Why Don’t All Small Cast-Iron Skillets Have This Handy Feature?

This tiny skillet solves a common problem with everyday cookware.

Published June 13, 2024

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Lancaster’s new No. 4 skillet has all the hallmarks of a modern pan. Smooth, lightweight, pre-seasoned surface? Check. Large pour spots? Check. A made-in-the-USA stamp? Check.

But it also boasts a feature you might not find on skillets sized similarly for everyday cooking: a helper handle. And, frankly, more cookware manufacturers should take note.

Lancaster No. 4 Cast Iron Skillet

Lancaster No. 4 Cast Iron Skillet

$100 at Lancaster Cast Iron

Founded only a few years ago, Lancaster Cast Iron is relatively new to the cast-iron scene. But like many of heritage-minded upstarts, the company is committed to making things the old-fashioned way.

The No. 4 is the smallest skillet in Lancaster’s lineup, and its name refers to the size of ports you’d have found on old wood stoves, not its cooking surface — which, in this case, measures seven inches across.

skillets with baked goods — The name of the No. 4 refers to the corresponding size of the port on old wood stoves, not its diameter — which measures seven inches across.

Though the pan is relatively lightweight, coming in at just two pounds, iron is heavy … especially when you add a bunch of food to it.

That’s where the helper handle comes in. According to the brand, the additional of a second lifting point was based on “the number-one piece of feedback from customers and professionals alike.”

“We went on the smaller side, with just enough room to grab, but not bulky or in the way.”

The company was also mindful to keep the compact form factor intact. “We went on the smaller side, with just enough room to grab, but not bulky or in the way,” a representative for the brand told Gear Patrol.

Of course, helper handles are commonplace in the cookware industry, but mostly on larger pans made for communal cooking. They’re rare on everyday skillets measuring less than 10 inches across. Only Lodge skillets over 10.25 inches have the hander helper, for example.

Availability and pricing

The Lancaster No. 4 Cast Iron Skillet is available now with a price of $100. The brand is so excited about the helper handle, it says it plans to add it to its full range of skillets over the next few months.