3-Piece Set Cast Iron Skillets

Three pans that cover the everyday range

A three-piece cast iron skillet set usually lands at 12, 10, and 8 inches, which maps to a full family sear, a standard dinner portion, and a single egg or a small side. The black pre-seasoned set here is built for frying, sauteing, cooking, and pizza, so the same three pans move from breakfast to dinner without a gap in size. The nesting sizes also mean the 8 inch can sit inside the 10 inch, and the 10 inch inside the 12 inch, which keeps the stack compact on a shelf or in a cabinet.

Other three-piece sets in this slice run 8, 9.5, and 11 inches, or 8, 10, and 12 inches, with finishes that include cozy blue, white, and brushed stainless. Some come with lids, some have removable handles, and some are nonstick or granite-coated rather than bare cast iron. The cast iron version is the heaviest of the group and the only one that is pre-seasoned black iron rather than a coated or clad pan.

What the size spread changes in practice

The 12 inch pan is the one that fits a whole chicken thigh or a full round of cornbread, and it is the pan that most often stays on the stove. The 10 inch is the middle pan that handles two eggs, a single steak, or a batch of vegetables for two people. The 8 inch is the small pan for a fried egg, a single cookie, or a quick pan sauce, and it is the one that gets used when the larger pans would be overkill.

In a three-piece cast iron set, the weight difference between the 12 inch and the 8 inch is noticeable, so the small pan is easier to handle for quick tasks and the large pan is the one that stays put on the burner. The pre-seasoned surface means all three are ready to use, and the black iron takes high heat without the coating concerns that come with nonstick or granite finishes. The trade-off is that cast iron is slower to heat and heavier to lift than the stainless or nonstick sets in this slice.