Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 10.25 inch

1. Cooking surface 40% of the rating 4 of 5

   Cast iron and soybean oil, nothing else, and Lodge says it is made without PFAS. The product page says only “vegetable oil”; soybean oil is named in the California disclosure, and whether it is organic or non-GMO is not stated.

2. Independent testing 20% of the rating 3 of 5

   No published test of this skillet. A Hong Kong Consumer Council lab test of a different Lodge cast iron pot found no lead, cadmium or arsenic in the metal, but iron release 54 times the Council of Europe guide, and chromium, manganese and vanadium over it. Lodge disputes the iron limit and has not published its own lab report.

3. Durability 20% of the rating 4 of 5

   A published lifetime warranty replaces iron that cracks or warps or has casting defects. Rust, pitting, sticky seasoning and flaking are not covered. Lodge has made cast iron in South Pittsburg, Tennessee since 1896.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 4 of 5

   Names the material, the oil and its foundry town, and publishes a full material chart. No recall and no Prop 65 notice about cookware; its notices concern a pan scraper, grills and a glove.

5. Value 10% of the rating 5 of 5

   $24.90 for 10.25 in, the cheapest pan on our list by a wide margin.

The rating, 3.9 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank cookware and our standard.

• Target (opens in a new tab) approx. $25. Listed as the Lodge 10.25 in Cast Iron Skillet: $24.99.
• WebstaurantStore (opens in a new tab) approx. $25. Restaurant-supply store. Lists Lodge’s model L8SK3: $24.90.

Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

1. Cast iron (Lodge’s California disclosure lists iron, phosphorus, manganese, strontium, carbon, silicon and sulfur)
2. Seasoning: soybean oil, baked on (the product page says “100% natural vegetable oil”)

• Independent Consumer Council (Hong Kong) November 2021

  Tested seven cast iron pots in 2021, among them one of Lodge’s uncoated cast iron Dutch ovens (named in press reports as the Blacklock Triple Seasoned model), with 0.5% citric acid at 100°C for 2 hours. Chromium, iron, manganese and vanadium release exceeded the Council of Europe guide; iron was 54 times the limit. The Council also tested the two uncoated pots for lead, cadmium and arsenic in the metal and detected none in either. Lodge replied that iron is an essential nutrient, that the guide’s iron limit is set “as low as reasonably achievable”, and that an accredited lab’s report, which it gave the Council, shows it meets the guide. This is a different Lodge product from the skillet. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Did a test find too much metal coming out of Lodge cast iron?

In one harsh acid test, yes, for a different Lodge pot. The Hong Kong Consumer Council (opens in a new tab) found its uncoated Lodge sample released iron at 54 times the Council of Europe guide and more chromium, manganese and vanadium than the guide allows. Lodge answered (opens in a new tab) that iron is essential and its own lab report shows compliance. We could not see that report. Our cast iron article cites a Korean study in which oiling the pan cut release of arsenic, cadmium, chromium and nickel into acidic liquid.

Does a new Lodge pan contain lead?

We found no published lead test of the Classic skillet. The Hong Kong Consumer Council’s 2021 test of an uncoated Lodge Dutch oven found no lead, cadmium or arsenic in the metal. Lead Safe Mama (opens in a new tab) says plain, undecorated cast iron almost never contains lead and new Lodge pans may be fine on lead. The same site’s older XRF tests found lead on the food surface of two older Lodge enameled pots, which are a different product. Mamavation (opens in a new tab) puts Lodge in its “better” group, saying those brands have no Prop 65 warning and test their own cookware. Its own XRF lead screen covered only its “best” group, not Lodge.

What is the seasoning made of?

Soybean oil, according to Lodge’s California disclosure (opens in a new tab); the product page says “100% natural vegetable oil”. Mamavation notes Lodge’s soy-based oil, and that oils of this kind may be genetically modified. Lodge does not say whether its soybean oil is organic or non-GMO.

Is it still made in the USA?

Yes for this pan: the product page lists “Made in the USA” and Lodge says it runs two foundries in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. Its enameled line is made in China or Vietnam, which is a different product.

Lodge owns FINEX, a brand criticized for lead in its brass parts. Does that matter here?

Lodge bought FINEX in August 2019 (opens in a new tab). Lead Safe Mama (opens in a new tab) read about 30,000 ppm lead in a FINEX brass lid knob in 2021, and Mamavation (opens in a new tab) reported 304 to 1,047 ppm lead in the lid knob, spring handle and brass cap of a FINEX pan in 2026, with none in the cooking surface. The Classic skillet has no brass parts: Lodge’s disclosure lists only iron and the soybean oil seasoning. We did not check whether FINEX has changed its parts.

• There is no synthetic non-stick coating. The surface is cast iron with a layer of baked-on soybean oil, which you can rebuild at home if it wears.
• Lodge states the pan is “made without PFAS” and made in the USA, and its California disclosure lists every material, down to the seasoning oil.
• It works on any heat source: Lodge lists stovetop (including induction), oven, grill and campfire.
• It is cheap for something meant to be kept: $24.90 for 10.25 in. Lodge’s warranty replaces cast iron that cracks, warps or has casting defects.

• The testing is thin. We found no published test of this skillet, and the one independent test of a Lodge cast iron pot we found, in Hong Kong in 2021, found no lead, cadmium or arsenic but metal release above a European guide. Lodge disputes it.
• It is heavy: the 10.25 in pan weighs about 5.7 lb, and the 12 in about 7.7 lb.
• It needs care: hand wash, dry it and oil it, or it can rust. Lodge’s warranty does not cover rust, pitting or flaking seasoning.
• It adds iron to food, especially acidic dishes. That helps some people. If you have hemochromatosis or another iron overload condition, our cookware guide advises caution.

1. Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet product page. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. Lodge Made Right Warranty. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. Lodge California AB 1200 disclosure (materials by product type). Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. Lodge: About Lodge (two foundries in South Pittsburg, Tennessee). Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. Consumer Council (Hong Kong): metal release of 4 cast iron cooking pots exceeded limits by up to 54 times (press release, 15 November 2021). Test report. The English release does not name brands. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. Consumer Council (Hong Kong): CHOICE 541 cast iron cooking pots, test results (Chinese). Test report. Names Lodge as sample #7, an uncoated pot. Its metal release exceeded the Council of Europe and French DGCCRF guide for 4 metals, with iron 54 times over. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. Consumer Council (Hong Kong): CHOICE 541, responses from the makers (Chinese). Test report. Lodge’s reply: iron is essential, the guide limits it as low as reasonably achievable, and an accredited lab’s report shows compliance. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. The Standard (Hong Kong): Bruno among four cast iron cooking pots found to release harmful metals. Independent source. Names the Lodge model as the Blacklock Triple Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. Lead Safe Mama: do cast iron pans ever test positive for lead? Are they safe?. Independent source. Opinion and background by Tamara Rubin, who earns affiliate income. No readings for the Classic skillet. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. Mamavation: Safest Cast Iron Cookware Investigation (5 October 2026). Independent source. Lists Lodge as “better”, seasoned with soy-based oil and made in the USA, and says brands in that group test their own cookware. Its own XRF lead screen covered only the “best” group, not Lodge. Also reports lead in the brass parts of a FINEX pan, Lodge’s sister brand. The site earns affiliate income. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
11. Foundry Management & Technology: Lodge Buys Specialty Cookware Line (19 August 2019). Independent source. Reports Lodge’s purchase of FINEX. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
12. Lead Safe Mama: brass components of FINEX cast iron pans test positive for 30,000 ppm lead. Test report. XRF readings of the brass lid knob and handle cap of a FINEX pan. Tamara Rubin earns affiliate income elsewhere on her site. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
13. California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search. Certifier or regulator listing. Searched by alleged violator on 23 Oct 2026. Notices naming Lodge: 2021-01661 (BPA, pan scrapers), 2016-00635 and 2020-01386 (grills) and 2019-02296 (leather glove). Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
14. CPSC recalls API. Certifier or regulator listing. Searched on 23 Oct 2026; no recall for Lodge. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Smithey No. 10 Cast Iron Skillet Polished and US-made, with two independent XRF screens that found no lead, but about $180.
• A carbon steel pan Lighter and quicker to heat than cast iron, with the same seasoning and hand-washing routine.

• Safer Cookware Alternatives Article Cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic, carbon steel, and enameled options compared for safety and performance
• Cast Iron: Iron Intake, Seasoning, and Safety Article Cast iron adds iron to acidic food. What trials show for anemia, how seasoning changes metal release, and who should skip it.
• How to Reduce Your PFAS Exposure Article Practical steps to minimize PFAS exposure from cookware, food packaging, water, and consumer products