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#9 of 20

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet 12 Inch

Key Specs

Cooking Surface

Seasoned cast iron

Oven-Safe Temperature

500°F

Handle

Integral cast iron with silicone holder

Construction

Single-piece cast iron

Lodge

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet 12 Inch

#9 of 20 frying pans tested

7.9R3 Score / 10

RecommendedGood, with trade-offs worth knowing.

Safety

7.978% weight

Efficacy

816% weight

Usability

7.16% weight

The bottom line

What the product listing won't tell you

Know before you buy

At 7.7 pounds, this is a heavy pan that requires two-handed operation when loaded — and the integral cast iron handle gets dangerously hot during every use, requiring an oven mitt or the included silicone holder.

Buy it if

You want a PFAS-free cooking surface at the lowest possible price point and the weight does not bother you

$35.00

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We may earn a commission. It doesn't affect our scores.

You love searing steaks, baking cornbread, or making dishes that benefit from exceptional heat retention

You cook outdoors on campfires or grills and need a pan that handles any heat source

You want a pan that can genuinely be passed down to your children with proper care

Skip if

You have wrist or grip limitations that make lifting an 8-pound pan impractical or unsafe
You need a pan that responds quickly to temperature changes for delicate sauces or eggs
You want zero-maintenance cleanup and the ability to toss the pan in the dishwasher after every use

What's inside

Specs the product listing doesn't explain

Safety & Materials

What your food and family come into contact with every use

Cooking SurfaceSeasoned cast iron

HandleIntegral cast iron with silicone holder

Dishwasher SafeNo (hand wash only)

Efficacy

What determines how well this performs its core job

Oven-Safe Temperature500°F

Usability

Ease of use, maintenance, and longevity

ConstructionSingle-piece cast iron

Induction CompatibleYes

Weight7.7 lbs

Price$35 USD

How we scored it

3 criteria - open any layer to see exactly what we found

7.9

Safety

Good

8

Efficacy

Very Good

7.1

Usability

Good

Material SafetyCritical

50%

7.9▾

R3 Verdict

The Lodge skillet is pure, uncoated cast iron — one of the safest cooking surfaces available. There are no synthetic chemicals to worry about at any temperature.

The one practical concern is the integral handle, which gets scorching hot during use. Lodge smartly includes a silicone handle holder to mitigate this, but it is something you will need to stay mindful of.

Moderate confidence

Criteria

Cooking Surface Material

8/10

The cooking surface is pure iron with a natural seasoning — no synthetic coatings, no chemicals, nothing to chip or peel. Cast iron has been used safely for centuries and only gets better with use.

Oven-Safe Temperature (°F)

10/10

This skillet goes from stovetop to oven to campfire without hesitation. At 500°F it handles everything from cornbread to broiled steaks — and cast iron itself can handle much higher temperatures.

Cooking PerformanceImportant

13%

8▾

R3 Verdict

Cast iron is the king of heat retention. Drop a cold steak on this skillet and it barely flinches — the temperature recovers quickly because of all that thermal mass. The trade-off is slower heat-up time and less responsiveness when you turn the burner down, but for searing, baking, and frying, cast iron is hard to beat.

Moderate confidence

Criteria

Base Construction

8/10

Daily UsabilityImportant

8%

7.1▾

R3 Verdict

The Lodge works on every heat source imaginable, which is a genuine advantage for families who cook on gas, induction, or take their pan camping. The weight is the real daily-use factor here — at 7.7 pounds, this is a commitment to lift. Hand washing is required but quick once you get the hang of it.

Moderate confidence

Criteria

Induction Compatible

10/10

Safety research

Safety standards and ingredients related to Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet 12 Inch

concepts

Forever Chemicals- "Forever chemicals" is the plain-language name for [PFAS](/learn/ingredients/pfas) - a class of more than 10,000 synthetic compounds built on an unbreakable carbon-fluorine bond. Coined in 2018 by Harvard researcher Joseph Allen, the term captures the single most important fact about these chemicals: they don't break down. Not in soil, not in water, not in the human body. They accumulate over a lifetime in blood and organs, and they're now found in rainwater on every continent - including the Arctic.

concepts

Teflon-Free Label Claim- A marketing label stating a product does not use DuPont/Chemours' branded Teflon coating. Technically accurate - Teflon is a registered trademark, and brands without a Chemours license cannot use the name. The problem: Teflon is simply a brand name for PTFE, and a product can be 100% Teflon-free while still being coated in the exact same chemical. 'Teflon-free' does not mean PTFE-free, and it certainly does not mean PFAS-free. It is one of the most effective pieces of misdirection in the cookware marketing playbook.

concepts

Ceramic-Coated Claim- A marketing label applied to cookware, air fryers, and frying pans to suggest the cooking surface is made from ceramic material rather than [PTFE (Teflon)](/learn/ingredients/ptfe-teflon). The claim is unregulated -- "ceramic nonstick" has no legal definition in the United States, no required compositional test, and no government body verifies it before a brand prints it on a box. True ceramic sol-gel coatings are [PFAS](/learn/ingredients/pfas)-free by chemistry. But some products marketed as ceramic are hybrid PTFE formulations with mineral branding added for marketing. Knowing the difference is how you separate genuinely safer cookware from an expensive rebrand.

Every term is independently researched and sourced.

Full Safety Dictionary

Where to buy

Verified retailer - current pricing

Starting price

$35

R3 approved retailer Score unaffected by purchase

Buy on Amazon

We earn a small commission on purchases. It never influences our scores - R3 is funded by readers, not brands.

Other Options to Consider

Alternatives that address specific trade-offs

Why this matters: The Lodge works on every heat source imaginable, which is a genuine advantage for families who cook on gas, induction, or take their pan camping. The

Better daily usability

Tramontina Signature Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 12-Inch Fry Pan

Tramontina

9.6$55

Scores 10.0/10 on daily usability vs 7.1 here

Better daily usability

All-Clad D3 Stainless Steel 12 Inch Fry Pan

All-Clad

9.6$160

Scores 9.4/10 on daily usability vs 7.1 here

Better daily usability

Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Frying Pan 10.5 Inch

Caraway

6.5$95

Scores 9.4/10 on daily usability vs 7.1 here

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#9 of 20 frying pans reviewed

Handle Material

5/10

The handle is solid cast iron — it will get hot during cooking, every time. Lodge includes a silicone handle holder, and you will want to use it. Keep it on the handle as a habit.

Once this skillet gets hot, it stays hot — which means a perfect sear on steaks and beautifully browned cornbread. It takes a few minutes longer to heat up than tri-ply stainless, but the payoff in heat retention is worth the wait.

Works on every heat source — gas, electric, induction, campfire, grill. If you take it camping or upgrade your kitchen, this pan goes everywhere.

Weight (lbs)

4/10

At nearly 8 pounds empty, this is a two-handed pan. Tossing vegetables or lifting it one-handed when full is not realistic for most people. If you have wrist or grip issues, consider a lighter option.

Dishwasher Safe

5/10

Hand wash with hot water and a brush, then dry immediately. A dishwasher would strip the seasoning and invite rust. It sounds like more work, but once you have the routine down it takes under a minute.