The Best Non-Toxic Cast Iron Skillets of 2026

The verdict
11 of the 14 cast iron skillets PFAS Authority has graded reach its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, 78.6% of the category, as of October 2026, and 3 score below it. The highest graded is Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets at 75 out of 100.
Free to quote with attribution to PFAS Authority and a link to pfasauthority.com/best/cast-iron-skillets. Grades are model-based estimates from published materials and disclosures, not lab tests. The rubric.

Every grade below is built from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and brand disclosures, scored on one public rubric and ranked best-graded first. Each score links to the full breakdown of what earned it, and the numbers across the whole dataset are published too.

Are cast iron skillets non-toxic?

11 of the 14 cast iron skillets we graded clear our screen and 3 do not. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on cast iron skillets in this category are microplastics, lead. The highest graded here is Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets at 75 out of 100.

Quick picks

Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets

Best overall

Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets

Highest PFAS grade in the category

75 Excellent

Field Co. Cast Iron Skillet No. 8

A second brand to consider

Field Company Field Co. Cast Iron Skillet No. 8

The best grade here from a brand other than the winner

75 Excellent

Why Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets wins, and what it beats

Every grade on this page is one sum. A category starts from a baseline, each disclosed material or coating adds risk points, and each thing the brand or a third party has published takes them away. Below is that sum for the winner, then for 1 product it beats, so you can see exactly where the 10 points between the top and the bottom of this cast iron skillets ranking come from.

The winner

Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets
75Excellent
Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets

Made of cast iron (bare or seasoned with oil).

  • +30Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
  • +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
  • -20Bare uncoated material. Recorded as a bare, uncoated material with no surface coating or treatment.

25risk points in total, which is a grade of 75

What the grade does not fix. It still carries one risk factor, No PFAS disclosure, and our graders recorded 3 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.

Check priceFull breakdown

What it beats, and why

Le Creuset Traditional Skillet
65Good10 points behind the winner
Le Creuset Traditional Skillet

What puts it behind. The winner earns -20 points for Bare uncoated material. We found nothing comparable published for this product.

Made of Enameled cast iron.

  • +30Category baseline
  • +15No PFAS disclosure
  • -10Base material not linked to PFAS. The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.

35risk points, a grade of 65

No product on this page was physically tested by us. Every number above comes from published materials, ingredient and coating disclosures, certifications and brand statements, scored on one public rubric. Formulations change without notice, so check the current product listing before buying.

What to watch for in cast iron skillets

Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 14 cast iron skillets in this category. We assess from materials, brand statements and published research. We do not lab-test.

  • Microplastics

    Plastic fragments small enough to shed from a product into food, water or air without anyone seeing it.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA

  • Lead

    A metal still found in glazes, solder, paint, imported ceramics and some older cookware.

    Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. CDC

The safest cast iron skillets we graded, lowest PFAS risk first

  1. 1

    No coating to fail

    Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets

    Lodge

    Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets

    75ExcellentPFAS grade
    • cast iron (bare or seasoned with oil)
    • Iron leaching into food

    3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy
  2. 2
    Field Co. Cast Iron Skillet No. 8

    Field Company

    Field Co. Cast Iron Skillet No. 8

    75ExcellentPFAS grade
    • cast iron, bare/seasoned surface
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Iron leaching into acidic foods

    2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy
  3. 3
    Field Company Cast Iron Skillet No. 4

    Field Company

    Cast Iron Skillet No. 4

    75ExcellentPFAS grade
    • cast iron, seasoned surface
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Rust and iron transfer to food

    2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy
  4. 4
    Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Pan 6"

    Lodge

    Cast Iron Skillet Pan 6"

    75ExcellentPFAS grade
    • cast iron, seasoned with oil
    • Iron leaching

    3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy
  5. 5
    Smithey 12" Cast Iron Skillet

    Smithey

    12" Cast Iron Skillet

    75ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Cast iron, seasoned with oil
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Iron leaching into acidic foods

    2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownTop-graded picks →
    Find an alternative on Amazon
  6. 6
    Smithey Cast Iron Chef Skillet No. 8

    Smithey

    Cast Iron Chef Skillet No. 8

    75ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Cast iron, seasoned finish
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Seasoning degradation and rust exposure
    Full breakdownBuy
  7. 7
    Smithey Ironware Co Cast Iron Skillet No 12

    Smithey

    Ironware Co Cast Iron Skillet No 12

    75ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Cast iron, seasoned with oil
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Iron leaching at low pH

    3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy
  8. 8
    Smithey Ironware Company Cast Iron Skillet No. 12

    Smithey

    Ironware Company Cast Iron Skillet No. 12

    75ExcellentPFAS grade
    • Cast iron, pre-seasoned with vegetable oil
    • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
    • Iron leaching

    3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

    Full breakdownBuy

You may also be interested in

Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.

3M Aqua-Pure AP802B Whole House Filter Housing

Aqua Pure

3M Aqua-Pure AP802B Whole House Filter Housing

95ExcellentPFAS grade
  • polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
  • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
  • Bacterial growth in spent cartridges

3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

Full breakdownBuy
AQUASURE Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

Aquasure

Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

100ExcellentPFAS grade
  • RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
  • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
  • Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters

4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

Full breakdownBuy
Avocado Vegan Mattress

Avocado

Vegan Mattress

100ExcellentPFAS grade
✓ MADE SAFE Certified✓ Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
  • organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
  • The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
  • Heavy metals

2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.

Full breakdownBuy

All the cast iron skillets that pass, side by side

Sorted by score. A higher score means lower PFAS risk. Scored against 3 hazards that apply to this category.

#Cast Iron SkilletsScoreRatingMade ofKey concern
1Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets75Excellentcast iron (bare or seasoned with oil)Iron leaching into food
2Field Company Field Co. Cast Iron Skillet No. 875Excellentcast iron, bare/seasoned surfaceIron leaching into acidic foods
3Field Company Cast Iron Skillet No. 475Excellentcast iron, seasoned surfaceRust and iron transfer to food
4Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Pan 6"75Excellentcast iron, seasoned with oilIron leaching
5Smithey 12" Cast Iron Skillet75ExcellentCast iron, seasoned with oilIron leaching into acidic foods
6Smithey Cast Iron Chef Skillet No. 875ExcellentCast iron, seasoned finishSeasoning degradation and rust exposure
7Smithey Ironware Co Cast Iron Skillet No 1275ExcellentCast iron, seasoned with oilIron leaching at low pH
8Smithey Ironware Company Cast Iron Skillet No. 1275ExcellentCast iron, pre-seasoned with vegetable oilIron leaching

The verdict on cast iron skillets

Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets grades 75 out of 100, the highest here. It is cast iron (bare or seasoned with oil).

Choose Field Company Field Co. Cast Iron Skillet No. 8 instead if you want a second option at 75 out of 100, cast iron, bare/seasoned surface.

We hold no price data, so nothing here is a budget recommendation. Grades are model-based assessments from published materials and disclosures, not laboratory tests.

The cast iron skillets we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first, with the reason.

How to read these scores. PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Each grade is a model-based assessment built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third-party lab results where they exist. Read the full rubric to see exactly what adds and removes points.

What we check on cast iron skillets

  • Heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, arsenic and others that accumulate in the body. FDA
  • Lead. A heavy metal with no safe exposure level, especially for children. ATSDR
  • Cadmium. A toxic heavy metal found in some glazes, pigments, and batteries. ATSDR

Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.

The cast iron skillets brands we found no PFAS statement from

We found no PFAS statement from 2 of the brands here. That is our research, not proof a brand has never said anything, and it is not evidence of harm. It is why none of them score well on disclosure.

Field Company, Smithey.

The brands that have published something, and what each of them actually said, are in our record of what every brand has said about PFAS.

Common questions about PFAS in cast iron skillets

Are cast iron skillets PFAS free?

11 of the 14 cast iron skillets PFAS Authority has graded reach its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, 78.6% of the category, as of October 2026, and 3 score below it. The highest graded is Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets at 75 out of 100. The lowest graded is Le Creuset Traditional Skillet at 65 out of 100.

Are cast iron skillets non-toxic?

11 of the 14 cast iron skillets we graded clear our screen and 3 do not. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on cast iron skillets in this category are microplastics, lead. The highest graded here is Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets at 75 out of 100.

Which are the safest cast iron skillets to buy?

On our grades, Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets at 75 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. Then Field Company Field Co. Cast Iron Skillet No. 8 at 75. These are model-based assessments from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and disclosures, not laboratory tests, so treat them as the lowest risk we can evidence rather than a safety guarantee.

Which cast iron skillets grade best for PFAS?

Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets, at 75 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. It is cast iron (bare or seasoned with oil). The runner up is Field Company Field Co. Cast Iron Skillet No. 8 at 75.

Which cast iron skillets should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Le Creuset Traditional Skillet at 65, Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Skillet at 65, Le Creuset Signature Saucepan at 65. The problem with the first is that the main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.

How can you tell if cast iron skillets contain PFAS?

In this category we check for heavy metals, lead, cadmium. Lead, cadmium, arsenic and others that accumulate in the body. Language like stain resistant, water repellent or easy release usually means fluorinated chemistry even when PFAS is never printed on the box.

Which cast iron skillets brands have not published a PFAS statement?

We found no PFAS statement from 2 of the brands we scored in this category, including Field Company, Smithey. That is what our research turned up, not proof a brand has never said anything, and a missing statement is not evidence of harm. It is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.

Do you lab test cast iron skillets?

No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.

More kitchen and cooking categories we have graded

Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to cast iron skillets.

Get the graded list, free.

The products we score each week, and the best-graded alternative in every category.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Does a particular brand of cast iron skillets have PFAS?

We also wrote this up at length. PFAS in Cast Iron Skillets, Lodge, Field, Smithey and Le Creuset Graded

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 14 cast iron skillets.