Traditional Skillet vs Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets: which is safer?
Le Creuset Traditional Skillet is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Le Creuset
Traditional Skillet
PFAS grade
Excellent 90/100
Overall grade
Excellent 86/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
Enameled cast iron
Confidence
92%
PossibleEnamel coating degradation and particle release
Lodge
Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets
PFAS grade
Excellent 90/100
Overall grade
Excellent 78/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
cast iron (bare or seasoned with oil)
Confidence
95%
PossibleIron leaching into food
PossibleRust formation and corrosion
PossibleThermal shock and cracking
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Enamel coating degradation and particle release on the Le Creuset and not on the Lodge.
- We flag Iron leaching into food, Rust formation and corrosion and Thermal shock and cracking on the Lodge and not on the Le Creuset.
- The Le Creuset is Enameled cast iron where the Lodge is cast iron (bare or seasoned with oil), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More cast iron skillets: see the full ranking