I Was Never a Cast Iron Fan — Until I Tried This Affordable (and Stackable!) Set

Over my last seven years as a shopping editor, I’ve tested a lot of cookware. From space-saving griddles to pans that make batch-cooking a breeze to stainless steel finds I’ll never live without, I’ve found dozens of pieces across various categories that I truly adore. One area I haven’t been so lucky in, however, is cast iron cookware.  

For me, the cons have always outweighed the pros when it came to cast iron cookware. These pieces are heavy, semi-tedious to season and clean, hard to store, and — for high-quality picks — a bit of an investment. It’s why over the years I’ve shied away from testing many cast iron pieces (save for my enameled Dutch oven — I love her). But then I came across the Marcellin 4-in-1 Cast Iron Stack, a cast iron set that offered such an interesting design (and price point) that I just had to try it out. And reader, let’s just say, I’ve fully joined #teamcastiron. 

Designed to easily equip even the smallest kitchens with every cast iron piece you could ever need, the Marcellin 4-in-1 Cast Iron Stack is an unique (and affordable) approach to cast iron cookware that even the trepidatious (like yours truly) can get behind. Coming with a skillet, grill pan, dutch oven, and universal lid, each piece of this space-saving 4-in-1 set comes pre-seasoned, works on all heat sources, and features an octagonal shape that makes nesting them into one another a dream.  

When I unboxed this cookware, the first thing that stuck out to me was its look: These pieces feature a sleek, polished black finish that’s extremely easy on the eye, with the lid accented by an embellished golden nob. After taking a step back to look at all the pieces, I was truly floored at the thought that all of these pieces came in at under $200 — but now it was time to see if they were as high-quality as they appeared. 

Being that I have been testing this set over the course of the summer, I admittedly haven’t used the dutch oven just yet — but the other two have been fair game. The first piece I used was the grill pan to char up some seasonal vegetables. I was impressed by how quickly and evenly this pan heated up, and even more so with the delicate char it left on my onions, peppers, summer squash, and carrots. Next, I wanted to see what kind of sear I could get from the skillet, so I popped a steak into that pan, along with some aromatics, and what I was left with was a crust I haven’t been able to get with any other pan. I was finally starting to understand the cast iron hype. 

All that was left to do was clean and store — the things I was most nervous about. However, after following The Kitchn’s easy step-by-step cast iron cleaning instructions, I breathed a deep sigh of relief as my pans looked like they did when I pulled them out of the box. Once fully dried and seasoned, I nested them within each other, popped them in my lower cabinet, and reveled at how little space it took to store this set. Reader, it’s official: Thanks to this set, I’m a cast iron stan.  

The Marcellin 4-in-1 Cast Iron Stack normally comes in at $214, but right now you can get this set for just $182 (that’s three stellar pieces and a lid for less than $200!). So if you’re ready to pick up some stellar cast iron cookware that won’t break the bank (or rob you of precious storage space), I think you’ll find this set will make you a cast iron fan, too. 

Buy: Marcellin 4-in-1 Cast Iron Stack, $182 (normally $214)