A list of the top five cast iron pans you can buy on the market today and a quick rundown of what to consider when purchasing a cast iron pan.

When we stayed with my in-laws last spring, I cooked a few times on their cast iron pan and was taught how easy it is to care for a cast iron pan properly. I was impressed by how easy something I had thought was so intimidating actually was.

When we finally moved into our new house, after yet another expensive nontoxic, nonstick pan bit the dust, I exclusively switched to cooking with my cast iron pan for everything except eggs.  And, ya know what, I never looked back.  Well, I did look back once, only to find that yet another overly priced ceramic “nonstick” was ruined and incredibly hard to care for.  Some of you have noticed my preference for cast iron (mostly on Instagram), so today is the first in a series about cast iron pans.  Before maternity leave, I plan to cover everything I’ve learned in almost a year of exclusively using cast iron.  I’m by no means a chef or cookware expert, but I have fallen madly in love with my cast iron pan, and you would have to pry it out of my cold dead hands before I used anything else.  But the learning curve was steeper than other cookware, so that’s why I want to share what I’ve learned! Hopefully, it helps anyone interested in cast iron cooking!

(Recipe: Honey Chipotle Chicken Recipe)

Selecting a Cast Iron Pan: Enameled Vs. “Raw”

Raw Cast Iron

Raw cast iron is the most common, affordable, and what your Grandma likely had.  “Raw” means that the cast iron has no coating on it. It won’t be labeled raw. Instead, assume it’s raw if it doesn’t say it’s enameled. You have to create a coat or buy one pre-seasoned.  And even if you buy it pre-seasoned, you’ll have to keep up with seasoning if you use your pan regularly. (I’ll cover this in another post soon.) 

The benefits of raw cast iron are that you will naturally impart minuscule amounts of minerals, especially iron, into the food you are cooking.  And you can’t beat the flavor the cast iron imparts on the food your cooking. Food tastes better when it’s cooked in cast iron.  The depth of flavor seems to intensify.  And it’s the most nontoxic form of cookware you can use and buy. Not only is it nontoxic, but it’s basically indestructible.  This, as mentioned previously, is what drove me to learn to use a cast iron pan, and I never looked back.  

The downsides are that it requires seasoning to maintain easy cooking, and you need somewhat “special tools” to clean it since you shouldn’t use soap.   Another downside is that cast iron is heavy. I need two hands to pick up my pan (but that’s for both enameled and raw.) Lastly, you’ll have to be okay with using more fat or cooking oil when using this type of pan. This may be difficult for those tracking macros really closely or those following a low-fat diet (also, please don’t follow a low-fat diet.) 

Enameled Cast Iron

Enameled cast iron is less common, more expensive, and nothing like what your Grandma had.  Enameled means that the cast iron has an enameling coating on it, similar to many nonstick enameled pans on the market.  This increases their cost by about five times.  

The benefits of enameled cast iron are that you will not have to season it regularly, you don’t need special tools to clean it, and you can basically use it like any other nonstick pan.  The enamel provides a nonstick coating that allows you to use less fat in cooking. But unlike other nonstick pans, it heats evenly and reattains heat well, known properties of all cast iron pans.  

The downsides are that you have to care for the enamel coating carefully.  You never want to add cold water to a hot pan (which is the primary way I clean my raw cast iron pan), and be sure you never drop it on a hard surface.  In other words, if you ruin the enamel coating on your cast iron, you ruin the pan.  You can’t just re-season it and call it good.  You can’t bring it back to life. You have to replace it. 

(Recipe: Turkey Pot Pie)

Best Raw Cast Iron Pans 

Okay, so remember what I said about cast iron being indestructible?  This is true. I wasn’t lying.  But what I’ve found is that if you want to make things easy for yourself, start with one of the cast iron brands below.  My preference is a well-pre-seasoned pan.  Why?  I had a cast iron pan that I got from God knows where and cooking on it felt like climbing an uphill battle. Everything stuck, everything burned, and cleaning was a nightmare. I tried seasoning it, and it would work for a little then require re-seasoning right away.  I hated it.  After having such a good experience with my MIL’s pan, she really encouraged me to scrap that old pan and buy a Lodge.  

I did some research, and after reading dozens of articles, I realized that brand does make a difference, and more expensive doesn’t mean a better easier to maintain pan.  There are dozens of articles that dive into the heat conductivity, the pre-seasoning, and the cooking outcomes of each pan.  What seems to make the most difference is that the better the pre-seasoning the pan has, the easier it will be for you to build up and maintain your own seasoning.  This will make the pan easier to cook on right away and the learning curve just a little less steep.  

The internet consensus, from reviews on Amazon to articles written, is that Lodge is the best skillet you can get. I bought a Lodge, and although I had a lot to learn about cooking with cast iron (how much fat to use, how to clean it, how to season it, and how to turn the heat way down when cooking), I found the process of learning (with a little help from my MIL) relatively painless. It was affordable, and every time I season it, it only gets better.  I’m addicted to cooking in cast iron now, and I likely won’t ever look back.  I could add a few more options here, but in reality,  my advice is to buy a Lodge and move on with your life.  If you’re going for a raw cast iron skillet, you’ll be happy, and so will your wallet.  I promise you I’ve read all the Amazon reviews and all the blog posts.  You will get the most bang for your buck with the least frustration with a Lodge.  But, if you are up for a challenge, Amazon offers a whole variety of pans for you to choose from, including the Amazon brand. Most perform similarly. The big difference is the starting seasoning coat and long-term quality/brand recognition.

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder, 12-inch

This is the Lodge skillet I bought that I’ve been so happy with. The downside is that it’s preseasoned with vegetable oil, not my favorite oil in terms of health, but I figured I”d build up my own coating over time.  

Lodge Cast Iron Blacklock Skillet, Triple Seasoned – 12 in

If I needed another cast iron skillet, this Lodge Cast Iron Blacklock Skillet would be the one I would buy.  Its triple seasoning has received rave reviews across internet blogs as almost ready to use.  Most reviews I read on this skillet stated they still needed to season it, but that building up the seasoning was so much easier and faster.  However, it’s also much more pricy than the original.  

Best Enameled Cast Iron Pans

While I don’t see an enameled cast iron pan in my future, these are the top picks across Amazon reviews and internet blogs. These brands have impeccable reputations and ace reviews.  If you are gonna go this route, I would stick with one of these top-notch brands. 

STAUB – Cast Iron Fry Pan, 12-inch

Staub is a well-known, well-established french brand that makes all kinds of cast iron cookware, and everything they make is enameled.  The cookware comes with timeless style and beauty that is unmatched.  

 

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Iron Handle Skillet, 11.75″ (2-3/8 qt.)

Le Creuset is another well-established, recognized brand with rave reviews.  This cookware is more pricey than Staub but comes with the added bonus of being able to pick almost any color of the rainbow shell you want.  Outside of customization, the two brands really perform similarly.  

Crock Pot Artisan 12 Inch Enameled Cast Iron Round Skillet

If you’re looking for a more affordable enameled cast iron skillet, this one-made Crockpot has the best reviews of all the skillets prices in the less than $50 dollar range at the time of this review.