Lodge 10.25" Cast Iron Skillet
The Lodge 10.25" is pre-seasoned cast iron cast and finished in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. It delivers restaurant-grade searing through heavy heat retention, moves stovetop-to-oven-to-grill, and works on induction. In side-by-side testing it held heat better than pricier pans, and it only gets more non-stick once it builds a few rounds of seasoning.
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What the experts found
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“After 5 minutes, the water in the Lodge Classic skillet was 124°F, water in the Lodge Chef Collection skillet was 120°F, Stargazer was 119°F, and Calphalon was 118°F.”
In Prudent Reviews' heat-retention test, the Lodge held water at 124°F after five minutes of cooling versus 118-119°F for rival pans — the thick body barely drops temperature when cold food hits it, which is what delivers a hard sear.
Prudent Reviews ↗ -
“Lodge skillets distribute heat evenly and maintain it well, making them excellent for searing and frying.”
After 5+ years and hundreds of meals, the reviewer found the Lodge distributes heat evenly and holds it well, with the pre-seasoned surface only getting more non-stick over time as long as it is periodically re-seasoned.
Prudent Reviews ↗ -
“Microwave popcorn bags and non-stick cookware are the FCMs on which the most migration tests have been conducted and also where the highest content of PFAS were found”
Bare seasoned cast iron carries no PTFE/PFAS non-stick coating that can migrate into food — its only surface is baked-on oil seasoning. In reviews of food-contact materials, non-stick cookware is where the highest PFAS migration is measured, an exposure cast iron simply avoids.
Foods (MDPI) — PFAS in food contact materials review · 2021 ↗ -
“the iron content in maize porridge cooked in iron pots increased by 2–9 times”
Cooking in cast iron leaches absorbable dietary iron into the food, measurably raising its iron content — especially with acidic ingredients — enough that iron pots are studied as a tool against iron-deficiency anemia.
Current Research in Food Science (PMC) · 2024 ↗
How it compares
| Lodge 10.25" | Carbon steel pan | Enameled / premium cast iron | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat retention | Excellent — deep, steady sear | Good, but loses heat faster | Excellent |
| Weight | Heavy (~5 lb) | Lighter, easier to maneuver | Heavy to very heavy |
| Surface | Pebbly, seasons smoother over time | Smooth, builds patina fast | Polished or enamel, slick out of box |
| Maintenance | Re-season, no soak | Re-season, no soak | Enamel is dishwasher-friendly |
| Value | Best value — lifetime pan | Mid | Costs several times more |
Buy it if
- Cooks who want a hard, even sear on steaks, burgers, and skin-on chicken
- Anyone moving a pan from stovetop to oven for cornbread, frittatas, or roasts
- First-time cast iron buyers who want proven performance without overspending
- People who want one durable pan to keep for decades
Skip it if
- Cooks who want a lightweight pan they can flip and toss one-handed
- Anyone unwilling to hand-wash and re-oil after cooking
- Those who mainly cook acidic dishes like tomato sauce, where enameled cookware fits better
The verdict
Still the pan worth owning. The Lodge 10.25" turns a modest outlay into decades of restaurant-level searing, and the critics back it up. Buy it once, season it as you cook, and it gets better every year.
Check price on Amazon Live price & reviews on AmazonQuestions, answered
- Do I need to season it before first use?
- No. It arrives pre-seasoned with baked-on soybean oil and is ready to cook. The surface only gets more non-stick as you use it. Source Lodge Cast Iron ↗
- Can it go on a glass-top or induction stove?
- Yes. Cast iron is fully induction-compatible. On glass tops, lift rather than slide it to avoid scratching the surface. Source Lodge Cast Iron ↗
- Is it dishwasher safe?
- No. Hand-wash, dry thoroughly, and rub with a thin layer of oil. Skip the dishwasher and long soaks, which strip the seasoning. Source Lodge Cast Iron ↗