This means that of these three, the traditional mass produced lodge model is the most durable. It's basically indestructible
Cites durability
Evidence index · Cast Iron Skillets
Cast Iron Skillets: where buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife agree
Only the cast iron skillets that buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife have independently backed. A product one group praises and the other has never mentioned does not appear here.
buy it for life enthusiasts is who the advice is aimed at; r/BuyItForLife is a community we read.
5 people on record as buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife make 47 quoted claims about cast iron skillets across 7 sources. Membership is recorded with its own evidence — for a person by the trait they are on record holding, for a community by the source it was said in — and authority is scoped to cast iron skillets rather than to fame.
Read what we found
This page is the evidence, scoped to buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife. Where the full cast iron skillets evidence adds up to a finding, it is written up separately.
Which cast iron skillets do both buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife recommend?
Endorsements and objections about cast iron skillets from buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife, together, strongest evidence first.
Lodge cast iron skillet
We'll first look at our traditional winner from lodge. This is by far the least expensive of the bunch and it is a really great bargain.
Cites price
but it's also the heaviest of the three options at eight pounds
Cites weight (against)
Smithey cast iron skillet
This pan by Smithey is around $200 compared to the Lodge's, $44 a quarter of the price.
Cites price (against)
You can see right here this pan is really smooth to the touch, whereas this one is a little rougher.
Cites surface finish
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
Field cast iron skillet
Said he had a field and he had trouble with eggs early on and he resolved to just quit cooking eggs for a while. He went and cooked a bunch of other stuff and said he circled back around to eggs later on and then they were non-stick.
Cites seasoning durability
Now, Chris also said later that uh all that cooking he did, he was in some sort of um hurricane relief situation, and I don't know if he was cooking for first responders or for people in a shelter or what have you, but when one of the hurricanes hit, he was doing a ton of cooking and used his field.
Cites seasoning durability
If you want a skillet that's easy to handle, Field Company is the best option. It has a smooth surface just like Smithey, but it weighs significantly less and heats up faster.
Cites surface finish, heating speed, weight
What do buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife say about cast iron skillets in general?
Not a recommendation for a specific product: technique, materials and what to look for in cast iron skillets. Citable on its own terms.
if you do a lot of steaks and you love a really thick Dark Crust on your steaks with a medium Center like I do there's really nothing better than cast iron
Cites heat retention, searing and crust
but a five ply will do that also
but this is great for like I love doing stir fries in this I love doing searing steaks in this is great
Cites heat retention, searing and crust
cast iron if I'm going to seirus steak I'm probably going to do it in a cast iron pan
this cast iron I particularly love to use for frittatas it's the perfect depth it holds the heat really well and it Cooks the frittatas perfectly like a nice thick frittata so I do love that small 8 in
I love to use cast iron on open fire on the grill on the smoker there's really nothing better for open fire than cast iron and Searing a steak
but like I mentioned in the beginning of this video a very well-made 5 to S ply stainless steel pan will SE a steak very well also
I'd go with the big cast iron because it's so useful for so many things on the fire
I'd go with the big cast iron because it's so useful for so many things on the fire
there's three ply there's five ply there's seven ply Alloys that are stainless steel with titanium to make them stronger and last longer and look better for a longer time period
Cites appearance, durability
Owned 9 years
but this pan has been a Workhorse I think this is a 14inch I've had this pan for 9 years I don't even know the brand of this one but I I think I bought this one in HomeGoods or something like that a long long time ago
First, a broad cooking surface. We preferred pans that offered at least 10 inches of flat cooking surface.
Cites handle, shape and form, size and capacity
That extra height is really necessary for containing hot oil and food, such as when frying donuts and shallow frying chicken.
but we preferred those with wide broad loops that we could really hang onto, especially when wearing oven mitts
Generally though, we recommend buying a 12 inch skillet if you can. It's always good to have the option of a bigger pan for recipes of different sizes
If you wanna bang it around with no fear of damage and use it at any temperature under the broiler or on the grill, even over live fire or with metal utensils.
Cites durability, heat resistance
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.
Be warned however that this enamel coating makes these skillets less durable than their uncoated brethren.
Cites coating (against), durability (against), scratch resistance (against)
You also wanna avoid using metal utensils and scraping or banging the pan, you know it's glass, so you gotta be a little bit careful with it.
Artisan makers often cast their to have thinner sides, but a thicker bottom which cuts down on the total weight of the pan, but keeps that heat retention capability.
Cites heat retention, non-stick surface, surface finish, weight
Most artisan makers will also take the time to hand polish their pan surface, which makes it naturally non-stick much faster than a mass produced pan.
Generally being a single piece of metal also makes these skillets very sturdy.
Cites build quality, coating, durability, ease of cleaning, maintenance, rust resistance
These cast iron pans start out like traditional cast iron, but then they're coated in a glass like vitreous glaze that seals the pan from air and moisture that could cause rust
their enamel coating makes enamel cast iron pans virtually maintenance free. You never have to season them and you can soak, use soap and scrub as much as you'd like.
Okay, that is my buying guide for these wonderful lifetime pans.
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.
The artisanal pans are a little less maintenance than the traditional pans and they just look beautiful.
Cites appearance, maintenance
traditional pans while they're a few pounds heavier, they have better heat retention
Cites heat retention
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.
Finally, their colorful appearance is pretty enough to bring to the table for serving.
Cites appearance
Acidic foods like tomatoes can strip the seasoning from traditional cast iron if simmered for too long in the pan.
Cites acid resistance (against)
if you want cast iron but would like a lighter pan look to enamel, they tend to be lighter than traditional
Cites weight
they carry a rough texture left behind from the sand mold they were cast in
Cites surface finish (against)
and yes we still use our cast iron and carbon steel panss
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.
Critics will say it is heavy. They will say it requires maintenance. They are right.
Cites maintenance (against), weight (against)
Enameled cast iron is essentially the same as traditional cast iron, but it's coated in a thin layer of hardened glass. This enamel acts as a permanent barrier that prevents rust and eliminates the need for seasoning.
Cites maintenance, rust resistance
If you have a condition where your body stores too much iron, cast iron is not the best choice. But for most people—especially those who are iron deficient—this is actually a benefit.
Cites safety