Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There usually isn't much differentiation pre-seasoned cast iron skillets but this piece is indeed different in two ways that make a difference to me. First, it seems to be a thinner cast iron, making it lighter. It's actually lighter than a "regular" smaller 10" cast iron skillet that I have (weighed them, the Calphalon is about a pound lighter!). Cast iron is never lightweight, to be sure, but this is somewhat easier to maneuver for cooking and cleaning than it would otherwise be. (The product description says 6.8 pounds; another 12" skillet shows at 8 pounds.) Second, the bottom and sides meet in a slope, a curve. Most cast iron skillets are sharply angled at that juncture. The curved corner makes foods easier to move around (fried eggs, for example; also scrapple, burgers, steaks, and grilled cheese sammys) or to stir (stews and the like). The curved corner also makes it easier to clean - nothing gets stuck in the angle between bottom and sides. I've had this skillet for a little over three weeks and it has performed up to my every expectation. It has taken additional seasoning well (the bottom is now almost as slick as Teflon - some of that may be due to using chain mail on it). My only criticism I have is that Calphalon doesn't make 10" and 8" versions of this skillet.