7 Good Reasons to Buy a Carbon Steel Pan

If you are looking for a healthier alternative to Teflon and are not satisfied with the performance of your cast iron cookware, consider purchasing a carbon still. It can do almost everything your heavy cast iron skillet can do, but for some cooking tasks, a carbon still pan might outperform a cast iron skillet.

Here are several reasons why you should consider adding carbon steel pans to your cookware arsenal:

  1. The main advantage of using carbon steel for cooking is its weight. Carbon steel cookware is lighter than cast iron and is easier to lift, shake and turn, making it more comfortable to use for the elderly and those with weak hands.
  2. Carbon steel cookware has an amazing temperature response and exceptional heat distribution properties. It heats up and cools down much faster than cast iron, allowing for greater control over the cooking process. When you change your stove’s heat settings, this cookware adjusts almost instantly.
  3. Black steel cookware is extremely durable and long lasting. Carbon steel is 99 percent iron, making it less brittle than cast iron. Physical abuse may cause the pan to bend, but will not break it. With proper use and care, it will last for decades.
  4. Once properly seasoned, the pan will develop a pretty good non-stick coating. However, it may take several seasoning passes to become completely nonstick. Unlike traditional non-stick pans, the non-stick properties improve over time and with regular use.
  5. Unlike traditional non-stick pans, a carbon steel pan can withstand very high temperatures, making it perfect for searing. You can also heat the pan empty without damaging it, and it doesn’t release chemicals when exposed to high heat (like a Teflon pan).
  6. You cannot permanently destroy the nonstick coating because this pan does not have a synthetic coating that can peel off. Once the spices are removed, the pan can easily be seasoned again.
  7. A carbon steel skillet is an extremely versatile piece of cookware that you can use for almost anything. Black steel cookware is compatible with all heat sources, including induction cooktops.

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Related product: JÄGARSTEKPANNA ORIGINAL XL Carbon Steel Frying

Frying pan carbon steel

Carbon Steel Skillet – Downsides

  1. The carbon steel pan is not non-stick right out of the box; It takes time and a lot of care to achieve optimal seasoning levels and a high-performance non-stick coating.
  2. If you want your cookware to look brand new and perfectly clean, carbon steel is not for you as its interior surface darkens with age and regular use.
  3. Thinner and inferior carbon steel cookware is prone to warping.  A warped base will not lie flat on glass or induction cooktops. If you have an induction cooker in your kitchen, look for a high-quality pan from a well-known manufacturer like De Buyer.
  4. Carbon steel is susceptible to corrosion. To prevent rust, you need to regularly coat the entire surface with oil.
  5. You cannot use carbon steel cookware to prepare acidic foods, such as simmering a tomato sauce, as this type of food can degrade the seasoning. In this case, you will need to clean and re-season your pan. Another cause for concern is that separated spices can leach iron into your meal.

Which Carbon Steel Pan to Choose

Depending on the design, carbon steel cookware can serve as a regular frying pan or be used for specialized cooking tasks.

  1. A standard carbon-steel frying pan is a multi-purpose cookware suitable for cooking a wide range of meals. It offers non-stick quality without any questionable synthetic materials. You can cook almost anything in it with very little oil. High surface temperatures create a desired browning effect on food and contribute to the preparation of particularly tasty dishes.
  2. Crepe pans should offer good temperature control and deliver even heat across the entire surface. Carbon steel meets these criteria perfectly and allows the preparation of very thin and delicious crepes. Because a carbon steel pan is lighter than cast iron, it is easier to lift and pivot so you can spread the batter on the inside surface. You can also use it to bake pancakes.
  3. A wok pan is a deep curved pan with a small round bottom. The main purpose of these pans is stir frying. The high sides are ideal for tossing your food back and forth. Roasted vegetables retain their color and important nutrients. If you like authentic tasting Chinese food, a carbon steel wok is the way to go.
  4. Carbon steel is also the material of choice for paella pans, as it conducts heat quickly, allowing perfect control over the cooking process. Compared to a wok, a paella pan has lower sides and a larger flat bottom, which helps distribute heat evenly throughout the pan. This frying pan also features two small handles that allow you to easily rotate the pan and cook food evenly.

Related product: de Buyer MINERAL B Carbon Steel Fry Pan – 12.5”

Tips for Cooking with Carbon Steel

  • To avoid sticking, you need to grease the pan with a little oil. A seasoning alone does not ensure a completely non-stick surface.
  • To reduce sticking, preheat the pan before adding food. When food goes into a cold pan, it sticks. On the contrary, in a preheated pan, the food is immediately seared, keeping the juice inside and preventing it from getting into the pan. Hot oil also helps create a nice brown crust.
  • Wet food is more likely to stick than dry food because moisture tends to cool the pan. Too much food at once has the same effect. Overcrowding causes the temperature of the pan to drop and releases a lot of moisture, which contributes to sticking.
  • Do not cook acidic foods in black steel cookware as they may lose the seasoning. Damaged spices can leach the metal into your meal. Not only can this cause you to absorb more iron than your body needs, but it can also lead to an unpleasant metallic taste in your mouth when you eat such meals.

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2 thoughts on “7 Good Reasons to Buy a Carbon Steel Pan”

  1. Very informative. It helped me understand why my carbon steel pan warped even if I paid $156.00. It made me realized It is cheaply made even it is expensive, for me anyway. I thought I was buying a quality pan.

    Reply
  2. no, you shouldn’t have to add oil if the pan is seasoned well. the whole point of carbon steel is not using oil but if you’re not looking for a michelin star then adding oil won’t hurt just make sure that you prepare the pan with oil first. that is, there’s a chemical process with the oil and the pan that has to occur otherwise you’re just wasting oil and time. as for preheating the pan, you don’t add cold food to a hot pan. the reason is that the metal expands when it’s heated, and contracts when it’s cold. if you have oiled your pan correctly it won’t make much difference but if not, when you add the cold food, or drop the temperature the metal contracts and the microscopic fissures that close up are what causes the food to stick. that’s why if you have trouble cleaning a pan, you heat it up and hope that those fissures will open up.

    Reply

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