Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets vs Cast Iron Chef Skillet No. 8: which is safer?
Smithey Cast Iron Chef Skillet No. 8 is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
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
Our pick
Smithey
Cast Iron Chef Skillet No. 8
PFAS grade
Excellent 90/100
Overall grade
Excellent 86/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
Cast iron, seasoned finish
Confidence
92%
PossibleSeasoning degradation and rust exposure
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Iron leaching into food, Rust formation and corrosion and Thermal shock and cracking on the Lodge and not on the Smithey.
- We flag Seasoning degradation and rust exposure on the Smithey and not on the Lodge.
- The Lodge is cast iron (bare or seasoned with oil) where the Smithey is Cast iron, seasoned finish, 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