Owners overwhelmingly love the Stargazer for its machined-smooth, nearly nonstick cooking surface and its long handle that stays cooler and gives good leverage. Many call it an heirloom-grade pan they plan to keep for life, and it runs a touch lighter than rivals like Lodge and Field with a rim that pours cleanly. The main gripes are that the slick surface can make seasoning tricky to establish and, despite the weight savings, it's still a substantial pan.
82% of 56 verified owners recommend the Stargazer 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Skillet, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
489 comments reviewed · scored on the 56 clearest verdicts
82%
Recommend
46 owners
9%
Neutral
5 owners
9%
Don't recommend
5 owners
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
83%
54
Other forumsThehulltruth, Castironcollector
50%
2
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiOrdinary owner comments (not the reviewer), but here they sit too far from the owner consensus on Reddit and forums — channel comment sections can skew heavily positive or negative by trend — so they're shown for perspective and kept out of the score.owner comments
61%
51
Affiliate blogsiThese blogs earn a commission when you buy. Across our data they rate products ~35 points more positively than actual owners — shown for transparency, never counted in the score.paid commission
100%
1
No clear verdictiGood-to-know notes — setup, tips, and things to watch for. We use them for the pros, cons, and who it's for, but they don't reflect a definitive opinion on the product, so they're never counted in the score. See the 'Good to know' section below the quotes.Setup, tips & quirks
—
1
Affiliate blogs here say 100% recommend, while the owner-based score is 82%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube and Affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.
Top quotes, sourced
489 reviewed · 108 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“the Stargazer was getting no use in comparison to my favorite Field skillet. I had always had trouble with seasoning this pan (I have heard this was an issue with the first edition of the pan), and I realized if I wanted to start using it again I was going to have to re-season the whole thing as it had started to rust from lack of use.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I have used my Stargazer for over 2 years now daily.”
YouTube— neutral
“The Stargazer is great but too expensive.”
YouTube— neutral
“Heated properly before adding the oil and egg.... both are equally nonstick....”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I’ve got both, nothing wrong with lodge, but given the choice, I will fight a body over my gazer!!!!🥰💯”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I can buy a whole set of lodge for less than one stargazer and they’ll last a lifetime being they r so rugged .”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I'll take the lodge”
YouTube— neutral
“Cooking results are 99% the same on any other cast iron pan. Its not worth paying the extra money.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I love my Stargazer and highly recommend it.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“The first stargazer skillet I received was warped badly.”
YouTube— neutral
“Performs as well as my BSR but the weight makes me go back to my BSR and Griswold.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I bought the Stargazer 10.5 for Christmas and am eyeing the 12. Price wasn't the issue when I purchased, weight was.
Stargazer 10.5 weight: 5.2 pounds
Field #10: 6 pounds
Finex 10in: 6.3 pounds
I have peripheral neuropathy and my husband's elderly mother who lives with us is extremely arthritic. We use the crap out of our carbon steel, but there is not”
YouTube— neutral
“stargazer has hard time holing seasoning i had to preseason so many times because seasoning came off”
Reddit▲ recommend
“Stargazer cast iron pans have become a go-to gift for people in my life that like cooking.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Spending an extra $120 to mask that fact is ridiculous”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I finally bought one! Love it!”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I bought a 12 inch stargazer pan and could not, not matter what I did, get seasoning to stick to this stupid thing.”
YouTube— neutral
“I have a couple Stargazers, a Lodge, and a Griswold. They all cook exactly the same.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“Unique for its nice slope between the surface and the wall of the skillet, the Stargazer cast iron skillet makes for a perfect non stick crepe pan”
Reddit— neutral
“I have both a 12" Lodge and a 10.5" Stargazer. I like them both, although the Stargazer is nicer. But the Stargazer is barely lighter than Lodge, for example the 10.25" Lodge is 5.34 lbs while the 10.5" Stargazer is 5.2 lbs. The Stargazer "feels" lighter because the longer handle makes it a little easier to lift, but I wouldn't classify it as a light pan.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“the stargazer cast iron i once owned (which i returned). the handle got hot rather quickly and unlike my CI i didnt have a handle cover for it.”
The Hull Truth— neutral
“It is a very interesting pan, that so far I have a love/hate relationship with. Manufacturing quality wise, it is beyond perfect.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“If you want a quality new cast iron skillet check out Stargazer Cast Iron. It's my current favorite skillet and I have a bunch of antique ones too.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“After I took the pizza out I did notice some of the seasoning had come off. only on spots where the cheese/sauce had made contact with the pan. I know many people have had problems getting their seasoning to stick to the slick surface of the pan”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
Redditⓘ good to know
“I etched my stargazers. Theres a sticky in r/castironseasoning on how to do it. It worked for me. My seasoning is a lot better now.”