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I never liked cast iron pans — until I tried this game-changing version

Why it's different than your typical cast iron pan

By
Field Company Cast Iron Skillet
Emily Caldwell / The Manual

I never quite understood the hype around cast iron pans, despite everyone I know swearing by them as must-have kitchen essentials. As someone who loves cooking (especially things like a pan-seared steak), I’ve wanted to love cast iron skillets more than I ever actually did. That said, my experimentation with cast iron pans was short-lived and involved using an old pan that had been passed down to me.

Founders of Field Company, Stephen & Chris Muscarella, started off with a vintage 1930s Wagner cast iron pan and were told that there was no possible way a modern foundry could pour iron that thin. Yet, they defied odds, crafting a hand mold with slight changes (a heat ring, a more balanced handle) to develop the innovative Field Company cast iron pan we know today. If you’ve never quite mastered using a cast-iron pan, it may be time to reconsider. Modern-day cast-iron pans aren’t like the ones your grandmother used to use. Field Company’s cast iron pan changed my mind on the matter — and it might change yours, too.

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Pre-seasoning and easy maintenance

Field Company Cast Iron Skillet
Emily Caldwell / The Manual

One of my hang-ups with cast iron skillets in the past was seasoning them before use, a process I knew nothing about (and didn’t want to bother learning). When I heard that Field Company’s cast iron skillets were pre-seasoned with three coats of organic grapeseed oil, I became far more intrigued. I love cooking, but more so the act of cooking itself (not doing dishes and preparing dishes to be used). You can use Field Company’s skillets right out of the box and get to cooking right away.

The Field Company’s cast iron is also very easy to maintain, which works out well for beginners. Inside your package, you’ll find a maintenance kit that comes with everything you need, along with clear instructions on how to clean your pan for the next use. After use, rinse the pan with warm water and use the natural fiber brush to remove any remaining food particles. Then, you’ll use the chain mail scrubber to dislodge and scuff away remnants on the cooking surface and side walls. Inside the kit is also some Field seasoning oil, should you ever wish to pre-season your pan in the future (you don’t have to).

Lighter weight

Field Company Cast Iron Skillet
Field Company
Field Company’s cast iron pans also feel significantly lighter than the traditional cast iron pan. If you’ve found the weight of a cast-iron pan to be too bulky in the past, these may impress you. The pans are a full pound lighter than most other modern cast iron pans, yet still have enough heft to sear well. Yes, they’re still heavy, but holding the pan with one hand is manageable. The pan’s design has thinner sidewalls and a thick base, perfect for searing, and is ideal for everything from frying eggs to making skillet cornbread.

Cooking with cast iron of any type takes some time getting used to. It’s not your average pan. It took some trial and error for me to master it, but I’m glad I persisted. Now, thanks to its great heat retention properties, it’s become my go-to choice for making any dish that requires high heat. If cast-iron pans have failed you in the past, you owe it to yourself to try this modern version.

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Emily Caldwell
Emily Caldwell
Contributor
Emily is a Features Writer at The Manual, where she specializes in food, beverage, and travel content. She focuses on weaving…
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