Skillets - 10.5 Inch

Score: 8.2/10 | Borough Furnace produces functional art - cast iron with hand-forged handles and machined smooth surfaces from a tiny Brooklyn foundry. For collectors and artisan cookware enthusiasts, nothing else captures the same handcrafted character. Premium pricing reflects genuine small-batch American craftsmanship.

This review uses the R3 Cookware Methodology v1.0.0, which evaluates cookware across six pillars: Safety (35%), Efficacy (30%), Value (15%), Usability (10%), Sustainability (5%), and Suitability (5%).

Borough Furnace cast iron provides the same safety as all quality cast iron:

• 100% cast iron - no coatings or chemicals
• PFAS-free by nature - pure iron material
• Machined surface is still just iron
• Naturally nonstick through seasoning
• Adds dietary iron to food
• Generational durability - lasts forever

The artisan finishing does not change the fundamental safety profile of cast iron.

Borough Furnace combines artisan aesthetics with functional improvements:

• Machined smooth surface for better food release
• Hand-forged handles - each unique
• Substantial weight for excellent heat retention
• Pre-seasoned and ready to use
• American sand-cast production
• Wide pour spouts for convenient draining

The machined surface, like Smithey's polished finish, provides smoother food release than textured Lodge surfaces.

At $280-350 for the 10.5-inch skillet:

• Made in USA (Brooklyn, New York)
• Small-batch artisan production
• Hand-forged handles - each piece unique
• Collector appeal among cookware enthusiasts
• Functional art for kitchen display

Borough Furnace is the most expensive cast iron I have reviewed. The value proposition is almost entirely about artisan appreciation and collector status.

Borough Furnace operates differently than any other cast iron maker:

• Tiny production runs (individual pieces, not mass production)
• Each handle hand-forged (no two identical)
• Sand-cast in-house in Brooklyn
• Machined and finished by hand
• Wait lists common for popular pieces

This is not cookware for everyone - it is for collectors and enthusiasts who appreciate genuine American craft.

The 10.5-inch skillet weighs approximately 6 lbs. The hand-forged handles are beautiful but may feel different than machined handles. The machined cooking surface performs excellently for food release. Requires same care as all cast iron. The unique aesthetics make it display-worthy.

Borough Furnace is collector-grade cast iron for enthusiasts who appreciate handcrafted American manufacturing. The machined surface works beautifully, and each hand-forged handle is genuinely unique. For practical cooking purposes, Lodge at $35 or Smithey at $200 provides excellent performance. Borough Furnace is about owning functional art from a tiny Brooklyn foundry.

Score: 8.2/10 | Borough Furnace produces functional art - cast iron with hand-forged handles and machined smooth surfaces from a tiny Brooklyn foundry. For collectors and artisan cookware enthusiasts, nothing else captures the same handcrafted character. Premium pricing reflects genuine small-batch American craftsmanship.

This review uses the R3 Cookware Methodology v1.0.0, which evaluates cookware across six pillars: Safety (35%), Efficacy (30%), Value (15%), Usability (10%), Sustainability (5%), and Suitability (5%).

Borough Furnace cast iron provides the same safety as all quality cast iron:

• 100% cast iron - no coatings or chemicals
• PFAS-free by nature - pure iron material
• Machined surface is still just iron
• Naturally nonstick through seasoning
• Adds dietary iron to food
• Generational durability - lasts forever

The artisan finishing does not change the fundamental safety profile of cast iron.

Borough Furnace combines artisan aesthetics with functional improvements:

• Machined smooth surface for better food release
• Hand-forged handles - each unique
• Substantial weight for excellent heat retention
• Pre-seasoned and ready to use
• American sand-cast production
• Wide pour spouts for convenient draining

The machined surface, like Smithey's polished finish, provides smoother food release than textured Lodge surfaces.

At $280-350 for the 10.5-inch skillet:

• Made in USA (Brooklyn, New York)
• Small-batch artisan production
• Hand-forged handles - each piece unique
• Collector appeal among cookware enthusiasts
• Functional art for kitchen display

Borough Furnace is the most expensive cast iron I have reviewed. The value proposition is almost entirely about artisan appreciation and collector status.

Borough Furnace operates differently than any other cast iron maker:

• Tiny production runs (individual pieces, not mass production)
• Each handle hand-forged (no two identical)
• Sand-cast in-house in Brooklyn
• Machined and finished by hand
• Wait lists common for popular pieces

This is not cookware for everyone - it is for collectors and enthusiasts who appreciate genuine American craft.

The 10.5-inch skillet weighs approximately 6 lbs. The hand-forged handles are beautiful but may feel different than machined handles. The machined cooking surface performs excellently for food release. Requires same care as all cast iron. The unique aesthetics make it display-worthy.

Borough Furnace is collector-grade cast iron for enthusiasts who appreciate handcrafted American manufacturing. The machined surface works beautifully, and each hand-forged handle is genuinely unique. For practical cooking purposes, Lodge at $35 or Smithey at $200 provides excellent performance. Borough Furnace is about owning functional art from a tiny Brooklyn foundry.