Best Cast Iron Skillets in India: 2021 Reviews

If you are looking for a healthy alternative to non-stick vessels, you must give the cast iron skillet a try. These pans turn into non-stick naturally over a period of time because of the seasoning (a smooth coating of polymerized fat) that develops with use.

This type of non-stick surface is free of synthetic chemicals and requires lesser oil. It also adds a small amount of iron in the food that you are cooking in the pan.

Since you can use the cast iron skillets for years, it is very important to choose the right pan according to your use. These factors can be helpful to you in selecting the best cast iron skillets.

Pre-Seasoned or Enameled:

In India, most of the cast iron skillets that are available are pre-seasoned which are coated with one or more layers of polymerized oil that provides a rustproof and non-stick finish to it.

If you are looking for pans that are easy to care for, you can buy enameled cast iron pans. These skillets don’t need any seasoning and you can even cook acidic foods.

Enameled cast iron killets are bit costlier, if you are looking for an affordable option, you can buy an uncoated cast iron skillet.

Size:

The cast iron skillets are available in various sizes ranging from 8 inches (20 cm) to 12 inches (35 cm). If you live in a small family with 2-3 members, you can buy smaller models of pans. They will be light and easy to manage. If you live in a joint family, you can buy a 10 or 12-inch skillet.

Weight:

While buying cast iron cookware, make sure you check the weight as they are a bit heavy. It might be a bit difficult to use a heavier pan after you fill it with food.

The cast iron skillets require some extra care and attention. Don’t worry if you are going to use a cast iron pan for the first time because we have explained how to use and maintain the cast iron skillets in the buying guide below.

Also, to help you buy the best cookware, we have shortlisted some of the best cast iron skillets available in the market. You can use them for a lifetime. Let’s check them out!

6 Best Cast Iron Skillets in India

Best Cast Iron Skillets Reviews in India 2020

• Lodge – The best brand for cast iron skillets
• Rock Tawa – The iron pan can be used for both deep fry and shallow fry
• Bhagya – A sturdy and robust 10-inch skillet
• Healthy Choices – Can be used for all types of heat sources
• Trilonium – Perfect sized pan for small families
• eKitchen – Ideal for less oil cooking

1. Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

Lodge has been in the market for over 100 years, and is deemed as the most trusted iron cookware brand. The major reason why we put Lodge Logic first in our list of ‘Best Cast Iron Skillets’.

Lodge cast iron skillet is just the right product for searing, sautéing, simmering, braising, baking, roasting and frying. That is because you can use it in multiple heat sources – Gas, Electric and Induction Stovetops.

It’s a factory seasoned cookware with a black platina kind of appearance, that makes it look elegant and makes it a non-sticky pan. The seasoning is done with vegetable oil.

Also, the coating of oil is functional and not cosmetic, that makes the it more authentic and capable of running for decades with little bit for seasoning done once or twice a year.

Some other very interesting features that caught our attention was:

• It is an eco-friendly product making it absolutely safe to cook on
• There are multiple sizes available, so you will not have to adjust with a particular size
• It is ready to use, which saves a lot of your time, energy and effort

We highly recommend you to go for the standard 10.25-inch iron skillet, as it suits all types of cooking. Be it baking cakes or sautéing veggies.

The weight of the skillet is 2.27kg, which makes it capable of enduring a lot of heat. So you can transfer it from stove to oven, and back to stove to get the perfect browning and cooking.

Warranty: No Warranty

Depth: 2-inches

Cleaning Process

• Hand-wash the pan
• Use stiff brush to clean the surface
• Use hot water to rinse

Pros

• Even heating of food
• Not too heavy to handle

Cons

• Not ideal for cooking heavy curries

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2. Rock Tawa Cast Iron Skillet

Rock Tawa is an Indian brand, that uses Green sand moulding (a process that enhances the quality of iron cookware) to manufacture its products. A good reason why we placed this cast iron skillet second in our list.

Rock Tawa provides similar benefits like Lodge, just that it is a local brand. You can use the iron pan on gas, electric and induction stove tops. Which makes it a versatile product, capable of cooking complete items.

The cast iron skillet is pre-seasoned with sunflower oil, which makes it rust resistant, and ready for immediate use.

The Rock Tawa skillet is 4.2mm thick, meaning you can use it for high temperature cooking. A feature that is unique to iron vessels.

What we also like about this product was:

• The pan is deep enough to cook light curries
• Rock Tawa skillet comes with an extended handle which makes it easy to hold for a long time
• The sunflower oil coating makes it non-sticky and ideal for making items like dosas and omelet

It is a 10.5-inch pan, making it an ideal choice for small families. Moreover, because of the skillet’s thickness you can cook 2 to 3 items back to back without worrying about the pan losing its coat.

The Rock Tawa cast iron skillet weighs 2.8kg. We found it a bit heavier than Lodge, but still easy to hold, lift and cook compared to other iron vessels.

Warranty: 1 year

Depth: 5.2cm

Cleaning Process

• Do not use soap directly to clean
• Rinse the pan with warm water
• Use soapy water to clean the pan
• Season it after cleaning

Pros

• Ideal for back to back use
• Value for money

Cons

• Consumes more oil

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3. Bhagya Cast Iron Skillet

The third in our list and for the good reason of being a naturally non-stick pan. Bhagya cast iron skillet gives you an enriched cooking experience. The brand has been in this industry for more than 35 years.

The cast iron skillet enhances the quality of your food by applying its touch of iron. Similar to the first two skillets, you can use this one-pan on gas, electric and induction stoves.

What is interesting about this product is that it is seasoned with Gingely Oil, with no added chemicals. This is the feature that makes this pan a good-health product.

Bhagya cast iron skillet is a practically designed cookware ideal for making curries, sautéing vegetables, baking items and you can also use it for seasoning your food items.

Here are some more benefits of using Bhagya cast iron skillet:

• Using this product will boost you iron intake
• The cookware is best for cooking semi-gravy items
• The item is manufactured with organic oil

This is a 10-inch pan, which makes it the best choice for all types of cooking. Also its 8-inch bottom helps in placing it on any kind of gas stove without the vessel getting tilted.

But, compared to its predecessors, Lodge and Rock Tawa, this cast iron skillet weighs 3kg. We did say it’s a bit heavy, but even then easy to manage.

Warranty: 1-year warranty on material and manufacturing defect

Cleaning Process

• Wash the skillet with plain water
• Use plastic scrubber to remove the residues
• Dry thoroughly
• Season it with light coat of oil

Pros

• Lasts for generations
• No Teflon coating

Con

• Heavier than normal skillet

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4. Healthy Choices Cast Iron Skillet

The fourth in our list of ‘Best Cast Iron Skillets’ is Healthy Choices, that stands true to its name. This one is a long standing, health enhancing product, that gets better with every use.

What makes this iron skillet an apt choice for Indian households is it versatility. You can use this pan on gas stove, electric stove, induction, oven, ceramic and even on open fire, making it ideal choice for outdoor picnics.

Healthy Choices is a pre-seasoned cast iron skillet, but we are not sure of the oil used. A reason why we place this item on the fourth position.

But we did still deem it as one of the best iron skillet because of an interesting feature, and that is its wooden handle. So now you can use it for longer hours without feeling the burn of the handle.

Few other benefits of Healthy Choices Cast Iron Skillet are:

• You can use it for searing, sautéing, broiling, braising, frying and grilling
• The more you use it the better coating it gets, making it a long standing product
• The pan is lighter in weight compared to Lodge, Rock Tawa and Bhagya

It is a 9-inch pan, which makes it only a bit smaller than the others, but still perfect for small families, we did say. Also, it is 0.3cm thick, that helps in distributing the heat evenly.

The weight of the skillet is a mere 1.6kg, way less than the others, which is why we find it ideal for regular use.

Warranty: Not Specified

Depth: Not Specified

Cleaning Process

• Hand wash the pan after cooking
• Use gentle soap to peel the residues
• Use warm water to rinse the vessel
• Dry thoroughly
• Rub with cooking oil and place it for heating for re-seasoning

Pros

• Is a certified product
• Good for deep frying

Cons

• The wooden handle is a bit loose

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5. Trilonium Cast Iron Skillet

The best part about cooking in cast iron cookware is that it adds some iron into your food, and that is exactly what Trilonium does.

Like Bhagya and Rock Tawa, this too is a Made in India product, hence the shipping time will be less.

You can use Trilonium skillet on multiple heat sources, such as – gas, hot plates, ceramic, open fires, charcoals, oven and OTGs, and induction. So, we did say this iron pan is again one of the best options for outdoor use.

The skillet is seasoned with Natural Cold Pressed Oil, which means you can buy and start using the pan directly without worrying about seasoning.

Other benefits that you get from Trilonium are:

• Lighter than the rest of the iron skillet pans that we have mentioned so far
• Comes at an affordable rate
• Best quality product for regular use

Trilonium is an 8-inch pan, meaning its smaller than rest, but is 6mm thick. So, we did say one of the best heat enduring pan in our list.

The weight of the skillet is 1.2kgs, which is way lighter than Lodge, Bhagya and the rest of the lot.

Warranty: Not Specified

Depth: 5cms

Cleaning Process

• Rinse with warm water right after cooking
• Use mild soap if necessary
• Wipe dry immediately after rinsing
• Do not scrub with metal scrubber

Pros

• Gets better with each use
• Has a smooth surface

Cons

• Not a regular black colored pan

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6. eKitchen Cast Iron Skillet 

Very similar to our last reviewed item Trilonium but bit more tough and offers better durability. A solid reason for this eKitchen cast iron skillet to be placed in our list of best.

It acts more like a non-stick pan when seasoned well. Which means there is not threat of chipping.

Just like the others in our list you can use eKitchen cast iron skillet on gas, hot plates, ceramic, open fires, charcoals, oven and OTGs, and induction.

The pan is seasoned with Natural Cold Pressed Oil, so you use it directly, and as you keep using the item, it will get better and more non-sticky.

Some added benefits that we are sure you would like are:

• A great alternative to non-stick pans
• Easy to clean and can be used multiple times
• Consumes less oil

eKitchen is an 8-inch pan, which makes it smaller than the others, yet an ideal choice for an average Indian family. In addition, it is 6mm thick, that helps it to consume heat quite easily.

The weight of the skillet is 1.8kg. So, its lighter and can be used to toss vegetables and other cooking items conveniently.

Warranty: Not Specified

Depth: 5 cms

Cleaning Process

• Do not use soap directly
• Simply scrub with stiff brush
• Rinse with hot water
• Dry completely
• Season with a thick layer of kosher salt and a half inch of cooking oil
• Heat until the oil starts to smoke

Pros

• Chemical free cooking
• Lightweight and hence easy to handle

Cons

• Requires continuous seasoning

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Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

There are three good reasons why you should be cooking on iron cast skillets – it fortifies your food with iron, unlike non-stick cooking items it does not have any chipping issues, and you can use it continuously without bothering about the vessel getting overheated.

Also, an interesting fact about iron skillets is that they get better with every use.

Now that makes this cookware a legacy that can be passed on to generations!

We did strongly recommend cast iron skillets to everyone who wish to stay healthy and also eat tasty food.

Our personal favorite is Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, for the obvious reason of brand name, and also because it is an eco-friendly product.

We hope that this review article has helped you to make the right choice, and also provided enough information about cast iron skillets.

Do share your thoughts.

Also, if you have already used any of these 6 iron skillets then let us know about your experience.

Stay a foodie!