Best Camp Skillet

Price: $27.95

Weight: 7.89 lbs (3.58 kg)

Components: 12″ skillet

Materials: Cast iron

Cooking Surface: Cast iron

Packed Size: 18″ x 12.3″ x 2.25″

Boil Time: N/A

Best Use: Camping

What We Like: Comes pre-seasoned, Highly capable at cooking, Can cook on campfire

What We Don’t: Heavy, No lid, Requires proper maintenance

Cast-iron cookware has been a staple of the culinary world for more than 150 years, and today it remains an incredible cooking tool, with many chefs swearing by it. When it comes to cast iron, there’s one name that stands out: Lodge. Established by Joseph Lodge in 1896, today this American company continues to operate two foundries in South Pittsburg, TN. Although their line of cookware includes Dutch ovens, baking pans, woks, combo cookers, and more, the Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet remains one of their most popular sellers, and for good reason. Retailing for $27.95 and weighing just under 8 lbs, the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet is as economical as it is heavy. It’s a valuable addition to any campsite and can easily be a lifetime purchase if treated with an appropriate level of care. It’s no wonder we named this our Best Camp Skillet—there were simply no other contenders.

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See Our Best Camp Cookware Review HERE!

Cooking & Cleaning

Few items in our 2021 review will cook as well as Lodge cast iron cookware. The Lodge skillet is a highly versatile piece of equipment that’s just as appropriate in a professional kitchen as it is on a campsite due to its incredible cooking performance. For campers, it’s perfect for grilling steaks and burgers as well as scrambled eggs. Although it’s more than capable on a camp stove, it works especially well on a barbecue or even directly over a campfire. Although it is described as a 12” skillet, these dimensions refer to the outer rim, and the interior diameter is in fact 9.125”. This is still quite spacious and capable of fitting three to four medium-sized burgers, a couple of New York strips, or a half-dozen eggs. Along with a 6” handle on one side, there is also an assist handle on the opposite side, which makes it much easier to lift this on and off the fire. Just make sure you have a pair of oven mitts or Lodge’s custom-designed silicone handle holders (detailed below), as both handles will get incredibly hot.

Cast iron can also be rather easy to clean when maintained correctly; it builds up a naturally nonstick seasoning over time. When you’re done preparing your meal, use a pan scraper to remove any excess food and then re-season the pan either with Lodge Seasoning Spray or any store-bought nonstick cooking spray—make sure this is evenly distributed with a lint-free cloth— which will accomplish the same goal at a much lower price.

Unfortunately, when not properly maintained either by lack of regular seasoning or being left with moisture on the surface, cast iron can rust. This will require you to scrape off the rust with steel wool—which will also remove all of your precious seasoning—then wash the skillet with dish soap and warm water, dry thoroughly, coat the entire pan with cooking oil (handles included), and finally, heat the pan upside-down in your oven at 350°F for an hour.

Weight & Packability

Despite its large 6” handle, the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet isn’t really the ideal backpacking companion. At 7.89 lbs (3.58 kg) and 18″ x 12.3″ x 2.25″, it’s really only appropriate as a piece of camping cookware. If you’re looking for something smaller or lighter, you can opt for Lodge’s 8” cast iron skillet, which weighs only 3.2 lbs (and is roughly half the price), or even the Lodge Chef Collection 12” Skillet, which weighs 6.55 lbs.

Durability

Cast iron is notoriously rugged and practically bulletproof, so there’s no need to be particularly gentle with your Lodge Skillet. It’s invulnerable to scratching and certainly denting, plus, you can place it directly over a campfire without any risk of warping. The only issues you’ll want to be cautious about are rusting, which can result from extended exposure to moisture, as well as removing the seasoning by scrubbing too hard with metal utensils. Of course, the latter is not a permanent problem and can be rectified by following the re-seasoning steps we already detailed.

Features

The Lodge Cast Iron Skillet doesn’t come with any accessories but can easily be kitted out with everything you need to be the ultimate camp chef. Here are a few of our favorite accessories: 

• Pan scraper 2-pack ($5.95)
• Silicone handle holder ($7.95)
• Silicone assist handle holder ($6.95)
• 7.25” deluxe round silicone trivet ($11.95)
• Enameled cast iron & stoneware care kit ($24.95)

The Bottom Line

There are few cookware items that can compete with the price-to-performance ratio of the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. It cooks food as well as any high-end skillet at a fraction of the price, and with proper care it is a buy-it-for-life item that transitions from the kitchen to the campsite with incredible ease. Although it’s far too heavy to be utilized for backpacking, for campers like myself this is an absolute must-bring item with unmatched versatility.

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