Evidence index · Skillets
Only the 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.
9 people on record as buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife make 64 quoted claims about skillets across 12 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 skillets rather than to fame.
Endorsements and objections about skillets from buy it for life enthusiasts and r/BuyItForLife, together, strongest evidence first.
This means that of these three, the traditional mass produced lodge model is the most durable. It's basically indestructible
Cites durability
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)
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
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
Not a recommendation for a specific product: technique, materials and what to look for in skillets. Citable on its own terms. There are 41 of them; the 40 with the strongest evidence are below.
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.
So a little maintenance upfront and a little bit of maintenance each time after you cook, that's the trade-off for an extremely durable pan that's naturally non-stick.
Cites durability, maintenance (against), non-stick surface
This is a beautiful pan. It's one of my, probably my most reached-for pan.
Our buying, seasoning, and maintenance guide for every chef's secret weapon, the carbon steel skillet.
You don't have to be careful with these pans. That's why I love them. I don't like to baby my pans. I don't like to make sure I'm using a certain spatula.
Cites scratch resistance, repairability
I have my pan here from home. This is little Eddie. Eddie and I have gotten in a lot of fights over the years, and we always make up.
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)
Consider a smaller eight inch. I love an eight-inch skillet. It's one of my favorite skillet sizes.
Cites size and capacity
like cast iron, it rusts when it's bare. It requires seasoning or a process that bonds oil to the surface of the pan not only for protection, but also to start the pan on its journey to make it non-stick.
Cites dishwasher safe (against), rust resistance (against)
One thing you wanna note with carbon steel, you don't wanna put these pans in the dishwasher. The dishwasher will ruin the seasoning.
if you want cast iron but would like a lighter pan look to enamel, they tend to be lighter than traditional
Cites weight
you can see this pan has a nice non-stick layer started on it that will build over time. But you can do things in the normal path of cooking that will damage that non-stick surface. Really acidic things, for example, like tomato sauce, or white wine, or lemon juice. They can strip that coating back a little bit. This…
Cites acid resistance (against), seasoning durability (against), repairability
Seasoning is a process. It can take upwards of a year to fully season a pan, even if you use it frequently. And sometimes, the seasoning will look like you're taking one step forward and two steps back. It can look blotchy, and brown, and sad.
there's also a very large carbon steel pan I really don't use this one very much and you can see my seasoning on this is still kind of evolving because I don't use it all that much because this is a very large carbon steel pan
Cites shape and form (against)
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
these pans are built to last they will last your generation your kids generations you can pass them down to your great grandchildren and they'll still be around and still working great as long as you take care of them these things are meant to take a beating from my years of cooking we use cast iron pans and carbon…
Cites coating durability, durability, repairability
if you do for some reason scratch the coating off your pan and leave a big gouge in it don't worry it's not the end of the world all you need to do a little secret here all you need to do is cook with it that's it as you cook with it the oils are going to polymerize back to the pan and rebuild up that scratch piece…
your pan is rusted that's it it's over pans ruined throw it out get a new one no all you need to do is give it a good cleaning scrub all that rust off heat it up re-season your pan and continue cooking with it that's it hand recovered
Professional chefs do not use nonstick pans in restaurant kitchens. They use carbon steel. It is lighter than cast iron, but just as durable.
Cites durability, weight
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.
The oil bakes into the pores of the iron, creating a natural nonstick surface that does not leach chemicals into your food.
Cites heat control, heating speed, non-stick surface, safety
The difference is responsiveness. Carbon steel heats up fast and cools down fast, giving you precise temperature control.
put it back in the oven for about 10 more minutes you're gonna have the crispiest crust you've ever had from a homemade pizza
Cites heat retention
to prove how phenomenal these kind of pans are and that they can so easily be used by anybody to get rid of Teflon in your kitchen nobody needs it
Cites ergonomics
Critics will say it is heavy. They will say it requires maintenance. They are right.
Cites maintenance (against), weight (against)
now this is obvious for anyone who's done any research on using a carbon steel pan you obviously do not want to put tomatoes or vinegar in the pan right
Cites acid resistance (against), seasoning durability (against)
another weird one raw spinach i did some research on it afterwards and apparently there is a acidic element in spin it raw spinach that strips the seasoning from the pan when you cook it in there
induction and carbon steel can be a bit problematic as most people have found out that have spinning pans or have seen a video where pans spin induction plates can be a problem I have already kind of proven that once in a video lots of people do complain about their pants becoming Spinners
Cites induction compatible (against), warp resistance (against)
okay so clean and cool cool zero spinning so that is great that cheap what I think is kind of crappy induction cooktop I have been able to make spinners out of other carbon steel with that cooktop um it does make spinners these guys didn't that's a tremendous result so super stoked
it is very important you don't soak your carbon steel pans to remove stuck on food they may be well coated but water will get to the metal and rush your pans if you leave it there so don't do that
Cites coating durability (against), rust resistance (against)
don't use a scouring pad when cleaning your carbon steel it will take off the seasoning if you scrub too hard
everyone assumes that carbon steel or cast iron pan is super nonstick it's just not the facts are you if you're coming from teflon to a carbon steel pan you're going to want to make sure you give it a good seasoning and set your expectations it's not going to be super nonstick
Cites non-stick surface (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
put it on a burner 30 45 seconds evaporate that remaining moisture off of there so you don't get any rust
Cites rust resistance (against)