Carbon Steel Pan - Merry Christmas to me

[JGrana]

I'm asked every year - what should the kids get you for Christmas.
Well, I have been researching carbon steel pans. We have a large steel, teflon pan that is starting to shed...
I really like the 10" cast iron we have, but man is it getting heavy as I'm getting older.

Some Googling sent me to looking at carbon steel pans. Many of the frying/browning properties of cast iron, but lighter.
Turns out many restaurants use carbon steel - durable, great browning but easier to handle than cast iron.After lots of looking around I settled on a Matfer Bourgeat 12 5/8 pan. Rated highly by the Cooks Illustrated staff.

We are having surf and turf on Christmas Eve so I convinced my wife that I needed to open the package and season it before it's first use. She agreed ;-)

Did the oil/salt/potato peel seasoning after scrubbing the shipping coating off (man, lots of Bar Keepers and elbow grease...)

Looks great! Ready for Christmas Eve

[rickgregory]

Love carbon steel and that's nice pan. Needs bacon though

[barelfly]

Ooooooh! You are gonna love it! I’ve had my first carbon steel for a few weeks and love it!

have fun cooking with that great pan!

[texastweeter]

Never cooked in carbon steel. Always use black iron, all clad, and occasionally a nonstick. What are the advantages over those three?

[parkerj2]

Once you get it seasoned it behaves like cast iron, just heats up quicker and is easier to handle due to lighter weight.

[rickgregory]

If by black iron you mean cast iron, carbon steel pans are similar but react more quickly to heat changes. Seasoned, they're almost as good as a non-stick pan. You can get a lot of the same stuff in a stainless pan that has a quick reacting base material but you can't make those like non-stick since you don't season them. Non-stick.. well, a) when there coatings starts wearing, think about where it's been going (into your food) and b) it wears. Some specific uses (omelets) but, eh.

[JoeSousa]

I have the same pan in the 10 inch version. Great pan to cook with. I love the welded handle as well. No bits of food get stuck around any rivets or anything like that.

[Thunder77]

That is a beauty!

[HawkerXP]

Congrats!

[LA Pork Butt]

Congratulations! I am expecting a carbon steel wok under the tree.