Step Aside, Cast Iron: Yeti's New Lightweight Option Is Just As Functional

We've all seen what happens when your favorite brand expands its offerings, and suddenly, they're not quite the same. Brands like Yeti, which are built on quality and indestructibility, have a price point to match, leaving many to wonder if they're actually worth it. Yeti has been producing high-quality coolers since 2006, and over the past two decades, the focus has expanded to include everything from drinkware to bags, chairs, and pet gear. Now, the brand has moved into cookware, and its newest release is a lightweight carbon steel griddle that's just as functional and well-built as cast iron.

Yeti's carbon steel griddle measures 22 by 12 inches, weighs 12 pounds, and costs $200 from the Yeti website at the time of writing. The pre-seasoned carbon steel is about five pounds lighter than a cast iron griddle of this size. While both materials are comprised of carbon and iron, a carbon steel griddle is more lightweight because it contains only about 2% carbon, compared to cast iron, which contains up to 3.5%. Less carbon also means the pan won't be as brittle, so it can be made thinner and lighter while still providing all the benefits of cast iron, including being naturally non-stick. Like cast iron, when a carbon steel pan is seasoned properly, all you need to clean it by hand is water and a little soap. Yeti's new carbon steel griddle also works on nearly any heat source, from stovetops and ovens to barbecue grills and campfires. All-in-all, it sounds like the kind of quality buyers have come to expect from Yeti.

If you're considering the new Yeti griddle, it helps to know how carbon steel cookware differs from cast iron. Since carbon steel is thinner, it heats and cools faster, so it cooks differently than cast iron. If you prefer lightweight cookware, you will enjoy that this pan provides a good sear without the heavy lift. But it might not be right for people who like a pan with good heat retention that stays warm or continues cooking after the heat is shut off. On the bright side, nobody likes doing dishes, and Yeti's carbon steel has a nitrided heat treatment that makes maintenance easy. Unlike many types of cookware that have a coating, such as enameled cast iron cookware, this isn't something that will chip or peel off later. It changes the structure of the steel on the surface and creates a durable shell that resists rust and scratches.

One of Yeti's closest competitors for this product is the carbon steel griddle by Made In. A product of Sweden, Made In's carbon steel griddle is priced at $179 online. It weighs 9.9 pounds compared to Yeti's 12-pound product, but when you do the math and compare them side by side, the Yeti griddle offers nearly double the cooking space. The Yeti carbon steel griddle is heavier by design to keep the griddle stable while cooking. While the average lifespan of Yeti coolers starts at around ten years, carbon steel griddles can last a lifetime, although Yeti only offers a five-year warranty compared to Made In's lifetime guarantee.