In the 10-inch category, our favorite was the Lodge Blacklock 96, which is lighter weight, easy to maneuver, and "triple seasoned," which made for a truly nonstick cooking surface. When you're done scrubbing your pan with this tool, make sure to dry it thoroughly (and add a touch of vegetable oil) to keep it from rusting. Receive the latest MICHELIN Guide stories, most exclusive restaurant offers and events from your city and beyond. The purpose of these first two tasks was to test the efficacy of any pre-seasoning. For roasting a whole chicken or searing four pork chops, we think 12 inches is the perfect width, though it might be slightly too wide for your favorite skillet cornbread. Copyright © 2020 MICHELIN Guide. NutriChef Heavy Duty Non Stick Pre Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Frying Pan 3 Piece Set, 8 Inch 10 Inch 12 Inch Pans with Silicone Handles. First, the octagonal shape of the pan is designed to provide eight easy access points for flipping food, but we didn't find our eggs any easier to flip. If you ever mess it up, don’t worry: The great thing about cast iron is that it’s easy to restore. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars for a great Dutch oven. It's a piece of chainmail that's the size of a cloth and resembles a tiny but powerful weapon—and it is! And after just one round of seasoning, the surface became very nonstick. They're great for sautéing, frying, and baking. The Camp Chef skillet ($21) also turned out to be a standard cast-iron that wasn't especially nonstick straight out of the box. Yes, you can break out the dutch oven for a stovetop frying session, but the cast iron that's already on the stove requires less oil and makes for easier frying because of its shorter sides. This hearty pan gets extremely hot and also retains heat for a long time, making it the perfect vessel for steak. The heavy pans with a rougher surface that most cooks are familiar with, such as those made by Lodge, are great for searing and braising. 8 Skillet ($125 at the time of writing) which, at 4.3 pounds, was the lightest of all the 10-inch skillets we tested and the only one we could comfortably hold with one hand. It works like magic (and it can also tackle sheet pans and Dutch ovens as well). If a pan didn't have a factory seasoning, we didn't judge its performance in this round—we simply took the opportunity to help build up their natural seasoning. We included more on the two styles of cooking surfaces below.). It's also easier to maneuver, with a longer, thinner handle and wider helper handle. Each pan … Finally, the Finex has a smooth and shiny surface that harkens back to the ultra-smooth vintage cast-iron—but if you're looking for a pan with this kind of surface, we like the Field Skillet better. Staub cast iron frying pan. It will strip the pan of any debris, including grease. Hundreds. Theoretically, the curved interior would be great for flipping—if the pan weren't 5.1 pounds, which is too heavy to comfortably flip with in the first place. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Like a hammer, a quality mattress, and at least one comfortable place to sit and read (no, not the toilet), a cast iron skillet is one of those things just about every home needs. This test allowed us to assess how evenly the cast-iron skillet browned food and how quickly it heated up, and it allowed us to put a pan's nonstick capabilities to the test one last time. After plating your meal, … Just make sure to heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan and wipe it down with a paper towel afterwards. $24.99. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. Best-Looking Skillet: Le Creuset 10.25-Inch Signature Cast Iron Skillet, $180 According to Victoria's website, the pan is pre-seasoned with 100% non-GMO flaxseed oil, and the seasoning only improved the more we worked with and added to it. Every pan has its own quirks, but cast iron, in particular, has a reputation among home cooks for being high-maintenance. When you spot a cast iron skillet at the junkyard or flea market, it could be a … Newer isn’t necessarily better. But taking care of your skillet is well worth the effort, because cast iron that’s properly cared for will last for decades. All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. We found that the rough surface was better for building long-term seasoning, as the oil can cling to the spaces around the rough surface. and is easy to maintain if you remember a few simple cleaning tips. Lodge Bakers Skillet. This is a perfectly good option for an economical cast-iron skillet, though the brand doesn't have as strong a reputation as some others we tested. Select the right pan to get the perfect holiday roast this year. Three experts weigh in on what to look for in selecting this vital kitchen tool. Starting at $10 for an 8-inch pan (the smallest size you’d want to cook on), its cast iron is made of the same hefty, heat insulating iron that the boutique brands are using and the only serious trade-off is cooking surface and craftsmanship. Ahead, you'll find our top choices, as well as the specifics of how we tested and what we looked for in a cast-iron pans. Compared to fancy, copper-core stainless steel pans, cast-iron cookware is relatively cheap. Cast iron is basically indestructible. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. Ad Choices, The Best Cast-Iron Skillets and Pans of 2020: Tested and Reviewed. Not only are they generally very affordable, legend has it that if you treat them right and cook with them regularly, not only will they last for a literal lifetime—if not longer!—they'll actually improve with use.But is this legend true? The cast-iron skillet is the workhorse of many a dedicated home cook, and for good reason. You can cook virtually anything in a cast-iron skillet. Most mainstream cast-iron skillets, like those from Lodge and Victoria, come pre-seasoned. Tastes great and is a good base recipe to experiment with. Newer models from companies aiming to recreate the qualities of vintage skillets require you to build up the seasoning yourself. What to look for in a cast iron pan that's right for your kitchen. A versatile and affordable set of 3 cast iron skillets that come with a non-slip, heat-resistant silicone handle. And, if you're still on the fence about getting a cast-iron skillet, here are 5 reasons to commit and click add to cart. Nutrichef. 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