tldr; Modern cast iron with polished cooking surface. American craftsmanship is evident. Beautiful and functional. Premium price for heirloom quality. Worth it for cast iron enthusiasts.
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Best praise vs top criticism for Smithey Ironware Carbon Steel
“You don’t need a $200 pan to cook properly. Smithey is like the luxury brand in these cookware, it looks nice, but it is does not make a big difference to other pans of similar dimensions. Smithey pans are beautiful, though.”
“I don’t have any CI to compare to but CS are known to be lighter so more functional and approachable for me, which is why I suggested it. Seasoning is required but both on my new unseasoned debuyer crepe pan 12” bought at Labor Day 2024 and Smitheys (preseasoned), maintaining a good seasoning has been very easy. It is possibly because the Smitheys are pre-seasoned but cooking wise both items (debuyer and Smithey) are equatable. I have Copper cookware lined in stainless steel and nickel, both work great. Granted the stainless steel takes away some of the heat conductivity aspect of Copper cookware but maintainability is my top criteria, so have avoided Tin lined copper cookware so far. The heat conductivity and non-stick properties of copper lined with tin are well known. Silver lined copper has not been an option due to cost but if you search on r/Coppercookware “silver” several folks have acquired and own these with success.”
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115 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 2/24/2026