Just a few years ago I saw little purpose in reviewing cast iron cookware, given the lack of options out there. Today the situation is radically different. The market is swirling with options, and the price differences can be staggering: A 10-inch skillet can cost you anywhere from under $20 to over $200—and, mind you, I'm not including pricier enameled cast iron like Le Creuset in these figures.
In the end, my testing solved these conundrums for me: The best cast iron pan is the one that performs its core tasks—searing, baking, and nonstick frying and sautéing—with success. And what my testing revealed is that, for all the nerding out one can do about cast iron, there's practically no difference in performance from one pan to the next.
Over the course of 3 minutes and 20 seconds, I measured the temperature of the floor of each skillet at both the center and edge, taking readings every ten seconds. This chart shows the final temperature each skillet registered at the 3 minute, 20 second mark. After running through my heat conduction measurements, it was time to take these pans for a real spin. I was curious to find out how well-seasoned each skillet was out of the box . Since cast iron cookware requires ongoing maintenance to build up great seasoning, I didn't necessarily think skillets that underperformed in this test should be disqualified, but I figured it could help as a tie-breaker.
For this test, I preheated all of the pans in 500°F ovens. Then, working one at a time, I removed them, added 1 tablespoon of oil, then seared two large short rib slabs in each, turning them every 30 seconds for a total of 3 minutes per side. I learned that the best pour spouts are large and deep, and if you can't have that, you're better off having no pour spout at all: The skillets with shallow and small spouts tended to dribble the most. While good to know, I didn't consider small spouts a dealbreaker if the pan otherwise performed well and is well priced.Given how similarly all of the cast iron pans performed in these tests, the real decision came down to comfort, ergonomics, and price.
I'd pick the one that's cast iron, personally.
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