This Best-Selling Cast Iron Skillet With 18,200 Perfect Ratings Is as Little as $11 at Amazon

Most people have tried and true recipes they love to cook and bake. But even the best recipes can go awry if you don’t have the right tools on hand—and pots, pans, and skillets are just a few things to have at the ready. If you’re shopping for a new cast iron skillet or you simply want to give the kitchen workhorse a try, Amazon shoppers love this Utopia Home find that’s priced from $11. 

The Utopia Kitchen Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet is a top-seller in Amazon’s Skillets category. It has 18,200 perfect ratings and 3,300 five-star reviews, and it’s available in four sizes (6.5-inch, 8-inch, 10.25-inch, and 12-inch) in up to five colors (black, blue, green, red, and teal). No matter the size or color you choose, the skillet arrives pre-seasoned with soy-based oil, according to the brand, which means you can immediately start cooking with it when it arrives. And another bonus is you won’t have to worry about food getting stuck to the surface because the skillet’s oil creates a nonstick coating.

To buy: From $11; amazon.com.

“One of the best purchases I've made all year. If you're looking to get a restaurant-quality sear on your meats at home, cast iron is the way to go,” shared a five-star reviewer. “I love this pan. I was skeptical because of the price, but this is even better than the more expensive cast iron I've used in the past,” wrote a shopper. 

The great thing about cast iron is you can use your skillet on a stove, in the oven, or even over a campfire. The brand suggests cooking bacon in your skillet as your first item because it enhances its pre-seasoning, but you can also cook other types of meat or fish, sauté vegetables, bake something sweet, or grill your favorite sandwich.

After using your pan, it’s only natural to want to clean it. You can wash your cookware, but Utopia Home highlights that you must use “hot soapy water and a stiff brush” to clean it and then completely dry it immediately afterward to prevent rusting. Also, the brand also notes that you can re-season it from time to time by rubbing your skillet with olive oil and heating it on the stove at a low temperature to allow it to take hold. 

“I waited way too long to take the plunge with a cast iron skillet. I have made everything from fish to lamb to a Dutch baby pancake,” said a shopper who loves the skillet’s “versatility” and that it’s “super easy to clean.” They continued, “The heat distribution is wonderful—everything I have made cooks evenly.”

You can’t use many pans over a stove, in the oven, and on top of a campfire, but cast iron is different. So, start cooking all of your favorite recipes with this versatile Utopia Home cast iron skillet while prices start at less than $15.