Lodge 10.25 in Cast Iron Skillet (L8SK3)

Where an enameled Dutch oven is a splurge, this is the kitchen gift at the modest end that nearly every cook ends up reaching for. Lodge's 10.25-inch skillet arrives preseasoned, so it can sear chicken or bake cornbread on the first night, and it goes straight from the stovetop into the oven. It is made in the USA, weighs about 5.6 lb, and asks only to be washed by hand and dried. Plain black cast iron looks at home in any kitchen, whatever the cabinets and countertops look like.