As my Teflon pans are yet again failing, I am exploring "permanent" alternatives. I like what I'm reading about carbon steel, and since I have a Blackstone, I'm familiar with the seasoning process. strata pans have caught my eye. They're carbon t steel on the inside, aluminium in the middle, and stainless on the outside. Price is comparable to Misen and Made In. The claim is that the aluminum/SS/carbon steel sandwich provides more even heat distribution, significantly lighter than their carbon steel counterparts, and resist warping better than pure carbon steel.
Any opinions?
Edit- they've only been in business for a year. There are some really good initial reviews, though.
Last edited by McFlyfi; August 30, 2025, 10:23 PM.
Smokin-It 3D
Weber Kettle with an SNS
Masterbuilt kettle that I call the $30 wonder grill
Bullet by Bull Grills gasser
Anova WiFi sous vide machine
Thermoworks Thermapen and Chef Alarm
I’m not familiar with Strata - but, the two CS pans I have I absolutely love! Smithy Farmhouse and 3 Nail Ironware are the two I have. You can’t go wrong with CS! Great pans to cook with and I haven’t had any issues with warping and don’t feel the two I have are heavy - they are much lighter than the two Ci skillets I use.
I have a CS pan that I purchased from a restaurant supply online store. It's a 9-inch pan that is nothing fancy. More of the work horse type you'd see in a restaurant kitchen. I was able to season it; it heats quickly and is relatively non-stick. Maybe it's something to consider before you spend a lot of money on a brand name pan
With my Teflon pans wearing out, my wife on an anti ptfe and micro plastic kick, and having gone back to help out my pre-retirement employer (extra $$$), it seems that the universe is lining things up for me to buy a top tier, high quality, forever set of pans.
(Oh, and this is the same excuse I used to buy my Weber 26" kettle last year)😁
That Misen pan is very interesting. Clad around aluminum, but the carbon steel is nitrided for permanent no stick. 20% off for Labor Day. Set of 3 (8-10-12 inch) for $284.
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ", Raichlen’s “Brisket Chronicles”
Current MCBS - Momofuku
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
I forgot that I posted this. I ended up with the Misen nitrated carbon steel pans. A set of three came in at just about $300 after tax, shipping, and the 20% discount.
I have to say that I was very happy with the original "non stickyness", they were much slicker than their own promotional material suggested. However, as they have "aged" (3 ish months) I am less happy. According to Misen, they are on their journey to becoming fully seasoned, but at this rate, it'll likely be a year before this process is complete.
Currently, they are less non stick than when new. The DW made some chicken fried rice last night that left the largest pan a crime scene. I can attribute part of the to her, ahem, "shortcomings" in the kitchen. They are pretty easy to clean though, soaked for a couple of minutes with hot soapy water, and if needed, the Lodge plastic scraper. They can also be cleaned with a scotchbrite sponge to keep the surface smooth.
Overall, I'm going to reserve judgement on the final opinion until they are fully seasoned. And, to be fair, I do 70 percent of my cooking on either the Backstone, the Weber gasser, or a charcoal kettle, so my Misens process towards non stick will take longer than others.
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ", Raichlen’s “Brisket Chronicles”
Current MCBS - Momofuku
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
a few things I have learned with carbon steel ....
1. cooking technique is imperative
2. Regardless of all the claims about perfect non-stick, how you season and how you maintain them is critical
3. You MUST heat up the pan to about 250 before any oil or butter goes in
Also, if you feel that you need to nuke and re-season (and you might) ... This Uncle Scott video teaches you how
And finally, here is Uncle Scott (master of Carbon Steel) on the Misen stuff. Note: I haven't yet watched this particular video, but I do know that there is a lot of controversy out there over Misen's nitrated carbon steel.
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