Cast Iron Skillet reviews from Reddit

Summary

We analyzed 298 Reddit reviews across 11 subreddits and 30 posts to rank the best Cast Iron Skillet brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/castiron, r/Cooking, r/BuyItForLife, r/homemaking, r/Gadgetry. Top-rated brands include Lodge (4.7/5), Cast Iron Skillet (4.8/5), Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (4.9/5).

Stats

Reviews298

Subreddits11

Posts30

Brands40

Products59

Top communities

r/castiron145 r/Cooking95 r/BuyItForLife22 r/homemaking8 r/Gadgetry6

298 reviews from

and

By Brand

By Product

Lodge

4.7

(150)

"I bought a lodge cast iron pan about a year ago, I love it, it gets so much hotter than my other pans, is also great for cooking things like eggs that normally stick"

"You can't go wrong with Lodge, which is an American manufacturer that has been around since the late 1800s. I use the deep skillet now more than enameled cast iron Dutch ovens for things like making a big batch of carmelized onion. Go for it! It is a great price, too."

"Hmm 7qt lodge dutch oven! Really versatile, for camping stack it on rocks over the fire or use it on a charcoal grill , baking, frying, roasting, use on the stove. There isn't much it can't do."

"If you want to cook, get a Lodge."

"The vast majority of my collection are Lodge and I have no problems with them. Made pancakes doubling up with my 14" standard and my 10" wall-less. Nothing stuck to either of them."

"My most expensive pan is a modern Lodge I bought for $20. I cook all our meals in three pans that range $10-$20. They all cook amazing."

"Two of them and the dutch oven are lodge. The other two are le cruset that my husband found on the facebook sale pages. got them both for $45."

"Disagree: every side-by-side test I've ever seen suggests Lodge is as good as anything you can buy new."

"I have a #10 new Lodge that I use for big meals and a #3 Griswold I use for an egg or two. They require slightly different techniques."

"I really think that’s the charm of the lodge. My pan is insanely smooth after years and years of beating it up."

Cast Iron Skillet

4.8

(39)

"Omelette it taste so much like a diner’s omelette in a cast iron."

"I bought my 10” cast iron pan specifically to make socca."

"Cook some bacon. It’ll help to break the pan in."

"STEAK. Or fried chicken."

"Lodge is awesome don’t let anyone tell you it’s not."

"I have a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet that my mom bought while she was pregnant with me 44 year ago."

"Lodge is simple and reliable."

"Lodge is a great mainstay cast iron pan."

"Victoria skillets are pretty good, I'm so happy with mine!"

"I find I like the Field for the weight."

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

4.9

(17)

"Cornbread — classic, easy, and a cast iron must-try."

"Everyone's saying bacon but I'll have to go with cornbread."

"All the people saying bacon are wrong, beef steaks, tuna steaks, salmon steaks, swordfish steaks, or any other kind of steak is the ideal way to break in a cast iron pan."

"A THICK steak or bone-in pork rib chop. 1.5-2” is ideal. Cast iron is the best way to cook a steak."

"Bacon then bake cornbread. Perfect."

"Pretty much any really fatty protein like Bacon, sausage, etc will work fine."

"Fatty bacon, then hashbrowns or rosti in the rendered bacon fat."

"One pot chicken and rice finished in the oven. Easy to make and so delicious."

"Chili."

"It's gotta be BACON!"

Griswold

5.0

(12)

"Get a vintage pan. Griswold Wagner, Favorite etc. they are much nicer to cook on them currently available pans"

"Best cast iron skillet I've had is a vintage Griswold. Either get a Lodge, or if you're gonna spend big money, just get a vintage rather than a Field, Lancaster, Smithy, Stargazer, or whatever else."

"Griswold- by a country mile!"

"Griswold small logo pans and Martin stove n range are top notch."

"Browse your local antique shops or flea markets for a Griswold or if you don't mind spending money just buy an old Griswold off eBay anything pre-war is best. It's the Cadillac of cast iron."

"You can also look for a vintage one (Griswold would be the fancy expensive one)."

"Cast iron is the best alternative we’ve found. Track down a pre 60s griswold lodge or Wagner if you haven’t already."

"Griswold. Been out of production for 50 years but since they’re literally BIFL you can still get them on ebay"

"Start looking for a vintage Griswold or wagner at the thrift store."

"If I were to get only one skillet, it would be a #10."

Field

4.5

(11)

"PS, get on Field’s mailing list. They have a seconds sale. I picked up our #12 that way and honestly do not know where the flaw is! Nice pan."

"My field skillet is my favorite."

"I have the Field 6, 8, 10 and 12. One of them is on the range top everyday."

"If budget wasn't a factor, I'd lean towards Field. Their skillets have a noticeably smoother cooking surface."

"Three months into using my Field 10 daily and seasoning with Crisco."

"I started with Lodge, but wanted something lighter so my girlfriend wouldn’t struggle with it as much, so I went with a Field."

"If I was going to spend on a premium brand, I'd probably go with field just because I like their aesthetic."

"I generally prefer the Field and Stargazer over the Lodge because they are lighter and I like the smooth surface."

"I have Stargazers and Fields and I like Fields more."

"The one I’ve reached for 9 times out of 10 the last 4 or 5 years now is my Field. I really like it."

Smithey

4.6

(8)

"Have a field 8 and a smithy 10, I pick the smithy every time."

"I love my smithey. It's the thickest/heaviest skillet I have."

"I got a smithey for a housewarming gift and I love it!"

"Do yourself a favor and get a smithey."

"Smithey skillets are real lookers, there's no denying it. These pans are crafted with top-notch build quality."

"I’ve been using my new smithey for a couple weeks now and I love it!"

"Smithey for looks. Lodge for budget. Both work amazingly."

"Smithey ironware if you want to break the bank"

Le Creuset

4.3

(7)

"Le Creuset for everything else, like stews or chicken with sauces."

"If this is a gift, maybe an Enamel cast iron Dutch oven from Le Creuset?"

"I love my Le Cruset."

"I like my Le Creuset cast iron, because the enamel coating makes it so easy to clean."

"You could try enamelled cast iron / le creuset."

"I love my le creuset though. It does get a bit discoloured on the inside, that’s true, but my le creuset has been a workhorse in my kitchen for going on 7 years."

"I have a Le Creuset iron skillet that has been used exactly once."

Wagner

4.7

(6)

"Wagner and Griswold. Find em for $2 at garage sales."

"Go thrift shopping and find an old Wagner. It will run circles around the $200 models you listed and likely will cost you about $10. Until then like others have said, cook on a lodge."

"Just track down an old Wagner, Griswold or lodge. They are fairly easy to find and can be had for ~$40"

"I have a vintage 1969 Wagner 12” that’s factory machine polished. I definitely prefer it to anything you can buy today."

"A vintage Wagner or Griswold can be found on online auctions within your price limit."

"I’d be tempted to go with a vintage Wagner ware 12” if I could find one."

Stargazer

4.3

(6)

"I researched all the premium pans, and stargazer was where I landed. I've had it for years. I use it every day. I love it."

"I second Stargazer. Yes, it’s pricey. But it’s really, really nice."

"I like stargazer best. No experience using it, but I’m not a fan of Smithey."

"I love my Stargazer pans. American made with some high end features, but not the high end price."

"In that price range I would look at Stargazer, have heard good things."

"I have a Stargazer that I really like."

#10

Victoria

4.6

(5)

"In love w my Victoria skillet, but it doesn't seem that you can go wrong w most of these major brands."

"I will echo some of the Lodge recommendations, especially on price. I see little reason to spend a lot of money on a CI skillet. But I will say on the entry level I prefer Victoria over Lodge by a nose."

"I would endorse Victoria btw :)"

"Victoria and lodge are more beginner friendly."

"There's also Victoria with glass lids if you want something lighter."

#11

Cast Iron

4.5

(4)

"A well cared for cast iron pan will last you for a lifetime."

"Best tips - clean it immediately after each use with only water, lightly season with oil or lard, use it for everything."

"To season get some olive oil and a paper towel and rub the inside of the skillet."

"Cast iron is awesome and versatile but it has limitations."

#12

Finex

4.0

(4)

"Finex are my dream pans."

"Out of all the recent boutique brands, they're the only ones who seemed to put some thought into their design."

"Some like Finex have different shapes that may or may not be easier to use a spatula on."

"If you're balling Finex cast iron looks really beautiful."

#13

Griswold or Wagner

4.0

3.0

(1)

"Get a Kings set from 4x4Supacenter, season it in your barbie"

#40

Amazon Basics

3.0

(1)

"I'm just buying one myself and have gone for a 10.5 inch Amazon basic."

Discover your audience

GummySearch is an audience research toolkit for 130,000 unique communities on Reddit.

If you are looking for startup problems to solve, want to validate your idea or find your customers online, GummySearch is for you.

Tell me more

Get started