Best Cast Iron Skillets for Five Different Kitchens

How the Five Compare on the Numbers

The five picks span a wide range of published sizes. The Victoria 10-inch skillet is the lightest at 4.8 pounds. The Lodge 10.25-inch is 5.35 pounds. The Backcountry Iron 12-inch is 7.0 pounds. The Cuisinel 12-inch is 11.35 pounds. The EDGING CASTING 17-inch is 14.75 pounds. Diameters run from 10 inches on the Victoria to 17 inches on the EDGING CASTING.

Height figures also differ, and not in the order the diameters suggest. The Lodge publishes 2.0 inches, the Victoria 2.75, the EDGING CASTING 2.95, the Cuisinel 3.0 and the Backcountry Iron 3.4. So a 12 inch pan publishes 3.4 inches of height while the 17 inch pan publishes 2.95. These are the manufacturers’ published heights, not measurements we took, and no maker says what the figure includes.

The table does not tell you how any of these pans cooks. It does not tell you how evenly heat spreads, how the seasoning holds up, or how the surface feels after a year. Those are performance questions, and no one at Lush has used these skillets. The table reports what the makers publish and nothing more.

What Each Pan Is Built to Do

Everyday size with a handle holder

The Lodge 10.25-inch skillet is the middle of this set in both diameter and weight. It publishes a 10.25 inch diameter and a 5.35 pound weight. It includes a red silicone hot handle holder, which the Victoria and Backcountry Iron skillets do not list. Lodge states the skillet is seasoned with 100% vegetable oil and made in South Pittsburg, Tennessee.

The published width is 10.68 inches and the published depth is 16.12 inches. The height is 2.0 inches. Lodge describes an assist handle opposite the main handle, which gives a second grip point on a pan this size. The maker states the skillet is at home in the oven, on the stove, on the grill, or over a campfire. Hand wash and dry, then rub with cooking oil.

The lightest pan in the set

The Victoria 10-inch skillet publishes a 4.8 pound weight, the lowest of the five picks. The Lodge publishes 5.35 pounds, so the difference is 0.55 pounds, and against the Backcountry Iron 7.0 pounds the gap is 2.2 pounds. Victoria states the pan is seasoned with non-GMO, kosher-certified flaxseed oil and is PTFE- and PFOA-free. The maker describes a textured preseasoned skin for easier release.

Victoria also publishes a thicker edge, a deep vessel for sauces, drip-free spouts on each side, and a long curved handle. The published height is 2.75 inches against 2.0 inches for the Lodge, a difference of 0.75 inches. The maker states the pan works on the stove, on induction cooktops, in the oven, over a campfire, or on a grill. It is made in Colombia, where Victoria has manufactured since 1939.

The Two 12 Inch Pans and the 17

Published handle figures

The Backcountry Iron 12-inch skillet publishes more handle detail than any other pick. It states a 12.25 inch diameter, a 12.75 inch measurement spout to spout, and a 4.75 inch handle length. The published weight is 7.0 pounds. The maker states the skillet is compatible with gas, electric, and induction cooktops, and can be used in the oven, broiler, grill, BBQ, or fire pit.

No other pick publishes a handle length. Victoria describes a signature long curved handle and gives no figure. Lodge describes an assist handle opposite the main one and gives no figure for either. Cuisinel names a silicone handle holder rather than a handle. EDGING CASTING replaces the long handle with two integrated loops on opposite sides, which is a different tool to lift than a lever.

What comes in the box

Two of the five arrive with something besides the pan. Lodge includes a red silicone hot handle holder, which matters on a 5.35 pound pan with a bare iron handle. Cuisinel includes both a tempered glass lid and a silicone handle holder, and it is the only pick on this page with a lid of any kind. The other three list nothing.

A lid changes what a skillet can do, because it turns a frying pan into something that braises and steams. The Cuisinel is also the heavier of the two 12 inch pans at 11.35 pounds against 7.0 for the Backcountry Iron, so the lid arrives on the pan that is already hardest to move. Victoria, Backcountry Iron and EDGING CASTING publish no accessory at all, so a handle holder or a lid for those three is a separate purchase.

Seasoning and Care

Which oil each maker names

Three of the five name the oil they season with. Lodge states 100 percent vegetable oil with no synthetic coatings or chemicals. EDGING CASTING also states vegetable oil and says the same about coatings. Victoria states non-GMO, kosher-certified flaxseed oil and adds that the pan is PTFE and PFOA free. Backcountry Iron states a proprietary oil blend without naming it.

Cuisinel names nothing. Its bullet says the pan is made from solid cast iron and pre-seasoned for repeated use with standard care and cleaning, which is the least a listing can say and still use the word. On a surface the buyer has to maintain for years, a named oil is worth more than it looks, because it tells you what you are topping up.

What each maker says about washing

Three of the five publish a washing routine. Lodge states hand wash, dry, rub with cooking oil, in seven words. EDGING CASTING states clean by hand in warm water, dry completely, dry on the stove at medium heat and season with natural oils, and says plainly not to use a dishwasher or air dry. Backcountry Iron publishes the longest routine of the three.

Backcountry Iron states that cast iron can rust, so keep it out of the dishwasher, do not soak overnight and do not air dry, use warm water and scrape stuck food with a flat utensil, optionally polish with a stainless steel chainmail scrubber, then wipe dry immediately. Victoria and Cuisinel publish no washing instruction at all, which on cast iron is the gap that costs a pan.

Which One Fits Your Kitchen

Buyer who wants one pan for most meals. The Lodge 10.25-inch skillet covers a middle range at 5.35 pounds. It includes a silicone handle holder and publishes a 10.25 inch diameter. It is the safest single-pan choice in this set.

Buyer who lifts the pan often. The Victoria 10-inch is the lightest pick at 4.8 pounds. It publishes drip-free spouts and a long curved handle. The flaxseed oil seasoning is stated by the maker.

Buyer who wants published handle figures. The Backcountry Iron 12-inch publishes a 4.75 inch handle length and a 12.25 inch diameter. It weighs 7.0 pounds and states induction compatibility.

Buyer who wants a lid in the box. The Cuisinel 12-inch is the only pick with a tempered glass lid. It also includes a silicone handle holder. The published weight is 11.35 pounds.

Buyer cooking for a crowd or outdoors. The EDGING CASTING 17-inch skillet publishes a 17 inch diameter against 12.25 inches for the Backcountry Iron. It weighs 14.75 pounds and has two loop handles. It states induction and ceramic glass compatibility.

What We Could Not Verify

Several figures that would help a buyer are not published by any maker on this sheet. We looked for each of the following and found nothing to cite.

• The thickness of the cast iron walls on any of the five picks.
• The diameter of the cooking surface separate from the overall diameter.
• The maximum oven temperature for any of the five, which not one maker states.
• The handle length for the Lodge, Victoria, Cuisinel, and EDGING CASTING skillets.
• The exact oil blend Backcountry Iron uses, which the maker calls proprietary.
• The seasoning oil Cuisinel uses, which the maker does not name.