This Vintage American Cast Iron Pan is 'Exceptional' From the Kitchen to the Campfire – Here's My Tried and Trusted Review of the Field Company Skillet

If you have a soft spot for cooking outdoors and taking pride in your tools, the Field Company Cast Iron Skillet– the American vintage-inspired pan starting at $165 – will be just as much of a hit in your household as it is in mine.

In my quest to find the best cookware, I came across Field Company, and it went straight into my guide to the best cast iron cookware. I made perfect steaks, campfire fry-ups, frittatas, and pancakes. The smooth surface made sautéing easy (very low sticking. Even after baking, my skillet brownies had crisp, golden bottoms and lifted out cleanly.

The only caveat is that it requires some hefty care and maintenance. Some people may enjoy that, but it's not a great fit for anyone who wants to quickly cook, eat, and dash. Here's everything I uncovered in my 6 months of testing.

Field Company Skillet Specifications

Design & First Impressions

The first thing that struck me about the Field Company cast iron skillet is its vintage-inspired, heirloom-quality design. It has a smooth surface and a simple, timeless shape that just makes you want to cook.

I chose the mid-size, Field Company’s No. 8 skillet. It is made from raw cast iron, but arrives pre-seasoned with organic grapeseed oil. All you need to do is clean it, heat it, and give it a light seasoning before first use. Over time, the seasoning layers build naturally, creating a non-stick surface without synthetic coatings.

The only ingredients you should avoid cooking in a bare cast iron skillet are acidic things, such as tomatoes, as they can react with the metal to create a metallic taste.

Cooking Performance

Before using the Field Company Cast Iron Skillet, you'll need to preheat it on low heat for around five minutes and add a generous layer of oil or butter. Over the six months of testing, I found that the seasoning layers built up and improved naturally.

In the first weeks of my testing, I avoided searing acidic ingredients, and I baked at least a dozen frittatas. Seriously, I became obsessed. I started each dish by sizzling onions and kale in the pan. They softened slowly on the low-medium heat, gaining a gentle golden color. After adding a jug of whisked eggs, tomatoes, and chunks of feta cheese, I lifted the pan into my oven.

The skillet felt lighter than other cast-iron pans I've tested, but it still needed two hands to lower it into my oven. After baking, every single frittata I made lifted cleanly from the pan, thanks to the smooth surface. I couldn't quite believe there was no residue or sticky mess left in the pan.

After the frittata tests, I turned my hand to fried egg breakfasts. I tried this on a couple of weekends, adding a ton of ingredients in the skillet, including the eggs, sausages, bacon, and even a small pancake or two. The eggs gained crisp, golden bottoms, but required some scraping to lift them out, and left a slight mess. The other ingredients were easier; the pancakes cooked evenly, browning just right. Sausages cooked slow- and-low, gaining crispy golden skins.

One huge bonus with the Field Company Cast Iron Skillet is its capacity for high-heat; it can handle fire pit cooking and even the best pizza ovens. My partner immediately claimed this pan for our camping trips. Unlike Teflon or other coated pans, overheating isn’t an issue, so we could sear meat and vegetables on high heat without worry.

Take my word for it, it works beautifully on the best grills and open flames – we used it to cook many burgers, steaks, campfire 'smores, and we even baked a Dutch baby pancake in it with our Ooni pizza oven over the summer.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Cast iron does require a little TLC, but the Field Company cast iron skillet comes with detailed instructions which make it very clear what you need to do (and what not to do). I actually found it quite therapeutic to follow the maintenance steps, and I enjoyed the ritual of maintaining it (although there were definitely days were I picked my best non-stick frying pan to use instead).

Following the instructions below (which I pinned to my refrigerator), I washed the skillet by hand, dried it thoroughly, and lightly seasoned it after each use. We have a separate guide on how to clean every type of cookware, if you need cast iron seasoning guidance.

You must never soak or simmer salty liquids for long periods of time, and at first, you need to avoid acidic ingredients until the seasoning is hardy enough. After months of regular care and use, I was rewarded tenfold. The non-stick performance improved and cooking became even easier.

How Does it Compare?

Compared to other cast iron pans I’ve tested – like the Lodge Chef Collection Skillet I tested (a solid budget-friendly option) – the Field Company skillet feels smoother, lighter, and more refined.

Lodge is durable and performs well, but the Field Company No. 8 has a premium feel and vintage charm that makes it feel like heirloom-quality cookware. It’s a pan that strikes the balance between practicality and style – and encourages you to maintain and care for it.

Should You Buy It?

Field Company's vintage-style American skillet is durable, low-stick, and a pleasure to cook with. It excels on stove-to-oven or campfire recipes. The only caveat is that it requires some lengthy care and maintenance. Some cooks may relishthat, but it's not a great fit for busy people who wants to quickly cook, eat, and dash. But if you're happy to do the handwashing, drying, and seasoning after every use, it will reward you with decades of use (your grandkids will appreciate it in years to come).

How We Test Cookware

A great frying pan has to tick all the boxes: versatility, manageable weight, brilliant cooking performance, and, crucially, ease of cleaning.

I use every pan I test for over a month to see how it fares over time. I've owned many pans that have been great out of the box, but start to stick, discolor and destroy my ingredients after prolonged use. There's nothing worse than this, especially when you've forked out your hard-earned money and need to buy a replacement.

When I'm testing, I'm looking for a pan that can handle everything: from delicately frying an egg to searing a steak with a perfect crust. It should feel balanced in your hand – not so heavy it’s hard to lift, but substantial enough to retain heat evenly for consistent cooking.

I like to test notoriously sticky or delicate recipes, including: tofu, sticky cheese like halloumi or paneer, steak and fried eggs. I assess how these work in the pan and the mess they leave afterwards – because no one wants to scrub endlessly after dinner.

Also, having trained at a professional cookery school and worked as a food writer and recipe editor for some of the world's leading recipe companies, from Mindful Chef to Deliciously Ella, I do have exacting standards.