Carbon Steel Saute Pans

[Curt Goodrich]

I've never used one but I'm interested. Anybody have experience with them? Favorite brands and styles? I'm a sucker for French cooking tools.

[mzilliox]

ive been eyeing them... they are supposedly the best, a wok in pan form. ill have one soon.

heres a particularly sexy handmade version for your viewing pleasure

Blanc Creatives Pro Saucier 11" | Eatingtools.com

[guido]

I'm really digging mine...

De Buyer MINERAL B Round Carbon Steel Fry Pan 12.5-Inch

Less liquid tolerant than a black iron pan but for simple "anything in olive oil" saute it owns the category...

[skouri1]

I'm also looking into purchasing soon.
Can't decide yet between an 10-11 or 12.5". I hear they are in between SS and cast iron in terms of weight, so I dont want to get anything too heavy and cumbersome.
Matfer Bourgeat seems like the budget option. I have heard tales of warping but who knows, doesn't really make sense as I think they are all stamped steel? and also comparable thickness. (3mm or so?)
De Buyer Mineral B everyone loves and says is easy to season/maintain, only draw back is an epoxy handle that cannot handle long times in oven temps (above 10 mins). Of course, with a frying pan this may be a moot point because how often am i frying a steak and finishing it a little in the oven...cant think of many times it may go in there otherwise... (frittata?)
I am curious about the Mauviel M Steel (which doesn't have the handle issue). From reviews I see it is on par with the De Buyer, if slightly more difficult to season initially.

That's what I've gleaned from my research, but I would love to hear some real insight from the V SALON owners I trust (not people who dont know how to season a pan). :)

[caleb]

I'm also looking into purchasing soon.
Can't decide yet between an 10-11 or 12.5". I hear they are in between SS and cast iron in terms of weight, so I dont want to get anything too heavy and cumbersome.
Matfer Bourgeat seems like the budget option. I have heard tales of warping but who knows, doesn't really make sense as I think they are all stamped steel? and also comparable thickness. (3mm or so?)
De Buyer Mineral B everyone loves and says is easy to season/maintain, only draw back is an epoxy handle that cannot handle long times in oven temps (above 10 mins). Of course, with a frying pan this may be a moot point because how often am i frying a steak and finishing it a little in the oven...cant think of many times it may go in there otherwise... (frittata?)
I am curious about the Mauviel M Steel (which doesn't have the handle issue). From reviews I see it is on par with the De Buyer, if slightly more difficult to season initially.

That's what I've gleaned from my research, but I would love to hear some real insight from the V SALON owners I trust (not people who dont know how to season a pan). :)

I've had all three you mention, and I like the Bourgeat the best. It's slightly heavier than the others, and it doesn't have rivets.

[Bobonli]

I have a Mafter. $50 or so from Amazon. My FAVORITE pan!!! Once seasoned (America's test kitchen has a good video about using potato skins and salt) it is truly non-stick unless you purposely abuse it. Which every now and then my wife does with tomato sauce or a piece of fish without oiling it a little. Even then it cleans up quickly. Great heat distribution, you can pop it in the oven. Great for eggs. Really the only thing I dont put in it is high acidity products like red sauce. It has the heating qualities of cast iron without the coarse texture of cast iron, which is death to my glass top cooking surface.

I'm an All Clad house. I rarely touch my AC skillet or non-stick/teflon/ceramic pans.

[Dmoeny]

As said, they're great. I use mine frequently, primarily for eggs.

[Bobonli]

Oops. I was incorrect. Cook's Illustrated, not America's Test Kitchen. Happy watching:
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/vid...steel-skillets

How to Season a Carbon-Steel Skillet or Wok | Cook's Illustrated

[skouri1]

I've had all three you mention, and I like the Bourgeat the best. It's slightly heavier than the others, and it doesn't have rivets.

Why is the Matfer's heft better?
And are the rivets worse for clean-up is that it?
thanks for the feedback!

[COVRTDESIGN]

I've had a few and really enjoyed them, but I only use cast iron for every pot and pan now.

If I am going to take time to clean and season, I will do it with all of the cast iron in the oven at the same time.

[Too Tall]

I've had a few and really enjoyed them, but I only use cast iron for every pot and pan now.

If I am going to take time to clean and season, I will do it with all of the cast iron in the oven at the same time.

What he said. I got a De Buyer crepe pan in hopes it would make better Dosas. I've given it little use because my cast iron are just better.

[tanghy]

Black Star Frying Pan

this is good!

[hampco]

I'm really liking my De Buyer. Better shape than cast iron for actual sautéing, good non-stickness, goofy (Eiffel Tower-shaped) handle but I'm getting used to it, nice sense of heat transfer.

[dgaddis]

I've got one of the matfer boughoweveryouspellit - the one without any rivets. I've got two actually. I like that there's no rivets, easier to clean. The larger sizes are heavy though.

[LarryA]

I just acquired 11" and 8" DeBuyers (I blame Dustin).

Seasoned with 6 "wafer thin" layers of canola on the stove-top. Not in love with the visuals of the seasoning, but they are slicker than the Calpalon non-stick they replaced. Really like how easy it is to crate a fond with them. They are HEAVY.

Hindsight suggests a brand I could season in the oven might be better, but that's my only beef so far.

[skiezo]

I am going to have to give one of these a go around. I have a bunch of old cast iron from my grandma that I use frequently for searing,bacon and fried taters. I am trying to get away from non stick coatings. The only thing I like NS for is when I make a pot of oatmeal.
I look at the options on 11" pans and give one a go.

[Curt Goodrich]

I'm really liking my De Buyer. Better shape than cast iron for actual sautéing, good non-stickness, goofy (Eiffel Tower-shaped) handle but I'm getting used to it, nice sense of heat transfer.

Steve,

I really like the look of the De Buyer. The rivets especially. Does the handle have a coating? Can you stick the whole thing in the oven? I was thinking this pan would work well for searing a steak and finishing in the oven for the misguided members of my family that prefer their beef medium well.

[mzilliox]

so some call them heavy, but are they more light than cast iron? cast iron is ok for cooking certain things, but you dont get the heat control or ability to flip wth them being so heavy. my stainless pans work fine, so im not sure why im eyeing a carbon one, maybe because i enjoy my wok so much when i get to use it... i could imagine a smaller version being awesome for certain things.

[hampco]

Steve,

I really like the look of the De Buyer. The rivets especially. Does the handle have a coating? Can you stick the whole thing in the oven? I was thinking this pan would work well for searing a steak and finishing in the oven for the misguided members of my family that prefer their beef medium well.

No coating and oven-friendly. It seems to hold heat really well so should be good with steaks - although I find the medium-well thing a little disturbing. Can anything be done about it?

[nick k]

So far I like the Matfer 11 7/8”. It’s a bit heavier than an equivalent size All-Clad stainless but quite a bit lighter than a similar size cast iron. If sautéing and flipping foods, making omelettes, etc. is your goal, it’s significantly more usable than cast iron. And you don’t have to worry about acidic sauces, so tomatoes or lemon sauces won’t take on off tastes. I also like that it’s thermal properties are totally different than cast iron - it’s much quicker to react to temperature changes from the burner, so sear, and then simmer in a sauce techniques really work. Or finishing a sauce off heat and adding butter to thicken. The diesel-like thermal reactivity of cast iron is sometimes way too slow. Butter can burn, sauces scorch before the pan cools down even if you pull it off the heat.