The 11 Best Cast-Iron Skillets You Can Buy in 2023

Field Company’s cast-iron is lighter, smoother and simpler than that of many new brands. For comparison, the brand's 10.25-inch skillet (the No. 8) is 4.5 pounds, while Lodge's skillet of the same size is 5.35 pounds. Field Company also manages to keep its prices lower relative to some of its high-minded competition. Plus, the two-layer grapeseed oil pre-seasoning the skillets come with out-performed that of every other pan we tested. It works just as well on the stove as it does on a grill, and it's easy to maneuver around the kitchen.

• Available Sizes: 6.75-inch to 13.38-inch (5 sizes)

In most industries, retrospective homages to products past are meant more to trigger nostalgia than perform to today’s standards. This is not so in cast-iron. Smithey’s skillets are made with heavy gauge iron, a three-finger front grip and an exquisitely milled down, pre-seasoned cooking surface. There’s even a heat ring on the base of the pan, so if you somehow find yourself standing in front of an old indented wood stove, you’ll fit right in.

Having used his skillet for four years now, our tester loves Smithey's smooth, polished finish, ergonomic handle, pour spouts on either side and convenient holes for hanging the skillet. "As most cast iron skillets do, my Smithey has its own quirks, but it’s truly a workhorse — and a stylish one at that," he said.

• Available Sizes: 6-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch

Lodge is not in the business of making pretty cast iron, it’s in the business of making a workhorse skillet. The surface is grainy, rough and coated in a black pre-seasoning. It’s probably not as slim and trim as others on this list, but in terms of value for your money, Lodge’s American-made cast-iron skillets are unrivaled. Starting at $12 for a 3.5-inch pan (the smallest size you’d want to cook on), its cast iron is made of the same hefty, heat-insulating iron that the boutique brands are using, and the only serious trade-off is cooking surface and craftsmanship.

Our tester has owned a Lodge skillet for a year and a half, and he says that although the skillet may be hefty and difficult to maneuver at times, its durability and longevity offer the best value for the price. Plus, it comes in a whopping nine sizes to choose from.

• Available Sizes: 3.5-inch to 15-inch (9 sizes)

Though it’s hard to place it as absolute best at any one thing, the Stargazer is a great blend of all buying factors — and it's all backed by the brand's lifetime warranty. High-sloping walls with a unique and fairly dramatic lip around the edge mean you can toss veggies and home fries up and back down with little oil splash. Our tester thought that the seasoning it shipped with was excellent, but you can order it unseasoned if you prefer. It’s middle of the pack in terms of weight, and it has a large square-angled front grip that is easy to get a hold of when you’re wearing an oven mitt.

• Available Sizes: 10.5-inch to 12-inch

If you've always wanted an Always Pan or you have one but it's missing something, then I can't recommend the Cast Iron Always Pan enough. Differing from the other pans on this list, this pan has an enameled cast-iron surface, which means it doesn't need to be seasoned. However, it does require a little extra care than a typical cast-iron — the brand recommends using utensils made of silicone or wood, like the included spatula, to avoid scratching the matte surface. But unlike the signature Always Pan that is best used on low to medium heat on the stovetop, the cast-iron version can withstand up to 500 degrees in the oven (or 425 with the lid on).

I love the look and the thoughtful details that went into this pan, from the included handle-fitted silicone grips to the glass lid that allows you to see your food as it cooks to the notch that holds the spatula. It passed the cooking test both in the oven and on the stove with flying colors, and would make a great option for someone who wants the eight-in-one benefits of the internet-famous Always Pan wrapped in a cast-iron skillet.

• Available Sizes: 6.5-inch and 10-inch

Based in Owego, New York, Borough Furnace has its eye trained on unique skillets. Its pans feature low walls that allow more air flow, an extra-large front grip and a really, really heavy base. But it’s also the most eco-minded skillet maker out there. The whole facility is run off wind off-sets and solar power, and every skillet is made with recycled iron. The only downside? The handle’s unique shape isn’t a very comfortable grip, but it makes up for it with cooking ability.

• Available Sizes: 9-inch and 10.5-inch

The Finex pan sports a similar machine-smoothed cooking surface as others on our list. The corners create many areas to pour out sauces or excess grease, yes, but there isn’t much out there on its proficiency in the oven — although it has the makings of a great baking skillet. This particular skillet’s cooking surface is also just a quarter-inch shy of standard pie size. The base of Finex pieces is thicker than your typical cast-iron base, providing more balanced cooking temperatures. This is useful when dealing with the longer cook times baking often entails. The trademark corners are absolutely ripe to wedge spatulas into to lift your hard work out of the pan. And it even comes with its own lid.

• Available Sizes: 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch

Where to start? Butter Pat’s skillets were the smoothest and most non-stick out of the box of any we tried. Beyond making flip-easy fried eggs (or flip-easy anything, for that matter), the surface makes cleaning that much easier, as everything cooked in it was a towel wipe away from clean. A proprietary hand-casting method allows the piece to be thin where it can be and heavy where it needs to be, making it lighter than others at 4.8 pounds for a 10-inch skillet. For a deeper look, see how the Butter Pat compares to the Lodge.

Butter Pat's skillets are undeniably expensive, but if you're an everyday cast-iron user then it could be worth it. Our tester has had the 12-inch Joan skillet for three years, noting that it avoids pretty much every common pitfall of cast-iron skillets: it's light, thin, smooth, heats evenly and seasons easily. "If you consider a cast-iron skillet an essential part of your culinary kit and plan to use it daily, its pros justifiably outweigh the sky-high price tag," he said. "But if the pan is more novelty and rarely taken out of storage, there's no need to upgrade."

• Available Sizes: 8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch and 14-inch

Handmade in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this cast-iron skillet feels like an instant family heirloom. (Just take a look at the beautiful design on the bottom.) Its pre-seasoned, smooth surface is ready for cooking from the get-go, and it's thinner and lighter than a typical cast-iron skillet. Our tester said that this skillet was a "pleasure" to cook with, noting that its beautiful craftsmanship makes it a great buy for cast-iron cookware enthusiasts.

• Available Sizes: 10.5-inch and 11.5-inch

Great Jones, known for its vibrantly-colored cookware, unsurprisingly makes a mean cast-iron skillet. When I first received the King Sear I was surprised by how large it is — it only comes in one size, 12 inches — but after using it for over two months, I'm not sure how I ever cooked with anything smaller. I could easily heat four slices of bread in it and still have some wiggle room. At two inches tall, it feels shallower than other skillets I've used, so I treat it more as a griddle than a deep skillet.

I like how the loop handle front grip is easy to grasp and maneuver; I almost find it more useful than the traditional handle as that one feels too small in proportion to the skillet. The skillet does fit rather awkwardly on my four-burner electric stove, but despite not being able to sit centered on a burner, it heats and cooks very quickly and evenly. And it doesn't have the look of a classic cast-iron skillet, but the bright colorways of Great Jones really are a showstopper.

• Available Sizes: 12-inch