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
Articles · Comparison
Finex vs Smithey: What Owners of Both Cast Iron Skillets Say
Prudent Reviews alone holds 30 of the 80 claims behind this comparison, more than a third of everything said.
About Smithey cast iron skillet and Finex cast iron skillet.
We have not used any of these ourselves. We read 13 sources and structured what 11 people said. Of the 12 quotes below, 3 are complaints and 3 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 11 people, 13 sources and 80 recorded claims. A declared interest is labelled beside the quote rather than removed.
The answer
Prudent Reviews, who has used a Smithey for over two years, says outright that it prefers Smithey, and Julia Collin Davison, of America's Test Kitchen, points buyers with money to spend toward the Smithey Ironware No. 12 rather than a budget Lodge. Noah Klein takes the other side, choosing Finex for anyone who wants the best skillet available. Whether one is simply better is not something these 13 sources settle, since each verdict rests on a different reason to spend more.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 3 people
I personally prefer the Smithey and think it’s worth investing in a cast iron skillet since it can last a lifetime.
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)
if you're just somebody that needs the best of the best then yeah go for the finex
Where do people disagree about Smithey cast iron skillet and Finex cast iron skillet?
- Handle design draws the most one-sided praise: Prudent Reviews, testing six skillets head-to-head, ranks Smithey's handle among the best-designed of the group. The same reviewer takes the opposite view on Finex, saying its handle is "thick, round, and smooth" enough to rotate in your hand when tilting.
- Appearance runs one-sided too, in Finex's favor. BBQ and Bottles, who was given a Finex to review, praises its coiled steel handle as the standout of the design, and Prudent Reviews offers the lone complaint, wishing Finex's inner walls were smoother for a cleaner look.
- Weight splits owners almost evenly. BBQ and Bottles put Finex at 7.7 pounds against a Smithey that "came in heaviest at 8.6," while Kent Rollins ranks Finex among the lighter half of five skillets he compared by heft.
The 6 quotes behind this, from 3 people · 3 objecting · 2 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
The handle is also very thick, round, and smooth, so the skillet can rotate in your hand when you're tilting it, especially with a towel or an oven mitt.
Cites handle (against)
first i want to talk about the finex it has this beautiful coiled steel handle and the reason for that is this coil design not only does it look great
Cites appearance, handle, shape and form
BBQ and Bottles was given the product. Stated in the source: “the brands who sent these skillets out to us free of charge and we're not being paid for this review video”
and you can actually see right here on the back of the pan they've got a really nice design that pays homage to that origin
now the next thing i want to compare is just the overall style or aesthetic of these skillets and the standout for me is going to be the finex there this octagonal shape i think looks really great i love the steel coiled handle it's just something really unique that sets that skillet apart from the others
although I wish the inner walls were smooth. it would give it a much cleaner look.
Cites appearance (against)
the weight of the finax was 7.7 pounds the smithy came in heaviest at 8.6 the field and company was the lightest at 5.6 pounds and the lodge was the second heaviest at 8.1 pounds
Cites weight
BBQ and Bottles was given the product. Stated in the source: “the brands who sent these skillets out to us free of charge and we're not being paid for this review video”
you compare it to the finex you compare it to the smithy you really notice that you're holding a heavy cast iron pan
we have arranged these from lightest to heaviest first Marquette field Lodge Stargazer and finance
Cites weight (against)
How long will Smithey cast iron skillet last compared with Finex cast iron skillet?
Prudent Reviews has used a Smithey for "over 2 years" and, elsewhere, calls the line one that will "last a lifetime." BBQ and Bottles goes further, calling Smithey and its peers heirloom pieces built to last generations. Finex's only timed figure belongs to Luis J., who has owned his for two years as of 2023, its seasoning developed well though not yet fully black. Smithey's figures lean on adjectives, generations and a lifetime, against Finex's one measured account, and Luis J.'s two years is the only timed figure Finex has on this evidence.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 3 people · 1 with a declared interest
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 7:02.
but these are all heirloom pieces that will last for generations to come
Cites durability
BBQ and Bottles was given the product. Stated in the source: “the brands who sent these skillets out to us free of charge and we're not being paid for this review video”
so with that said guys this video is going to be about finex cookware and specifically my number 10 which is now two years that I've had it two years that I've owned it and used it as you can see the seasoning has developed really well not completely jet black but we'll get into the specifics right now
Cites maintenance, seasoning durability
Owned 2 years
to be honest it holds up really well um it's not difficult to maintain it's not difficult to keep seasoned and and honestly the more you use it the more you cook with it the better it does become and that's just something that I love about Finance they're not they're easy to maintain they're not hard and the seasoning…
How will Smithey cast iron skillet and Finex cast iron skillet hold up over time?
Prudent Reviews and Luis J. are the only two voices timing their own pans rather than repeating what cast iron is said to do in general. Prudent Reviews' Smithey has been in rotation for just over 2 years, and Luis J.'s Finex reaches the same two years, its seasoning developed well though not yet fully black. The two durations land close together, which is itself worth saying: on the one measured comparison this evidence offers, Smithey and Finex have held up the same length of time so far.
The 2 quotes behind this, from 2 people
What the evidence suggests
- Choose Smithey if you want the reviewer with the longest track record on your side: Prudent Reviews has used one for over two years and still reaches for it most.
- Choose Finex if a distinctive look matters to you: BBQ and Bottles and Kent Rollins both single out its coiled handle and shape as what sets it apart, and BBQ and Bottles reviewed a pan it was given.
- Choose Finex if you want the lighter half of the pans in your kitchen: Kent Rollins ranks it among the lighter skillets he has arranged by weight.
- Choose neither on handle comfort alone if a secure grip while tilting matters most: Prudent Reviews itself flags Finex's handle as one that can rotate in your hand.
The 4 quotes behind this, from 3 people · 2 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 4:01.
Cites appearance, handle, shape and form
BBQ and Bottles was given the product. Stated in the source: “the brands who sent these skillets out to us free of charge and we're not being paid for this review video”
What the evidence doesn’t tell us
Prudent Reviews alone holds 30 of the 80 claims in scope, more than a third of everything said about either skillet. None of the 11 people quoted has owned a pan longer than 24 months, so no account reaches the multi-decade span cast iron is often sold on. BBQ and Bottles's praise for both pans comes from someone who was given the gear it reviews. None of these 13 sources has cooked on both skillets side by side over the same stretch of time, so the closest this evidence comes to a direct trial is separate testers comparing separate ownership.
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.
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/
Julia Collin Davison
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).
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
Luis J.
God, Cooking, Iron Skillets, and Family. My channel will be of moments in my life, Bible scripture, vintage iron skillets, cast iron skillet reviews, Apple tech reviews and Amazon finds.
Noah Klein
The official YouTube of 614Lyfe & The_Noahnator The Creator of THE HAND OF GOD The OG Nonstick Pan Man The OG Cheese Man The creator of the magic food grinder The Internets go to food experiment guy The guy who brings you some of the most satisfying videos in the Milky Way Galaxy Also Yes I am from & live in OHIO Let me know what you want to see next and I will make it happen. Booking: Johnny@olympustalentgroup.com
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.
- $300 Cast Iron Skillet vs $20 (Finex vs Lodge)
- Best Cast Iron Skillet - Review of Finex, Smithey, FieldCo and Lodge
- Best Non-Toxic Cookware? I Tested All-Clad, Made In, Le Creuset & More
- Cast Iron Wednesday: 2 Year Review of the Finex No. 10 Skillet
- 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)
- I Tested Every Cast Iron Skillet, These Are the Best & Worst
- 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 2026-09-23
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.