Smithey Ironware Co Cast Iron Skillet No 12
Low risk, traditional cast iron with no PFAS-prone coatings.
Smithey's No. 12 is bare cast iron seasoned with oil, not a nonstick or coated product. Cast iron is a well-established material with no Teflon-family coating.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
Cast iron, seasoned with oil
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Category baseline
PFAS exposure happens more often with clothing products.
Iron leaching at low pH
Acidic foods (citrus, tomato, vinegar) can dissolve small amounts of iron from unsealed or newly stripped cast iron. This is not a toxicity hazard (iron is essential) but may affect taste and food color; risk is minimal with proper seasoning maintenance.
Thermal degradation of seasoning
Prolonged exposure to very high heat (above 450F) can degrade the polymerized oil layer, exposing bare iron and requiring re-seasoning. This is a maintenance issue, not a chemical safety hazard.
Rust and corrosion if neglected
Inadequate drying or storage in humid environments allows rust formation, which can be ingested if not cleaned off before cooking. Regular maintenance prevents this entirely.
What’s reassuring
Uncoated safe material
Bare cast iron, stainless steel, carbon steel, or glass with no PFAS coating.
Seasoning oil composition
Smithey does not publicly disclose the specific oil blend used in factory seasoning. Standard practice uses refined vegetable oils (soybean, canola) or mineral oil, none of which pose known hazards at the polymerized state.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Smithey No. 12 skillets are cast iron with a factory oil seasoning layer. Cast iron is an inert material that does not leach chemicals into food under normal cooking conditions; the seasoning is simply polymerized oil, not a synthetic polymer coating that can degrade or release fumes. Unlike non-stick cookware, cast iron has no Teflon-type coating or other fluorinated coatings, eliminating fume risk even if overheated.
The brand's record and disclosure
Smithey Ironware Co. is a US-based artisanal manufacturer focused on cast iron production. The brand does not publish extensive third-party certifications or detailed chemical disclosures for its seasoning oils, which is typical for legacy cast iron makers. No recalls, safety controversies, or reports of hazardous coatings have been established in public sources for Smithey cast iron products.
How it compares in its category
Cast iron skillets like Smithey's represent the safest cookware category from a chemical-leaching perspective because they lack synthetic coatings entirely. Compared to ceramic non-stick (which may have lead in glazes), Teflon-type coating non-stick (fume risk), or enameled cast iron (chipping risk and potential lead in enamel), plain seasoned cast iron eliminates those concerns. Smithey's hand-finished approach is consistent with premium cast iron producers (Lodge, Le Creuset uncoated) but typically carries no special safety advantage.
If you buy it
Maintain the seasoning by wiping with oil after washing and drying completely to prevent rust and preserve the non-stick layer. Avoid prolonged soaking, acidic foods (tomato, vinegar) on unseasoned sections, and overheating beyond normal stovetop temperatures, which can damage the seasoning bond. The skillet will develop a patina over years of use; re-seasoning is simple and requires no special products. Replace only if the cooking surface becomes deeply pitted or the handle develops structural cracks.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 92% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Smithey 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.