Carbon steel: the lighter, quicker pan
Carbon Steel vs Cast Iron Skillet: Which to Buy
Both are iron, both are seasoned with oil, both last forever. One is pressed from sheet and weighs half as much; the other is poured into sand and holds heat like a brick.
Side by side.
Tap either one to check today’s price.
Cast iron: the steady, inexpensive pan
Line by line.
OXO has the edge on 2 of 10 lines, Lodge on 1, 2 even.
| Feature | OXO | Lodge |
|---|---|---|
| Price, 12 in on Amazon | About $70 | About $30 (the edge) |
| How it is made | Carbon steel sheet, pressed; pre-seasoned | Iron poured into a sand mold; pre-seasoned with vegetable oil |
| Weight | About 3.9 lb (Amazon listing) (the edge) | 8 lb 0.75 oz (America's Test Kitchen) |
| Cooking surface texture | Smooth steel (the edge) | Pebbly as-cast surface that smooths with use |
| Heat | Heats and cools quickly | Heats slowly, holds heat for a long time |
| Handle | Riveted steel with removable silicone sleeve | Cast teardrop handle plus helper handle |
| Oven | Safe to 660°F (remove the sleeve) | Oven, grill and campfire safe per the maker |
| InductionEven | Yes | Yes |
| CareEven | Hand wash, dry, oil lightly | Hand wash, dry, oil lightly |
| Made in | Not stated on the listing | USA (South Pittsburg, Tennessee) |
The verdict
Which to buy.
Buy carbon steel if you cook eggs, fish and quick sautés, like to toss food in the pan, or find 8 pounds too heavy to lift one-handed. Buy cast iron if you want the cheapest pan that holds a steady heat for searing, roasting and baking.
The cookware still made in America.The cookware you do not have to wonder about.The carbon steel pan, and who should choose it over cast iron.
Carbon steel and cast iron are close relatives. Both are mostly iron, both need seasoning, both rust if left wet and both become slicker the more they are cooked in. The difference is how they are made. Cast iron is poured into a sand mold, which makes a thick, heavy pan with a slightly rough surface. Carbon steel is rolled into sheet and pressed into shape, which makes a thinner, lighter pan with a smooth surface.
Everything else follows from that. America's Test Kitchen describes carbon steel as sharing the heat retention of cast iron with far less weight. In practice, carbon steel heats faster and responds sooner when you turn the flame down, and a well-seasoned one releases an egg. Cast iron holds a steady heat for longer, which is what cornbread, a thick steak and a crowded pan of potatoes want.
We compared two 12 inch pans that sit near the top of each category's recommendations: OXO's pre-seasoned Obsidian carbon steel pan, Wirecutter's top pick for 2025, and the Lodge cast iron skillet, America's Test Kitchen's Best Buy.
How we chose
- Weight. The single biggest practical difference. A 12 inch carbon steel pan is roughly half the weight of cast iron.
- Heat behavior. How quickly each pan heats, and how well it holds heat when food goes in.
- Out of the box. Both of our main picks arrive pre-seasoned. We noted how much work the first weeks ask.
- Price. Both last for generations; neither needs to cost much.
ACarbon steel: the lighter, quicker pan
OXO Obsidian 12" Carbon Steel Frying Pan, Pre-Seasoned Skillet
A pre-seasoned carbon steel pan that behaves close to nonstick early on, at half the weight of cast iron.
- Keeps for
- Decades, with seasoning kept up
- Size
- 12 in
- Weight
- About 3.9 lb (Amazon listing)
- Finish
- Pre-seasoned
- Oven
- Safe to 660°F (remove the silicone sleeve)
- Cooktops
- All, including induction
- Care
- Hand wash only; metal utensil safe
OXO's Obsidian pan arrives pre-seasoned with a removable silicone sleeve over the steel handle. The listing rates it oven safe to 660 degrees Fahrenheit, metal utensil safe and suitable for every cooktop including induction, and says to hand wash it. Wirecutter named it its top carbon steel pick for 2025, citing the nonstick-like ease, light weight and sear.
At about 3.9 pounds per the Amazon listing, it is the pan to reach for when you want to flip fried rice, slide out an omelet or sear a piece of fish without a struggle. It heats quickly, and it cools quickly when you lower the flame, which gives a cook more control than cast iron does.
Skip it if you mostly bake in a skillet or sear thick cuts in a crowded pan; a thinner pan loses more heat when cold food goes in. Where it is made is not stated on the listing.
The catch. Costs more than the Lodge and gives up some heat retention for its lightness.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →BCast iron: the steady, inexpensive pan
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 12 Inches
Heavy, cheap and nearly indestructible, with the heat retention carbon steel cannot match.
- Made in
- USA (South Pittsburg, Tennessee)
- Keeps for
- Generations, with ordinary care
- Diameter
- 12 in; 10 in cooking surface (America's Test Kitchen)
- Weight
- 8 lb 0.75 oz (America's Test Kitchen)
- Surface
- As-cast, pre-seasoned with vegetable oil
- Features
- Two pour spouts, helper handle
- Heat
- Stovetop, induction, oven, grill, campfire
Lodge's 12 inch skillet is poured in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, and arrives seasoned with vegetable oil, with pour spouts on both sides and a helper handle. America's Test Kitchen weighed it at 8 pounds 0.75 ounces, measured a 10 inch cooking surface and named it its Best Buy. Its testers found the pebbly surface a bit sticky at first and very good after a few rounds of cooking.
The weight is the point. A thick pan stores a great deal of heat, so a cold steak or a pan of potatoes does not drop the temperature much. It is also the better baking pan, for cornbread, a skillet cookie or a Dutch baby.
Skip it if you toss food, cook eggs daily, or find 8 pounds hard to lift with one hand. The helper handle helps, but only so much.
The catch. Twice the weight of carbon steel, and the rough surface needs use before eggs release cleanly.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →Also 01The French carbon steel to season yourself
Mauviel M'Steel Black Carbon Natural Nonstick Frying Pan With Iron Handle, 12.6-in
America's Test Kitchen's top carbon steel skillet: thick French black steel that becomes very slick.
- Made in
- France
- Keeps for
- A lifetime and more
- Size
- 12.6 in; 10 in cooking surface (America's Test Kitchen)
- Weight
- 5.1 lb (America's Test Kitchen)
- Finish
- Beeswax coating, to be removed and seasoned
- Handle
- Iron, riveted
- Care
- Hand wash only; not dishwasher safe
Mauviel's M'Steel pan is extra thick black carbon steel with a riveted iron handle, made in France. It ships coated in beeswax against rust, which you wash off with very hot water before seasoning it yourself. America's Test Kitchen made it its winner, found it spacious and even, and weighed it at 5.1 pounds, heavy for carbon steel but still well under cast iron.
It suits a cook who wants the classic French pan and does not mind an afternoon of seasoning. Mauviel says to preheat slowly and cook at about 60 percent of the burner's power.
The catch. Arrives unseasoned, so it asks for work before its first egg.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →Also 02Carbon steel for the price of cast iron
Lodge Carbon Steel Skillet with Handle Holder, 10 Inches
A small, pre-seasoned carbon steel pan to try the material before spending more.
- Made in
- USA
- Keeps for
- Decades, with seasoning kept up
- Steel
- 12 gauge carbon steel
- Size
- 10 in
- Finish
- Pre-seasoned
- Cooktops
- All, including induction; grill
- Included
- Silicone handle holder
Lodge presses this 10 inch pan from 12 gauge carbon steel with a riveted steel handle and ships it seasoned, with a silicone handle holder. It works on every cooktop including induction, and on a grill.
Treat the factory seasoning as a start. America's Test Kitchen found the seasoning on Lodge's 12 inch carbon steel pan wore away during testing and food began to stick, so plan to season it again yourself.
The catch. Thin factory seasoning; expect to build your own.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →More head to heads.
Which one to buy
For eggs, fish, crepes, stir-fries and anything you toss, carbon steel. For searing thick cuts, roasting, baking and cooking over a campfire, cast iron. If you can only lift one pan comfortably, that decides it.
Many cooks own one of each. At these prices, owning both costs about $100.
Care is the same
Rinse with hot water and a brush, a little soap if needed, dry at once on a warm burner, wipe in a drop of oil. Never soak either pan and never put either in the dishwasher. If rust appears, scrub it off and season the spot again. Neither pan is ruined by neglect that a scrub and an hour of heat can fix.
Both dislike long simmers in acid. America's Test Kitchen notes that tomato sauce strips carbon steel's seasoning, though heating the pan with oil restores it. Keep tomato sauce for stainless or enamel.
Frequently asked questions
Is carbon steel better than cast iron?
Different, not better. Carbon steel is lighter, smoother and quicker to respond; cast iron is heavier, cheaper and holds heat longer.
Why do restaurants use carbon steel?
It is light enough to toss and move all night, heats quickly and becomes slick with seasoning. America's Test Kitchen describes it as combining cast iron's heat retention with far less weight.
Is carbon steel lighter than cast iron?
Much lighter. The 12 inch OXO carbon steel pan is about 3.9 pounds per its listing; the 12 inch Lodge cast iron skillet weighed 8 pounds 0.75 ounces in America's Test Kitchen's testing.
Do both need seasoning?
Yes. Both of our main picks arrive pre-seasoned, and both improve with cooking, especially with fat. The Mauviel arrives with a wax coating and must be seasoned before use.
Do both work on induction?
Yes. Both are magnetic iron alloys, and every pan here is rated for induction.
Sources
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