The One Kitchen Item I Always Buy at Thrift Stores

I love wandering into thrift stores "just to look" at the kitchen and homeware section. It's one of my favorite places to buy glassware, in fact. Most of my glasses and cocktail glasses have come from a thrift store, and I've collected some lovely, vintage-looking coupe glasses that have gotten a lot of use in my house over the last five years.

A girl can only have so many cute glasses, though. So I often pass on things that I love. But there's one thing I'll never leave behind if I spot it in decent shape, and that's a cast-iron skillet.

I'm not a collector, but I know that a $7 rusty pan sitting on a dusty shelf is often a better piece of cookware than most of what's sold at big-box stores. And unlike a wobbly whisk or a chipped mug, a cast-iron skillet—no matter how rough it looks—can almost always be brought back to life. If it's not cracked, it's worth considering.

Why Cast Iron Belongs in Every Thrift Store Cart

Cast-iron pans are one of those rare kitchen tools that get better with age. They don't have coatings that flake off or handles that snap. If a cast-iron pan isn't cracked, it's still usable—sometimes even after a century of use. They're also much more expensive when you buy them new. A new, quality cast-iron skillet can easily run $40 to $100, but at a thrift store, I've snagged them for as little as $5.

The reason they're so cheap is that they usually look terrible—rusty, crusty, and dull, and most people walk right past them. But all of that is just surface-level grime, not damage. It's cosmetic, and it's fixable. Cast iron is almost indestructible. You'd have to really, truly neglect it—or crack it—to make it unusable.

​When it comes to older thrifted pans, in particular, I've noticed that they have smoother cooking surfaces than modern ones. It's because vintage skillets were often made with finer casting, and years of use have only improved them. They feel lighter in my hands and develop a non-stick finish that you just can't buy new.

I also love giving restored cast-iron skillets as gifts. There's something genuinely special about handing someone a pan you personally brought back to life, especially when it's going to someone who loves cooking or is just starting out in their first apartment.

How To Tell if a Cast-Iron Pan Is Worth Bringing Home

Rust might look scary, but it's one of the least concerning things you can find on a cast-iron skillet. Even heavy rust. It's just iron oxide sitting on the surface, and it scrubs right off with a little bit of elbow grease.

The process of restoring cast iron is actually quite simple. In a nutshell, you scrub it with steel wool or a stiff brush, wash it with soap and water (yes, soap is totally fine), dry thoroughly, rub with a thin layer of oil, and bake it in the oven to build up the seasoning. It's not a complicated restoration project, and it feels incredibly satisfying when you see the transformation.

But even if your first attempt at seasoning doesn't turn out the way you'd hoped, you didn't ruin anything. Cast-iron is so resilient that you can always strip it down and try again. There's virtually no way to mess it up permanently.

If you encounter structural issues, on the other hand, they're more of a reason to pass. Here's what (and how) to check before you buy: First, set the pan on a flat surface (usually the floor of the thrift store) and press gently on the rim. A slight wobble is fine, but if it moves a lot, it means the pan is warped, so put it back on the shelf.

Next, run your fingers along the handle and sidewalls, feeling for cracks. Hairline cracks, especially near the handle, are a dealbreaker because they'll only get worse. Chips or chunks missing from the rim are also a (pretty obvious) no-go.

If you're looking for a diamond in the rough, or a mini project that'll make you feel highly accomplished, last you a lifetime, and be passed on to your kids, start looking for cast iron in the thrift store. It'll outlast you, cost almost nothing, and make a genuine improvement in your (or someone else's) kitchen and cooking.