Evidence index · Cast Iron Skillets
Only the cast iron skillets that chefs and r/BuyItForLife have independently backed. A product one group praises and the other has never mentioned does not appear here.
chefs is an occupation; r/BuyItForLife is a community we read.
11 people on record as chefs and r/BuyItForLife make 68 quoted claims about cast iron skillets across 14 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.
This page is the evidence, scoped to chefs and r/BuyItForLife. Where the full cast iron skillets evidence adds up to a finding, it is written up separately.
Endorsements and objections about cast iron skillets from chefs and r/BuyItForLife, together, strongest evidence first.
so let's talk about Lodge and folks accessibility is number one because you see it everywhere and it's in stock all the time you ain't gonna have to wait and they have so many different pieces of Lodge cast iron that you can buy whether it's a skillet a griddle a dutch oven they have you covered on all of it
Cites availability, versatility
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)
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
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
when we did our unboxing video they sent us an 8 I love the skillet I do
Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “when we did our unboxing video they sent us an 8” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
but I will tell you what they done went and done they don't went and went to making a 10-inch skillet now I've had this about a week and I love this rascal
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
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
And both of these winners are made in the U.S.
Cites country of manufacture
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
Not a recommendation for a specific product: technique, materials and what to look for in cast iron skillets. Citable on its own terms. There are 26 of them; the 25 with the strongest evidence are below.
This is 24 cm. Really versatile. Definite definite recommend.
Cites versatility
I do feel that every kitchen needs a cast iron skillet they're all cheap and they're all indestructible
Cites durability, price
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
more importantly cast iron it conducts the heat so you can have the gas on absolute minimal or the oven down to its absolute lowest setting and the thing will just cook naturally
Cites heat conduction, heat retention
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
now these are all companies that are made in America and that's the number one thing that we stand for
Cites country of manufacture
it only requires a feris magnetic material something like cast iron which is well it could be centuries old can work on an induction burner
Cites induction compatible
If taken care of correctly, cast iron skillets will last a lifetime.
Cites durability, maintenance (against)
I love cooking meat in this cast iron skillet
you're not going to find that on a lot of iron anymore you go to the store and you buy some it feels like gritty pavement
Cites surface finish (against)
I've got my cast iron pan where I can cook, I can sear.
Cites versatility
And if you don't, go get a cast iron pan for 15 bucks. They're super heavy. They're going to perform better in the oven anyway. Not to mention all those years of seasoning that get built up on them.
Cites seasoning durability, weight
they can probably handle about 1,500° before you destroy them.
Cites heat resistance
where ever you get your good cast iron look for that good milled finish
Cites surface finish
I only use either cast iron and stainless steel
Versatile, heavy bottom, nice.
Cites heat retention
these pans are vintage this has got to be probably 50 or 60 years old and yet it still works great
Cites durability
It's kind of situational. I find myself using cast iron maybe 10% of the time.
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
if you manage your heat properly and you move it enough around the pan, you could still scramble an egg in here. It's not optimal, but it does still work.
When you get a cast iron pan out super heavy, you get it wet, it gets rusty, you got to reseason it every single time.
Cites weight (against)
Everyone likes to say, "Oh, wow. Cast iron is the best of all time for heat retention." Yeah, sure, maybe.
Cites reputation
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