9 Best Cast Iron Skillets of 2023 [Tested and Reviewed]

The Chef's Classic Enameled Cast Iron Round Fry Pan combines Cuisinart's simple, unintrusive design with plenty of helpful features. It's also compatible with all heat sources and doesn't require pre-seasoning. The most impressive point of this cast iron skillet is just how well food comes out when cooked on it. Once you've got the temperature where you want it, the pan retains heat so you can grill chicken skin nice and crispy. You'll appreciate not needing to move food to the oven or turn up the gas to finish cooking since this pan can handle everything.

This pan weighed in at a satisfactory four pounds 15 ounces. The handle is also sufficiently long, so you should have no trouble using it with one hand. As for its non-stick ability, we had no problem with cornmeal pancakes or fried eggs once it was seasoned. The build itself isn't revolutionary, but it's simple enough for anyone to use.

Our only gripe was that liquids tend to leak from the side of the pour spout. You'll need to be careful when cleaning up oil after seasoning. We can recommend this cast iron skillet to people who want to make hassle-free, delicious meals. You can elevate your cooking with this one tool.

The Signature Skillet by world-renowned kitchenware maker Le Creuset is a cast iron skillet that doesn't require initial seasoning. It works with induction, gas, and all types of heat sources. What we first noticed about this pan was how easy it is to use. The curved handle fits perfectly in our hands, and at five pounds and five ounces, most people should have no problem holding it with one hand. A sizeable extra handle at the front makes it easy to carry with two hands when needed.

Additionally, the pour spouts didn't leak when pouring oil, which you'll appreciate when cleaning up after seasoning. While it wasn't part of our evaluation, it's worth noting that the outer surface is enameled to prevent rust, which adds to the overall user-friendliness of this pan.

We found cooking on it to be decent but not extraordinary. The enamel coating helps keep the cooking surface from overheating, and we could cook sweetened cornmeal pancakes without burning the bottom. But meats didn't turn out as well, and we often needed to move them to the oven or turn up the heat towards the end to get them done just right. We can't confidently recommend it if you frequently cook meat dishes. We can recommend this pan to people who like to make cornbread or other oven-baked dishes. Just make sure the handle will fit in the cupboards in your kitchen before buying.

You can skip the initial seasoning process with Victoria's 10-inch cast iron skillet, which is compatible with all heat sources. It claims the long handle with its rounded, curved design makes it easier to hold than other cast iron skillets. This skillet's strong point is its ability to add crisp, flavorful searing to meats. Due to its tendency to build up heat, it isn't best used for food that can burn easily, for example, sauces with high sugar content. But if you want to grill meats at high heat settings, this skillet is for you.

Victoria's cast iron skillet scored somewhere around the middle for how it felt to hold. The thin handle might make you feel like it's not sturdy enough, but it's sufficiently long at six inches to hold safely. And most should have no problem holding it with one hand, as the pan only weighs five pounds, two ounces.

Food didn't stick to the cooking surface after it was seasoned, and not a single drop of oil leaked from the pour spout when we emptied it. Thanks to its iron handle, you can use this skillet for cooking on an open flame. But there's no coating on the outer surface, so dry it off and season it immediately after use to prevent rust.

Compatible with all heat sources and pre-seasoned, Crock Pot's Artisan Enameled Cast Iron Round Skillet can withstand oven temperatures up to 932 degrees Fahrenheit. Our favorite thing about this skillet was how savory it made cooked meats. It could hold in enough heat to sear along the entire surface. You can grill food like a pro with just this one item and won't need extra time to move food to the oven to get it cooked all the way through.

The six-inch handle was also easy to hold, with a curved shape perfectly fitting our hands. Cornmeal pancakes and fried eggs slid off the pan easily once seasoned, so you won't have to scrape food off afterward.

One thing to remember is that this pan weighs more than the others we looked at. It wouldn't be the first choice for cooks who want to use it in the oven or carry it around frequently. It's also difficult to get liquid past the pour spout without spilling, which adds to your cleanup time. This cast iron skillet is just right for getting great flavor out of meat dishes, so as long as you can compromise on weight, keep it as an option.

The 10-Inch Skillet by Finex can be used with induction heat, gas, or in the oven and comes pre-seasoned. The lid, also made of cast iron, keeps flavor in when you need to simmer or steam food. During our trials, we found this skillet's best trait was its ease of use. The handle is curved and just the right thickness to fit comfortably in most people's hands.

It also scored high on ease of pouring since we could transfer oil into a container with no mess. And it didn't cause food to stick to the cooking surface once it was seasoned. But it didn't score as high when bringing out the flavor in foods. While it cooked meat cuts evenly and brings out a pleasant aroma, it results in a burnt crust on cornmeal pancakes, possibly due to their sugar content.

The weight was also an issue; at six pounds nine ounces, most people won't comfortably hold it with one hand. Due to its weight, this pan won't be the first choice for people who often cook in the oven or make stir-fry. But it works well for cooking thick cuts of meat that require high heat and don't involve moving the pan around too much.

Staub's skillet works with halogen cooktops in addition to the usual gas and induction cooking methods and is also safe for the oven or grill. It claims the cast iron material is best suited for oven cooking. What we appreciated most about this pan was how easy it was to manipulate. The curved handle is comfortable in your hands, so it scored high in the ease of holding category. The five-and-3/8-inch handle and relatively light weight of five pounds six ounces make it just right to hold with one hand.

When we tried making cornmeal pancakes and fried eggs on it, they didn't stick, either. Unfortunately, it didn't hold up when we looked at how food turned out. It had no trouble searing the outer edges of meats, but it burned the center of our pancakes. Oil also dripped from the sides of the pour spout when we were cleaning up.

You'll need expert heat management skills when using this pan for cooking foods with sugar; otherwise, you can burn them. It could be a good choice if you're confident in the kitchen. Since the outer surface isn't coated, dry and season it quickly after use.

As the name suggests, Lodge's Pre-seasoned Skillet doesn't require empty heating or seasoning before you use it. It's also dishwasher-safe and is compatible with all heat sources, including induction, gas, halogen, and oven use. This pan scored high for its easy-release surface, which prevents food from sticking, and for coming pre-seasoned.

On the other hand, it's not particularly user-friendly. On top of weighing five pounds 10 ounces, the handle is so short it makes it feel even heavier than it already is. It also started to burn the center area of the cornmeal pancakes we cooked on it, and sautéed chicken didn't come out with the robust aroma that some of the other pans we looked at achieved.

To make matters worse, the pour spout allowed a lot of oil to escape from the sides when we poured it out. However, the price will appeal to those thinking, "Since this is my first cast iron skillet, I don't want to shell out too much."

Smithey's No. 10 Chef Skillet has flared sides, making it suitable for cooking fried eggs or omelets. It's also compatible with all heat sources. This skillet's most alluring point is its light weight of four pounds 10 ounces. Combined with the long handle, anyone can easily hold it with one hand.

Unfortunately, we couldn't score it highly on its ability to cook food well. The material isn't thick enough to hold in heat along the cooking surface, and meats often don't get cooked all the way through. Thankfully, this also means it didn't burn our cornmeal pancakes, but it was hard to notice any difference over what a standard Teflon frying pan offers.

To top it off, this was the only cast iron skillet on our list that caused the pancakes and fried eggs to stick to the surface. Repeated seasoning can fix this problem, but it's an added hassle when you've just bought it. We also deducted points for the lack of pour spouts, which made it difficult to dispose of oil without making a mess.

Field's No. 8 Cast Iron Skillet is compatible with all heat sources and requires no initial seasoning. It comes pre-seasoned with grapeseed oil. We appreciated just how light this pan was at a mere four pounds five ounces. The handle is on the short side, but not so much that you couldn't hold it with one hand comfortably.

But on the most crucial topic for cooking, it came up short. Heat couldn't accumulate well enough to cook through our chicken or cornmeal pancakes, and they both lost moisture. The temperature at the cooking surface drops suddenly once you put food on, which nullifies the entire point of cooking with a cast iron skillet. This skillet doesn't have pour spouts, so cleaning up oil will be an added chore. If you frequently make stir-fry or other meals that involve tossing the frying pan around a bit, it could still be a good choice.