Courtesy of Williams Sonoma
A cast iron skillet is a kitchen essential for any home chef. It’s an incredibly versatile piece of durable cookware that you can use to sauté vegetables, sear meat, or even bake deep dish pizza for years to come. That’s because a high-quality cast iron pan heats evenly and offers a nonstick surface for easy cleaning that won’t wear quickly, making it a great companion for just about any recipe.
If you’re in the market for a new cast iron skillet, you have plenty of options to choose from. You can splurge on a popular cookware brand like Le Creuset, which is well known for its beautiful pots and pans. You can go with a top-rated option from Lodge that has thousands of fans on Amazon (and an affordable price to boot). You can stick to your Southern roots and shop from South Carolina-based ironware brand Smithey. Or you can experiment with a product from a buzzy new brand like Field Company, which only jumped onto the cast iron cookware scene a few years ago.
No matter your budget, kitchen size, or cooking aspirations, there’s a cast iron skillet that’s just right for you. To make the search for the perfect pan a little bit easier, we’ve gathered 10 of the best cast iron skillets available online now, based on thousands of reviews from passionate home cooks just like you.
These are the 10 best cast iron skillets:
Table of Contents
Best Amazon Reviews: Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
Courtesy of Amazon
There are so many reasons to call Lodge’s cast iron skillet one of the best. First of all, the pan is a favorite of one of Southern Living’s own editors. As if that weren’t enough to convince you of its merits, it’s also the best-selling skillet on Amazon, and it boasts over 50,700 customer ratings and more than 16,500 five-star reviews. The pre-seasoned skillet is safe for sautéing, baking, and frying on all cooking surfaces, from the stovetop to the oven to the campfire, and it’s available in multiple sizes on Amazon.
Buy It: Starting at $8; amazon.com
Best Splurge: Le Creuset Signature Skillet
Courtesy of Le Creuset
One of Le Creuset’s best-selling items, the signature skillet is made of enameled cast iron. It offers a versatile cooking surface that you don’t even need to season before use. Plus, it’s incredibly lightweight and easy to clean. Moreover, the pan comes in 16 of the French brand’s beautiful colors for a piece of cookware that looks as good as it works. While reviewers haven’t been very vocal on Le Creuset’s website, there are hundreds of positive reviews to read through on Amazon.
Buy It: Starting at $120; lecreuset.com
Best Craftsmanship: Smithey No. 12 Cast Iron Skillet
Courtesy of Smithey
A Southern brand, Smithey Ironware is based out of Charleston, South Carolina and makes beautiful vintage-inspired cookware. This cast iron skillet is just one of its popular items, boasting over 200 five-star reviews. It has a deep base that’s ideal for searing meat and vegetables, an ergonomic handle for comfort, and a polished finish. All you have to do is season the skillet to start cooking with a naturally nonstick pan.
Buy It: $200; smithey.com
Best Budget: AmazonBasics Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
Courtesy of Amazon
If you’re not ready to splurge on a $200 cast iron skillet, Amazon has you covered with its own 12-inch pan that costs just $27. It’s pre-seasoned for convenience and has a 3.5-liter capacity. The pan evenly distributes heat and is safe to use on the stove or in the oven at temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Just be sure to use an oven mitt or silicone handle cover to protect your hands from the hot pan while cooking. With a 4.5-star rating and over 2,900 five-star reviews on Amazon, it clearly gets the job done.
Buy It: $27; amazon.com
Most Durable: Staub Skillet
Courtesy of Sur La Table
Staub is a household name for a reason, and its durable cast iron skillet certainly lives up to its reputation. Made in France, the pan heats evenly and features an enamel finish that won’t discolor or scratch with time. There’s no need to season it before use, and you can even clean it in the dishwasher if you’re pressed for time (though the brand recommends hand washing). Sur La Table shoppers overwhelmingly give the skillet five stars, and many note that it’s versatile and easy to care for.
Buy It: Starting at $170 (orig. $243); surlatable.com
Best Newcomer: Field Cast Iron Skillet #8
Courtesy of Field Comp
For the uninitiated, Field Company is a direct-to-consumer cookware brand that specializes in cast iron skillets. While it’s only been around since 2017, it’s already made a name for itself thanks to its thoughtfully designed products inspired by the vintage cast iron pans the founders inherited from their family. The pans are available in a variety of sizes, and the #8 is recommended for daily use. It comes pre-seasoned with grapeseed oil and has the capacity to cook two New York strip steaks, four fried eggs, or 8.25 cups of liquid. The pan also has over 1,500 five-star reviews from happy customers who say it’s “virtually nonstick” and call it “the best pan ever.”
Buy It: $125; fieldcompany.com
Best Value: Utopia Kitchen Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
Courtesy of Amazon
This basic pre-seasoned cast iron skillet from Utopia Kitchen has more than 5,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. It’s ready to use right out of the box and is ideal for searing, braising, frying, and baking. You can use it in the oven and on gas, electric, and ceramic stove tops. To get the most out of the affordable pan, wash it by hand with hot soapy water and a sponge, and season it with vegetable fat or oil regularly. As one reviewer summed it up: “[It] cooks nice and evenly, and it is easy to clean. Great value for the price.”
Buy It: $25 (orig. $30); amazon.com
Best for Pouring: Finex Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
Courtesy of Williams Sonoma
If you can’t stand splattered sauces and dripped juices, you need this cast iron skillet from Finex. It has a unique octagonal design that allows for efficient pouring from eight points of the pan. It also comes pre-seasoned with flaxseed oil to prevent rust and keep food from sticking on the surface. Plus, its stainless steel spring handle offers a comfortable grip and features a “speed cool” feature for safety.
Buy It: $150; williams-sonoma.com
Best Style: Staub Vintage Skillet
Courtesy of Sur La Table
This Staub pan features an enameled cast iron base, a beechwood handle, and a stainless steel hole for hanging. It’s meant to emulate the French brand’s early styles, resulting in a vintage look that’s begging to be kept out on display. Like all of Staub’s cast iron cookware, this skillet heats up evenly and will maintain just the right temperature while you cook. No seasoning required; it will be ready to use as soon as it arrives at your door.
Buy It: $170 (orig. $243); surlatable.com
Best Ergonomic Design: Victoria Cast Iron Skillet
Courtesy of Amazon
Designed with comfort in mind, this cast iron skillet from Victoria has a curved handle that’s longer and wider than many other options. It also has two contoured pour spouts to prevent dripping and comes pre-seasoned with flaxseed oil. The cookware brand has been around since the 1930s, but Amazon shoppers still love its products today. One of the nearly 2,600 customers who left the pan a five-star review said it “works like a charm.”
Buy It: Starting at $20; amazon.com
