The Best Cast Iron Skillets (2025), Reviewed by Our Experts

For some people there isn’t much of a debate around who makes the best cast-iron skillet. There is a diehard fanbase, loyal to the affordable USA–made Lodge cast-iron pan, that will not hear of any other suggestions. But there are others (particularly cast-iron nerds and collectors) who swear by the superior quality of their vintage pan made by Griswold or Wagner that they found at a scrap yard, de-rusted in a bucket using their own DIY electrolysis setup and seasoned with a proprietary oil blend in the furnaces of their bespoke restoration workshop. To these two camps of people we say: “We don’t want to fight you, and we already know why you feel the way you feel. Please do not send us any angry emails.”

If you’ve been loyal to your own cast-iron pan for years—or decades—we don’t expect to change your mind. Our goal is merely to provide recommendations for cast-iron cookware based on side-by-side testing and the input collectively provided by members of our staff. Agree with us or don’t, either way, we’re happy if people are passionate about cooking with cast iron because we are passionate about it too.

The best cast-iron skillets

• Best cast-iron skillet overall: Lancaster No. 8 Skillet, $175 at Lancaster Cast Iron → Read more
• Best budget cast-iron skillet overall: Victoria Cast Iron Skillet, $29 at Amazon → Read more

Cast-iron frying pans were the original nonstick pans, before ceramic nonstick and PTFE rolled around, and unlike modern nonstick coatings, a cast-iron pan’s surface actually gets more nonstick overtime rather than continuously degrading. This is because through continued cooking, thin layers of oil will polymerize to the surface of the pan, creating a glassy, nonstick surface that improves with continued use. They are also strong enough to handle metal utensils—the same can’t be said for that Instagram-famous nonstick pan (you know the one).

Yes, there are ways you can damage this seasoning layer, but these pans are far more resilient than lots of people often think and they aren’t actually all that difficult to care for. Talk to cast-iron enthusiasts and they’ll tell you the best way to season a cast-iron skillet is to just keep cooking with it.

And cook with it you can. Cast-iron pans are amazing for fried eggs, skillet hashes, cornbread, and sautéed greens. At a high heat, they do an incredible job searing steaks and chicken thighs, giving you a crispy, burnished exterior.

Bottom line, cast-iron cooking is an absolute joy, and it is our opinion that every kitchen tool kit should include some cast-iron alongside their stainless steel, carbon steel, and enameled Dutch ovens.

The best lightweight cast-iron skillet: Lancaster Cast Iron No. 8

People feel a certain type of way about this new era of smooth, vintage-style cast-iron pans that cost a great deal more than your standard fare Lodge pan. When you have the opportunity to test a bunch of these pans side by side, you really get a sense of their differences (however small), and you’d be surprised by the things you notice. It was in this apples-to-apples testing that this pan, manufactured by a small company based in southeastern Pennsylvania, really set itself apart.

The Lancaster is the lightest cast-iron pan we’ve tested, weighing in at 4 lb. for the No. 8 (10″-diameter) pan. Most cast-iron pans of a similar size are at about 5 lb. or more—a seemingly small difference in number that makes a surprisingly big difference in hand. When laid out next to a dozen pans in the test kitchen, multiple testers singled out this pan as being the most comfortable to hold and maneuver.

It has thinner walls than a typical cast-iron skillet, which allows it to heat up faster. In testing, it came to temp over 1 minute faster than pans with thicker walls. We were concerned this would mean a reduction in the level of heat retention you’d want to crisp up the edges of some skillet cornbread, but we didn’t find that to be a problem at all. The cooking surface also demonstrated relatively even heat for a cast-iron pan (you really can’t expect too much from cast iron; cold spots are sort of inevitable with the material).

The pan comes preseasoned, but as is the case with most smooth cast-iron pans, this seasoning layer isn’t nearly as robust as what you’d find on a conventional Lodge or Victoria pan. But the polished surface aids in the pan’s nonstick properties, so we found the pan was exceptionally nonstick right out of the box.

Other testing sites have criticized this style of smooth cast-iron pan for getting stained after cooking, but to that we say: This is the process of seasoning developing on the pan. That staining is a feature, not a bug.

An earlier design of this pan didn’t include a helper handle, a feature we missed but forgave because the pan was already so easy to wield. However, Lancaster recently updated the design to include one—all the better in our book.

What we don’t like about the Lancaster Cast-Iron Skillet

The main drawback here is the cost. This pan will set you back $175, a steep price for cookware with a reputation for being budget-friendly. We will just say this: People happily pay comparable prices for nonstick ceramic cookware that lasts only a year or two at best. This pan, provided you don’t drop it in an industrial crucible, will last a lifetime.

If you want a high-quality pan that’s not only a pleasure to cook but can serve as a family heirloom for generations to come, consider getting this pan. If you’re just looking for a workhorse that won’t break the bank, go for the budget option below.

The best budget cast-iron skillet: Victoria Cast-Iron Skillet

Again, we apologize for snubbing Lodge, as even in our office we have a number of staunch brand loyalists. But in our testing, this pan edged out the fan favorite on two separate metrics. Victoria pans are preseasoned with flaxseed oil and are glossy and exceptionally nonstick right out of the box. Having a more thorough preseasoning is more important on cast-iron pans as they are much more prone to sticking early on. We found the Victoria pan’s factory seasoning to be slicker than Lodge’s, which made frying potatoes and eggs ever so slightly easier out the gate. Do all cast-iron seasonings improve with continued use over time? Yes. But we know that some people want as much of a head start as they can get, and this pan offers you the best one.

The other way the Victoria bested the Lodge is in its form factor. The pour spouts on the Victoria are nice and wide, making it easy to pour off oil or other pan juices, and testers found the handle shape slightly more comfortable than the Lodge.

We’ll be honest, though, these differences are pretty small, and if you feel drawn to the Lodge name, we’d recommend it as well.

What we didn’t like about the Victoria cast-iron skillet

Given it’s bargain pricing there’s not much to dislike here. We will note this pan is significantly heavier than the Lancaster pan—a full pound and a half for the same diameter skillet.

How we tested cast-iron pans

We had several members of staff handle the pans to get a broad sense of how easy the pans were to maneuver. Then we got to cooking. Using a little bit of oil, we fried eggs sunny-side up and scrambled to see how much (if anything) stuck to the pan. We seared skin-on chicken thighs to get a sense of how evenly heat was distributed around the cooking surface. We also measured how long it took for the pan to reach 375° at medium heat.

Then we washed the pans in hot water, noting any places where seasoning might have worn away before we reseasoned the pans ourselves in an oven for an hour at 500°.

What to look for in cast-iron pans

Materials

We wanted to narrow what we considered in this test, so we omitted enameled cast-iron skillets like those made by Le Creuset or Staub because enameled surfaces offer a different experience in terms of both cooking and care. We also chose to exclude any cast-iron griddles or grill pans since they are too different functionally. We also ruled out any pans with handles made from materials that aren’t ovensafe.

Sizing is a bit different from company to company, but we chose to stick with a 10″-diameter skillet—an 8 in traditional cast-iron sizing—as it is the most common size available for a cast-iron pan.

How nonstick is the pan out of the box?

We should clarify that cast-iron pans aren’t nonstick in the sense that you can cook an egg in the pan without any oil and slide it around with ease. A really well-seasoned pan that’s a glossy lacquered black from years of use might get pretty darn close, but the seasoning really just helps food release more easily from the pan—and the more seasoning there is, the less oil you’ll need for food to release. We evaluated the pans on their out of the box factory seasoning because having a solid seasoning layer to start with diminishes the amount of time you need to break in a pan. This matters more with cheaper, rough textured cast-iron, which is more prone to sticking when it lacks proper seasoning. For polished or vintage-style cast-iron pans (like the Lancaster), factory seasoning is nice, but the smooth surface also aids in preventing sticking, so it isn’t as crucial in the beginning stages of using the pan. That is why throughout this review you see more emphasis on factory seasoning when discussing budget pans.

Is the pan designed in a way that makes it easy to use?

We counted form and design heavily in how we judged these pans. We wanted the pan to be comfortable and easy to maneuver, so we looked for pans that were light in weight and had handles that were comfortable in the hand. If the pan was heavier, we wanted to see a helper handle for moving the pan from the cooktop to the oven. We didn’t place an emphasis on whether handle was designed to stay cool, because even a handle billed as “stay cool” will get dangerously hot when cooking for long enough, so we feel it’s better to just make a habit of always using an oven mitt or cloth to grab a cast-iron handle.

Cast iron vs. other cookware

Heavy-duty, even-heating, satisfyingly weighty skillets are staples in the BA test litchen because of their versatility. Stainless-steel and carbon-steel frying pans get hot quickly, but they don’t always have the heat retention capabilities of cast iron. And while a nonstick pan is nice for scrambled eggs and crispy-skinned fish, many are not ovensafe and should never be exposed to high temperatures, so you can’t sear with them safely.

Other cast-iron skillets we tested

The Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet

People tend to be shocked that we don’t place the Lodge as our winner or budget pick. It is a fantastic pan, make no mistake. It has a great factory seasoning that’s resilient from the jump, and the 10″ costs around $20 bucks—so what gives? When it came down to it the Victoria pan had a slicker factory seasoning out of the box and a more comfortable handle design.

Stargazer Cast-Iron Skillet

The Stargazer is a lovely pan. It differs from a lot of other cast-iron pan designs by eschewing a pour spout for a curved lip around the entire edge of the pan. Liquids pour from the pan without drips or clinging to the edge. It also has a spacious and easy-to-grab helper handle. It comes with a lightly pre-seasoned polished surface that was fairly nonstick out of the box, but had definite room to improve over continued use. At 5.2 lb. for the 10″ skillet, it is on the heavier side, which is why this one didn’t win overall. It’s still an excellent, well-designed pan.

Smithey Ironware Skillet

Another high-end polished cast-iron pan on the list. Smithey pans are exceptionally gorgeous, so much so that it almost feels wrong cooking with them. However, you should cook with it straight away, as the factory seasoning is a little light on these, and we observed a little bit wearing away after the first couple rounds of cooking prior to us adding an additional layer of seasoning. Gorgeous as they are, Smithey pans are heavy, 5.8 lb. for the 10″ skillet.

Field Company Skillet

This skillet is the second lightest (4.3 lb. at 10″) and has a velvety surface that holds onto seasoning a little better than the smooth polished pans. Like the Stargazer, it also has a curved lip instead of a pour spout, but we found that this pan does have a bit of a dribbling problem, which we weren’t so crazy about. Still, one member of our team who has now lived with this pan for years loves it and uses it every day.

Victoria Cast-Iron Signature Pan

This is Victoria’s answer to the high-end polished cast-iron pan. The seasoning is great, but the pan is heavier than the Lancaster, and we didn’t love all the extra design embellishments. The brass insert on the handle had no practical value (it heated up quicker than the surrounding cast-iron). Also all the extra ridges and divots just meant more places for gunk to get stuck in.

Ooni Cast-Iron Skillet Pan

Ooni is a pizza oven company, and this pan is really designed for cooking in an oven rather than on the stovetop. It has a detachable handle, which is actually a bit of genius design for making it easy and comfortable to grab out of a blazing hot pizza oven. But the sides are too shallow for doing more normal cast-iron things like frying chicken, or sauteing greens. It is, however, great for cornbread and pizookies.

Camp Chef Cast-Iron Skillet

This pan is pretty similar to your standard Lodge or Victoria, but with a seasoning that’s not quite as nonstick out of the box. We did fine, however, that it adds new layers of seasoning quite well, so it’s not a bad budget pan by any means.

Valor Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet

The Valor is apparently a favorite in restaurants, but there’s nothing really special to it that makes it stand out. If anything, the pour spouts are so small they might as well not be there at all.

The Lodge Blacklock 96

Lodge released this pan in response to the wave of new and fancy polished pans, and beautiful (quite beautiful), well seasoned (three glossy layers), and lightweight as it is (almost even with the Lancaster), our testers found the handle uncomfortable to hold.

Finex Cast-Iron Skillet

We’re all for innovation, which is what Finex sought to do with its octagonal pan and its bulbous handle, but we didn’t really observe any value from the modifications. While the octagonal shape is for easier flipping you could just use a bigger cast-iron pan for anything you want to flip. And its “speed cool” handle was awkward and bulbous in hand.

Kitchenaid Cast-Iron Skillet

Anytime Kitchenaid ventures beyond the small appliance space you never quite know what you’re gonna get. In this case, it’s a cast-iron pan that is totally average in every way except for its modern, minimalist design. We think this pan is too expensive for what you’re getting.

Barebones Cast-Iron Pan

“Ooh, a lid!” Was the universal reaction to this cast-iron pan. If you like the idea of having a lid for your pan, this is your pan. The problem with cast-lids though, is that they don’t benefit from the progressive seasoning development the rest of the pan gets as you cook with it. Lids are only really dealing with evaporative moisture, which makes them even more likely to rust.

Backcountry Cast-Iron Skillet

This is a super polished cast iron pan with a glossy cooking surface that was nice to work with. However, we noticed quite a few cosmetic issues, like small nicks and rough edges that made it seem like there were some corners cut in the manufacturing process.

Cuisinel 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet

Amazon customers really like this pan. It comes with a silicone handle cover and a glass lid which is nice (glass is a better material for a lid than cast-iron). It also has tall, 3-inch sides, which makes this pan great for frying. Beyond that though, the pan is heavy and seemed to be barely pre-seasoned.

Müeller Cast Iron Pan

Another pan that is just fine. The factory seasoning is minimal, so you’ll have to build that up yourself. There are several better options that are just as affordable from Victoria, Lodge, and others.

Utopia Kitchen Skillet

This is an affordable pan that looks a lot like a Lodge, but with a lesser factory seasoning, we can’t recommend it.

Amazon Basics Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Pan

The seasoning that came on this pan out of the box was pretty bad, and with so many other cheap alternatives that offer much better quality, we don’t see the point in purchasing this pan. It’s also only available in a 15-inch diameter at the time of writing, which is bigger (and heavier) than most people need.

How to care for a cast iron skillet

Seasoning

When you first get your pan, you’ll want to season it. We recommend this even when the pan comes labeled as pre-seasoned. To do this, just lightly rub a bone-dry pan with a thin layer of high-heat, neutral vegetable oil and place it upside down in a scorching oven—450°F-500°F should do the trick. Leave for an hour, turn off the heat, let it cool in the oven, rub with a tiny bit more oil, and store. You can season cast iron as many times as you’d like to build up a glossy nonstick surface; when the pan looks dull or dry, it’s time to moisturize.

Washing

No, you can’t chuck it in the dishwasher, and you won’t be using your normal hand wash methods, but a cast-iron skillet really doesn’t require much love. When it’s time to clean up, simply wipe a damp rag across the surface of your pan, then dry it thoroughly. Often, that’ll be enough. But if there are any crusty bits, try pouring coarse salt in there and going at it with a Tawashi scrubber, which has soft bristles that whisk away any detritus. Many will tell you to avoid soap at all costs lest you ruin your careful seasoning, but a little dish soap is fine—just don’t let it sit in hot water. (Read our complete guide to cleaning cast iron.)

For really baked on crumbs, try The Ringer, a handy chain mail scrubber that easily rinses clean between uses. After cleaning your cast iron, be sure to wipe your fry pan very dry—this is key for preventing any rust spots. Then take a teeny bit of neutral cooking oil (like canola or vegetable), smear on a paper towel, and give it a light coating. Take care to get the handle and the bottom as well as the cooking surface, as rust can crop up anywhere. And you’re good to go! It sounds involved, but it really only takes a few minutes. A well-seasoned pan takes virtually no time at all, so dutifully season and you’ll be rewarded.

How to fix rusty spots on cast iron cookware

Toss your skillet in the sink absentmindedly or leave it out in the rain, only to find it’s developed a layer of orange rust? Don’t panic—rusting can happen pretty easily if you allow your pan to come into contact with water for an extended period of time (it is made of iron, after all). But that doesn’t mean it’s ruined. A salt scrub will help with most small spots, while a vinegar soak is the cure for more serious cases. (Read more on dealing with pesky cast-iron rust patches.)

If, after all of that, you’re still intimidated by raw cast iron cookware, you might want to consider an enameled cast iron skillet. It offers all of the heat retention and distribution of a well-seasoned cast iron pan, it has a porcelain enamel to prevent rusting. Unlike a Le Creuset Dutch oven, the best enameled cast iron skillets, like Staub’s, have a dark textured enamel that helps with browning and crisping.