Editorial Policy

How we choose our picks

We select cookware by comparing the things a manufacturer actually publishes: the material (bare cast iron, enameled cast iron, carbon steel), the weight and dimensions, the cooking-surface diameter, the pour-spout and handle design, the oven-safe temperature, whether it’s pre-seasoned, and the warranty. We read those specs against how a pan is really used — searing, baking, sourdough, induction, campfire — and we factor in the long track record of durable, well-understood designs. Our full process is on the how-we-research page.

We don’t lab-test — and we say so

The Seasoned Pandoes not run a materials lab or a controlled test kitchen. We do not measure heat retention with instruments, weigh seasoning durability, or bench-test thermal shock. Our verdicts come from published specifications, the physics of the materials, and years of everyday cast-iron cooking — not from tests we haven’t run. Where a comparison would require lab data we don’t have, we say the data isn’t available rather than inventing a result.

No fabricated proof, ever

The Seasoned Pan contains no invented reviews, testimonials, star ratings, or before-and-after photos. We never claim to have personally seared on every pan we write about, and we never imply otherwise. Product images come from the retailer; verdicts are our own analysis of the specs and materials. This is the single line we will not cross for any layout, any partner, or any reason.

Independence from commission

We earn affiliate commissions, disclosed on our affiliate disclosurepage. Those commissions never influence a recommendation. When a $25 skillet is the better buy than a $200 one, the $25 skillet is our pick — even though it pays us less. No brand pays for placement.We do not sell reviews, rankings, or “sponsored” positions disguised as editorial, and there is no way for a manufacturer to buy its way onto a list.

Honesty about limits

The author is a home cook and cast-iron enthusiast, not a metallurgist or a professional chef, and we don’t pretend otherwise. Where a maker hides a figure — an exact weight, a cooking-surface measurement — we print “Not published” rather than estimate it. Where the difference between two pans is marginal, we say it’s marginal instead of manufacturing a winner.

Corrections

We get things wrong sometimes, and we’d rather fix them in the open than quietly. If you find a factual error — a wrong spec, a discontinued pan still listed, a claim that doesn’t hold up — tell us. We’ll check the claim against the manufacturer’s published information, and if you’re right, we’ll correct it and update the page’s “last updated” date. Substantive corrections to a live claim are noted rather than hidden.

Updates and cadence

Cookware gets discontinued, reformulated, and repriced. Prices are pulled from a live retailer feed and refreshed daily, each stamped with the date it was pulled. Our roundups and comparison lists are re-verified at least quarterly — we re-check that every pan is still sold, still matches its stated specs, and still deserves its spot — and each article shows a “last updated” date so you can see how current it is.