Best Cast-Iron Pans
Cast-iron pans are known for their heat retention and ability to take a beating.
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A cast-iron pan will outlast you, your grandkids, and the impending robot apocalypse, so much so that our robot overlords will be sautéing their nuts and bolts—or whatever robots eat—in your great grandma’s 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Cast-iron cookware has great heat-retention, which translates into a pan that will stay warm and cook your food evenly. They are versatile so you can sauté some onions, fry chicken pieces, or build a pan sauce, without having to remove that pan from the stove. Cast-iron pans are also nonstick, coming from a “seasoning” of baked-in oil. Cast-iron pans are a great all-in-one solution, and if you don’t have one or want one in a different size, then these pans are the best out there.
Lodge Logic 9-Inch Skillet With Red Silicone Handle Holder
The convenient silicone handle holder makes transitioning the pan from the stove to the oven safe.
Amazon
Cook on the stovetop or throw it in the oven, this 9-inch cast-iron pan from Lodge can do it all. Coming from the factory already seasoned, just wipe it down with some neutral oil—canola, sunflower, grapeseed—and get to cooking. This pan from Lodge has two pour spouts to aid in sauce making or general cleaning of the pan. To clean, scrape off any stuck-on bits with the end of a wooden spoon and hit the pan with hot water. If stubborn bits don’t come off, use a stiff-bristle brush. Finally, dry immediately and apply a thin layer of oil over the entire pan and it is safe to store.
Victoria 12-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet
Cooking a large amount of food at a single time means the temperature of the pan will fluctuate when you add or remove food. If you have a larger pan, you can avoid this problem and this 12-inch cast-iron skillet from Victoria is a great choice. This skillet is seasoned with flaxseed, so it is kosher. The curved handle helps you keep ahold of the pan, especially when it is laden with food and you have one hand on the oven door and your other on a 400-degree pan. Two pour spouts make moving liquids out of the pan easy, and the oversize U-shaped handle at the top of the pan allows you to transport it with two hands.
AmazonBasics 10.25-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet
Versatility is a great quality to find in a cast-iron pan and this 10.25 skillet from AmazonBasics is at home on the stove or in the oven. Caramelize onions and then bake some cornbread, all in this pan. This pan is oven-safe to 500 degrees and comes to you already seasoned. All you have to do is keep it clean—stay away from the scouring side of the sponge and dish soap—and this pan will last you generations.
