I remember the exact moment I decided to stick a $155 cast iron skillet up my backside. It was 2:14 AM, Iâd just finished rewatching The Blue Planet for the fifth time, and David Attenboroughâs voice was still narrating my thoughts. âHere we observe the modern human,â I whispered to my cat, âabout to commit an act that evolution expressly forbids.â
The Stargazer American Made Cast Iron Skillets arrived in a box so heavy my mailman left a passive-aggressive note. Unboxing it felt archaeologicalâthis thing is a monolith of American industry, smooth as a river stone, seasoned with what I can only describe as âthe ghosts of a thousand bacon breakfasts.â The handle is angled just so, ergonomic, like it was designed to be gripped by a trembling fool.
And I was that fool.
The insertion process was not unlike watching a nature documentary where a python tries to swallow a wildebeest. It is slow, catastrophic, and you are not sure who to root for. I applied a layer of coconut oil that would make a porn set blush. I breathed. I prayed to whichever deity oversees Amazon purchases and intestinal regret. Then, with the resolve of a man trying to return a rug that is clearly too large for his apartment, I began.
The skillet has a lip. A reinforced, machined rim that is perfect for gripping with your handâand perfectly cruel for any other purpose. The weight (over 8 pounds) means gravity is no longer your ally but your co-conspirator in suffering. I made it about two inches before my body said, âAbsolutely not, and also I am going to think about this forever.â There was a soundâa low, metallic thudâfollowed by the realization that I had just wasted an entire jar of avocado oil.
So is it safe? Letâs put it this way: if you have to ask âis craftsman cast iron skillet safe,â you already know the answer. It is not. The Stargazer is a blunt instrument of heat retention and regret. Yes, many people searching for âcraftsman cast iron skillet honest reviewâ are just looking for sear performance on a ribeye. But some of us have been corrupted by the internet, and this product review will now be forever linked to the phrase âtrying this was a mistake craftsman cast iron skillet.â
Will it cook you a perfect steak? Absolutely. Is it a therapeutic sitting tool? No. It is a weapon of mass embarrassment. If you value your dignityâand your ability to sit without wincing for the next weekâjust buy a Lodge and call it a day.



