Is Yeti's Cast Iron Skillet Just as Good as Its Coolers?

When I heard Yeti released a cast iron skillet, I knew I had to test it. After all, Yeti is a major player in the gear world, with coolers that’ll keep your food chilled for days and durable and colorful tumblers and mugs that many of our editors use and love. Could Yeti’s new cast iron skillet match (and potentially surpass) cast iron heavyweights like Lodge? I got my hands on its newly released 12-inch skillet and put it through a battery of tests to find out. 

The Tests

• Heat Map Test: I set the skillet over medium heat on my electric range and used an infrared thermometer to take the temperature of the left side, center, and right side of the skillet’s surface. I did this every 30 seconds for four minutes to see how quickly and evenly the skillet heated. 
• Pancake Test: I made pancakes on the skillet noting if they stuck and if it was easy to maneuver an offset turner spatula underneath the pancakes to flip them. 
• Fried Egg Test: I made over easy eggs in the skillet, flipping them with a fish spatula and seeing if they stuck. 
• Seared Chicken Thigh Test: I seared skin-on chicken thighs, noting how quickly and evenly the skin crisped. 
• Seared Steak Test: I cooked two filet mignon steaks in the skillet to test the pan’s searing ability. 
• Cornbread Test: I baked cornbread in the Yeti skillet, noting if the result was evenly cooked and if it turned out readily onto a cooling rack. I also noted if the skillet was easy to move in and out of the oven.

What We Learned

The Yeti Is a New-School Style Skillet

Longtime cast iron skillet makers like Lodge and Victoria make pans that are rough around the edges—literally. Out of the box, these skillets have pebbled surfaces and are oily black from multiple rounds of seasoning. New-school skillets, like those from Lancaster, Field Co, and now Yeti, are markedly different: They have smooth, polished surfaces that are coppery or ashy gray. While they are seasoned, it’s up to the cook to build up that blackened patina. They’re also often lighter than the beefy offerings from Lodge. 

I like both styles of skillets: The Lodge and Victoria bring solid performance at an affordable price, while the new school of cast iron offers sleek, lightweight pans that’ll cost you more. The Yeti falls into the latter category, with a buttery-smooth surface, coppery patina, and relatively lightweight form. 

Its Performance Was (Mostly) Good 

As I wrote in my review, cast iron is deceptively simple: “At their core, cast iron skillets are just a big honkin’ piece of metal. No cladding, no nonstick coating—just a solid pan that retains heat really well.” And the Yeti was no exception. It was adept at getting a golden brown crust on steak and chicken, and cornbread baked evenly and released easily. That said, I found the 5.25-inch handle short, especially since I tested the larger 12-inch skillet. This made flipping the skillet to remove the cornbread an acrobatic feat, though it did emerge cleanly. It also made swirling oil around the pan a two-handed task. 

The pan was mostly good at releasing food, though I did have some sticking with pancakes and eggs. However, it’s likely the pan just wasn’t hot enough. 

It Heated Up Quickly and Retained Heat Well 

Cast iron may not heat evenly, but it sure does hold onto heat. The Yeti hit 430°F in the center after four minutes, which was impressive. Not to mention it saw a 97% heat increase between 30 seconds and 60 seconds, jumping from a 70ºF average surface temperature to 139ºF. It also held onto heat well, showcased when I seared multiple pairs of chicken thighs in a row and each emerged with crispy, golden skin. 

The Verdict

Yeti Cast Iron Skillet

View on Yeti.com

Cast iron skillets are simple and as such, most “flaws” have to do with shape, weight, and ergonomics. With this in mind, the Yeti is a perfectly acceptable cast iron skillet. It heated up quickly and retained heat well, seared meats nicely, and baked cornbread that released easily. The 12-inch skillet I tested is seven pounds, which is heavy, but the 10-inch skillet is a little under five pounds, which is on par with the other 10-inch skillets I tested in my cast iron pan review. It looks nice, with a coppery finish and smooth surface. My biggest qualm with the Yeti is its price: The 10-inch skillet is $200, while the 12-inch skillet is a whopping $250. You can get fantastic performance from skillets that are much less expensive. That said, if you want to get your hands on this skillet, it does its job well.

The Pros

The Yeti skillet has a large surface area that heated up quickly and seared steak and chicken thighs golden brown. It also baked up perfect cornbread, and I had no issues with sticking when I turned it out onto a cooling rack. When it came to frying eggs, I did have some sticking, though the yolks didn’t break, so I’ll call that a win. Overall, the skillet did what it was supposed to do. 

The Cons

It’s the most expensive cast iron skillet I’ve tested. While I did note in my original review that a pricier cast iron skillet isn’t a bad thing, the 10-inch Yeti is more expensive than the heritage skillets I liked in that testing: The Yeti 10-inch skillet is $200, versus $165 for the Field Co 10-inch offering, and it’s not like it performed exponentially better. Beyond price, I did have some sticking when I first used the skillet to cook pancakes, though I think the skillet just needed to be hotter. I also had some sticking when I fried eggs, though they did stay whole.  

Key Specs

• Sizes available: 8, 10, and 12 inch
• Weight: 7 pounds (12-inch model)
• Handle length: 5.25 inches
• Thickness: 4 millimeters
• Bottom diameter: 10.5 inches
• Top diameter: 13 inches
• Helper handle: Yes
• Pre-seasoned: Yes
• Cleaning: Hand-wash, dry, and rub with high smoke point, neutral oil
• Induction-friendly: Yes

FAQs

Does Yeti make a cast iron skillet?

Yes, Yeti has released a cast iron skillet that comes in eight, 10, and 12-inch sizes. 

What size cast iron skillet is best?

We think a 10-inch skillet is a good size for most people since it serves two to four. A 12-inch skillet can come in handy for cooking larger dishes or groups. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a commerce editor at Serious Eats 
• She tested cast iron skillets for the site and has been cooking with cast iron for years.
• To test the Yeti skillet, she used an infrared thermometer to take its temperature every 30 seconds for four minutes. She made pancakes, fried eggs, seared steak and chicken, and baked cornbread. 

Editor’s note: We received a press sample of the Yeti cast iron skillet, but all of our opinions are our own.