so as you spend more money on cookware stainless or cast iron the quality difference on how they cook starts to narrow to a point where these two pans that are two of the best quality pans in the world cook very very similarly they do a lot of the same sort of thing
Field cast iron skillet vs Smithey cast iron skillet
The Field cast iron skillet and the Smithey cast iron skillet, shown the same way from the same evidence rules. There is no verdict at the bottom. The axes below are separate measurements and the objections are listed in full for both.
Field cast iron skillet
100 quoted claims about the Field cast iron skillet from 11 voices.
Domain authority
10 recommenders, weighted by demonstrated expertise in cast iron skillets. Weighted by expertise in this category, never by audience size.
Independent consensus
10 independent voices across 16 sources. How many independent voices converge, unweighted.
Long-term ownership
4 dated ownership reports, median 2 months. Volume and length of dated first-hand ownership reports.
Performance
52 performance claims. Claims about how well it does the job.
Value
9 claims about price relative to what it does. Claims about what it costs relative to what it does.
Repairability
no repairability claims yet. Claims about whether it can be maintained or rebuilt.
Community breadth
2 distinct communities. How many distinct communities converge, rather than one echo chamber.
Recency of evidence
most recent evidence from 2026. How recent the evidence is. Old evidence is not wrong, just older.
Objections raised
32 negative claims, mostly performance and durability. How much complaint is on the record. A high figure means the drawbacks have been stated and quoted, not that the thing is worse.
These are separate measurements, not components of a score. They are never added together, and there is no overall rating, because which of them matters depends on what you are buying the thing for. An axis that says no evidence means nobody has spoken about it, not that the answer is low.
a pan that i i love and and cherish and use every single day
and i'm impressed with it really really nice skill skillet only about six pounds guys
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- handling Tested it cites base and rim, handle, shape and form, weight
- recommendation Tested it
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
i will say when i dump the potatoes out that first day i'm gonna dump the shrimp creole out um not shrimp creole what they'll make shrimp a two-fade right um and the gravy from the pork chops and stuff i'm gonna dump the leftover out uh that did well because it's real thick
also this is kind of nitpicky but i've got an induction stove and both skillets that i have my other number 12 skillet same size bottom they fit on that burner that over there that i use my number 10 skillet on but with the other one since this sides flare out i've got to kind of duck under and look to see if it's…
so anyway the that's what i got to say about the field skillet i used it and if i didn't like it i would have quit using it i continued to use it all week it was a labor of love it wasn't tough it wasn't tough to decide hey i want to cook something else in this skillet
i'm i'm really satisfied with the skillet
anyway i think you would be too if you're in the market for a premium cast iron skillet my recommendation is go with field
folks and your family will fight for this frying pan at your funeral
Cites acid resistance, durability, seasoning durability
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
skillet was easy to clean that night too and just getting some more good seasoning layer on there with that skillet
i was already trusting the seasoning coat to use acidic foods like lemon butter uh they were delicious and all that fond on the bottom of the pot went into my shrimp a2 faders a pound of shrimp a little more than a pound of shrimp in there also a can of rotel tomatoes but you can see the seasoning on the bottom was…
i've used it as much as i can look how black it is came sort of charcoal gray did get a little bronze that first day or two but it blackened up real quick it's as seasoned as i've ever had a skillet i've only had it a week
but look how easy it seasoned in one week it's not that charcoal gray color it's black all right almost like a mirror finish
I'll tell you what I love both of them
so these are both great pans I'm proud to open both of them operate highly recommend both of them
this this feel company did just a little bit better on eggs a day just because this is about a year seasoning
Cites durability, seasoning durability
Owned 12 months
make up your mind which one you want because both of them will be a family heirloom
During my testing, it warped significantly. The center curved downward, and the pan wobbled on the cooktop.
Cites warp resistance (against)
It performs well on gas and electric, but I can't recommend it for induction.
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
field stargazer two of the world's highest quality cast iron skillets
but if you're considering between something is as high quality as a field or stargazer i don't have one particular recommendation because they are both such high quality so it really depends on what you're looking for
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
but also when I look down at it I've seen the thickness of the walls it reminded me so much of an old Griswold or an old piece of Wagner ware
Cites build quality, ease of cleaning, 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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
the more you use it the better it is going to become to you the slicker it's going to get the better finish it has
now what I have found that really helps these new skillets a whole lot deep fry you something in for you enough grease in there that you can fry something I cook me some deep fried chili rellenos in them I'll deep fry some fishing deep fry some potatoes in it really works good on seasoning easy to clean up that away…
they finish quicker and smoother than any of that other iron I ever used unless you get back to the Griswold in the Wagner so many years ago
On the negative side, it has the worst heat retention of all the cast iron skillets I've tested, which means it cools down faster when you add cold ingredients.
Cites heating speed (against), heat retention (against)
Since it heats up so fast, you can easily overcook your food if you're not paying attention.
it's incredibly lightweight at just 5.5 lb, and because the construction is thinner than most cast iron skillets, it heats up much faster.
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- performance Tested it cites heating speed, non-stick surface, stovetop compatibility
- handling Tested it cites base and rim, handle, heat resistance, weight
I tested it against Lodge, Calphalon, and Stargazer, and it was the fastest to boil water on both induction and electric cooktops.
It has a smooth polished cooking surface that provides excellent non-stick performance, especially for eggs.
The handle is comfortable, and it stays cooler than most cast iron handles.
Lastly, it has flared rims, so you can pour liquids accurately with minimal dripping down the sides.
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)
Field Company is a fantastic lightweight skillet. I reach for it more often than some of the others because it's so much easier to handle and heats up faster.
Cites heating speed, weight
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
I wasn't surprised Field had the worst heat retention because it's thinner and has less thermal mass than the others.
Cites heating speed, heat retention (against)
we got done cooking there got both pans warm and they look freaking pretty awesome
Cites appearance, surface finish
they're both super smooth finishings inside
this is a machine finished Skillet which is very smooth on the bottom when I first got it it has a pre-finished coating to it and it accepted seasoning pretty well
one thing that is missing that I really love in the skillet and I think it's got to have to be a true performing cast iron skillet and that is a pour spout
Cites shape and form (against)
It's [music] got three layers of grape seed seasoning on it. So, you can just give it a wash and just start cooking.
Cites heat retention, maintenance, non-stick surface, searing and crust
the field turned out some nice cornbread, no sticking and a nice crust.
this field cranked out an absolutely delicious [music] grten with no sticking on the potatoes.
Butter potatoes. Those brown up pretty nicely and they did not stick. That's a good thing.
But the field did okay here and I think it helped with the browning that both the potatoes and the okra, they get moved around a little bit.
I think you did an okay job with bacon. Just a little bit of pulling on there, but the um the card says uh bacon can actually stick a little bit early on. So, with that in mind, I think it did uh just fine. I started it out in a room temperature pan, brought it up to heat, some early [music] flips, and mostly…
Um I mentioned that the pan doesn't have as much thermal mass as maybe some other cast irons or carbon steels for that matter, but I am still getting a good sear and browning here.
And here, summoning every bit of egg sliding mojo that I could muster, [music] I got a moderately decent sliding egg. It released even did okay on the flip. You know, cast iron skillets are not really known for flipping eggs, so the side walls are too tall, etc., etc., but it's still released on that second side, and…
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
Field, Stargazer, and Lancaster are all good skillets, but they're expensive and have enough drawbacks that I wouldn't recommend them over Smithey or Made In.
Cites price (against)
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 one major downside is that it warped significantly when I tested it on induction.
Cites induction compatible (against)
But it's the most expensive skillet and has the worst heat retention.
Cites price (against)
I tried to buy a very expensive cast iron pan made by field and it's not much better instead of little bumps the bottom is covered with very thin lines like a vinyl record it might be impossible for my camera to show you that but it's not smooth
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- performance Owns it cites surface finish (against)
- value Owns it cites price (against)
I think they're just as good as the old Wagner that we used to do the gravy
Field Company is lightweight, easy to maneuver, and has a smooth cooking surface.
Cites ergonomics, weight
In the cast iron category, I tested three skillets that performed the best in my previous testing: Field Company, Lodge Classic, and Smithey.
Cites surface finish
If you want a cast iron skillet that’s easy to move around, Field is worth the money.
Cites portability, price
The main benefit of Field is that it’s lightweight and heats fast, but since the construction is thinner than most cast iron skillets, it doesn't retain heat as well.
Three judgements rest on this sentence:
- objects performance Tested it cites heat retention (against)
- supports performance Tested it cites heating speed
- supports handling Tested it cites weight
it may not be as accessible as what you can find some of these other pieces especially Lodge so be sure if you're wanting one to make sure that it's in stock
Cites availability (against)
it holds seasoning but if you're not careful you'll lose some of that if you don't re-season every time every time every time
Cites maintenance (against)
I would love to see this a little bit longer I would because it's hard to get a cup towel on that if you got gravy in it and not get the cup towel in the gravy
Cites handle (against)
you can see on this handle as you zoom in here if this was rounded off right here a little more to me it would be a little more ergonomically friendly to your hand it would
i love using my field i like the weight of it i like how easy it is to grab i can i can work the pan really easily i find that i you know flip and work it really easily and a lot the stargazer is considerably heavier especially when it's full of food so i may flip it a little but i'm not working it nearly the same…
Cites weight
but like i said i've used the field tons with the handle helper and it's about that's hot it's lighter so easy to kind of move around i find that why use the pan a lot with the handle helper i'll actually like flip things with it with the handle helper i could easily do that with this without the handle helper
Cites weight
so the field no difference could be the same pan
Cites moisture retention, searing and crust
so in the first test onions to onions you know thoroughly cooked through good hot heat um you know really brown these onions up nicely there's lots of flavor developed really caramelize the brought out tons of the flavor of the onion still super juicy in the middle it's really held onto that moisture everything is in…
i found that the results in which i got out of the two pans were very similar i i the end cooking was was impossible to tell the difference
At one point I would put the uh pan on the Brevel and started heating up and it's supposed to go up to 270. It actually went all the way up to 400 400°.
Cites measurement accuracy (against)
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…
It's really good at certain tasks such as hightemp sears, um, oven performance, grotens, cornbread.
So people that have maneuverability issues, have trouble with the weight of cast iron, uh they're going to like the field.
I think if you are in the market for a lighter cast iron pan, you might really like the feel, especially if your cook top can get it heated evenly.
it ain't no work to it this skillet pays dividends every day that I cook into it because number one we're getting to absorb iron number two Shannon and the beagles really happy because I didn't burn nothing
Cites maintenance
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.
number one thing I liked about it when I pull it out of the box was the weight
Cites weight
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.
look at this skillet with the exception of the pour sprouts it looks like a skillet and it looks like it'd be right at home in a western movie without being period inaccurate
Cites appearance
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank field for sending it to me” 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 appreciate the style of this it kind of fits my style um the other some of them are a little too cool for me you know a little too new little tube techno for me
but when i was deep frying and i had my thermometer probe in there this little clip and i had to bend it and whatever but it still it doesn't fit on these thin little walls like it does on my enamel cast iron cookware or my other skillet and um for deep frying and it was kind of annoying it would come out and maybe i…
Cites shape and form (against)
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” 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 you've got these higher straighter sides more like a saute pan and that's a good thing when you're doing stuff like sauteing
Cites shape and form
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
there are a couple things i don't like um kind of iffy on the lack of pour spouts uh yeah you saw in our first video i'm trying to pour a red-eye gravy out of it and it dripped down it's a thin gravy
Cites base and rim (against), shape and form (against)
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
and the thinner things like the oil bacon grease i haven't cooked bacon in it yet by the way by the way this is a skillet review and i didn't cook any bacon everybody else does that i didn't cook bacon in the first one either right um but when i poured you know hamburger meat grease out of it that's what it was i…
the walls are kind of straight a lot more like a saute pan than a traditional skillet ah and i'm making that i made some the parmesan cheese things when i'm making the uh pancakes you gotta watch it kind of spatula you can't get your spatula in quite at the same angle you can with the skillet that has more flared…
now field company sent me this it's not something i probably would have bought uh i'm not in the market for bespoke i heard that word you know custom premium cast iron i didn't know what bespoke was i had to look it up right
Cites price (against)
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
i will say they are selling raw cast iron like at enameled cast iron prices
the skillet was still easy to clean up very little sticking at all with any and i mean it just cleaned up easy
Cites ease of cleaning, even heating, size and capacity
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
and number 10 skillet should hold a whole can of spam when it's sliced to the right thickness and the spam came out delicious too
skillet did a good job with it not burning either side of the natchez meat pies
But if you're looking for a classic cast iron skillet with thick walls that retains heat incredibly well and gives you that perfect sear on meat, you're better off with a brand like Smithy or Lodge.
Cites heat retention (against)
At $215, this skillet is only worth buying if you want a lightweight skillet that heats up fast.
Cites price
my wife loves the field company and that's because she prefers the lightweight and prioritizes that
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
field company pretty similar as well very very smooth
Cites heating speed, surface finish
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
not surprisingly because the field and the finex were actually the lightest pans they heated up the fastest and in that initial three or so minutes on the burner we actually got both of those up to around 320 to 325 degrees while the smithy and the lodge only heated up to 200 in the case of the smithy and 225 in the…
The thinner, lighter construction makes it easier to pick up and maneuver, and it heats up quickly.
Cites base and rim, heating speed, non-stick surface
The smooth surface performed well in the egg test. After a slight nudge, the egg slid around with no sticking, and despite not having pour spouts, the flared rim didn't drip.
despite not having pour spouts, the flared rim didn't drip
Field Company is made in the USA, and it's the second lightest skillet I tested. It has a smooth cooking surface, thin sidewalls, and a flared rim instead of pour spouts. The thinner, lighter construction makes it easier to pick up and maneuver, and it heats up quickly.
Cites weight
they're a great pan I'm I'm gonna get rid of it for the same reason because I like my vintage better
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- supports recommendation Owns it
- notes ownership Owns it
this one feels almost too stubby for the pan
Cites handle (against)
that's the field company they're closest to you and it's not sticking
Cites non-stick surface
we have arranged these from lightest to heaviest first Marquette field Lodge Stargazer and finance
Cites weight
the field handle is too hot to touch comfortably like i can grab it for a sec where the stargazer handle is great i can use it
Cites handle (against)
And I'm fully acknowledging here that lots of people and I hear from them here on Uncle Scott's Kitchen absolutely love their fields. There seems to be a common thread though that they've cooked in them for a long time.
Cites reputation
And I've made several of these gratens over the last month or so, and um they all turned out really nicely in the field.
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, on the upside here, blasting that pan up to 400°, that could have easily, if that had been a wide um carbon steel pan, some uh cast irons that easily could have warped or damaged the pan. But thankfully, the field um it took that blasting and remained flat. So, that's a good thing.
Cites seasoning durability, warp resistance
cooking red meat in a pan at high temperatures on a gas cooktop really does add some color to a piece of cookware, whether you're cast iron or carbon steel. And I think this was very good for the seasoning on this field.
Um, 0 to 10 cooks, 60%. So, lots of people are having better luck with the field um than I have had so [music] far.
Not quite as much as a smiddy, but definitely five or six times more than a comparable lodge.
Cites price
Now, it's a high-end pan. Uh list for about 165. I got mine 20% off on a sale, so they do go on sale from time to time, but a fairly expensive pan.
Cites price (against)
But it's not going to change the fact that um I've had a little bit of difficulty with this with this guy and it's not worked as well as some lowerric cookware right out of the box. So, there's still a um problem with the value proposition there.
I can get eggs to slide and release. Now, thank goodness the um the seasoning is developing and coming in, but I have yet to cook a single egg that I would really really love to eat in this guy.
Cites heating speed (against), non-stick surface, searing and crust
And holy cow, this thing is cooking very quickly, setting up very quickly. It's slid, but this is kind of one of those brown uh what I call internet eggs. [music] It slid, but it is kind of like shoe leather, and they wouldn't actually want to eat this egg.
Uh, normally I flip my steaks at two minutes when I do a hightemp sear on the stove top. So, I checked it at 2 minutes and actually I thought it could use a little bit more time. So, I put it back on that first side and gave it another minute. So, at 3 minutes I turned it and um, very nice browning and sear on there.…
And I'm going to say here that I can get an egg to slide now. The field, I mean, it's definitely come in. You can see the difference. It's darker and it's gotten better. But I am still waiting. I have yet to cook a truly delicious uh perfect fried egg in this guy after a month and a half of heavy seasoning and usage.
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.
Also, it's a lightweight relatively speaking cast iron pan on a relative basis versus a similarly sized lodge.
Cites weight
So about 20 25% uh lighter weight than uh lots of other cast irons.
I'm going to give this Field Company 10 and a quarter inch cast iron a thumbs sideways.
The last downside is that the smooth surface doesn't hold on to seasoning as well as rougher cast iron, so you're going to need to re-season it more frequently until it builds up a solid base of seasoning.
Cites seasoning durability (against)
Another downside is that the helper handle is very small, so it can be a little bit tricky to lift when the skillet is full of food.
Cites handle (against)
now what you'd also expect is that the heavier panes would retain their heat better and that's exactly what happened if we look at the field in the finance they both lost between 180 to 185 degrees fahrenheit over a 15 minute period while the lodge in the smithy only lost 80 to 75 degrees fahrenheit
Cites heat retention (against)
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
then you go to the field company and you look at this and there's no designated pour spout so that's just something to keep in mind when you're talking about this skillet
Cites lid (against), shape and form (against)
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
and neither of these two skillets do so the field the lodge no lids there this is the number 10 field cast iron the number eight does have a lid option but the number 10 doesn't
so these are all a similar weight with the exception of the field company skillet which is considerably lighter and you can really notice that when you're using it and it makes it frankly a little bit easier to use just because of the 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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
i don't notice a ton of difference between these three all of them have nice rounded edges so that when you're holding the pan your handle isn't actually digging into your hand that much so i don't notice much of a difference across these skillets but the finex is really a standout in this category
I like the primary handle, but the helper handle is the smallest in the group, so there isn't much to grab onto.
Cites handle
but what i found is that pretty much everything else that i was doing i was leaning towards a stargazer i was finding that the evenness of the heavier weight gave me even a more consistent finish and it slowed the process down even more so i could you know steam the lid on bring the heat way down and just let things…
Cites even heating (against)
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
the field, it looks smooth as we'll find out here in a few minutes. It's not as smooth as it looks on camera. If you run your fingers across it, it's got a little texture to it. It almost seems more um machined than polished.
Cites surface finish (against)
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
Owned 2 months
I've noticed in these filled skillets too that they finish a little different than say that other stuff that I had I won't say it's slower but it comes out looking a little different than anything I'd ever seen I won't say it spotted but I'll call it a little lacy is that a bad thing no not that it's not seasoned…
Cites appearance
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.
that helper handle some people said it's small well it's a lighter skillet you don't need a big helper handle on a lighter skillet you need a big helper handle on a heavier skillet so what does that tell you right
Cites handle
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
i really like the handle the handle doesn't look that cool on youtube every video i saw that and even looking at it on the camera it doesn't look as cool as it is in real life it feels awesome i just love the way this handle feels maybe it's because i got big hands whatever i like the way this handle feels that handle…
Cites appearance (against)
Big Lew BBQ & Other Things I Want to Do! was given the product. Stated in the source: “i do want to thank the field company for sending it to me for a review” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
do you want a light pan then you might go with the field
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
the field company this is 160 and you know those are directionally in and around the same prices for some really nice bespoke cast iron and of course the field and company coming in a little bit cheaper and i think that just has to do with the amount of weight or material of iron actually used in it relative to the…
Cites price
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
I say that's pretty equal
i get to use the field and the stargazer and they have both have a place in my kitchen
i do have my leather handle over my number eight on my field so that is not a problem when i have my leather handle over top of that so no issue there
Cites handle
I've also cooked burgers. I've cooked uh breakfast sausage. I've cooked kind of broughtwur style sausage and it's performed um adequately there. Nothing great, but nothing bad either. So, it's done a [music] decent job there.
I did not take anything for free. I bought this with my own money and these opinions are my own after cooking in this field [music] for about a month and a half or so now.
Owned 2 months
it's not to say that these other skillets don't look nice they absolutely do
Cites appearance
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
Smithey cast iron skillet
48 quoted claims about the Smithey cast iron skillet from 8 voices.
Domain authority
8 recommenders, weighted by demonstrated expertise in cast iron skillets. Weighted by expertise in this category, never by audience size.
Independent consensus
8 independent voices across 10 sources. How many independent voices converge, unweighted.
Long-term ownership
2 dated ownership reports, median 2 years. Volume and length of dated first-hand ownership reports.
Performance
20 performance claims. Claims about how well it does the job.
Value
5 claims about price relative to what it does. Claims about what it costs relative to what it does.
Repairability
no repairability claims yet. Claims about whether it can be maintained or rebuilt.
Community breadth
2 distinct communities. How many distinct communities converge, rather than one echo chamber.
Recency of evidence
most recent evidence from 2026. How recent the evidence is. Old evidence is not wrong, just older.
Objections raised
9 negative claims, mostly value and performance. How much complaint is on the record. A high figure means the drawbacks have been stated and quoted, not that the thing is worse.
These are separate measurements, not components of a score. They are never added together, and there is no overall rating, because which of them matters depends on what you are buying the thing for. An axis that says no evidence means nobody has spoken about it, not that the answer is low.
what i want to point out with the smithy is that the lid actually doubles as a skillet or a griddle and that i think is really really cool so it not only is this a lid so if you're baking bread or any other recipe that you're making that actually needs a lid you've got one but if you want to make smash burgers which…
Cites versatility
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
In the end, it was one of these pans from a smaller producer that took the top spot. This is the Smithey Ironware number 12.
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
If price is not a factor, Smithey is the best overall skillet.
At 105°F, Smithey had the best heat retention, followed by Lodge Classic, Stargazer, a tie between Lodge Chef Collection and Calphalon, and finally, Field, which had the lowest temperature.
after having my 12 and my farmhouse skillet for a year i absolutely love them they're used on a daily basis in my house
Owned 12 months
it's an extremely heavy skillet that retains a lot of heat i typically preheat this for you know 10 sometimes even 15 minutes get it really good and hot and it absorbs so much energy that for searing meat it's fantastic
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- use-case fit Owns it
- performance Owns it cites heat retention
this is an awesome skillet for roasting in i do casseroles in it i've even done some mild uh frying in it which i bought something new that i'm gonna probably be doing more frying in uh if frying is what i choose to do but like i said it's been it's been outstanding
i've never used the cast iron dutch oven so looking forward to it and like i mentioned about frying this will definitely be like my go-to for future frying over uh the number 12.
Fast math, Hannah, but you get what you pay for. It's a beautiful, highly functional pan.
Cites appearance, versatility
but for us i actually really like the smithy and the reason for that not just the fact that it's really smooth but i love the extra weight to me it's not a big deal and that's the whole reason that we're cooking with cast iron is to get that thermal capacity and i also love the fact that the lid doubles as a griddle…
Cites surface finish, versatility, 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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
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)
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
If you want a skillet with a smoother surface and a more high-end design, and you don't mind spending more to get it, Smithey and Made In are my two favorite premium options.
Cites appearance, non-stick surface
In my tests, it heated slower than some of the thinner skillets, but it retained heat really well.
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- supports performance Tested it cites heat retention, non-stick surface
- objects performance Tested it cites heating speed (against)
The smooth surface also performed perfect in the egg test. The egg released immediately and slid around the pan without sticking.
Because of that, it's the best overall handle.
Cites handle
I personally prefer the Smithey and think it’s worth investing in a cast iron skillet since it can last a lifetime.
Lodge Classic and Smithey performed similarly in every induction test. Both heated slowly, as expected for cast iron, but neither warped.
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- supports durability Tested it cites warp resistance
- notes performance Tested it cites base and rim, heating speed (against)
It's not a coincidence that the thicker, heavier pans I tested like Demeyere Atlantis, Fissler and Smithey, performed the best in my warping tests.
Smithey has a raised heat ring on the bottom, which I thought might hurt performance since only part of the pan touches the cooktop, but it didn’t make a difference.
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 6:02.
Cites noise, non-stick surface, surface finish
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 12:04.
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
similarly you can see on the back here they pay homage to that right with a stamp on the bottom of your skillet which is pretty cool i like that
Cites appearance
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
it's not to say that these other skillets don't look nice they absolutely do i love the smithy you got some nice touches here with this bird imprint their logo right on the handle you've got nice little touch finishing touches up here beautiful stamps on the back of these so it's not that these skillets don't look…
you're gonna go across the smithy here same you don't feel any bumps at all
Cites heat retention, surface finish
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
now what you'd also expect is that the heavier panes would retain their heat better and that's exactly what happened if we look at the field in the finance they both lost between 180 to 185 degrees fahrenheit over a 15 minute period while the lodge in the smithy only lost 80 to 75 degrees fahrenheit
overall totally satisfied with my purchases i love them they're gorgeous piece uh pieces they don't keep that original like almost like copper hue to it which that's not what i bought them for anyway i like the way they've kind of turned out as they've seasoned their to me still just as pretty as the day i bought them…
Cites appearance, seasoning durability
and then of course the lid so nice looking dutch oven
Smithey costs more but has a polished interior, which is great for eggs, larger pour spouts, and a slimmer, more comfortable handle.
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- supports handling Tested it cites handle, shape and form
- objects value Tested it cites price (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
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 1:00.
Cites heat retention, searing and crust
And both of these winners are made in the U.S.
Cites country of manufacture
It was not, however, inexpensive. It was $200.
Cites price (against)
Look at that surface, it's beautiful.
Cites appearance
The cooking surface is nearly as thick as the Lodge Classic, but the sidewalls are much thinner, so you still get a substantial base without the unnecessary weight in the walls.
Cites build quality, handle, weight
The handle is shorter than Made In and Stargazer, but the wide flat shape is comfortable and it gives you control when tilting.
It's heavy and expensive, but it will last a lifetime, so it's worth the investment.
Cites durability, price (against), weight (against)
frying like things like chicken it gets a little sketchy depending on how much oil you put in there um it gets pretty close to bubbling over so anyway this is going to be the way to go in the future
Cites shape and form (against)
A smiddy. Uh, very smooth on that Smitty.
Cites surface finish
not surprisingly because the field and the finex were actually the lightest pans they heated up the fastest and in that initial three or so minutes on the burner we actually got both of those up to around 320 to 325 degrees while the smithy and the lodge only heated up to 200 in the case of the smithy and 225 in the…
Cites heating speed (against)
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
i don't notice a ton of difference between these three all of them have nice rounded edges so that when you're holding the pan your handle isn't actually digging into your hand that much so i don't notice much of a difference across these skillets but the finex is really a standout in this category
Cites handle, lid, 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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
you'll see both the smithy and the lodge have pour spouts built right into the sides so you can pour anything out either side whether that's something that you're cooking in the pan that you need to pour out or whether that's the residual grease from a cook so that's really handy
same with smithy comes with a designated lid
One thing to know about Smithey Made In and some of these other skillets with smooth cooking surfaces is that the seasoning can be harder to build evenly at first. It can look blotchy or fade in spots, but over months of cooking, it gradually darkens and evens out.
Cites rust resistance (against), seasoning durability (against)
In the warp test, the center bowed outwards slightly after heating, but the heat ring kept it from extending far enough to make the skillet wobble. so it stayed stable on the cook top.
Cites base and rim, warp resistance
The three with the smoother surfaces, especially Smithey and Stargazer, tend to get blotchy, and their seasoning fades, especially when cooking on high heat.
Cites seasoning durability (against)
one other thing i just want to mention regarding the smithy 12 i weighed this and i weighed my lodge which is equivalent in size there is 18 ounce difference between the two pieces that's pretty significant i'm sure that plays a huge role in the heat retention of that pan
Cites weight
Quoted earlier on this page. Hear it at 3:31.
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” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.
That was among the heaviest of the pans from smaller manufacturers.
Cites weight (against)
Both are made in the USA, but Lodge is significantly cheaper and has a rougher surface that holds onto seasoning well.
Cites country of manufacture
The three holes in the helper handle give it a unique look.
Cites appearance
I’ve been using Lodge, Calphalon, and Stargazer for years, and Field and Smithey for several months, and all 6 skillets perform really well.