Cast iron carries a reputation: cumbersome, fussy and annoying to clean. My 10.25in Lodge skillet is so heavy that I mostly reach for it with dread when my ceramic-coated pan is occupied and I really need another one. I’d call our relationship polite, but distant.
But not all cast iron requires a workout. Field Company, the premium manufacturer that makes one of our top non-toxic pans, just released a skillet that weighs no more than a bottle of wine. After testing an early sample of the No 5 chef skillet, I’m surprised to report that I’ve been reaching for this small but mighty workhorse every day. It not only cooks several basic dishes better than my other pans, but is also comfortable to use. At $125, it costs far more than a budget-friendly Lodge, but it works so, so much better.
At a glance
The best cast-iron skillet for beginners (and egg lovers)
Field Company No 5 Chef Skillet
The best cast-iron cleaning kit
The best scrub brush for all pans
Tawashi Scrubber
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What makes the Field Company No 5 different?
A chef skillet, also called an egg pan, is a smallish pan designed to perfectly cook “the thing you cook most”, as Field puts it. They’re staples in restaurant kitchens, where cooks crank out eggs all morning and need something nimble. Field’s new pan has sloped edges and an ultra-light construction to help you flip, fold and scramble as easily as possible.
With a 7.25in diameter, the No 5 is also just large enough for proteins for one to two people, a hearty side, or quick oven desserts like a warming skillet cookie or a single fluffy Dutch baby to impress someone with. (That person can also be yourself.) When you’re done, it’s compact enough to store away, which I always welcome in my trim New York apartment where cabinet space is precious.
And at 2.2lbs, No 5 skillet is so light that I briefly wondered if the box was empty when I grabbed it from my apartment package room. The pan is definitely small to begin with, but Field is known for pans lighter than its cast-iron competitors thanks to a technique for casting thinner walls.
The result is a pan that’s truly easy to maneuver. I could move a filled pan around the stove and transfer it between stovetop and oven with just one hand, which is not something I usually say about cast iron. The raised handle is also more comfortable to hold, though it can get very hot like all cast-iron handles do, so grab it with a towel or mitt.
Field Company No 5 Chef Skillet
$125 at Field CompanyIt’s also just … pretty. It’s a skillet you want to keep perched on the stove. In contrast to the pebbly finish of a Lodge, it has a machine-smoothed cooking surface and a sleek, matte polish. The color is lighter, nearly bronze rather than aggressively black. The subtly curved edges make swirling oil and flipping food easier. And like all vintage-style Field pans, its underside is stamped with the brand’s logo, the pan’s casting date and the words “made in USA.”
Like all cast-iron pans, it’s non-toxic and free of Pfas and other dangerous forever chemicals. The only thing it’s missing is a pour spout. I didn’t mind because I didn’t make sauces or pour liquid, but if that’s something you regularly do, it’s worth noting.
How did it perform?
For a few days in a row, I cooked solely with the Field pan to see how it handled different foods. Cast iron becomes naturally non-stick thanks to layers of polymerized oil, called seasoning, that build up with each use. Unlike other nonstick materials such as Teflon and ceramic, though, they’re virtually indestructible and withstand scrapes from harsh utensils. Any iron that comes off is just extra nutrition.
I used a standard metal spatula, although a fish spatula is ideal, as food writer Emily Johnson recommended to us; its thin, angled edge slides easily under delicate foods like eggs. But here’s what I made.
First egg: All of Field’s pans come with several coats of pre- seasoning, and the brand claims they’re “ready to cook right out of the box”. I rinsed and dried the pan and cooked a sunny-side-up egg with just a little olive oil to see how that held up. The egg stayed mostly intact and tasted great, but a few bits fused to the pan, and I spent some time scrubbing them off afterward.
I know this is exactly what cast-iron skeptics don’t want to hear, but it also makes sense. No brand-new cast-iron pan is totally non-stick, even the pre-seasoned ones that many premium brands make. That quality gets better after just seasoning once, and better and better each time you use it.
The following eggs: The next eggs acted completely differently once I cleaned the pan and rubbed a thin layer of olive oil all over to season for the first time. They glided smoothly around the pan like a wet bar of soap in the sink.
Dutch baby: This skillet was so fun to bake with. All cast irons are safe to use in the oven (plus any type of burner, including induction cooktops) but the No 5 is a particular joy to use. My Dutch baby puffed up boldly and browned evenly around the edges, suggesting great heat distribution. When I went to cut it up, the pancake loosened from the pan so cleanly, it was uncanny. I topped it with berries and lemon zest before blacking out and eating the entire thing in one go.
Chicken thighs: I coated two skin-on chicken thighs with olive oil and salt (a little more salt on the skin side to help draw out moisture) and added herbs de Provence to the flesh side. Instead of heating the pan and then dropping in the chicken, I tried a crispiness trick I recently learned: start the bird skin side down in a cold, oil-free skillet on the stove and let it warm up slowly for 15ish minutes over medium heat, then flip and transfer it to the oven for another 15 minutes at 400F. Something about a cast iron’s gradual heat helps render the fat and crisp the skin better.
The pan heated faster than I expected. After 15 minutes, one thigh’s skin was much darker than the other’s. This could mean the pan distributed heat unevenly, although I did accidentally salt that thigh more, which would have sped up the browning. Next time I’d probably just pull the chicken a few minutes earlier.
The second thigh’s skin was golden and crispy with curled edges, and the meat on both thighs was gloriously tender. They both flipped and released from the pan neatly when done.
Leafy greens: After the chicken came out of the oven, I tossed baby bok choy into the rendered fat to cook on the stove as a side. All the stalks got an even brown sear within a few minutes, zero stuck parts to be seen, and had a crunchy yet juicy bite.
How easy is it to clean?
Cleaning, where lots of people get nervous about cast iron, does require attention and care. No cast iron is dishwasher-safe, but it’s surprisingly painless.
After each use, I rinsed the pan with hot water, added a bit of dish soap (which is OK to do!), and scrubbed at any leftover gunk. I tried out Field’s cast-iron care kit, which comes with seasoning oil, a bristled scrubber and a chainmail scrubber, which some testers have found to be more effective.
Field Cast-Iron Care Kit
$5o at Field CompanyIt did work like a charm, although I don’t think you really need all of that. In the past, I’ve used a Tawashi scrub brush, a hardy little Japanese cleaning tool you can get off of Amazon for about $9, plus olive oil to season. When it comes to the cast-iron skincare routine, I just wiped the pan dry and used the same towel to rub a thin smear of oil over the surface.
Tawashi Scrub Brush
$8.99 at AmazonThe whole cleaning process took only a few minutes. You can also pop the pan on the stovetop on low heat to evaporate all the moisture before applying oil. Just don’t leave it sitting in water, where it could rust.
Why is the Field No 5 the best pan for cast-iron beginners?
If you like eggs, this pan will turn your breakfasts into the best part of your day. If you don’t, it may turn you into an ovoid fan anyway. Before testing, I actually rarely fried eggs. (I usually go for jammy boiled ones, plus my morning meal is coffee, or toast if I’m really thriving.) With the Field skillet, though, I look forward to making them.
The same features that make a chef skillet ideal for diner-worthy eggs also make it perfect for people new to cast-iron pans or intimidated by them.
Field Company No 5 Chef Skillet
$125 at Field CompanyAt a mere 2.2lbs, it’s absurdly light and easy to handle. (For comparison, an 8in Lodge weighs 3.44lbs.) That’s great for people with grip or mobility issues, or people who don’t work out, like me. The pan heats up fast and retains that heat.
The novelty may wear off, but for now the pan has transformed me into someone unrecognizable – a person who enjoys cooking breakfast. There is just something deeply satisfying about frying an egg with a perfectly gooey yolk and lacy edges every time. And even more so when you can slide it out of a skillet that’s just as pretty.
