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Pros and Cons
January 25, 2025
Perhaps the best
I'm commenting on the 12 inch pan. As a chef, I've worked with lots of cast iron cookware, including classic U.S. and Danish pots and pans--made from the very best iron ore and vastly better than the Chinese or Lodge stuff. I thought it was impossible to get great cast iron anymore, but when I read the reviews of this Cooklife pan, I thought, "what the heck, let's see." It turns out that this is a wonderful skillet.I did my usual seasoning process (10 micro-thin coats of oil in a 500F oven, followed by lots of cooking). And I found that I could've easily skipped all that. The pan--as new--is almost good to go in slip-and-slide land. I'd suggest frying some throw-away eggs in lots of oil, a couple of times--once I did that, the skillet became a bit blotchy but also became quite non-stick. And being cast iron, I happily use my heavy duty steel spatulas. Plus this thing works fine with acidic foods like tomatoes. Pretty amazing.So those are the pros. On the downside, Cooklife's machining process leaves a nipple in the middle of the pan and thin concentric lines around the cooking surface. So the surface isn't smooth and the center nipple gets in the way. Cooklife, if you're reading this, please consider a final smoothing process, one that results in a completely smooth surface.Secondly, the solid handles prevent any kind of hanging--unlike most pro cookware. Again, Cooklife, you might want to re-design your handles...look at le creuset's dutch ovens (which have wonderful handles).I would also suggest a longer handle. This one is a bit stubby and hence gets very hot very fast. Victoria does a very nice job with their handles.Despite these difficulties, I think this is a great pan. It's relatively light, has excellent proportions (love it's height), can handle acidic foods (unlike most cast iron), is strong/tough, and is far better finished than Lodge, Victoria, or any other contemporary cast iron brand that I've tried. It's better than enameled cast iron (e.g., le creuset, staub)--it won't chip and is pretty much bullet-proof. I think it's fairly priced as well. Sure, you can get cast iron for much less but in terms of value-for-dollar, this pan is tops.
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Great skillet!
This is my go to fry pan, I love this thing. I can fry beautiful eggs, which is the true test for a great skillet. I would purchase again and again!
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Daniel Barnhart
May 07, 2025
Works well
I like the weight of this cast iron , cook lots of things on it easy to clean up
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The bottom of the pan has a noticeably inconsistent, uneven color, like an old frying pan.
After opening the package, I saw the three tools provided by the merchant, namely the rubber handle, wooden spatula and scraper, but no pot lid. I was satisfied with the merchant's thoughtful business philosophy. Unfortunately, the bottom of the frying pan is not the same color. The black bottom has a white spot, which does not look like a new pot that has been polished. I don't know if it is a problem of the manufacturer or a used and returned product. I took a picture of the bottom of the pot but don't know how to upload it.
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So good!!
Top notch!!! So smooth! So amazing to cook in!! Legit, non stick, if you know how to cook with cast iron!!Not that I need to…but would buy over and over again!!!
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Fantastic cast iron skillet
Really great cast iron skillet: smooth finish, like one of expensive pans e.g. Stargazer and Field Company, but with a more modern look. I have many cast iron pans, including Lodge, Victoria, Le Creuset, and Staub and this Cooklife pan has quickly become one of my faves. I bought this 10" skillet because of the smooth milled finish and lighter weight. I was a bit worried that it had only one handle (I prefer my pans with a helper handle) but since it arrived, I've been cooking in it nonstop! If you know how to handle cast iron (preheat pan on medium heat, then add oil), you'll have no problems. I fried two eggs in it out of the box, almost no sticking. Make sure that the pan is hot before you add oil. I also use the OXO metal fish spatula on all my cast iron (not enamel). Weighs 4.2 lbs, and is just a terrific pan. I was deciding between this one and the Lodge Blacklock 10" skillet. This one has a much smoother finish than the Blacklock and weighs about the same. I would never put this in the dishwasher, but clean it like my other cast iron by rinsing in hot water, scrubbing w a brush if needed, then drying it on the stove over low heat. Follow up with a bit of oil if needed. I'm seriously thinking of getting the 12" one though I really don't need more pans!
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Does some sticking not as much as first uses
Received this yesterday followed instructions about washing etc did not see anything about seasoning. I made a grilled cheese sandwich in the pan last night and the sandwich stuck to the pan. Let's just say that one side of the sandwich had a hole in it. So I washed the pan and dried it with a towel and rubbed some oil in the bottom of the pan and let it sit out overnight. Made eggs in it this morning (put butter in the pan) and the eggs stuck to the pan. I had the stove on medium heat both times. UPDATE: 3-27-25 Upgraded to 3 stars after some use and putting some oil in pan after each use/cleaning it is working better and not sticking as much maybe in time it will get better.
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