Recipes & Cookware Editor

Tess Bowman

Tess writes the cookware and recipe side of The Cast Iron Craft: cornbread that actually has a crust, dutch oven bread that doesn't require sourdough sainthood, and head-to-head reviews of every cast iron brand worth your money. She owns more skillets than is reasonable and has opinions about all of them: Lodge for daily, Stargazer when the eggs matter, Le Creuset when you're braising.

Covers: Recipes, Cookware Types, Buying Guides

Cast iron recipes
Dutch oven cooking
Cookware reviews
Cornbread
Steak technique
Skillet pizza
Enameled cast iron

Articles by Tess Bowman

11 pieces

Cookware Types
Cast Iron Skillet Sizes: The Number-to-Inch Chart

Cast iron skillet sizes decoded: a #8 is 10.25 inches, not 8. The full number-to-inch chart, real Lodge weights, cooking surface vs rim, and which size to buy.

Jun 4, 2026
Buying Guides
Cast Iron vs Carbon Steel: Which Pan to Actually Buy

Cast iron vs carbon steel, honestly compared: the thickness that explains everything, tested weight and heat numbers, pan shape, and which one to buy first.

May 29, 2026
Buying Guides
Cast Iron vs Stainless Steel: Which Pan Wins Which Job

Cast iron vs stainless steel, honestly compared: tested heat-retention numbers, the pan-sauce trap, why chefs use stainless, and which jobs each pan wins.

May 26, 2026
Recipes
Dutch Oven Beef Stew (Bacon, Tomato Paste, and a Real Sear)

Dutch oven beef stew done right: bacon in the base, flour-dredged sear, tomato paste depth, and the vegetable-timing fix that keeps potatoes intact.

May 25, 2026
Recipes
Dutch Oven Pot Roast (Two-Temperature Tender Method)

Dutch oven pot roast done right: a two-temperature method that converts collagen properly, cut-by-cut breakdown, and the vegetable-timing fix nobody covers.

May 21, 2026
Recipes
Cast Iron Dutch Oven Bread (No-Knead and Sourdough)

Cast iron dutch oven bread, both methods: 18-hour no-knead with a preheated pot and sourdough with a cold start. Plus the bottom-burn fix nobody else covers.

May 20, 2026
Cookware Types
Vintage Cast Iron Skillet: Identification and Value

Vintage cast iron skillet guide: 5-question identification tree, 7 major American makers, real price tiers, the honest answer on whether to buy.

May 18, 2026
Recipes
Cast Iron Skillet Pizza (Pan, Deep-Dish, Broil-Finish)

Cast iron skillet pizza, three methods keyed to your oven: Kenji-style bake, stove-then-oven, broil-finish. Plus deep-dish, dough, and the right pan size.

May 15, 2026
Buying Guides
Best Cast Iron Skillet: Tested Picks ($30 to $300)

Best cast iron skillet: Lodge for value, Stargazer for smoothness, Smithey for heirloom, Field for lightweight. Honest brand breakdown with prices.

May 12, 2026
Cookware Types
Cast Iron Dutch Oven: Complete Guide (Bare vs Enameled)

Cast iron dutch oven guide: bare vs enameled decision tree, 5qt vs 7qt sizing, brand-by-brand honest breakdown from Lodge ($60) to Le Creuset ($400).

May 12, 2026
Recipes
Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread (With a Real Brown Crust)

Cast iron skillet cornbread: the chemistry behind the hot-pan crust, Southern vs Northern sugar debate, cornmeal grind, and a recipe that actually works.

May 12, 2026