I’d been putting off getting a new skillet. The one I bought a few years ago had been sitting in storage and was uninspiring. Plus, it rusted and I had a hard time seasoning it and restoring it from it rusting. I learned about Smithey, and thought it was the perfect opportunity to try a well-known cast iron brand making skillets that should last a lifetime.

In this review, find out why I think my Smithey cast iron skillet is unique, and if you should invest in one (for life). You can see photos of the first egg I fried in my Smithey (and I hope you think it’s as exciting as I did).

What is Smithey?

Smithey is a quality cookware company with — I have to be honest — great branding. They’re making cast iron skillet cooking exciting, through things like beautiful photos, a gallery of recipes for cast iron cooking and a fun newsletter all about skillet life.

What Smithey makes is high-class cast iron and carbon steel skillets, griddles and grill pans. They also came out with cast iron Dutch Ovens (I don’t own one, but can imagine that they weigh a ton) and specialty products like paella pans, “roasters” and woks.

Smithey products look good. They look so nice that I can use my skillet as serving-ware if I have guests over my house. For that reason, having Smithey cookware is kind of like a two-in-one: first you cook with it, and then you can also serve guests with it at the dining table.

Why I chose Smithey

For me, Smithey is an exciting fresh start to getting back into skillet cooking, which I had been doing almost daily until I moved a few times, packed up my cast iron, forgot to unpack it and then realized it needed a bunch of polishing up. It fell into disuse.

With my Smithey No. 10 Skillet, I was cooking my daughter’s dinner with it, daily, starting with the night I took it out of the box.

Already, my toddler enjoys watching me cook vegetables and her nightly egg omelet in our 10” Smithey cast iron.

One day, I’ll be teaching her how to cook with it and starting new family traditions that way.

What I got

I tried one of Smithey’s best-sellers, as a start to building my cookware collection when we moved into our “forever home.”

First thoughts

Before my 10” skillet even came in the mail, I was enjoying looking through Smithey’s website. I was considering which of the accessories I’d eventually collect for my skillet, like the spatulas, potholders and cast iron care kits.

My Smithey cast iron skillet and the 10” lid came in the mail in two signature Smithey boxes, with a folder of several cards describing how to care for and season my Smithey, as well as what to expect with the first use.

In the “unboxing,” you’ll notice right away how nice the polished finish is. It’s a unique feature for a cast iron skillet.

How it went cooking with (and cleaning) my Smithey skillet

I’ll start by saying that I am a vegetarian, so I don’t have the experience searing and meat. While it does give you a ton of free seasoning, it’s not how I cook and what I choose to eat.

I cook with cast iron because it’s safer than using Teflon or any other type of non-stick pan. That’s the bottom line. I’ve looked into it a bunch, and the more I learn about Teflon, the more I wish I didn’t know.

The egg test

With that said, the first thing that I cooked was an egg, and wanted to see how it did.

I heated up the pan until it was very hot. I added some oil. Then, I dropped in an egg. It basically slid around and I was able to flip it with no issues. You need to let the egg sit on the pan for a minute or two so it can cook, and then release.

Since the first fried egg test, I cooked some scrambled eggs the same way, with no sticking. Pretty neat for my Smithey experience so far.

Cooking everything else

I’ve also cooked some fried rice and stir-fry meals, and the Smithey cast iron has done really well. That’s also 90% of what I eat in a week, so I’m exited to continue experimenting and trying new things. I’ll be sure to update this page when I have additional recipes and detail how that’s gone.

I’m not new to cast irons, so I’ve cooked brownies, pizza, fried potatoes (AKA “chips”), caramelized onions and more, in the past. They’ve all done really well because of how cast irons work. I can’t wait to try those things in the Smithey.

I cooked and kind of steamed a cauliflower fried rice with broccoli. Everything was frozen, so I wanted to help it steam by adding some water. I used the Smithey glass lid, and the lid goes around the pan nicely (more on that later). The lip on both sides of the pan isn’t sealed. That was kind of nice because I could add a few splashes of water inside the pan without taking off the lid.

On the flip side, a lot of steam does escape when you do this, so I accidentally set off my smoke detector. Make sure to turn on your exhaust, vent hood or recirculating fan!

Cleaning

Because the pan is polished, cleaning it is actually a lot easier than something like the Lodge cast iron skillet from Amazon. You can still use a plastic scraper if something like bits of food is really stuck on. For the most part, you can use a paper towel to wipe everything off after rinsing the pan.

Make sure to completely dry off your pan though, because like any cast iron, it can rust easily.

After cleaning, I always turn the heat on to completely dry it out. Then I add a drop of oil on the pan and wipe it off with a paper towel. Lastly, I keep the heat on for a few minutes to add another quick and thin layer of seasoning,

What’s unique about it?

The polished cooking surface is what I think is the nicest feature about Smithey skillets from the cast iron collection. You’ll have a good cooking experience with it, and you can kind of treat the pan like a good stainless steel pan (if you read my Quince stainless steel cookware review, you’ll know there’s a “right” way to do this!).

You can also get Smithey cast iron skillets engraved with personalization. The engraving makes this a perfect gift for all occasions, like a wedding party, birthday, anniversary or milestone.

A Smithey does come pre-seasoned. To be fair, most cast irons come with some level of pre-seasoning. This is helpful! And it’s pretty simple to clean and maintain if you’re already familiar with maintenance for a cast iron skillet. If not, don’t worry: Smithey has an entire Care section on the website to help you out.

I think it’s also unique that Smithey products have a Lifetime Guarantee. If you want this product for life like I do, then a Lifetime Guarantee is crucial.

Smithey cast iron skillet glass lids

I guess I’m writing this section specifically to talk about the glass lid for my Smithey because it feels luxurious as far as glass lids go. Smithey glass lids get their own page on the Smithey website, and they come in sizes from 10”-14”.

In order to have a glass lid that seals with a cast iron skillet to perfect, they should be from the same brand. The Smithey one fits into the skillet like a hand in a glove, and it’s beyond satisfying. They’re made of high-tempered glass and can withstand oven heat up to 400 degrees, which even seems kind of crazy to me.

Don’t put the glass lid in the oven, or at least, I wouldn’t.

You can read my cooking experience section to see that while this is a perfect fit, there’s some room on the sides for heat to escape. I imagine that Smithey designed it specifically like this because they are the experts.

Compatibility: another cool thing is that some of the lids fit multiple Smithey products. You could save money and get a bang for your buck if you have the 10” cast iron skillet (like I do) and the Smithey 5.5 QT Dutch Oven, which both take the same lid.

Worth it?

Yes, but it depends. Like everything, luxury does have a price tag. Lodge is a clear competitor in my mind. But also like everything, there’s usually a time and a place for a thing. Having cooked with a Lodge, I always had trouble cooking eggs after trying a lot of different things. I got a perfect egg on my first try with the Smithey.

If I were a meat-eater, I might have a preference for a non-polished cook surface on something like the Lodge.

What I’m saying is that there’s no reason why you couldn’t have both. And specifically for the case of the Smithey, it’s a well-made cast iron skillet that should last a long time, if you care for it correctly.

Having high-quality cookware for life is priceless to me. I’m glad I got a Smithey when I was already well into my 30s and starting a family, as I consider a skillet this special to be something my kids can use one day. A Smithey skillet should stand the test of time, and that’s the whole point of investing in one.

It’s also really worth it to get a Smithey Set, which groups a few related products together (as few as a single skillet + lid, or up to a 22-piece cooking set) and gets you a discount.

You can always add unique and personalized engraving at an extra cost (and it makes an amazing gift for birthdays or the holidays).

How to get a Smithey

Online: The best way to get a Smithey skillet is on the Smithey website. This way, you’ll get whichever promotion they currently have going on, like getting a gift card with your purchase for a future purchase if you spend $150+, for example.

Smithey is also available from retailers online like Food52, Crate & Barrel and popular wedding website Zola. But as I’ve experienced in the past, it’s probable to run into issues when buying products with lifetime warranties if you buy them through a third party. See Smithey’s FAQ to learn about their guarantee.

For something hefty like a Smithey, I’d want mine to come from Smithey directly so that Smithey can service my item if there are any defects. Getting yours at Smithey also helps you register your Smithey directly with them.

Make sure to review Smithey’s Return & Exchange policy: remember that any Smithey cookware has to be unused to qualify.

To shop in person: there are a few places to see Smithey products in person, around the US and Canada. For that, I suggest using the Find a Retailer page at the website, where you can search by your location. Most places where you can see a Smithey in person are actually specialty cooking stores, as well as certain boutiques or even knife-ware shops.

Does a Smithey make a good gift?

A Smithey is a nice gift to give anyone who loves cooking or wants to be a better cook at home. I’d say a Smithey is in one of the top gifts for minimalist guys like myself, because of all the versatility in each product.

Cast iron skillets make perfect gifts, as does the option to add on custom engraving for a person you love.

And if you can’t figure out exactly what to buy for that special someone, that’s what a Smithey gift card is for.

Thank you to Smithey for gifting me the No. 10 Skillet and the 10” glass lid in order to write this review. All photos and thoughts are entirely my own.