personally if i was you i would get a dutch oven just like this one or the size that suits you this is going to be fantastic
Articles · Where two groups agree
What chef and gear review youtube both recommend
Chefs and gear review YouTube converge on five products, and only one of nine ownership figures behind them is a lifetime rather than a number.
About Chef and Gear Review YouTube.
We have not used any of these ourselves. We read 44 sources and structured what 15 people said. Of the 30 quotes below, 12 are complaints and 5 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 15 people, 44 sources and 484 recorded claims. A declared interest is labelled beside the quote rather than removed.
The answer
Chefs and gear review YouTube converge on five products, and the clearest picks come from people speaking for themselves. MQ recommends a Le Creuset outright; Julia, of America's Test Kitchen, points to the Smithey at $200, or the Lodge for $43, as the best buy; and Uncle Scott, who bought his own All-Clad D3, says he likes it a lot. Prudent Reviews, a cookware reviewer who discloses an affiliate interest on some tests, holds 69% of everything said about it.
The 3 quotes behind this, from 3 people
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)
so guess what i tried a d3 and i like it i like it a lot
Cites build quality, weight
i really do like this all clad d3 stainless steel frying pan been cooking in it heavily for about six months now so it's part of my go-to frying pan rotation it's easy to move around seems to be well made and most importantly it produces a ton of delicious food it gets a thumbs up
| Product | Cited in favour | Cited against | Voices | Declared interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodge cast iron skillet | price (2), durability (1) | handle (1), seasoning durability (1) | 3 voices | 1 of 3 |
| Smithey cast iron skillet | non-stick surface (2), base and rim (1) | price (1) | 3 voices | none declared |
| Field cast iron skillet | appearance (1), non-stick surface (1) | maintenance (1), seasoning durability (1) | 3 voices | 1 of 3 |
| KitchenAid stand mixer | durability (1) | safety (1) | 2 voices | none declared |
| All-Clad stainless pan | build quality (2), price (1) | warp resistance (1) | 3 voices | 1 of 3 |
Where people disagree
- Prudent Reviews calls the Smithey's handle among the best it has tested, then faults the Staub's for having the smallest overall depth and length of any Dutch oven it measured.
- On price, Prudent Reviews calls the Lodge's cost incredible value, while arguing the Le Creuset's performance is matched by cheaper Dutch ovens.
- 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 · 1 with a declared interest
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
they have the smallest overall depth and length of all Dutch ovens I tested
Cites handle (against), heat resistance (against)
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.”
the knob diameter is also the smallest in the group
One downside is that the lid knob got extremely hot during testing, with the second-highest temperature of all brands.
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.
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. Kent Rollins, of Cowboy Kent Rollins, faults the rough factory finish for disappointing him more than any other skillet's seasoning.
Julia, of America's Test Kitchen, calls it the best buy at $43. No one among the 15 people quoted states how long they have owned a Lodge.
The 5 quotes behind this, from 3 people · 2 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
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)
The best part is that you can get a Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet that will last a lifetime for under $30.
Cites durability, price
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.”
Besides cast iron skillets, they make enameled cast iron Dutch ovens that perform like Le Creuset but cost much less.
Instead of paying over $400 for a Le Creuset Dutch oven, you can get a Lodge that's made of the same materials and is actually thicker for under $100.
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 2:30.
Cites heat retention, price
now of all the Skillets here the one that probably disappoints me the most in seasoning the way it comes to you or the way you buy it out of the store is Lodge with that rough finish on it
Cites seasoning durability (against), surface finish (against)
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."
Prudent Reviews calls the Smithey the best overall skillet, crediting its heat retention and one of the better-designed handles among six it tested. Adam, also of America's Test Kitchen, found it stick resistant, easy to season and easy to clean.
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
It was super stick resistant, easy to season, easy to clean, testers loved this pan.
Cites ease of cleaning, non-stick surface, seasoning durability
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 Field cast iron skillet's durability is probably the objection: Prudent Reviews found it warped in testing, the center bowing outward until it "caused the skillet to wobble noticeably."
At $215, the same reviewer says it is only worth buying for a lightweight skillet that heats up fast. Kent Rollins, sent his free, still likes the smooth finish and the skillet's old-style look.
Uncle Scott and Kent Rollins each put a month and a half on a Field, the longest ownership stated for it.
The 6 quotes behind this, from 3 people · 3 objecting · 2 with a declared interest
The biggest issue with this skillet is warping. Field has a heat ring around the bottom, but after heating, the center bowed outward far enough to extend past the ring. That caused the skillet to wobble noticeably, and it even spun when I tapped the handle.
Cites warp resistance (against)
At $215, this skillet is only worth buying if you want a lightweight skillet that heats up fast.
Cites price
but when I run my hand across it it was the smooth finish
Cites non-stick surface, surface finish
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”
so I fried me some bacon in there without doing a thing to it I just washed it out good with hot water dried it put that bacon in there it wasn't no sticking it wasn't like heated meaning something other ovens where I had to get to a putty knife a chisel and a hammer to knock it off there no it was good
what I put in there a scrambled egg and folks I was amazed there was no sticking like them egg whites will do too to where you can't even get them out of there
when I picked it up the very first time out of the box the thing that I liked about it was it was similar to the design of old authentic cast iron folks this is a pretty good lightweight skill it's sort of like the old stuff was made
Cites appearance, surface finish, weight
getting on down the field I think the thing that really impressed me the most about it was the weight sure but they had such a good machine finish on there to it
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.
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
The KitchenAid stand mixer's ergonomics are probably the objection: Prudent Reviews noticed the head "doesn't lock in the raised position" on all three models it tested.
Joshua Weissman, six years in, says it is "not even close to crapping out" despite heavy use, and calls it one of his favorite kitchen tools. His six years is both the longest ownership stated on this sheet and the only one given for a KitchenAid.
The 3 quotes behind this, from 2 people · 1 objecting
One thing I noticed during my testing is that the head on all three KitchenAid mixers doesn't lock in the raised position. This could catch you off guard, create a mess, or potentially pinch your fingers.
Cites safety (against)
The paddle hit the dough hook and sent it flying out of the bowl. It almost hit me in the face and it left white marks from the dough hook's coating inside the bowl.
these last so long I've had this stand mixer for probably 6 years and it's not even close to crapping out and I beat the out of this thing
Cites durability
Owned 6 years
alright so number one on this list is the coveted kitchenaid stand mixer one of my most favorite tools in my kitchen it does a million billion things other than just making dough it does everything i'm not even going to try and sell you on this it's too good
The All-Clad stainless pan's durability is probably the objection: Prudent Reviews found "the bottom warped noticeably" in testing, despite heating fast and evenly.
Uncle Scott, who bought his own D3, says "i like it a lot," and tells other buyers they cannot go wrong starting there. David Chang, speaking under a sponsorship, calls it one of the very few things America produces built to that standard.
No one among the 15 people quoted states how long they have owned an All-Clad.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 3 people · 1 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
This pan heated fast and evenly, but the bottom warped noticeably in my testing.
Cites warp resistance (against)
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 0:30.
Cites build quality, weight
what i said is set your base level at d3 and then go from there kind of as budget and needs dictate and you can't go wrong
Cites price
what I'm most excited about this pan is that it's an all clad this is one of the very few things that America produces that is like Best in Class
Cites build quality
David Chang paid by this brand. Stated in the source: “I feel like one of those Hair Club for Men guys it's like not only do I like sponsor this like I use it myself”
How long each one lasts
The longest timed figure is Joshua Weissman's six years on a KitchenAid stand mixer, in 2024, still not even close to crapping out. Chef Kevin Riese put two years on a Staub, cooking in it about twice a week.
Prudent Reviews has used a Smithey for just over two years, and Kent Rollins and Uncle Scott each timed a Field at a month and a half, the shortest figures here.
No one among the 15 people quoted names a duration for the Lodge or the All-Clad.
The 5 quotes behind this, from 5 people · 1 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
here but there are no stains no chips no scratches i don't use metal i always use wood or plastic like they want you to and it's it's pretty much the same as i got it two years ago
Cites coating durability, maintenance, scratch resistance, surface finish
Owned 2 years
too worried about that and the top same thing looks pretty much brand new inside and outside
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
What happens over time
Joshua Weissman's KitchenAid mixer, six years in, is still not even close to crapping out despite heavy use, the longest account on this sheet. Chef Kevin Riese, two years into a Staub, reports no stains, chips or scratches.
Kent Rollins and Uncle Scott each put a month and a half on a Field and read it differently: Kent Rollins likes the smooth finish his came with, while Uncle Scott flags a lack of thermal mass that makes it harder to heat evenly. 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 · 2 with a declared interest
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 2:04.
Cites coating durability, maintenance, scratch resistance, surface finish
Owned 2 years
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 1:00.
Cites non-stick surface, surface finish
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”
I think that lack of heaviness, lack of thermal mass, lack of metal, however you want to um describe that, uh for me anyway, I think it made the pan a little bit more difficult to cook in. It's difficult to get it heated evenly. I feel like um it's responsive, which is great for a uh copper skillet, for example. But…
Cites base and rim (against), even heating (against), heat retention (against), non-stick surface (against), size and capacity (against), surface finish (against)
And I think one of the reasons I've had so much trouble with eggs in that field is that um those grooves, they uh I think they have not filled in yet and um they're kind of gripping food a little bit when I try and slide it around.
There is [music] a very tiny uh ring around the bottom of the pan which makes it sit up just a little bit. It's barely even noticeable. The Brevel has a temperature sensor in the middle of the cooking surface there and it has to stick up and make contact [music] with the bottom of a pan. Um there's also a logo here in…
Uh, no matter what I tried, I was getting, um, different essentially different cooking zones. I couldn't get the pan heated very evenly and I would put an egg in and sometimes um, part of an egg would stick and part would slide and the egg would come apart. And I think that's because the pan is not heated evenly and…
This uh 10-in pan um I had to work in two batches.
It's [music] um too narrow to lay out strips of supermarket bacon, but it will hold four if you cut them in half.
Let's talk a little bit more about that uneven heating though here. Uh you can really see it with these grilled cheese sandwiches. Give them their first turn there. And you can definitely see where one half of the grilled cheese is toasted and the other uh the butter is melted, but there is no toasting on there. So,…
I've also made some breaded squash and zucchini. And I like these for testing pans because I can lay them out all around the pan. Then when I flip them, I can tell if they're hotter or cooler spots. You can definitely tell that um some of these zucchini are much browner than the others.
And it's just a little bit more uneven and a little bit more difficult to cook in this pan than some others I have reviewed.
And after doing a ton of work on the seasoning and doing a lot of cooking, circling back to eggs, and I got this. And I got to say, I have never seen that [laughter] fried egg before. It's almost like uh orbiting almost like a planet or something. I don't know if that counts as half of a fried egg. never had um a…
And finally, I got to where I found that, uh, just trying different temperatures, if I went really, really low, um, I could get an egg to release, and this is after three or four minutes of setting up very, very slowly. I could get an egg to kind of sort of release and it'll move around, but I still say that egg is…
Also named, on thinner evidence
Nine more products are named on this sheet, none with enough behind it for its own section: the Le Creuset dutch oven (4 recommenders), the Staub dutch oven (3), the Stargazer cast iron skillet (3), Hestan CopperBond (2), the Finex cast iron skillet (2), a Made In Stainless Clad Saute Pan (2), a Marquette cast iron skillet (1), a Griswold cast iron skillet (1) and HexClad Terrabond (1). Thin coverage is not a verdict against any of them; it is simply what these 44 sources can carry.
The quote behind this, from 1 person · 1 objecting
Who wants what
Kent Rollins, a chef, likes the Field's old-style look and the smooth finish it came with; Prudent Reviews, testing the same pan, measures its warp under heat and its heat retention against a dozen others. Uncle Scott, a self-funded reviewer, judges the All-Clad by whether he would buy it again, where David Chang, a chef speaking under a sponsorship, praises it in the language of national pride rather than a measurement.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 4 people · 1 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 1:30.
Cites appearance, surface finish, weight
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 9:32.
Cites warp resistance (against)
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 2:00.
Cites build quality
David Chang paid by this brand. Stated in the source: “I feel like one of those Hair Club for Men guys it's like not only do I like sponsor this like I use it myself”
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 Julia calls it the best buy at $43.
- Choose the Smithey cast iron skillet if a smoother finish and better heat retention are worth the extra cost: Prudent Reviews, over two years in, still reaches for it more than most of what it owns.
- Choose the KitchenAid stand mixer if you want years of service and can live with an occasional ergonomic quirk: Joshua Weissman, six years in, says it is not even close to crapping out.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 3 people
Few products in the world last forever, perform really well, and cost under $30.
Cites durability, price
What the evidence doesn’t tell us
Prudent Reviews alone holds 333 of the 484 claims in these 44 sources, 69% of everything in scope, so most of these five products' cases rest on one reviewer's testing. None of the 15 people quoted claims to have owned anything longer than the 72 months behind Joshua Weissman's KitchenAid. Three products rest on a single recommender's word, and nine carry no ownership duration behind them at all; for some, including a Finex skillet and a Made In Stainless Clad Saute Pan, 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.
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
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.
Joshua Weissman
I love food, maybe too much. The goal here is give out all the secrets I've ever learned completely for free, teach people how to cook, or make them unbelievably hungry. If any of the 3 things happen then I'm happy.
Chef Kevin Riese
David Chang
MQ
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.
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.
Sources
Short quotes and deep links only. We publish no transcripts, and every quote above opens the original at the second it was spoken.
- 19 Tools To Make Cooking Easier
- All-Clad D3: As good as they say?
- Are KitchenAid Mixers Worth the High Price? (TEST RESULTS)
- 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
- Cheap Cookware That's Actually Worth Buying (And 4 Brands to Avoid)
- Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?
- Don’t Buy Induction Cookware Until You Watch This (13 Brands Tested)
- Don't Buy Le Creuset Until You Watch This (Test Results)
- Every Cooking Gadget You'll Ever Need
- Field Cast Iron Review: Egg Problems & Great Gratins
- Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review
- Field Company Review: Best Lightweight Cast Iron?
- I Tested Every Cast Iron Skillet, These Are the Best & Worst
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven and Braiser Do You Need Both?
- Momofuku's David Chang Reveals What You Need in Your Kitchen | GQ
- Staub Cocotte After Two Years of Use.
- 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.