The Best Cast Iron Skillets
Cast iron is the only cookware that gets better as it ages. A skillet used daily for twenty years has a seasoning layer that no new pan can replicate. The iron beneath that seasoning is essentially indestructible. These are the pans that belong in a kitchen built to last.
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How to Choose
Weight is the first test. A quality cast iron skillet is heavy -- 5 to 8 pounds for a 12-inch pan. Lighter means thinner walls, which means uneven heat and warping over time. The cooking surface should be smooth when new or have visible machining marks. Pre-seasoned is fine; you will build your own seasoning over it. Avoid anything with a non-stick coating applied on top of the iron -- that defeats the purpose entirely.
Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
Made in South Pittsburg, Tennessee since 1896. The Lodge L10SK3 is the skillet that appears in more kitchens than any other cast iron pan on the market. Pre-seasoned with vegetable oil, ready to use from the box. The walls are thick, the handle is long enough to use with an oven mitt, and it will outlast everyone who owns it.
The standard against which every other cast iron skillet is measured. At this price point, nothing else comes close.
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Lodge 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
Same Tennessee iron, smaller footprint. The 10-inch is the right size for two eggs, a single steak, or cornbread in a small oven. Lighter than the 12-inch, easier to maneuver, still built to last generations. If you are buying one pan, this is the one for a household of one or two.
The size that gets used most. Heavy enough to hold heat, small enough to handle daily.
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Lodge Blacklock Triple Seasoned Skillet
Lodge's premium line, cast thinner and lighter than the standard Lodge. The Blacklock goes through three rounds of seasoning before it leaves the foundry. The result is a skillet that weighs about a pound less than the standard equivalent -- meaningful when you are lifting it off a hot stove one-handed.
For cooks who want the Lodge heritage without the heft. Legitimately lighter without sacrificing durability.
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Victoria Cast Iron 12-Inch Skillet
Cast in Colombia by a family foundry that has been making cast iron since 1939. The Victoria is pre-seasoned with flaxseed oil rather than vegetable oil, which produces a harder initial seasoning. The walls are slightly thicker than Lodge, the handle design is different, and the price is lower. A legitimate alternative for the cook who wants American-quality iron at a friendlier price.
The honest budget pick. Not a cheap substitute -- a different foundry with its own century of tradition.
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Lodge 15-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
The pan for feeding a table. At 15 inches, this is the skillet for a full chicken, a rack of ribs laid flat, or feeding six people from a single pan. It lives on the stove or in the oven permanently in the kitchens that use it. Not a starter pan -- a destination pan.
When the 12-inch is not enough. The go-to format for serious family cooking and open-fire use.
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