Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets vs Ironware No. 11 American Anniversary Skillet: which is safer?
Smithey Ironware No. 11 American Anniversary Skillet 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
Ironware No. 11 American Anniversary Skillet
PFAS grade
Excellent 90/100
Overall grade
Excellent 82/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Cast iron, seasoned/bare metal
Confidence
92%
PossibleCoating degradation over time
PossibleIron transfer to food
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 Coating degradation over time and Iron transfer to food 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/bare metal, 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