Field Company vs Lodge

Overview of the Cast Iron Market

Cast iron skillets have been used for centuries, known for their durability, versatility, and superior heat retention. In recent years, there’s been a resurgence in cast iron’s popularity, driven by a shift toward healthier cooking methods and a desire for long-lasting, heirloom-quality cookware. Unlike modern non-stick pans, which often contain potentially harmful coatings, cast iron skillets offer a natural, chemical-free alternative that only gets better with use.

As more home cooks and professional chefs embrace the benefits of cast iron, the market has expanded to include a wide range of brands, from budget-friendly options to premium, handcrafted pieces. However, not all cast iron skillets are created equal. Factors like weight, surface smoothness, design details, and quality of materials can vary greatly between brands, impacting everything from cooking performance to ease of maintenance.

Purpose of the Comparison

When it comes to choosing a cast iron skillet, two names frequently come up: Lodge and Field Company. Both brands are well-regarded, but they cater to different types of cooks and kitchen needs. Lodge, a household name for over a century, is known for its affordability and rugged, workhorse pans that are accessible to everyone. On the other hand, Field Company, a newer player, has gained recognition for its meticulously crafted skillets that blend vintage-inspired design with modern functionality.

This comparison aims to help shoppers decide which skillet is the better fit for their cooking style and preferences. Whether you're a cast iron enthusiast looking to upgrade to a more refined skillet or a beginner searching for a reliable, cost-effective option, understanding the key differences between Lodge and Field can guide you toward a purchase you'll be satisfied with for years to come. In this article, we’ll break down the critical aspects of each brand—such as quality, design, pan surface, weight, company size, warranty, and support—so you can make an informed decision based on what matters most to you in a cast iron skillet.

Field Company is small, family-owned business founded in 2016 by two brothers with a passion for creating lighter, smoother skillets inspired by vintage pans. The Field Skillet launched with a $1.6 million Kickstarter campaign and since then has developed an entire line of premium cast iron cookware, made in the USA. Their products are generally more expensive than mass-market cast iron but are positioned as premium, heirloom-quality items. In its short history Field Company has gained popularity among chefs and cooking enthusiasts and has been featured in various culinary publications and media outlets.

Materials: All Field Company cast iron is made from gray cast iron, steel and recycled iron sourced from vendors in the USA. During production Field tests the molten iron every 15 minutes to ensure its chemical composition hits the quality standards for gray class 30. No additional chemicals or any type of material is added to the pans.

Casting: Like vintage producers, Field Company use green sand molds inspired by vintage pans which used fine-grained sand from the banks of Lake Erie. Green sand doesn't refer to its color; it means that the sand has not been set in place with heat, adhesive, or other processes. Once the raw casting has cooled enough to solidify, there's a "shake-out," process during which a machine jostles the castings around as they move along a belt, knocking off remaining fragments of the sand mold. This sand is recovered and recycled for use with future castings.

At this stage, foundry workers inspect the cleaned castings for defects and clean away excess iron from contact points and the gates where molten iron flowed into the mold. Like the sand, this excess iron is recycled for use in future castings.

Country of Origin: Field Cast Iron is all 100% made in the USA with facilities in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

Field raw castings have many similarities to a Lodge—poured using a standard green sand process, but they are a far cry from the lighter, smoother Field pieces that come out at end of the production cycle.

The hallmark smooth surface of vintage American cast iron skillets like Wagners and Griswolds, was once achieved through a more precise, manual casting process, as well as manual polishing as a finishing step. Special machines were designed to grip and spin each cookware piece while a rotating stone grinding wheel, moving in the opposite direction, smoothed the surface to a polish. Both of these methods have largely been abandoned by modern manufacturers due to high costs, training difficulties, and a lack of skilled workers interested in this demanding task. As a result, most contemporary cast iron skillets have a rougher texture compared to their vintage counterparts, unless they undergo more modern and costly machining and polishing processes.

Field Company employs a more intensive post-casting process to achieve their signature smooth, lightweight skillets. The castings undergo a mechanized machining process in which excess material is removed to reduce weight and refine the skillet's shape. During this process more material is removed from the same sidewalls than from the bottom of the skillet, resulting in the classic thin-walled vintage look, while leaving plenty of mass and heft in the cooking surface for high heat searing power. The cooking surface is precision-leveled and smoothed, leaving just a slight texture which is crucial seasoning adhesion. This texture is crucial for allowing seasoning layers to bond to the pan's interior, resulting in a nonstick cooking surface as you use the product. Skilled workers oversee this process, ensuring uniform thickness and consistent quality.

This approach, while more time-consuming and costly than Lodge's method, allows Field to produce cookware with a smoother surface and lighter weight. The result is a skillet that more closely resembles vintage, hand-polished cast iron, but with the consistency of modern manufacturing. This machining step is crucial to Field's production, creating their distinctive product before the final seasoning is applied.

Lodge leaves surfaces as cast without machining or polishing.

Field machines and smooths the cooking surface. And while it's more time consuming and costly than Lodge's method, it allows Field to produce cookware with a smoother surface and lighter weight.

Cast iron is prized for its heat retention, which is proportional to its weight. Heft is a key feature of a great pan, but beyond a certain point your pan just takes longer to heat up and moving it around becomes a chore. A study of vintage cookware shows the thickness range from 0.060" to 0.135" putting a 10" skillet around 4 to 4.5 pounds. Lighter than this you start to lose heat retention and see warping, but anything heavier is just unnecessary weight.

Weight: Field's 10.25" skillet weighs 4.3 pounds on average. Cast iron is prized for its heat retention, which is proportional to its weight. Heft is a key feature of a great pan, but beyond a certain point your pan just takes longer to heat up and moving it around becomes a chore. A study of vintage cookware shows the thickness range from 0.060" to 0.135" putting a 10" skillet around 4 to 4.5 pounds. Lighter than this you start to lose heat retention and see warping, but anything heavier is just unnecessary weight.

Handle: A longer and more ergonomic handle on a Field Company skillet is one of it’s more modern touches. The 5.75” handle balances the weight of the pan, making it feel even lighter than its already trimmed-down weight. Field did extensive testing and research to arrive at a handle that feel great in your hands, making the skillet something you want to reach for everyday. A hollow underside helps with heat management and a hanging hole makes it easy to store and display.

Pour Spouts: Field Company eliminated traditional pour spouts from it's design after learning that most dedicated pour spouts didn't actually eliminate any dripping when pouring liquids. They oped for a more elegant tapered edge that you can pour from any side, similar to a spoutless pitcher. This design has the added benefit of enabling thinner sidewalls

- Weight & Thickness: Lodge skillets are heavier (5.6 lbs for 10.25") with thicker walls or durability and easier manufacturing. Field skillets are lighter (4.3 lbs for 10.25") with thinner walls, closer to vintage specifications.
- Handle: Lodge uses a shorter, flatter teardrop shape for stackability. Field employs a longer, ergonomically designed handle with a hollow underside for better balance and heat management.
- Pour spouts: Lodge retains traditional pour spouts, while Field eliminates them in favor of a tapered edge for all-around pouring.
- Finishing details: Lodge prioritizes efficiency, leaving parting lines and sharp edges. Field focuses on premium touches like softened edges and smoother overall finish.

Before they're ready to ship, Field skillets are seasoned with just several thin coats of organic grapeseed oil. This is the natural coating—no Teflon/PFOAs/PTFEs, no questionable chemicals—that, along with the pan's smooth texture, produces non-stick cooking performance. The way seasoning works is that when heated, certain oils polymerize, creating an interlocked, durable, and totally food-safe coat that makes your skillet naturally non-stick.

Field factory seasoning is done by hand, ensuring each layer is uniformly applied and precisely cured according to the casting mass and oil thickness. Field has studied the metallurgy of iron to learn how to bake the seasoning into the pan's pores rather than cover the surface with a thicker cosmetic top coat. The best way to develop subsequent layers of seasoning on a Field skillet is to cook often and follow their instructions, which includes cleaning with a natural fiber brush, scouring with a chain mail and adding a thin layer of seasoning oil between uses.

- Application and process: Lodge uses a thick spray coating of soybean oil applied en masse via a conveyor system, while Field applies multiple thin coats of organic grapeseed oil by hand, with precise curing based on each pan's characteristics.
- Seasoning quality and user experience: Lodge's thick, glossy coating is initially durable but may flake over time, catering to beginners. Field's thinner, more bonded coating aims for long-term performance, encouraging users to develop seasoning through regular use and care.

Field skillets are priced at a premium, with their standard skillet costing $165, before any first time customer discounts. This higher price point reflects Field's focus on producing vintage-inspired, high-quality skillets in smaller batches. Field is a newer, smaller company (founded in 2016) that partners with specialized American businesses for each step of their production process, which increases costs but supports other small businesses.

- Lodge's mass production contrasts with Field's smaller batch creation. While Lodge owns all its manufacturing facilities, Field collaborates with specialized partners, increasing costs.
- Field's production process includes additional steps like machining for surface smoothness and hand-applied seasoning, unlike Lodge's automated approach.
- Field implements stricter quality control measures, recycling or discounting non-conforming pans.
- The companies' different sizes and histories play a role too, with Lodge benefiting from over a century of process optimization.
- Field's emphasis on vintage-inspired design with modern touches necessitates more detailed manufacturing.
- These factors position Field as a premium, craft-oriented product, while Lodge maintains its status as an affordable, mass-market option in the cast iron cookware industry.

Field Company stands behind the quality of their cast iron cookware with a lifetime warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. If your product arrives damaged, or if the skillet cracks or warps, Field will replace it.

Field doesn't cover issues arising from extreme heat exposure or practices contrary to their care guidelines. Regular wear, seasoning variations, and minor cosmetic marks inherent to handcrafted items aren't considered defects, and typically can be resolved by the customer with guidance from Field's support team. Field recommends handwashing all cast iron and making sure it's completely dry before storing it. You can contact Field support at help@fieldcompany.com.

In the seven years that Field has operated it's website, it's earned over 5,000 reviews of its cast iron skillets with an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Amazon summary:

Amazon review of direct comparison with Lodge:

- Lodge is primarily reviewed on Amazon where they have over 100,000 reviews average 4.8 stars. Customers often reference liking the quality and value.
- As a young company Field only has reviews in the thousands, but their product rates 4.8 out of 5 stars on their website and 4.9 out of 5 stars on Amazon for 10.25". Customers often reference appreciating the lighter weight, smoother surface and customer service.

Field Company's mission is to create enduring, meaningful tools that improve with use and shared experiences. They believe in quality over quantity, crafting products that become more valuable to their owners over time. At the core of Field Company's brand is a deep respect for heritage, particularly in recreating and preserving the quality of vintage American cast iron cookware. Their skillets feature smooth surfaces and lighter weights, achieved through meticulous manufacturing processes that blend traditional techniques with modern precision.

Sustainability is key to Field's ethos, evident in their use of recycled iron and focus on creating durable, multi-generational products. Their minimalist aesthetic emphasizes functionality and timeless design, appealing to those who appreciate both form and function.

Field Company fosters a community of cooking enthusiasts through extensive educational resources on cast iron care and cooking techniques. Their commitment to American manufacturing and transparency in production underscores their dedication to quality and craftsmanship. Ultimately, Field Company positions itself as a premium, heritage-inspired brand that resonates with those who value tradition, sustainability, and culinary excellence. They offer more than just cookware; they provide a connection to a rich culinary heritage and a promise of lasting quality.

- 10% off to military, veterans, first responders and teachers through GovX
- 10% off your first order to customers who join the email list
- Other promos are shared via email newsletter
- Free shipping on orders over $200, else a flat rate of $15 in the US
- Returns accepted of unused or used cookware within 45 days, essentially creating a trial period for customers. Customers can return a used pan, no questions asked, but they are responsible for the cost of return shipping.

- Lodge is a long-established, mass-production brand offering affordable cast iron skillets with a rougher surface.
- Field Company is a newer, premium brand producing smoother, lighter skillets inspired by vintage designs.
- Both are Made in the USA, but Field employs more labor-intensive manufacturing processes.
- Lodge skillets are heavier and retain traditional design elements like pour spouts and a shorter handle. Field combines timeless, vintage-inspired aesthetics with modern refinements that appeal to design enthusiasts.
- Seasoning approaches differ, with Lodge using a thicker, more durable initial coating and Field focusing on thin, built-up layers.
- There's a significant price difference, with Field being more expensive due to their production methods, smaller scale, and tighter tolerances for quality.

- Lighter weight and smoother cooking surfaces
- Premium, vintage-inspired design
- Willingness to invest in long-lasting, heirloom-quality cookware
- Supporting smaller, American-made brands
- Looking for an nontoxic alternative to nonstick cookware
- An easy entryway into learning how to cook on cast iron

- Affordable, heavy duty cast iron cookware
- A recognizable American brand name<
- A product that can be found on the shelves many retail stores
- Seasoning that won't change colors early on when they start to cook on it
- A large community of customers

Field vs Lodge FAQ

Is expensive cast iron worth it?

Expensive cast iron can be worth it for those who value smoother cooking surfaces, lighter weight, and premium design. Investing in this option may be worth it to folks who consider the lifespan of the tool and are planning to pass it on to their kids as a family heirloom. However, more affordable options like Lodge still offer excellent performance and durability.

Is Field worth the money?

For many cooking enthusiasts, Field skillets are worth the investment due to their quality construction, smoother surface, and lighter weight which customers report allows more versatility of dishes and ease of cleaning. However, the value depends on individual preferences and cooking styles.

How is Lodge cast iron so cheap?

Lodge keeps costs down through mass production, automated processes, and minimal post-casting finishing. Their long history and large-scale operations also contribute to cost efficiencies.

Is Lodge a good brand of cast iron?

Yes, Lodge is a reputable brand known for producing durable, affordable cast iron cookware. They have a long history and are widely trusted by both home cooks and professionals.

Is Field a good brand of cast iron?

Yes, Field is considered a high-quality, premium cast iron brand. They're known for producing skillets that combine vintage-inspired smooth surfaces with modern design elements, appealing to cooking enthusiasts and those who appreciate craftsmanship.