Skillet Size Reference
Every common cast-iron skillet diameter in one table, with cooking-surface area, seasoning oil for one coat, realistic servings, and preheat time at medium heat on gas, electric, and induction — each number computed from the same Skillet Size to Servings, Seasoning Oil Amount, and Preheat Time calculator functions this site's tools use.
Size, area, oil, servings, and preheat time
| Size | Cooking surface | Pan weight | Oil (1 coat) | Servings | Preheat: Gas | Preheat: Electric | Preheat: Induction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6" | 28.27 sq in | 1.9 lb | 2.38 mL (0.48 tsp) | 1 | 1.38 min | 1 min | 0.73 min |
| 8" | 50.27 sq in | 2.6 lb | 3.62 mL (0.73 tsp) | 2 | 1.88 min | 1.37 min | 1 min |
| 10" | 78.54 sq in | 4.4 lb | 5.09 mL (1.03 tsp) | 3 | 3.19 min | 2.32 min | 1.7 min |
| 10.25" | 82.52 sq in | 4.7 lb | 5.29 mL (1.07 tsp) | 4 | 3.41 min | 2.48 min | 1.82 min |
| 12" | 113.1 sq in | 7.6 lb | 6.79 mL (1.38 tsp) | 5 | 5.51 min | 4 min | 2.94 min |
| 12.5" | 122.72 sq in | 8.3 lb | 7.25 mL (1.47 tsp) | 5 | 6.01 min | 4.37 min | 3.21 min |
| 13.25" | 137.89 sq in | 9.6 lb | 7.96 mL (1.62 tsp) | 6 | 6.96 min | 5.06 min | 3.71 min |
| 15" | 176.71 sq in | 12.9 lb | 9.75 mL (1.98 tsp) | 8 | 9.35 min | 6.8 min | 4.98 min |
Preheat times are for a 300F temperature rise at medium heat, computed by the same preheatTime()function behind the Preheat Time Calculator, using each size’s representative weight above. Oil for one coat assumes the calculator’s default 2-inch wall height. Enter your own pan’s exact diameter and weight into the calculators linked above for a number tuned to your specific pan rather than this table’s representative size classes.
How these numbers are derived
Every column in this table traces back to a diameter and, for the preheat columns, a representative weight — nothing here is a separately hand-typed figure. Cooking surface area comes from treating the pan as a circle (area = π × radius²), the same calculation the Skillet Size to Servings Calculator uses to turn a diameter into a realistic serving count. Oil for one coat comes from the seasoning calculator’s surface-area model, which accounts for both the interior and exterior of the pan’s base and side wall, not just the flat cooking surface. Preheat time comes from a straightforward energy balance — the energy needed to raise a given mass of iron by 300F, divided by how much power a burner actually delivers into the pan at medium heat.
That last point is why the three preheat columns never cross each other: at every size in this table, induction preheats fastest, electric is in the middle, and gas is slowest, because that ordering comes from how efficiently each burner type gets its rated output into the metal rather than from anything specific to a given pan. A 6″ pan on induction (0.73 min) preheats faster than the same 6″ pan on gas (1.38min), and that same gap — proportionally — shows up again at 15″ (4.98 min induction vs 9.35 min gas).
Cooking surface area is also why the servings and oil columns grow faster than the size number suggests. Going from a 6″ pan (28.27sq in) to a 15″ pan (176.71sq in) is two and a half times the diameter, but it’s more than six times the surface area — which is why the same jump takes servings from 1 to 8 and the oil for a single coat from 2.38 mL to 9.75 mL, not merely two and a half times as much of either.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are both 10" and 10.25" listed, and both 12" and 12.5"?
Skillet sizes are marketed by a rounded nominal number, but the actual rim-to-rim diameter of a pan sold as "10 inch" or "12 inch" often runs a quarter- to half-inch larger. That small difference genuinely changes the cooking-surface area (it's a squared relationship, not a linear one), so this table lists both the common nominal size and the slightly larger actual size some pans in that size class measure out to, rather than picking just one.
Where do the pan weights in this table come from?
They're representative weights for a typical modern cast-iron skillet at each diameter, not a spec pulled from one specific pan or manufacturer. They're kept consistent with the general guidance used throughout this site's tools (a 10in-class skillet in the 4-5 lb range, a 12in in the 7-8 lb range) and scale up smoothly with size, since a pan's mass tracks its cooking-surface area more closely than its diameter. If you know your own pan's exact weight, the Preheat Time Calculator lets you enter it directly for a more precise number than this table's representative figure.
Why does preheat time roughly triple between the smallest and largest sizes shown, even on the same burner?
Two things stack together. A 15" pan has about 6.3 times the cooking-surface area of a 6" pan, and its representative weight is about 6.8 times as much iron to heat — so it needs roughly seven times the energy to climb the same 300F rise. Burner type doesn't change that relationship, only the rate energy gets delivered, which is why induction, electric, and gas all show the same size-to-size ratio even though their absolute numbers differ.
Does a heavier pan losing heat more slowly mean it's actually "faster" in practice?
Not for the initial preheat — more mass always means more time to bring to temperature in the first place, and that shows up directly in every row of this table. Where a heavier pan's mass pays off is afterward: once it's hot, it holds that heat through cold ingredients hitting the surface far better than a light pan does, so it recovers temperature faster mid-cook even though it took longer to get there.
Pan weights are representative figures for each size class, not a measurement of any specific pan — actual weight varies by manufacturer and casting. Treat this table as a starting point for comparison across sizes, not a substitute for weighing your own pan.
Use it with
- Skillet Size to Servings Calculator— get a servings estimate for a diameter that isn’t one of the sizes listed above.
- Skillet Preheat Time Calculator— plug in your own pan’s exact weight, target temperature rise, and burner type.
- Seasoning Oil Amount Calculator— work out oil for more than one coat, or a different wall height than this table’s 2-inch default.
- What Skillet Size Do You Need? Matching Pan to Servings — the guide version of the servings math, with worked examples for one-pan meals vs. side dishes.