Smithfield · Cast Iron Skillets
Smithey Ironware Co Cast Iron Skillet No 12
Lower PFAS concern, traditional cast iron has no Teflon-family coating coatings.
Smithey Ironware cast iron skillets are unseasoned or lightly seasoned cast iron cookware with no nonstick coating or Teflon-family coating treatment. Cast iron itself poses lower PFAS risk. No published PFAS claims or third-party verification exist, but the material category is inherently lower-concern than coated nonstick cookware.
Shop Smithfield on Amazon →Material
Cast iron, naturally seasoned or plain
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.
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
The Smithey No. 12 is solid cast iron, a ferrous alloy (primarily iron with small amounts of carbon and silicon). Unlike modern nonstick cookware, cast iron has no synthetic polymer coatings, fluorochemicals, or ceramic glazes that can degrade or leach. The cooking surface is either naturally seasoned (built-up patina from oil) or bare cast iron that develops seasoning over time. This material class has been in continuous use for centuries with no documented chemical leaching hazards at normal cooking temperatures.
The brand's record and disclosure
Smithey Ironware Co is a Texas-based small manufacturer specializing in traditional cast iron cookware with minimal public disclosure of safety testing or certifications. The brand does not publicly claim specific safety certifications (e.g., NSF, FDA testing results) or publish material composition analysis beyond 'cast iron.' No recalls, contamination incidents, or safety complaints appear in FDA or CPSC records for this brand. Silence on PFAS and other modern safety metrics is typical of heritage cookware makers who rely on material tradition rather than third-party verification.
How it compares in its category
Cast iron skillets represent the safest cookware category in terms of chemical leaching, as they have no coatings to degrade or leach. Compared to nonstick aluminum or steel pans (Teflon-type coating fume risk, PFOA legacy), enameled cast iron (lead in enamel glazes, historically), or ceramic-coated alternatives (coating flaking), bare or seasoned cast iron eliminates these hazards entirely. Smithey's traditional construction and lack of proprietary surface treatments mean it carries no greater or lesser chemical risk than any standard uncoated cast iron pan from Lodge, Le Creuset, or vintage sources.
If you buy it
Cast iron is stable at all normal stovetop and oven temperatures (up to 500F regularly, beyond that safely); no thermal breakdown of the material occurs. Seasoning (oil polymerization on the surface) is cosmetic and functional, not a contamination risk. Clean with hot water and a stiff brush; avoid extended soaking to prevent rust. Hand-dry immediately after washing. Over years of use, the cooking surface may develop minor pitting or roughness, but this is cosmetic and does not compromise food safety or function.
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 into acidic foods
Cast iron can transfer small amounts of dietary iron into acidic foods (tomato sauce, vinegar-based dishes) over extended cooking. This is generally beneficial for iron intake in most diets, but those with hemochromatosis or iron overload disorders should limit exposure. No toxicity threshold is exceeded in normal use.
Rust and corrosion if poorly maintained
Unsealed or inadequately seasoned cast iron will rust if left wet or stored in high-humidity conditions. Rust itself (iron oxide) is not acutely toxic at the small amounts ingested from cookware, but extensive rust indicates degraded seasoning and reduced nonstick properties. Prevention through drying and light oiling is straightforward.
Lead in pre-1980s vintage cast iron
Smithey Ironware Co was founded in 2012, so all products are modern manufacture. Historical cast iron from some older foundries occasionally contained lead in the metal or surface coatings, but contemporary Smithey production has no documented lead contamination and is not suspected of any such issue.
Manufacturing contaminants or sand inclusions
Cast iron is produced by molten metal casting, which can theoretically introduce foundry sand or debris if quality control is poor. Smithey products are hand-finished and inspected by a small US operation; no reports of foreign material contamination or manufacturing defects exist in available records.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from high-heat seasoning oils
Seasoning involves heating oil on cast iron; if oils are burned or overheated repeatedly to high smoke points, PAH formation is theoretically possible. Smithey does not disclose its seasoning protocol. Standard practice is to bake seasoning at moderate oven heat (400-500F), which does not generate significant PAHs. No evidence suggests Smithey uses unsafe seasoning methods.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 92% 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
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.