Here’s when to use a lodge cast iron skillet vs. a lidded baking dish for your favorite recipes. Both are practical pieces of cookware with some similarities and several important differences. 

The Lodge brand seems to have a cult following. There are the home cooks who leave their well-loved cast-iron skillet on the stove at all times, patiently awaiting the next meal. But even if you’re a cast iron die-hard, it’s time to face the facts: the dish simply can’t do it all.  For some kitchen tasks, you need a lidded baking dish to do the job well. 

Cast iron is a beloved and ancient cookware material. It’s made from high-carbon metal that’s heavy-duty and heats well on the stove or in the oven. Though it might take a bit longer to heat a cast iron pan than a thinner and lighter stainless steel pan, cast iron will retain that heat for far longer. This makes it the preferred material for searing, as the surface doesn’t immediately cool off as soon as you add a steak or grilled cheese sandwich.

These skillets slide easily from the stove to the oven, and even develop their own natural nonstick layer over time. The more you use cast iron, the more seasoned (or non-stick) it becomes. 

When it comes to cleaning, cast iron is not dishwasher safe. However, despite what you may have heard, it’s easy to maintain your cast iron cookware: After use, simply rinse out any food (use a bit of mild dish soap and a soft sponge if necessary), then dry the pan thoroughly. The worst thing you can do for your iron cookware is to let it sit wet, which can cause rusting. 

The joy of cast iron is its versatility. On the stove, this is the ideal surface for flipping fluffy pancakes, searing juicy steaks, and tossing stir-fries. In the oven, it can be used for braising, making quiches, and even deep-dish pizzas. 

In addition, any time you want to sear something before cooking it in liquid (think short ribs, chicken thighs, or meatballs), your cast iron skillet is your best friend. Cast iron is also broiler-safe, so you can get a nice golden top on things like cheesy potatoes or skillet nachos. 

The best cast iron skillet for you depends on the size of your household and how many you plan to feed. For most 4-person households, a 10.25-inch skillet is a comfortable size that’s not too unwieldy and has enough space to feed four or more. Larger households may find the 12-inch skillet more useful. 

Unlike cast iron skillets, most baking dishes cannot be used on the stove. While some stainless steel dishes are stovetop-compatible, any made from glass, ceramic, or stoneware should be kept just to the oven. 

These dishes are usually square or rectangular and come with a well-fitting lid. They’re often heavy and many have a nonstick coating to make releasing your food easy. Unlike cast iron, many baking dishes are dishwasher-safe (as long as you can fit them). 

The rectangular shape of baking dishes makes them better than round skillets to make sharable bakes like lasagna and brownies. The lid is useful for trapping in moisture during braises and stews. It also protects the top of your dish from browning too quickly, so you can make crusted favorites like mac and cheese without burning the top. 

Many baking dishes are also freezer-safe so if you like to prep meals ahead of time, you can store an entire casserole in the baking dish in the freezer. Important note: some materials cannot go directly from the freezer to the oven, so be sure to check the manufacturer's recommendations before reheating a casserole in a baking dish. 

The Le Creuset Stoneware Covered Casserole dish is a great all-around choice. It has handles for easier gripping to and from the ven, as well as a well-fitting lid. The 3.5-quart dish is a perfect size for lasagna for a crowd, and the nonstick enamel finish makes cleanup easy (nothing sticks!). 

Lizzy Briskin is a freelance food writer and product reviewer. She runs the content creation business Earthen Food Co (https://earthenfood.co/), where she develops and photographs recipes, shares food stories and her (usually strong) opinions about all things related to cooking and eating. She's also a trained chef and marathon runner who lives in Boston. Contact her at lizzy@earthenfood.co and follow on Instagram @lizzybriskin.