Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumDe Buyer MINERAL B Round Carbon Steel Fry Pan update
I posted about this pan when I first bought it. Here's an update 10 months later. I use this pan a few times per week and I rarely use any of my cast iron skillets anymore. In fact the only time I can remember using any of them is when I bake biscuits or corn bread.The non-stick properties have just gotten better over time and they were already quite good even after the manufacturer's recommended initial seasoning seen in the first picture. The only seasoning I have done since then is just use it continuously. Clean up is pretty simple. I just wipe out all the oil and pour in some water while the pan is still hot. Anything that sticks to the sides can be easily removed with a plastic scouring pad and some salt. Much like cast iron after cleaning I dry it off on the stove and apply a light coat of oil before storage.
New:
10 months of use:
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)Initially as you use the pan, some of the seasoning will start to come off as you wash it. It still happens to a lesser degree now around the edges. This just means the seasoning didn't have a strong chemical bond to the steel and it eventually fills back in over time. Just like cast iron, the more you use it, the better it gets.
JoeOtterbein
(7,697 posts)The soil-carbon build up on the fasteners can harbor bio-films that can protect spores of pathogenic bacteria. Plus Cast Iron provides extra iron to the food.
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)Rarely will you see cast iron in a commercial kitchen. If there were any health risk associated with them this wouldnt be the case. I dont believe what you describe is a significant risk and even if it were the risk would be greater with cast iron which has a rougher surface and is more prone to developing scratches which are like canyons to microscopic bacteria.
Theres at least three things which protect both cast iron and carbon steel pans from pathogens outside of normal cleaning. One is they are designed for very high heat which is more than sufficient to kill even spore forming bacteria. Another is seasoning which is not conducive to bacteria formation. The third is coating the pans with oil which you should always do before storage anyway.
Carbon steel also adds iron to foods. If you wipe down the pan with a cloth before use it will turn it brown just like cast iron does due to oxidation or rust.
mitch96
(13,817 posts)Although spatchcock roast chicken in a cast iron pan is hard to beat... I found an old Griswald at a sidewalk sale. Smooth as glass, lighter than a Lodge and works great..$15. I season the cast and carbon steel the same way. You can find DeBuyer on sale some times...
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