Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets vs Ironware Co Cast Iron Skillet No 12: which is safer?
Lodge Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
Lodge
Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets
PFAS grade
Excellent 75/100
Overall grade
Good 63/100
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
Smithey
Ironware Co Cast Iron Skillet No 12
PFAS grade
Excellent 75/100
Overall grade
Good 57/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
Cast iron, seasoned with oil
Confidence
92%
PossibleIron leaching at low pH
PossibleThermal degradation of seasoning
ReportedRust and corrosion if neglected
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 Iron leaching at low pH, Thermal degradation of seasoning and Rust and corrosion if neglected 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 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, which covers 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