The 6 Best Cast Iron Cookware Sets of 2024, According to Our Editors (and the Internet)
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Whether you’re baking a cookie cake, making a pizza or searing a steak, your trusty cast iron skillet will ensure drool-worthy results. What’s that? You don’t have one? Allow us to convince you to add one to your cookware collection, stat. Cast iron is not only incredibly durable and impervious to even a newbie cook’s abuse, but it also retains heat like a charm. It’s naturally nontoxic, oven-safe and the best option for cooking over high heat. Cast iron can brown, braise, bake and everything in between. And with a little seasoning (that’s the key to creating a nonstick coating over time—more on that in our FAQ’s at the bottom of this story) and proper care, quality cast iron will last forever.
The even better news? There are *tons* of cast iron cookware sets on the market, so you can equip your kitchen with skillets, Dutch ovens, saucepans and grill pans in one fell swoop. We pooled recs from our editors, customer reviews and Lisa McManus, executive editor of ATK Reviews at America’s Test Kitchen, for the best brands and collections to shop. Read on for six of the best cast iron cookware sets money can buy, including options from Lodge, Our Place, Made In and more.
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The Best Cast Iron Cookware Sets of 2024 at a Glance
Meet the Expert
Lisa McManus is the executive editor of ATK Reviews and has been at America's Test Kitchen for 17 years. She is the co-author of the new book, Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Owner's Manual, written with her colleague and co-host of the YouTube series ATK Gear Heads, Hannah Crowley.
How We Chose the Best Cast Iron Cookware Sets
We tapped an expert and our editors for their top recommendations, then scoured tons of customer reviews of popular brands to narrow the list. We also included a wide range of price points and aesthetics to appeal to a variety of readers.
1. Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron 6-Piece Starter Set
Lodge’s cast iron cookware checks all our boxes: It’s high quality, invincible and one of the most affordable options out there. It’s a solid choice for first timers because it comes seasoned with vegetable oil for a nonstick finish. The more you use it, the slipperier it becomes (as long as you properly season and wash it regularly).
“We really like Lodge’s 12-inch skillet, which arrives preseasoned and quickly gets more and more nonstick,” explains McManus. “It’s not as rough as really cheap pans. It’s also very affordable; a great basic choice. Grab a 10-inch one [too] and you can do many things with those two pans on the stove, in the oven and even on the grill,” says McManus. (You can also use it to cook over an open flame.)
Our editors love this timeless choice, too. “It’s an absolute classic,” says editor Abby Hepworth. “The [12-inch skillet] easily fits recipes for two but isn’t so large that it’s too heavy to wield.” While this set doesn’t include the 12-inch pan, it does come with small and large skillets, as well as a grill pan for making impeccably seared burgers, steaks and veggies indoors.
2. Smithey Ironware Founder’s 3-Piece Set
Associate editor of SEO Marissa Wu calls these pans “a true marriage of form and function.” (The satin-smooth, polished finish *is*easy on the eyes, no?) “The copper color makes [the skillets] so beautiful you want them on your range all the time, but nothing is precious about them. Since there’s no enamel coating, you don’t have to worry about chips or temperature thresholds. Their subtle beauty adds a classic touch and [the pieces are] something you can keep and pass down forever. They make cooking a joy.”
This collection of three skillets is stovetop agnostic and crafted to be as light as possible for optimal heat retention—your wrists will thank you. (Psst: If you’re in the market specifically for a pan and pot, opt for The Essentials Set, which includes a 5.5-quart Dutch oven and a 10-inch skillet.)
3. Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron 5-Piece Cookware Set
Few cookware brands are as iconic and aspirational as Le Creuset. The French cookware company is beloved for its cast iron cookware, which is as effective as it is Insta-worthy. This five-piece collection boasts an enameled interior that resists staining, dulling and years of wear and tear. The skillet, saucepan and Dutch oven also have large handles, so you can grip the hefty pieces with ease—even with oven mitts. We like that this set includes a small saucepan, a rarer find when it comes to cast iron cookware sets. Splurging on it is easy; the tough part is choosing a color (we’re partial to artichaut).
4. Great Jones The Cast Iron Family
Everything from beef bourguignon to skillet pizza is within reach with these versatile staples on your side. All three pieces are oven-safe up to 500°F (like most cast iron cookware) and stovetop agnostic. We love that the skillet is a full 12 inches wide, so it can tackle just about any family-style recipe you throw at it. (Many cast iron cookware sets only feature a small skillet.) Use the large Dutch oven for crowd-pleasing roasts and stews; the smaller one is great for baking bread, preparing soup and everything in between. As for the skillet, it can tackle everything from cinnamon buns to tamale pie.
$390; $300 at Saks Fifth Avenue
5. Made In Enameled Cast Iron 5-Piece Set
With two pots and a roomy skillet, this set is indispensable. The Dutch oven has been awarded for its stellar heat retention and circulation, while the skillet is great for frying and searing (and it weighs less than some others on this list at 5.8 pounds to boot). The enameled finish makes it easy to wipe clean and hand wash. The French-made pieces also have an exceptionally high temperature threshold, and they’re induction-compatible to boot. We also love that Made In offers four-, five- and nine-piece sets, so you can shop multiple pieces at once and choose based on your budget and needs. The smallest includes two sizes of Dutch oven, while the largest has three Dutch ovens, the skillet and a saucepan.
6. Our Place Cast Iron Cookware Set
We reviewed Our Place’s cast iron Always Pan shortly after it launched, and we were thoroughly impressed. (It was the brand’s first oven-safe pan; now the standard nonstick Always Pan 2.0 is also oven safe.) Now, you can purchase a set of cast iron goodies, including a pot, grill pan and skillet. In classic Our Place fashion, the pot and pan are both designed to replace multiple cookware pieces. The skillet can braise, sear, steam, sauté, fry and bake, and the pot can do all the work of a stockpot, Dutch oven and saucepan. Oh, and they’re both stovetop agnostic.
But those aren’t the only multipurpose features—even the lids do double duty. The pan’s lid is equipped with steam release capabilities, and it’s made of glass so you can watch your food cook. The pot’s lid self-bastes, so your food is guaranteed to turn out moist. As for the grill, it’s enameled and comes with a press (hello, smashburgers).
What to Consider When Buying Cast Iron Cookware Sets
Full disclosure: McManus suggests buying individual pieces over cookware sets. “Usually, you can get better pans in the larger sizes you actually need for less money by purchasing them individually rather than in a set,” she explains. “Sets are put together by manufacturers to give you the biggest number of pieces at an attractive price. Metal is expensive, so they usually include very small pans. Lids count as ‘pieces’ in the set, so the bargain cookware set price isn’t much of a bargain.”
That said, she says to keep an eye out for cast iron cookware sets with a 12-inch skillet (although you may have a hard time finding that size as part of a set). “You can always cook less in a larger pan, but a crowded, small frypan will steam rather than brown food, and tiny saucepans will boil over.”
Above all, shop with quality in mind. “You don’t want to have to keep replacing your cookware every few years,” she says. “It’s better to buy a few high quality, versatile pieces and build on that core over time than get a lot of cheap, poorly functioning, non-durable items that end up in the landfill and don’t perform well anyway.”
Is It Worth Buying Cast Iron Cookware?
Yes. As long as you care for it, it won’t let you down. Just season the cast iron regularly, preheat it before using, don’t soak it and don’t store food in it, and your go-to pieces will last generations.
Is There a Difference Between Cheap and Expensive Cast Iron Cookware?
Yes, but both are functional. “Really cheap cast iron tends to have a very rough surface and will take longer to develop a nonstick seasoning layer, but it will get there,” says McManus. “Be patient, it’s a process. You can spend a ton on fancy artisan cast iron cookware; it is very nice, and definitely makes lovely gifts, but in the end, cast iron cookware’s benefit is that it’s a thick, heavy, heat-retaining substance, and you can essentially get that with any cast iron pan, pricey or not.”
What Are the Disadvantages of Cast Iron Cookware?
The two main cons are that cast iron is heavy, making it harder to maneuver than carbon steel, stainless steel and nonstick pans, and that it can rust if it isn’t properly maintained. Also, depending on your stove’s burner, your cast iron cookware may not conduct heat evenly. But if you ask us, the benefits far outweigh the above. (Seriously—show it a little TLC and you’ll never need to replace it.)
How to Clean Cast Iron Cookware
“While the pan is still warm but not ripping hot, run it under the hot tap and scrub it with a stiff brush. Rinse it well, pat it dry and place it back on the burner over medium low [heat] until it’s fully dry,” explains McManus.
Seasoning it is just as simple, and doing so after a quick wash is a great way to maintain your cast iron cookware. “If [the cookware] looks parched, wipe it with ¼ teaspoon of vegetable oil on a paper towel (really, just a drop!) and keep wiping until it looks like it’s gone (it’s not),” advises McManus. “Heat the pan gently for a few minutes to polymerize the oil; when you heat a very thin layer of oil, the hot oil polymerizes, or links together on a molecular level, and bonds to the pan’s surface. Turn off the burner and let it fully cool in place before putting it away.”
Follow these steps regularly (and never let your cast iron soak in the sink), and this culinary powerhouse will last you a lifetime.
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