Cooking
Smithey Cast Iron No. 10 Chef Skillet
Premium cast iron market is big business. U.S. made Smithey pans are worth your consideration and dollars if you’re on the hunt for heirloom quality pans.
Home and professional cooks around the world are fanatical about cast iron for good reason. They’re durable and versatile. And, with a little love, they’ll last your lifetime and the next. My grandma gave me a couple of her old Wagner and Griswold cast iron pans from the 50s that had been sitting around for a couple decades. Some sweat equity brought them back to life and they’re now my go-to pans. That’s why people love these pans – they stand up to time and bring the flavor when used correctly. Today, the premium cast iron market is big business. U.S. made Smithey pans are worth your consideration and dollars if you’re on the hunt for heirloom quality pans.
The Smithey No. 10 Chef Skillet has curved interior walls and a smooth polished cooking surface. This pan is great for sautéing vegetables or roasting in the oven. I especially like using this pan when I’m basting meat. The curved interior makes scooping up those delicious juices just a little bit easier.
This pan is heavy – just about 5 pounds. The long handle is comfortable when basting or moving in and out of the oven. The weight also means it takes longer to heat than a basic lodge pan.
Smithey pans are particularly pretty when they’re new. But that polished copper color becomes darker the more seasoned the pan becomes. That’s a good thing. Cast iron owners love to show off the patina on their pans.
While the pan has an outside diameter of 10 inches, the interior cooking surface is only six inches. The chef skillet is best suited for sautéing rather than a full pan of meat, like chicken thighs that need consistent contact and heat. If I’m cooking multiple pieces of larger meat, or something that will crowd the pan, like hashbrowns, I usually reach for a more traditional cast iron skillet, like the Smithey No 10 skillet that has a nine inch cooking surface.
As with all cast iron, basic care goes a long way. After cooking, I clean and oil my pans. I’m not afraid to use soap on any of my cast iron. After a good cleaning, I wipe them dry and stick them in the oven, then set to 400 degrees. When the oven reaches that temperature, I remove the pans and give them a very light coating of grape-seed oil. That’s all there is to it.
Smithey cast iron is designed and created in the USA. They understand the value of their cookware and the memories you’ll create while using them. They’re invested in keeping your skillet on the heat, delivering delicious meals for generations. Smithey can even restore your personal cast iron cookware from different brands.
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a quality cast iron pan. Lodge pans are still a great option. You can often find older cast iron at estate sales or at Good Will. Some light sanding and reasoning can breathe new life into them. There’s no shortage of trendy status-level pans on the market. A lot of cast iron cooks the same. But I like the Smithey story. U.S. made pans that are thoughtfully designed. Smithey wants you to love and use all your cast iron – not just theirs. That makes me want to use a Smithey pan just a little bit more.
Premium cast iron market is big business. U.S. made Smithey pans are worth your consideration and dollars if you’re on the hunt for heirloom quality pans.
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