While most people are familiar with stainless steel and cast iron skillets, carbon steel skillets have become popular over the past few years. As a stainless steel skillet, these pans can be used on a stovetop and an oven, have the ability to brown meat just like a cast-iron skillet, and if treated well, it can fry items just like a nonstick pan. The best carbon steel pan also boasts quick heating abilities and is also semi lightweight making it easy to use.
So, if you are hoping to invest in a good carbon steel pan, read on to find out the best carbon steel pans in the market today, as well as the things you should consider before getting one.
Which carbon steel pan is the best?
What is a Carbon Steel Pan?
A carbon steel pan is an alloy of iron that contains where 99% is iron and 1% is carbon while casts iron, contains 2-4% carbon. The peak carbon content is supposed to make the metal much more brittle. To make these pans, first a piece of carbon steel is cut out, following by which it is beaten into shape, literally. Therefore, as you may expect, carbon is much smoother and thinner as compared to cast iron pans.
Carbon steel cookware is very flexible and can do everything that cast iron skillet does and maybe do it slightly better. The specifications are a refined cooking flat top that is smoother in texture than this cast iron cookware and therefore more uniform in heat secession. It also means that this particular pan is made of thinner metal, which makes it respond to heat in a much faster ways.
1. Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Frying Pan, 8 1/2"
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2. Craft Wok Traditional Hand Hammered Carbon Steel Cookware
- Round Bottom Heavy 14 Inch 15 gauge (1.8mm) carbon steel wok,...
- Not suitable for flat electric or flat induction stove. Carbon...
- Hand hammered by Chinese professionals in Guangzhou. This wok is...
- Steel helper handle will not burn when you stir fry over high...
- Craft Wok - Love Wok! We are a team of professionals drawn...
You will agree with me that there is no other pan or pot that can be as WOK as a work. The Craft Wok Traditional Hand Hammered Pan is prepared with a comprehensive design used to stir fry foods as well as deep frying and boiling foods. Nonetheless, most carbon steel cookware shall be thinner, and this product shall measure 1.8mm in thickness.
This carbon steel frying pan is thinner and thus suitable for fast heating. Moreover, the deep design of the work gives you multiple options of the cooking temperature range. Generally, the bottom of the dessert and the middle of the dish are to be warmer while a side of the dish should be cooler.
Having this cheap pan will help make cooking slightly safer and more doable if you also find the time to learn how to correctly10 use this wok. However, with the rounded bottom, it means that it is designed to fit the gas burners and can easily fail to fit most flat top stoves.
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3. Lodge Carbon Steel Skillet, Pre-Seasoned, 12-inch
- 14 GAUGE CARBON STEEL heats quickly and retains heat for even...
- Use on gas, electric, induction stovetops, outdoor grills or open...
- Seasoned with oil for a natural, easy-release finish that...
- Easy care: hand wash, dry immediately, rub with cooking oil
- Made in USA; Approx. 12" diameter rim to rim/9.875" bottom
If you’re in search of a pre-seasoned carbon steel pan, look no further. The Lodge Skillet is a 12-inch pan with a pre-seasoned surface as opposed to most pan made of carbon steel. Lodge company one of the pioneers of the pre-seasoned cookware and their cooking equipment are basic, but inexpensive.
This piece is made of carbon steel and rather than an angled handle like most carbon steel pots, it has a straight handle. This SKU was created to ensure the pan will fit easily on the upper Shelves of ovens that have multiple levels. That is why a pan heats very fast, but the handle becomes very hot if used for long time cooking.
This skillet is made of 12-inch carbon steel and the heat distribution, tolerance and durability can’t be matched. In the same way the pots of carbon steel become non stick with time without having additional layer of coatings as is common with cast iron pans. This pan can also be used on any other type of campfire or a barbeque grill as well as induction cooktops too.
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4. Merten & Storck Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel 10" Frying Pan Skillet
- Lightweight and quick heating carbon steel delivers cast iron...
- Pre-seasoned, Merten & Storck Carbon develops a nonstick patina...
- Oven safe up to 600°F
- Metal utensil safe
- Triple-riveted steel handle provides a sturdy grip, Given...
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5. OXO Obsidian Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel 12" Frying Pan
- Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel: Just wash and start cooking—no...
- This pan naturally develops a non-stick patina over time
- Precision engineered for powerful performance from stovetop to...
- The lightweight body heats quickly and is built to last
- Oven safe up to 660˚F/350˚C
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Carbon Steel vs. Other Cookware Materials
Each type of cookware has advantages as well as disadvantages, and none of them is superior to the other kind. But this is again depends how you use it and where you use it. Here therefore is a direct comparison of the carbon steel relative to other cookware material.
Carbon Steel Vs. Cast Iron
These materials are both durable and affordable. Cast iron counterparts, however, are thicker and denser, for the sake of uniform heating. As we mentioned before, cast iron is less sensitive to temperature changes than carbon steel.
Carbon Steel Vs. Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is relatively easy to maintain because it doesn’t need to be seasoned as carbon steel does and does not easily rust. However, it is more costly and a little difficult to work with when preparing meals.
Carbon Steel Vs. Blue Steel
Blue steel is nothing else but the carbon steel which is subjected to heat treatment in order to develop a barrier surface. An example of a blue carbon steel frying pan is as good as any other frying pan that is not treated.
What Do You Consider Before Purchasing the Best Carbon Steel Pan?
1. Weight
Carbon steel skillets are significantly lighter compared to their cast iron counterparts, in fact, they are incredibly light. Nonetheless, it differs from model to model with regards to the construction type and material that it is made from. A good carbon-steel skillet will change its heat fast but it should also not move around while it is cooking.
2. Heating Capacity
Generally, carbon steel can withstand high and medium heat and can therefore be used on a variety of cooktops depend on the type. With regard to the heat features most of these pans are capable of getting to a temperature of 800 degrees with some models getting even up to 1200 degrees. This is more than enough for regular, day-to-day cooking, washing up, the oven and the dishwasher. So in as much as the carbon steel fry pan will be used for cooking choose one depending with the manner and place where you are going to use it.
3. Construction
The carbon steel cookware is often heated, pressed, and followed by shaping into the required designs. As a rule, pans have a thickness of 2mm or 3mm, but it is possible to meet models with a more significant thickness. On some models it is possible to forge the handles separately with further fastening by means of rivets. You will want the handles to be long enough that they do not cramp up hands but still be easy to grip on.
4. Maintainance
First of all, there are two most crucial things to take into consideration when it comes to maintenance: cleaning and seasoning. This material is identical with cast iron if one knows how to manage cast iron properly for its use. All your new pan used carbon steel does not scratch easily and for the most part is easy to maintain.
Just as with cast iron, carbon steel must not be washed with the dishwasher or using dish soap since this will remove the seasoning. Wipe it with a paper towel instead of washing it with water, then rinsing it out to remove the germs. To season it, pour oil onto the pan until the smoke appears and and use paper towel to mop the excess oil.
5. Price
Carbon steel pans are available in every possible price range. Even though they are more costly than cast iron, they are cheaper than copper cookware or stainless steel superior quality. The frying pan of your choice should therefore be one that you can afford.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Carbon Steel Pans
1. Do chefs use carbon steel pans?
Yes, chefs have a liking for these pans because a good carbon steel pan serves as a stir fry pan or a sear, boil, bake, a sauté pan, grill pan or even a crepe pan. Also, it can be used for cooking eggs and fish without worrying of it being stuck to the pan. For these and indeed many other reasons, these pans are used in professional kitchen all over the world.
2. What can you not cook in carbon steel?
When it comes to carbon steel pans, you should not cook acidic foods such as vinegar, wine or citrus in them. This is because the strips of foods tend to remove the layer or seasoning that you have put on the pan. Also these pans are made in 99% iron which is a reactive material that will in turn compromise your health and of those you come across.
