Cast iron cookware is still produced, for use by millions of professional and amateur chefs around the world. There’s something special about cooking food in a traditional fashion, and if you want to make sure that your recipes are prepared the same way they were a century ago, you will need an antique skillet.
One could add not just any antique skillet. Griswold may not have lasted as a company but the name is still among the most famous vintage cast iron cookware manufacturers, and its long-discontinued skillets are hard to come by. However, if you want a unique flavor for your traditional recipes, you ought to get a Griswold cast iron skillet.
Best Griswold Cast Iron Skillet Reviews
Griswold Small Block Logo No. 8 Cast Iron Skillet 704 K
Griswold’s designs and patents inspire most of the modern cast iron cookware made in the US. The manufacturing process for skillets hasn’t changed all that much, but there’s a massive difference between vintage and new models.
Review
Vintage skillets don’t get much better than the Griswold No.8 cast iron 704 skillets. It’s a model older than 1906, so it’s got a patina developed over 110 years. It’s one of the most durable and well-made skillets ever to reach mass production. You can’t see any signs of wear and tear other than minor pitting on the cooking surface.
Initially, this skillet came pre-seasoned, but over 100 years of use has erased the protective layer of vegetable oil. That doesn’t mean that it’s not suitable for cooking; you only need to re-season it before the first use and occasionally after that. One of the most impressive features of this skillet is that it’s still completely flat, so you can use it on any stovetop including induction. Most modern cast iron skillets will warp and lose shape after a certain number of years of heavy use, and that’s if you’re lucky, but this vintage skillet is still very straight.
This skillet has probably been passed from one generation to another, and it’s still almost intact. Griswold products are without a doubt among the best-made cast iron cookware up to this day. You can use the skillet for making breakfasts, frying eggs, making pancakes, and so on. One thing is for sure, you will get a distinctive taste when you cook in this skillet and the 100-year-old patina is something to behold.
Pros
- In perfect shape
- Sits straight
- No signs of rust
- Over 100 years old
Cons
- Needs pre-seasoning
Griswold Cast Iron No. 5 Large Skillet
Another very popular skillet by Griswold is the No.5 8-inch cast iron skillet. It’s a durable piece of cookware that has been in use for over 100 years, and it’s still going to provide home-cooked meals for decades to come.
Review
If you’re looking for a vintage skillet you can use in the kitchen and on your camping trips, the No.5 cast iron skillet will be more than suitable. You have probably seen this skillet in old cowboy movies and photos of the major gold rushes that took place in the US. The prospectors used Griswold skillets and Dutch ovens to prepare their meals in between digging for gold.
Even though the skillet is over 100 years old, it’s still in good condition, but it does show some signs of wear and tear. However, it’s nothing that a light scrubbing and a new seasoning won’t fix. Again, like many other skillets made by this manufacturer, this one has also retained its shape. It will sit straight on any stovetop without any apparent wobbling. It’s 8 inches across, so it’s perfect for making pancakes, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, steaks, and many other recipes.
The handle is long, but you will still need mitts to move it – that’s how awesome cast iron is at distributing and retaining heat. It’s a well-made, high-quality skillet you can’t easily find these days.
Pros
- Large cooking area
- Durable
- Long handle
- Doesn't wobble
- Works on all heat sources
Cons
- Small signs of wear and tear
- Needs seasoning
Griswold Cast Iron #14 Skillet Erie 718
If you are looking for a Griswold original cast iron skillet that does show some signs of wear and tear and has that unique used patina, this Erie 718 skillet is an ideal choice. You can tell that it’s a skillet that’s seen a lot of stoves and open fires.
Review
The point of getting vintage cast iron cookware isn’t that it has to look brand new, it’s the patina that comes with nearly 100 years of use and air exposure. How many skillets do you know can provide a century of cooking meals and still be good enough to outshine brand new models? This 13-inch skillet is one of the biggest ever made by Griswold. It was made after 1924, so it’s close to 100 years old.
When it comes to traditional cooking and recipes, this skillet works wonders. It’s quite large so that you can prepare food for multiple people at once. The skillet does show some wear and tear, especially in the middle of the cooking surface, but you can cover that up with a new layer of seasoning. However, the signs of use and the patina are just perfect when you want to cook a memorable meal for your friends and family.
What’s important is that there are no cracks and apparent damage that will affect the cooking performance. Another impressive fact is that the bottom is still flat like when it first came out of the factory. It will be a fantastic addition to your Griswold cast iron skillet collection.
Pros
- 13" diameter
- Unique patina
- Close to 100 years old
- Flat bottom
- Extremely durable
Cons
- Needs a little freshening up
- Needs re-seasoning
Griswold Cast Iron Skillet - No. 8 Large Logo
If we didn’t know any better, we could easily mistake this No.8 skillet by Griswold for brand new. Considering its about 100 years old, we can’t believe the pristine condition.
Review
You don’t often run into a well-preserved Griswold cast iron skillet like this one. It shows almost no signs of use even though it’s been used to cook thousands of meals. Griswold’s cast iron cookware is still regarded as one of the best on the market. This one has proved its worth with over a century of heavy use.
There’s a reason why many professional cooks turn to traditional cookware like this skillet. It provides a unique taste that comes after such an extended use, and these skillets are one of the easiest to use and clean. If they survived 100 years of use, they have to be virtually indestructible, which is the case with this skillet.
However, there are a few minor issues you should know about first. First, the bottom has a slight wobble that can be corrected by four sheets of copy paper. It will sit almost flat on your stove or gas stovetop, but it’s not suitable for ceramic stovetops. The cooking surface has a few scratches, and it has been scrubbed down to bare metal. However, it has a new layer of seasoning, so it’s ready for use right out of the box. It works best with gas and electric stoves.
Pros
- Durable
- Re-seasoned
- Pristine condition
- 9" diameter
Cons
- Not flat
- Minor scratches
Griswold #5 Cast Iron Skillet A724 Erie
This Griswold #5 A724 Erie cast iron skillet is one of the most affordable antique skillets on the market. It’s a great starting point if you’re looking for your first Griswold cast iron skillet.
Review
What makes this skillet worth buying is the condition it’s in after almost 100 years. The bottom sits flat on stovetops without any wobbling, and the entire skillet looks like it was made a couple of years ago, rather than the early 1900s.
The skillet is 6-3/4″ in diameter, so it fits in the small category. It’s in impressive conditions, and the inside is covered with a unique pre-seasoning and patina. The skillet is much cheaper than many similar Griswold products because of the size. The overall condition couldn’t be any better. You can use it for decades to come, and it will still provide fine-tasting sandwiches, fried eggs, pancakes, hamburgers, and so on.
There are no obvious signs of wear and tear. That means that there are no cracks, scratches, or structural damage that could impact the taste of your food negatively. Griswold cast iron skillets are extremely durable, and they can provide tasty meals indoors and outdoors even after 100 years. Get this skillet and you will see why Griswold cast iron products are so coveted.
Pros
- Excellent condition
- Durable
- Well-made
- No signs of damage
- Sits flat
- Affordable
Cons
- Quite small
Final Verdict
It takes only one cookout to fall in love with a vintage Griswold cast iron skillet. These skillets are more than 80 years old at least, but they are still unsurpassed by many modern cast iron cookware manufacturers.
Antique skillets provide a uniquely distinctive flavor for your favorite dishes, and they have stood the test of time, so you don’t have to worry about durability. Expand your cooking options with these versatile skillets and cook traditional recipes the way they were cooked back in the day. (At the very least, any of these skillets can double as a weapon.)