Kitchen
The Best Cast Iron Skillet, After 90 Days of Cooking
We cooked steak, cornbread, and 200 eggs across six cast iron skillets. Polished surfaces seasoned faster — but didn't sear better.
By Morgan Hayes · January 22, 2026
How we tested
6 units
Hands-on bench testing.
Multiple testers
Not one editor's opinion.
We bought them
No PR samples accepted.
Each pan was seasoned identically (3 coats of flaxseed oil, 1 hr at 450°F per coat) then put into daily rotation for 90 days. Sear performance tested with a ribeye at 500°F and IR thermometer. Egg release tested at day 7, 30, and 90.
The ranking
Lodge 10.25" Classic
The textured factory surface seasons within a week and absolutely rips a steak. Heavier than polished competitors — and that's a feature.
- $30 entry
- Best sear in the test
- Lifetime durable
- Pebbled surface needs 1 week to slick up
- Heavy
Field Company No. 8
Lighter, polished, beautiful. Eggs release on day 3 instead of day 7. Worth it if you'll cook on it daily.
- Lighter
- Polished cooking surface
- Heirloom-quality
- 5× the Lodge
- Slightly worse sear retention
Smithey Ironware No. 10
The most beautiful pan in the test. Performs nearly identically to the Field at a $35 premium.
- Gorgeous
- Excellent polish
- Most expensive
- Helper handle catches mitts
Stargazer 10.5"
Flat-bottom design is great for induction but the side wall angle made tossing veg awkward for our testers.
- Induction-friendly
- Modern shape
- Awkward toss angle
- Mid pack on sear
The verdict
Buy the $30 Lodge. Cook on it three times a week for a month and you'll have a pan that out-performs the boutique competition. The Field is the only upgrade worth the money — and only if you genuinely value the lighter weight and polished face for eggs.
Read our full testing methodology →