Showcasing: Field, Smithey, Butter Pat, Stargazer, Lodge, Finex, Lancaster, and Northern Cast Iron 

Very helpful. I’m a 5’0” woman so your wife’s perspective is valuable.

I used to collect perfumes, now I collect cast iron😊. Love your collection!

Nice comparison of the modern skillets. Back ten years ago when I was hot and heavy into cast iron. The only ones I remember was Lodge or old Griswold or Wagner . Nice to see American made cast iron making a comeback.

After watching your video and getting helpful responses to my questions in the comments, I proceeded to order the Smithey Deep Farmhouse Skillet and the 12-inch Cast Iron. I'm grateful for your assistance and eagerly awaiting their arrival. Thank you once again. 🙏🙏🙏

When my wife was doing Keto, I started getting the bulk-packs of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs from Costco. Typically 5-7 thighs per package. 10 minutes skin-side down on the stovetop, then 10 minutes in the oven, flip and another 10 minutes in the oven. I was using the Stargazer 12", then the Field #12, then the Lodge 12" / 5qt deep skillet (chicken fryer) and finally landed on the Lodge 7qt Dutch Oven. Least amount of splatter.

OUTSTANDING!! The best of the best in cast iron.

Decisions decisions. I’ve always thought I’d get another 12 inch but maybe the 10 is sufficient. Thanks for putting the effort into showcasing these. I’m kinda leaning toward the Stargazer

Thank you so much for sharing, Luis! We are honored to be your top pick. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos!

Love a good comparison video - particularly when it's cast iron! I enjoyed having both you and your wife's perspective - we all have different preferences and there are a lot of options out there for good cast iron. These sort of videos are definitely helpful to me in my cast iron purchase decisions! I have both a Butter Pat and Blacklock skillet. I have a Lodge handle cover that I use - it's kind of a potholder material - and I have no problems with the Butter Pat handle when I use that. The Blacklock on the other hand still cuts into my hand, through the handle cover. Which is why the Blacklock no longer gets a whole lot of use from me but I always reach for my Butter Pat. And I agree with your wife on the Finex handle - my hands aren't super small but small enough that it was really uncomfortable when I tried picking one up in William Sonoma. I don't blame you for being iffy on the Grizzly cast iron... I have a nickel allergy so I have issues whenever I wear earrings with too much nickel in them, I can't imagine cooking with it and consuming that nickel would be a great idea for me. I think nickel allergies aren't all that uncommon so ... I don't know, makes me wary!

I have the Stargazer and the Smithy skillets. I don't even try to lift either with just one hand. I just picked up a Lodge at the factory store for $14. I'm really loving the way I can cook eggs in the Lodge.

Impressive. what a very thorough review of a great collection. thank you i enjoyed all 30+ minutes of it.

I have the Stargazer an i love it , the thing there forgetting to mention is the handle doesn't get hot you can grab it by your hand you don't need a towel to wrap around the handle

Have most of these - comes down to Field and Smithey for me. Field heats more evenly and takes/keeps seasoning better. There is just something about the Smithey;s though. Really enjoy using these - almost as my vintage Grizzies...

Don't forget Victoria cast iron from Colombia an excellent value for someone on a budget. A lot bang for the buck. 👍

One thing about every skillet that it does need the other handle. They are all heavy to the point when you have something cooking it will raise the weight so it has to have a helper handle.

I've been looking at getting a Lancaster. They are made in Lancaster County PA near us. Great review.

If the super smooth pan doesn’t keep a seasoning. It’s a easy fix. Just soak the inside overnight with vinegar. It micro etches the surface is keeps the seasoning on the pan.

Thank you so much for this comprehensive review. Exactly what I need as I decide on my first iron skillet. Great job!

GREAT video, thanks for all the effort you and your wife put into it. Excellent idea getting her perspective, especially with the different hand size and comfort insights. I personally own and quite enjoy my Lodge 39 12-inch Blacklock but all your critiques seemed fair and spot-on. The handle is uncomfortable, but the skillet cooks well and holds seasoning well. I was at first tempted to feel poorly about how Blacklock measured up against the others, but when you consider a Blacklock 10-inch costs only sixty dollars and all the others are over a hundred dollars, with some close to two hundred, it’s actually kinda impressive that Blacklock is anywhere in the conversation. You also really intrigued me about Lancaster. If I ever fall out of love with my Blacklock, that’ll be my next stop thanks to you! Best wishes for good YouTubing and kitchen tidings, keep up the great work!

Great review! The two most important factors here are cost and weight. Third is useability in handle design, very very important. A fourth factor is quality which overall is good. If it were in my budget I would definitely buy one of the lighter pans simply for weight and design/cosmetics. As far as non-stick characteristics, I have performed extensive tests with precisely the same seasoning on Lodge original sand casted rough pans and the same Lodge pans after grinding/polishing. Tests indicated absolutely no discernable difference in many test repetitions. The greatest difference is a cosmetic preference for smooth surfaces which I do prefer. From a weight perspective this is the next priority in these pans. That said, the pan that makes the most practical sense is a carbon steel (CS) pan versus additional cast iron pans so I am keeping my existing Lodge 10 and 12 inch pans. I will be acquiring the Lodge 10 and 12 inch CS pans, seasoning/testing original sand casted surfaces and grinding/polishing the CS pans then testing again with exact same seasoning and frying tests. I expect no difference however I will test again on factory sand/cast surface and ground/polished surface to have the validating supporting test data. I am also testing seasoning durability by soaking one pan in vinegar for 15 mins to treat the surface in an effort to improve adhesion of seasoning. A last note on durability is that caring for the quality of the seasoning is important and results in a great return on one’s seasoning efforts and cooking performance. One way to do so is to only use silicon or plastic utensils on the pans. The polymerized long chain molecules that form the seasoning if broken by minor abrasions from sharp steel utensils does contribute to accelerated deterioration of the non-stick character. Repeated intensive French omelet frying tests (x10) shows results of this deterioration around 6-10 repetitions of the French omelets. More frequent seasoning addresses this loss of non-stick performance. Added together both Lodge CS pans with hot handles run $100, far less than most of these cast iron pans which addresses the weight and concerns while still providing expected excellent cooking characteristics. Usability/handle design becomes less concerning with reduced weight and the silicone padded handles. It is hard to beat the Lodge affordability factor. Excellent information here and I especially like the subject matter expert's (SME - Spouse's) useability feedback, that was extremely useful feedback. I’ll post a video on my test results. Keep up the good work! Ciao

I’ve never had anything but Lodge. I love their wildlife collection. I also love their camping set. Maybe one day I can try a brand with a smooth surface. Thought about smoothing out one of my Lodge pans but I just don’t want to ruin it.

Thank you for your review. I've been using a stainless-steel skillet for so long, but I'm WILLING to try an old-fashioned cast iron skillet.

Honestly I can't believe how after every video I've watched (at least 10 videos now?) of people saying the Butter Pat handle is bad that they keep that design. It's such an expensive piece they can't afford to have a handle less comfortable than the 25 dollar alternative lol.

Stargazer's design and engineering is based on the functionality of a modern cast iron skillet also no need for handle covers. Pour spouts are rounded so can pour anywhere on the edges of the skillet. It's a nicely engineered piece of cookware. Another that's trying to break the mold is the Finex, which definitely stands out from its design element which would definitely a topic of conversation for guests. The rest are more focused on nostalgia of the previous generation of cast iron skillets like Wagner, BSR etc - just added with a different helper handle and handle. Field Company - One of the lightest and easiest skillet to season, also has its simple yet nostalgic design but no pour spouts. Smithey - This skillet is a looker without doing to much. The material is thick which means better heat retention and the nice solid feel of iron. The handle is also the right length and not too stubby. Quail on the handle is a nice touch too. Their Flat and Chef skillets also look amazing. It's just the seasoning needs to be worked on Out of all of these cast iron skillets, actually the best value here is the Blacklock. Some people hate that its not totally machined and some like it a bit rough for the seasoning to polymerize better. Others don't mind the handle like Cast Iron Chaos and people I know who got them. Out of this bunch I got the Blacklock, Smithey, Stargazer and gave away the Field #8 to a friend. I might need to take a look at the Finex just because its a nice conversation piece. I like my cast iron to feel and weigh like cast iron - weight doesn't bother me.

Good job on the reviews. I've been thinking about getting a Smithy for awhile. Didn't even know of the Northern and Lancaster. I will check them out further as well. You have a nice collection.

Great review...Im goong to go with the Lankester...I was going with field, but you changed my mind, i read up on Lankester...

My field number eight weighs almost half a pound less than my Lancaster number eight. My field is also flawless. My Lancaster came with multiple defects and the company refused any refund or return because I used it twice. I just wanted them to send me a new one and I’ll send them back the flawed one. But they wouldn’t. Because of their bad business and dishonesty with a return policy and Warranty I definitely would stay away from Lancaster. Go with the field.

I know this is old, but I love the info from your wife’s perspective. The background music is really not my favorite.

It seems the only skillet that compares to vintage early 1900s cast iron is the Lancaster. I would actually use it but you can save a lot of money by buying vintage and you get a better skillet. A vintage good user #10 should run around $55 restored where most of these cost around $175. Vintage collector skillets will rival the prices for modern pieces but a cook doesn't need that. Side note to anyone buying a skillet a #8 is large enough for most stoves. You want to heat your cast iron slower and evenly to prevent warping. Larger skillets tend to hang over the heat source and do not heat evenly. Think about what cast iron was made for, cooking 1.5 feet over a fire not 1.5 inches over a blue flame. If your food is sticking turn down the heat, it tastes better cooked slower anyway. Cast iron cooking is a lost art that is slowly making a comeback. There's something cool about using a 100+ year old skillet in like new condition.

best comparison video because you have all the main ones plus a lot of cooking time on each.

"That has to be one of the heaviest, if not _the_ heaviest..." I'll finish for you: "Objects on this planet." Great video. Rock on.

That was a stellar video! !! Good stuff!

Austin, Borough, and Marquette are the three cast manufacturers you didn't have. They offer some good stuff. The Austin skillet looks gorgeous.

I love comparison videos. I have about half of those, and the Lancaster is my Go To skillet. I have the smaller Butter Pat and the handle doesn't really bother me. I love the Field, but miss the pour spouts. Stargazer is just too hard to handle. (Cute kid.)

Americas Test Kitchen just did a similar cast iron video- not just about the way it feels, and looks, but the way it cooks as well. Their top recommendation is Smithey, and their budget option is Lodge.

Except when you take it down from the rack and put it on the stove...You always have to use a pot holder or a leather cover while cooking. Because of that I am less concerned with handle comfort. I am WAY more concerned with the way it cooks and the seasoning. Thank You for the video.

Great comparison vid. One thing I've learned, with the smithey #10 chefs it does not hold seasoning as well as my wagner chefs skillets or older iron in general. With the weight, heat, it is a great omelet pan that I'll gift to my son. I just think the newer iron is finished too well, and not worth the $165I paid with leather handle sleeve. I've sanded my own lodges, and it's nice getting it to orange peel. And a helluva lot cheaper. I do just adore my Griswolds though. They are the sexiest iron out there.

You didn't give Butter Pat proper credit for their finish. No grinding or sanding takes place, it is cast that smooth!

I really like this video. Very well done. The comparisons between them is fair and balanced. I was able to put my hands on two of the brands, Lodge Blacklock and Finex. I did not like either one. The Blacklock handle was, as you said, uncomfortable and sharp. The seasoning on the pan I had was spotty, some areas covered better than others. The Finex was just too heavy. Didn't like the handle at all. And hearing how that end part gets hot, defeats the whole idea of the handles design. One pan I would suggest you check out is the Lodge Chef Collection 10 inch. I have all of the skillets in that collection. Not exactly "modern" pans but still worth a look.

So many puns to be had with the handle. 😂 thanm u for the review!!

The Marquette Castings NO. 10.5 skillet is kind of neat. It's VERY shallow though. For better or worse.

Very cool video thanks for all the input.

There’s another company located in Sheboygan wisconsin I forget the name but I might check them out they look nice. I have the field 8 skillet and the rest vintage pieces. My lightest one is a #8 national. Super light

I find it strange when people review handles while holding it all the way up to the rim. You won’t hold it that way when it’s crazy hot. Longer handles give better leverage in actual use because you won’t be trying to grab the whole thing. I find the stargazer handle and large helper handle to be brilliant in actual use.

I like the Smithey.

I love Butter Pat. You need a hot pad for pan handles anyway, unless you're just washing the pan.

The Lodge Blacklock from Costco was kind of the "gateway drug" that got me started on the path to the more-expensive stuff.

Thank you for the video. Helped a lot in my decisions. Looks like, with my tiny hands, I'm going for a #6 Smithy (few have this super useful all day size), 12" Butterpat to use with my thick leather handle holders, and either the #8 or #10 Lancaster or perhaps even both of those. Perhaps a 7" Blacklock as a test for handle pain in a smaller size. I'll keep haunting the manufactures for more of the 12" and 7" or less. Grew up mostly reaching for my parents 8" Lodge. Just a bit too big for all day use with picky eaters. Plus handle was still awful, unpadded, even for the smallest size I knew of. (Those meals where you are real quick making 5 different veggie sides, or eggs 4 different ways, plus one out of fake eggs...or no spices, some spices, then set anyone on fire spices...)

Keep in mind, a pan handle isn't necessarily supposed to be comfortable to hold. It's supposed to lock safely into your hand as your moving it, lifting it while pouring it, etc.. without it slipping out of your hand. That's why some handles have some unusual shapes. The rounder and more comfortable are usually the least secure in hand.

Thank you for your thorough review.

I was wondering who made what in the cast iron skillet business, now I know' i think I would like you to do a review of c.i. skillets made off shore. The Victoria is a beautiful skillet and any information on that skillet would be nice to read up on. Nice pice of work!

Thanks for the review.

Great comparison! I'm really liking what Smithey has to offer. I just haven't made the purchase yet. I have like half a dozen Lodge pieces, but I keep wondering if these more expensive pieces are really worth it. One thing though... for Cast Iron, I thought heavy was a good thing because it retains heat longer. I don't mind heavy since I'm a bigger guy and strong.

I have the Field #6, #8, #10, and #12. Can't really say anything bad about them.

stargazer is tops here

The Stargazer by far has the best handle for a Man with Large hands. That is one of the reasons I bought a Stargazer as well as the weight.

I don’t have a favorite and I got most of these. The lodge delivers just as good a steak than all these. The basic lodge not this version black lock. I’ve ran 14 steaks on same lodge as the field and the came out almost identical. I do not have the Lancaster or the northern. The stargazer is great due to its long handle actually . When you put some weight on it it becomes that much more useful and it heats up less than the others

I have a fever, and the only prescription is more cast iron.

Nice collection of modern pans. Not many videos out of the northern company pan. Mine is seasoning up so nicely. I have many of those same pans and love them all for various applications.

Awesome in depth review

Yeah stargazer and field and smithey . Mechanic wise stargazer. Longer handle leverage . I can’t imagine someone wanting a smaller handle on any cast iron because none are light especially with a fat steak sitting in there. To me it seems they are pushing the Lancaster. Just by not having a helper handle you are screwed if what your cooking is hot and heavy. No way the Lancaster.

I don't understand why the Blacklock is smoother on the OUTSIDE than the inside?

Luis great video. You really covered everything about these skillets. I own the 10" blacklock; which I bought in December. Lodge has revamped the handle. My handle is smooth and ergonomically shaped. Easy to hold and it seasons well. Thanks for your video's they are so informative

You also got to take into account weight like the smithey but it retains more heat longer once’s it’s hot. The bottom is thicker.

Nice tip on the Lodge Nokona leather handle holder.

12" Stargazer is tops! 10.5 Blacklock not tried yet.

Thanks for the video Oustanding.!

Very good comparison. A few years ago, I got the chance to touch a Finex Skillet at a williams-sonoma. The wait was the very first thing that stuck out to me. I do have a question for you regarding the other skillets. It is about the depth of each of them. I have some Lodge cast iron, but I would like to invest in one of these higher end companies, but I'm not sure which one to go with since I am blind, and cooking in a deeper pan is much easier for me. Do you know which pans have similar dimensions in terms of depth to the classic Lodge skillets? I'm open to any advice from you or anybody else who sees this.

Great and informative video. Quick question. Is the stargazer handle a good fit for the size of the skillet? You wife said she didn't like it because she has small hands. I thought Stargazer made their 10" skillet with an ergonomic handle; which is why its longer than most handles. I thank you for your answer.

There's a new company close to me that's supposed to be launching towards the end of this month (Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co). I've been debating back and forth between a Lancaster and a Stargazer, but this new company has me debating if I should wait and see what they launch.

I love my Field!

I wish you weighed them and put the weight in the video. Weight is a big selling point for me, especially because I have pain and my joints. That’s the reason I initially got the Lancaster but it turned out to weigh almost a pound more than they said it would. And the owner of the company personally ground down the gate mark on the skillet too much and the wall there is very thin. It’s a weak point in the structure of the pan. It was his personal mistake and he wouldn’t even refund me for it or send me a new skillet. That’s terrible business.

there is also borough furnace bought one for my sister-in-law took good bit beyond the quoted date but covid so not faulting them for that but wish they did a better job keep customer informed multiple unanswered email also did like that there helper handle are lower then the side walls seem to defeat the purpose and really expensive

It seems like these newer pans suffer from a lack of feeling familiar. Turns out the old products knew to never stray without good reason, Lodge pans have always felt perfect in my hands and that’s worth more than their not being the smoothest or the lightest around these days.

Good review! Thank You

I have never owned a brand new skillet, only redone older ones. Which of these do you feel is the best with your electric stove? My 12 inch lodge bulges in the middle and doesnt cook as well on the outside edges. Which is the most flat and even cooking skillet of the newer cast iron? Thanks Luis!!

I just recently got this skillet from Lancaster. Mine had some flaws in it though. and they were flaws that the company owner caused himself and refused to exchange my skillet for another one because of his wrongdoings. I didn’t notice them until I used it a couple of times. The company refused to refund me or to just exchange the skillet for another one. They didn’t mention any of that in the return policy or warranty on the website. “We stand by you and our cast iron cookware with a lifetime warranty“ “if you would like to return your skillet for any reason“ well they don’t stand by any of that. It also didn’t weigh under 4 pounds like they claimed it would. It was almost 5 pounds. My advice to anyone looking into Lancaster. Do not buy their skillets. They’re not good quality like they say they are and these people do not know how to run a business.

The smithey chef skillets SEEMS to have nice handles too.

i think I'd agree with your wife

What is the weight of all these skillets? I just received my Lancaster. they claim it’s lighter than all the new number eights on the market. At just under 4 pounds. But mine felt very heavy and when I weighed it it was 5 pounds. My number eight field is 4 1/2 pounds.

Very informative comparison. Unfortunately, it still hasn't made my decision for getting my first cast iron pan any easier. All of those pans have something to like, but without being able to see, feel and hold each one in my own hands, when I go to buy one, I'll always wonder if I made the right choice. I enjoy doing research and going back and forth trying to decide on something, and I'm usually satisfied, but this one is gonna be tough.

Hello from Germany. Why are some pans brown and not black. Are these badly burned?

Your wife like the helper handles she can put fingers through, but she wouldn't do that hot! LOL.

I’m not positive but that + symbol is probably and directional thing like it represents each direction East, West, South and North. Which the direction it’s pointing to their name with North in it.

can you put that non round pen in oven? that handle is it iron too?

28:20 I have use the silicone handle. I don’t like it because if it has a bit of oil on the inside of the silicone handle , it tends to spin and not very stable. I almost spilled my food out, just by the pan spinning

A table with the actual weights would be useful and less subjective.

Having said that, there is nothing a basic lodge cannot do that any of these do. My steaks come out just as good .

I am thinking of either Field or Lancaster for my next CI. I am looking for something with a little more texture than my Smithey to make it easier to season. When looking up close how is the texture of the finish on both? Do you find any to be easier to season? Thanks, great videos 🤌🏻

If any of those cost more than $30, they're too expensive. Lodge is perfect right off the shelf. Texture means nothing when it comes to being non stick

Out of curiosity, which one is the easiest to pour liquids or grease out of?

Very helpful video! Sure pays off to watch reviews before you drop big bucks on the new stuff 🍳🍳

Great job

Do you see yourself acquiring any of the SolidTeknics wrought iron cookware and comparing using them against this lineup of cast iron pans?

If you could only choose one cast iron pan to travel with, which would you take? Also, have you tried a Nest Homeware pan? It's also US made and looks beautiful, but idk if it cooks well.

which one builds the best seasoning? or is the easiest to maintain seasoning?

What do you think of the new lodge chef series?

Lodge has been around since 1896 circa and will be around a lot longer than the other startups

The lodge is way overpriced for what it is. I bought the blacklock for $60, and it was heavier than the claimed weight at 4.25lbs, so it was basically the same weight as my old lodge chefs collection which I weighed at 4.33lbs. So it’s just a money grab to capitalize on the trend of upscale cast iron. Between the rough surface sticking to eggs like glue out of the box, sharp edges on the handle, and no weight savings, I returned it. I just ordered the Lancaster and even though it’s more than twice the price at $175, at least in getting something for my money.

Is the bronze color like an aesthetic? Do Lodge skillets turn brown over time with use?