Stargazer Cast-Iron Skillet
Stargazer Cast Iron Skillet – 10.5″
The Stargazer is a lovely pan. Like the Lancaster, its a vintage-style skillet, so it has a smooth texture that’s easy to clean. The surface develops seasoning well, and the curved lip allows for easy pouring at any angle. Ultimately, it is one of the heavier high-end skillets available on the market, which is why we don’t have it as a winner, however if weight isn’t a huge concern for you it is still an excellent pan.
Yeti Cast-Iron Skillet
Yeti 10″ Cast-Iron Skillet
If you know cast-iron pans, you might see the Yeti cast-iron skillet and might find that it looks somewhat familiar. This is because Yeti acquired cult-favorite Butter Pat several years ago. The Yeti skillet is just the Butter Pat by a new name, and apart from the logo, the finish, handle shape, and overall design remain unchanged. This pan has a nice velvety surface that holds on to seasoning very well, while still maintaining a smooth, glossier finish that makes vintage-style pans so desirable. Small gripes: The handle design wasn’t a favorite among testers, and the side walls are a slightly shorter than most other cast pans. It’s also a touch heavier, and a couple touches more expensive than our winner. Still, this is an excellent cast-iron pan and makes a great family heirloom.
The Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet
People who track recommendations like these tend to be shocked that we don’t place the Lodge as our winner or budget pick. It is a fantastic pan, make no mistake. It has a great factory seasoning that’s resilient from the jump, and the 10″ costs around 20 bucks—so what gives? When it came down to it, the Victoria pan had a slicker factory seasoning out of the box and a more comfortable handle design.
Smithey Ironware Skillet
Smithey No. 10 Cast-Iron Skillet
Another high-end polished cast-iron pan on the list. Smithey pans are gorgeous, so much so that it almost feels wrong cooking with them. However, you should cook with it straight away, as the factory seasoning is a little light on these, and we observed a little bit wearing away after the first couple rounds of cooking prior to us adding an additional layer of seasoning. Senior editor Noah Kaufman has been cooking with the Smithey multiple times a week for a couple years and says that within a few months of regular use and two bouts through the oven he no longer worried about stuck eggs or steaks.
