Carbon steel pan, an update after a few years of use [View all]

[Major Nikon]

I posted years ago when I first got this pan. I thought I'd provide an update after a few years of hard use. I use this pan several times per week and it's almost completely replaced the very nice vintage cast iron skillet I own of about the same size. I still use my cast iron pan on rare occasions, mostly for oven use, but otherwise I'm reaching for this one.

The one I own is the De Buyer Carbon Steel Mineral B Fry Pan. I'd guess there are others which are probably as good and cheaper, but this is the one I own. The obvious comparison is to a cast iron pan, so I'll start there.

Browning. The main reason you'd want to reach for either cast iron or carbon steel is heat retention and browning. This carbon steel pan is superior to cast iron in that regard. I wouldn't say it's phenomenally better, but definitely noticeable. Steaks, burgers, pork chops or pretty much anything else you want seared it does a great job.

Handling. The slopped sides makes for a very nice pan to get into and flip things. Certainly there's slopped side cast iron pans, but carbon steel is a bit lighter and this one is just easier to manipulate and use on the stove. It's still a heavy pan so it's not always easy to toss things with one hand, but you'd want something smaller for that anyway. I probably should get a smaller version

Non-stick. Certainly the surface isn't as non-stick as a PTFE or ceramic coated aluminum pan, but it's very close. To give you an idea I make fried eggs and omelets in this pan and it has completely replaced my non-stick pan for those types of uses as the results are far superior. I guess comparing it to those types of pans is all you really need to know as cast iron doesn't really compare in that regard.

Pan sauces. Thanks to the excellent and even browning, pan sauces turn out much better than cast iron. With cast iron it was much easier to get carbonized results in places due to less even heating which quickly ruin a pan sauce before it starts. Good temp control prevented this, but the whole process is much easier with carbon steel as it heats much more evenly.

Maintenance. I haven't done anything to maintain the seasoning other than use it. When I first got it I seasoned it per the manufacturer's recommendation and haven't had any need to do anything else. All I do is clean it and apply a light coat of oil before I put it away. After use while the pan is still hot I dump in a cup of water, loosen the crusty bits and just a quick scrub with a brush and dish soap is all it takes to get it perfectly clean. I do the same process with cast iron except I sometimes have to do a salt scrub to get everything off. I haven't had the need to do that with this pan.

All in all I love this pan and it's without a doubt the favorite tool in my kitchen. The handle didn't come with it and is just a silicone handle I had left over from another pan. It doesn't fit perfectly, but it's very tight and doesn't go anywhere. The bare handle doesn't get hot, but it is much easier to control with a silicone covering.