Netherton Foundry · Cast Iron Skillets
Netherton Foundry Oven Safe Frying Pan
Lower PFAS concern, cast iron is inherently PFAS-free, but brand makes no explicit claims.
Netherton Foundry makes traditional cast iron cookware, which is a primary material with no coating that would require PFAS-based nonstick treatments. The brand does not publicly disclose PFAS status, but cast iron's nature as bare metal seasoned with oil carries lower PFAS risk than coated nonstick alternatives.
Shop Netherton Foundry on Amazon →Material
Cast iron
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Category baseline
cookware is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Uncoated safe material
Bare, uncoated material (cast iron, stainless, carbon steel, or glass) with no surface treatment to contain PFAS.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Netherton Foundry skillets are bare cast iron with no applied non-stick coating, enamel, or ceramic glaze. This eliminates the primary chemical hazards that plague modern cookware: you cannot leach Teflon-type coating fumes, lead from ceramic glazes, or degraded polymer coatings. Cast iron's porosity and carbon-steel structure are chemically inert at normal cooking temperatures and improve with use as seasoning (polymerized fat) builds a protective layer.
The brand's record and disclosure
Netherton Foundry is a UK heritage cast-iron manufacturer with no published health certifications or third-party safety testing on record. The brand does not make explicit PFAS, lead, or chemical-safety claims, but this is typical for traditional foundries producing uncoated cast iron. No recalls or safety controversies are documented for this product line. Their silence reflects the simplicity of the product category rather than opacity about hazards.
How it compares in its category
Bare cast iron sits at the safest end of the frying-pan spectrum, alongside Lodge and Le Creuset uncoated models. It avoids the risks of non-stick Teflon-type coating-coated pans (fume risk if overheated) and ceramic-coated pans (glaze degradation and potential lead). The trade-off is that cast iron requires seasoning maintenance and is heavier; these are usage inconveniences, not safety concerns.
If you buy it
Season the pan before first use with a thin oil layer (canola, grapeseed) baked at 450-500F for 1 hour, then cool. Hand-wash immediately after use and dry fully to prevent rust; avoid prolonged soaking. Cast iron is safe up to any stovetop or oven temperature your recipe requires. Replace only if rust penetrates the cooking surface and cannot be scrubbed away; proper care should extend its life indefinitely.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Iron leaching
Bare cast iron can leach small amounts of iron into acidic foods (tomato-based sauces, wine reductions). This is not toxic for most people and actually beneficial for some; however, individuals with iron-storage disorders (hemochromatosis) should limit cast-iron cooking of acidic dishes.
Rust formation if maintenance is neglected
Cast iron will rust if left wet or stored in humid conditions. While surface rust is usually removable by scrubbing, deep corrosion can create pitting; this is a durability issue rather than a direct health hazard, but rust particles should not be consumed.
Coating degradation or peeling
Netherton skillets have no applied non-stick or enamel coating, so there is no risk of coating flaking into food or degrading over heat cycles.
Lead or cadmium in the cast-iron material itself
Cast iron from established foundries like Netherton does not contain intentionally added lead or cadmium. Recycled scrap iron could theoretically carry trace contaminants, but no recalls or test failures are on record for this brand.
Seasoning compound residues
If the pan arrives pre-seasoned from the factory, the seasoning oil is food-grade and polymerizes during heat treatment. No chemical residues from the seasoning process have been reported; user-applied seasoning is simply heated oil, which is safe.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 85% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
Safer alternatives in Cast Iron Skillets
Caraway
12” Enameled Cast Iron Large Skillet
Enameled cast iron
Lower-concern cookware; enameled cast iron is an inherently safer base, and Caraway has publicly committed to PFAS-free formulations.
⚠Risky category by default
Lodge
Cast Iron Classic Cast Iron Skillets
cast iron (bare or seasoned with oil)
Lower PFAS concern, bare cast iron has no synthetic coatings.
⚠Risky category by default
Lodge
Cast Iron Skillet Pan 6"
cast iron, seasoned with oil
Lower PFAS concern, bare cast iron with traditional seasoning, no Teflon-family coating coatings.
⚠Risky category by default
More cast iron skillets grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.