three says how long a pan of their own has lasted.
Yair never bought a cast iron pan. In these 51 sources, the sharpest complaint about the upkeep comes from a cook repeating what friends and videos told him. Quality Collapse's skillets from 1920 are relayed the same way.
Prudent Reviews holds 31 of the 147 claims about cast iron skillets, about a fifth of what the 36 people quoted said.
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 0:04.
Owned 35 years, no longer, stopped because the pan cracked after being dropped down the stairs
this is something for sure that if you take care of will last Generations upon Generations
Cites durability
always told you that cast iron is an investment it's going to outlast everything else you got each one of these Skillets if you take care of it will last you a lifetime and you can pass down from generation to generation to generation
Cites durability
If taken care of correctly, cast iron skillets will last a lifetime.
Cites durability, maintenance (against)
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 4:31.
Cites maintenance (against)
We have seen cast iron skillets from 1920 that are still being used daily.
Cites durability
We have seen carbon steel pans from the 1950s that are still in professional kitchens today.
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.
Executive editor for ATK Reviews and co-host of America's Test Kitchen's Gear Heads series on YouTube.
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.
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
Quality Collapse exposes why modern appliances, RVs, and home systems fail early — from factory shortcuts and weak parts to repair traps, builder-grade design, and “replace-not-fix” economics. We break down what changed, why service got worse, and what still lasts.
Learn to cook simply and efficiently when you don't have hours to spend in the kitchen.
Equipment expert at America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country, reviewing kitchen equipment on-camera in the show's Equipment Corner segments.
We're Jack and Will & we run Fallow, Roe & FOWL restaurants in London. For enquiries, contact media@fallowrestaurant.com
Executive editorial director and co-host of America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country, trained at the Culinary Institute of America (class of 1996).
On this channel we mainly talk about cookware. We look at the technicalities and science of each piece of cookware to a level not usually seen elsewhere. We don't just look at the cookware itself, we look at how it will work with your kitchen setup at home. We do cookware reviews, first impressions, we look at the value proposition of each piece, and sometimes we do cooking tests. Most importantly, there is no "political correctness" on this channel. Everything we say is 100% our honest and sometimes "brutal" opinion.
Welcome to my world of luxury and health! Hi, I'm Zoe. I have always been fond of the finer things in life and have been on a wild journey to get to a place where I can enjoy them. I’m all about up-leveling life in ALL areas. I also went through a 100 pound weight loss journey, during which I became very passionate about health and fitness. This channel is a blend of my love for luxury and my love for having a healthy lifestyle. I hope to spread inspiration through my videos and show that you truly can create whatever life you desire, no matter your current circumstance. We all deserve to feel luxurious and healthy. ❤️ I can’t wait to share all my fitness and luxe tips with you! Instagram: @zoecarterluxe @finejewelrychronicles
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Verified 2026-09-15