Field Company · Cast Iron Skillets
Field Company Cast Iron Skillet No. 4, Is It Non-Toxic?
Lower concern. Bare cast iron with no coating on record.
Field Company Cast Iron Skillet No. 4 is cast iron with a seasoned surface and no coating on record. The brand has no PFAS statement on record.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
cast iron, seasoned surface
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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Is Field Company Cast Iron Skillet No. 4 non-toxic? What it is made of
Field Company No. 4 is cast iron, a ferrous metal alloy (iron, carbon, small amounts of silicon and manganese) seasoned with food-grade oil. Cast iron does not rely on synthetic coatings like Teflon-type coating or ceramic glazes, so it avoids the leaching and degradation risks those carry. The seasoning layer is polymerized fat buildup, not a chemical coating, making it inherently stable under normal cooking temperatures.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Rust and iron transfer to food
Cast iron can rust if seasoning is neglected or damaged, and iron does transfer to acidic foods (tomato sauce, vinegar-based dishes). This is not a toxicological hazard; excess dietary iron is rarely a concern for most people, but those with hemochromatosis should avoid prolonged cooking of acidic foods in cast iron.
Seasoning oil degradation or rancidity
The seasoning layer uses polymerized oil, which can degrade if exposed to prolonged heat, moisture, or oxidation during storage. Rancid oil flavor is detectable and unpleasant but poses minimal health risk if cooking temperatures are sufficient to break down volatile compounds. Properly stored cast iron (dry, cool place) avoids this.
What’s reassuring
Bare uncoated material
Recorded as a bare, uncoated material with no surface coating or treatment.
Lead
Cast iron composition (iron, carbon, silicon) does not contain lead or cadmium by nature. Field Company does not use ceramic or enamel coatings where these heavy metals might be found in glazes. No recalls or test results suggesting contamination have been reported for this brand.
Source, ATSDR ↗Aluminum leaching
This is cast iron, not aluminum cookware. Aluminum leaching is not a hazard class for ferrous metal skillets.
Contamination from manufacturing or transport
Field Company skillets are produced in the United States with documented quality control. No reports of bacterial or chemical contamination in finished skillets exist in public records.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Field Company is a small US-based cast iron manufacturer known for transparency about sourcing and production. The brand has not faced major recalls or disclosed safety controversies related to cookware. Field Company does not publish formal third-party testing or certifications (NSF, GOTS, etc.), which is typical for heritage cast iron makers; their reputation relies on direct customer feedback and word-of-mouth rather than formal compliance statements.
How it compares in its category
Cast iron skillets are lower concern cookware options precisely because they lack synthetic coatings. Field Company sits in the mid-premium segment of cast iron (higher quality than mass-market Lodge, comparable to or slightly less expensive than heirloom brands like Smithey). Unlike non-stick or enameled cookware, cast iron eliminates concerns about coating breakdown, Teflon-family coating fumes, or glaze lead leaching.
If you buy it
Maintain the seasoning layer by oiling after wash and avoiding prolonged water soaking to prevent rust. Cast iron has no practical temperature ceiling under normal stovetop use (suitable to 500+ degrees Fahrenheit). Replace or strip and re-season only if rust penetrates the pan or seasoning becomes sticky or flaked. Hand wash only; dishwasher will strip seasoning and accelerate rust.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 92% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Field Company has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More cast iron skillets grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.