This Is the Best Cast Iron Skillet for Beginner Cooks

When it comes to high-quality cast iron skillets, $39 doesn't typically get you that far. Typically relegated to wedding registries and Christmas wish lists, the beloved kitchen apparatus doesn't always have the best price point. Until now, that is.

Last month, I watched (Iron) Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, demo his new line of cast iron cookware in partnership with kitchen brand Dash. They'll launch on QVC's "In the Kitchen With David" show on Sunday, October 28, and allow me to share why it's a beginner cook's best friend . Full disclaimer: they gifted me a skillet to take home and test.

Here's another disclaimer: Before I went to culinary school, I was often intimidated by cast iron skillets. I was so terrified, in fact, that I only used my skillet as a serving vestibule for, uh, instagram purposes. Could I really put one in my oven? Are they impossible to clean? Will I get a gorgeous mac-and-cheese crust like at the restaurants? Then, after I graduated culinary school, well, I was still intimidated. If I'm going to ruin a pan, best be a $15 one, than my aunt's $170 Le Creuset.

At $39 for the 10" Fry Pan, $49 for the 12" Fry Pan (pictured above), and $69 for the 9x13" Baker, I can breathe a little more easily. Better yet, when Zakarian cooked up some eggs for a hungry bunch of editors, removing breakfast from the pan was smooth sailing without any residue or caked-on bits remaining.

The heavy-duty pans are designed to last for years and work indoors, outdoors, in your oven, on your stove, or on your grill. They can withstand up to 500° Fahreneit. The line also utilizes PFOA-free non-stick coating, which makes cleaning a breeze. As Zakarian told Food & Wine, you should use silicone, nylon, wood, or melamine utensils with the skillets, as to avoid scratching up the surface.

WATCH: How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

Starting October 28th, buy the cookware line on QVC.com. You can thank me when that mac-and-cheese crust is more beautiful than your favorite restaurant's.