What is cast iron cookware?

Cast iron cookware is cookware formed by pouring molten iron into a mold, then finishing the surface and seasoning it with oil. The iron holds heat and releases it slowly, and the oil layer, called seasoning, gives the surface its release and its rust protection.

That definition covers skillets, grill presses and the small tools sold to clean and handle them. The sections below take the pieces in turn, using the figures makers publish for the picks in this site’s guides.

How cast iron cookware is made

The pan starts as a mold shaped like the finished piece. Molten iron is poured in, cooled, then the rough casting is ground and polished at the cooking surface and the edges. The result is a single piece of iron with no separate base or coating, which is why a skillet can go from the stove to the oven to a campfire.

Makers describe the material in their own words. Lodge states that its skillets are seasoned with 100% vegetable oil and contain no synthetic coatings or chemicals, and that the iron is at home in the oven, on the stove, on the grill or over the campfire. Victoria states that its pan is seasoned with non-GMO, kosher-certified flaxseed oil and is PTFE- and PFOA-free. Backcountry Iron states that its skillets are cast from virgin ore.

Weight follows from the casting. The picks in Best Cast Iron Skillets for Five Different Kitchens run from the Victoria 10-Inch at 4.8 pounds to the EDGING CASTING 17 Inch at 14.75 pounds. A larger casting simply contains more iron.

What seasoning is and what it does

Seasoning is a thin layer of polymerized oil bonded to the iron. It fills the tiny pits of the casting, which is why a seasoned pan releases food more easily than a bare one, and it keeps moisture off the iron, which is why a seasoned pan does not rust in normal use. Every time the pan is heated with a film of oil on it, the layer builds.

Makers ship most cast iron pre-seasoned. Lodge states that its seasoning is applied at the factory and improves with use. Victoria describes a textured preseasoned skin that builds seasoning with each use. Backcountry Iron states that its skillet arrives pre-seasoned and ready to use. Cuisinel states that its pan is pre-seasoned for repeated use with standard care and cleaning.

Care instructions follow from the same layer. Lodge states that the pan should be hand washed, dried and rubbed with cooking oil. Backcountry Iron states that cast iron can rust, so it should stay out of the dishwasher, not soak overnight and not air dry. EDGING CASTING gives the same instruction: hand wash in warm water, dry completely, and do not put the pan in the dishwasher.

Skillet shapes and sizes

A skillet is the standard cast iron shape: a round pan with low, sloped walls and a handle. Diameters in the guide range from 10 inches to 17 inches. The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Hot Handle Holder is listed at 10.25 inches in diameter, with an overall width of 10.68 inches, a depth of 16.12 inches and a height of 2.0 inches, at 5.35 pounds.

The Victoria 10-Inch measures 11.0 inches wide, 16.25 inches deep and 2.75 inches high, at 4.8 pounds, and the maker describes a thicker edge, a deeper vessel and drip-free spouts on each side. The Backcountry Iron 12 Inch is 12.8 inches wide, 17.7 inches deep and 3.4 inches high, at 7.0 pounds, and the maker states a 12.25 inch cooking diameter, 12.75 inches spout to spout and a handle 4.75 inches long.

The larger castings change the handling. The Cuisinel 12 inch skillet measures 12.0 inches wide, 17.0 inches deep and 3.0 inches high, at 11.35 pounds, and ships with a tempered glass lid and a silicone handle holder. The EDGING CASTING 17 Inch measures 17.0 inches wide, 20.0 inches deep and 2.95 inches high, at 14.75 pounds, and has two loop handles, one on each side, so the pan can be lifted with both hands.

Heat, surfaces and what the iron does

Cast iron is valued for holding heat and spreading it. Lodge states that the iron provides heat retention and even cooking, and lists induction cooktops among the surfaces it works on. Victoria states that the pan can be used on the stove, on induction cooktops, in the oven, over a campfire or on a grill. Backcountry Iron states compatibility with gas, electric and induction cooktops, plus the oven, broiler, grill and fire pit.

The cooking surface varies by maker. Backcountry Iron states that its finish is smoother than other leading brands and invites comparison with vintage cast iron. Cuisinel states that its smooth cooking surface is designed to distribute heat evenly on stovetops, grills and induction cooktops. Victoria states that its textured surface is intended for easier release as the seasoning builds.

None of this is a claim about performance measured by this site. It is what the makers state about their own castings, and the figures above are the ones they publish.

The tools that go with cast iron

Because the pan is a single piece of hot iron, the accessories are about grip and cleaning. Handle covers slip over the handle so a hot pan can be moved. The picks in Best Cast Iron Handle Covers for Five Kitchen Roles include the Lodge Silicone Hot Handle Holder, which the maker states fits skillets 9 inches and larger and resists heat up to 500 degrees F, and measures 2.0 inches wide, 0.87 inches deep and 5.13 inches high.

Scrapers lift stuck food without disturbing the seasoning. The picks in Best Cast Iron Pan Scrapers for Stuck-On Food include the Lodge Cast Iron Pan Scrapers, a two pack in polycarbonate, and the G.CATACC 4-Pack, whose scrapers measure 2.6 inches wide, 3.5 inches deep and 0.14 inches high. The kep-Mve Bamboo set measures 2.4 inches wide and 2.8 inches deep.

Grill presses are the other cast iron shape: a weighted block pressed onto food. The picks in Best Cast Iron Grill Presses for Burgers and Bacon include the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Press at 4.5 inches wide, 6.75 inches deep and 3.5 inches high, at 2.88 pounds, and the Cuisinart XL Cast Iron Grill Press at 10.0 inches wide, 10.0 inches deep and 3.5 inches high, at 4.73 pounds.

Matching the piece to the kitchen

The first decision is size, and the published figures make that concrete. A 10 inch skillet at roughly 5 pounds is a one hand pan for eggs, a steak or a single batch of cornbread. A 12 inch pan at 7 pounds or more holds a family meal. A 17 inch pan at 14.75 pounds with two loop handles is a camp or pizza pan that takes two hands.

The second decision is the handle. A long curved handle, as Victoria describes, keeps the hand away from the heat. A short assist handle, as on the Lodge skillet, helps when lifting a full pan. A loop handle on each side, as on the EDGING CASTING pan, is for lifting with both hands.

The third is what comes in the box. Some skillets ship bare, some with a silicone holder, and the Cuisinel pan ships with a glass lid and a holder. The maker’s list is the reliable source for that, and this site has not compared the pieces beyond the figures the makers publish.