Nice review. I have the lodge myself and I stripped off the factory seasoning with a vinegar bath, and aggressively rubbed the cooking surface with a stainless steel chainmail, and then reseasoned and it came out great! Very smooth cooking surface but still holds a good season. Not everyone is going to want to bother but 20 min of active work and it’s a lifer on the cheap.
Sir, ATK has nothing on you! I love your straightforward, fact driven reviews without cutesy chatter. You test for things that matter to home cooks. And while I don't really need another pan, Christmas is coming and maybe Santa needs to bring me something shiny in carbon steel!
I like ATK, but their reviews are generally "go with the opposite of what they recommend." I'm not sure whether they're receiving kick-backs from certain manufacturers, or they're just going with their "feels," but yeah, I don't bother with their recommendations for pots and pans.
Regarding the matfer recall in France, Uncle Scott's Kitchen has two videos on the subject with a response from matfer in them. The videos are from late April.
Very interesting! (I've had a Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel crepe pan for over 20 years. I love that thing--makes great crepes and it's perfect for a single serving of eggs and so much more!)
I have had my De Buyer Mineral B pan with the coated handle for almost 4 years now. It is amazing. If I need a pan that can go into the oven for an extended period of time, I use my 80 year old hand me down Griswold cast iron pan. Neither the De Buyer, nor the Griswold can deal with acidic foods. That's when the almost 40 year old stainless steel pan sees some action. If you only have room for one skillet, go with a stainless one. It is the most versatile.
Nice post. But IMO, an enameled cast iron pan is actually the most versatile. Sears better than stainless. Easier to clean than stainless. Less sticky than stainless. Handles acidic foods fine. Goes right in the open. If I had to live with one pan forever, it would be my Staub enameled cast iron pan.
Helpful review and good timing, as I'm shopping for a CS pan; thank you! And in another bit of good timing, as your video is released, de Buyer is having a pretty good holiday sale.
This is amazing video - you really helped me with my choices. I fully trust your reviews. Your thoroughness, databased approach and unbiased reviews are unmatched. I am telling everyone about your channel. My go to!
I am in love with the blue De Buyer CS line. I have the crepes pan of the line and it’s wonderful, it IS responsive as a crepes pan is supposed to be, very easy to season and keep it seasoned. I can flip the pancakes the fancy way by throwing them in the air and they are way tastier than when I made them in my old non stick pan. It’s also better than the standard, thicker carbon steel pan. It’s lighter and no downsides.
Agree. I have a blue crepe pan as well as a 12" mineral B. They both live on the stove. The big one is sometimes just too much pan. Too big, too heavy, takes a while to come to temp. Still love it, but the little crepe pan is none of those things. I use it often.
About the Matfer pan test: cooking a very acidic water solution for two straight hours on the stove? It’s not the same as using a splash of lemon at the end of the cooking process. It’s how we usually strip all seasoning!
I've got the Smithey Little Farmhouse skillet and it performs great! Yes, pricey up front, but with simple maintenance it will last generations so it's a great long term value. Beautifully made and is always noticed, picked up and complemented anytime someone new walks into my kitchen. It is on the heavy side.
Thanks for the video. I have owned Matfer for a very long time after Americas Test Kitchen gave them such a glowing review. My largest Matfer warped and I had been living with it like that for quite some time. Not a problem on a gas cooktop, but totally stinks on glass top/induction cooktops. So I started looking for a replacement. When I started the search a couple of weeks ago I thought I was going to buy a Strata. I was ready to place the order, but I kept watching your vids and found myself down a couple of rabbit holes and started to change lanes over to stainless. So I ordered a couple of Made In fry pans in stainless. BUT I do like carbon steel. I decided after spending so much on a couple of stainless pans that I needed to keep my budget down if I wanted to add a new carbon steel. So I went with the Lodge. The Lodge arrived yesterday and I had the first cook on it today. The finish on the Lodge is like Rhino liner truck liner looking stuff. It really is very ROUGH. Wasn't impressed with the finish. The handle is no worse that my Matfer pans so I say that is a wash. The side walls are VERY low/short on the Lodge and I got a LOT of splatter from the pan when cooking in it today. I assumed the Rhino liner would be an issue, but it wasn't. I added some tallow to the pan and no issues with the finish causing problems. Heat evenness seemed to be OK on my induction cooktop. The Lodge gets a passing grade, but it's biggest negative at the moment is the low/short sides and the splatter. For the price though I really can't complain. I get to keep a carbon steel pan in the arsenal, but looking forward to learning some new tricks with the Made In stainless when it arrives next week.
Thanks for sharing! We’re on the same page with Lodge. It gets the job done but I wish it was smoother and had taller walls. For the price, it’s a good value. You’ll love Made In stainless, it’s fantastic.
@@quakerwildcat My biggest Matfer warped, but not because of the Induction(at least in my case). It warped very early on when I bought the pan and I think it happened during my seasoning sessions in the oven when it was pretty new. I only noticed it when I tried the Induction cooktop that on the glass top that the pan had warped. You don't really notice these things on a gas cooktop so much. So I was pretty upset about it, but lived with it for a lot of years since most of my cooking was on gas at the time. I have the Matfer in two other smaller sizes and neither of them have warped and they are good pans, but I find I use the larger pan the most. So when I finally was fed up with the warped pan on the Induction cooktop I went looking for options. I ended up ordering a new set of stainless fry pans, but still wanted another large carbon steel since it is what I have grown comfortable with over the years. That is how I ended up deciding to try the Lodge. This time of year I pull out a portable induction cooktop for cooking. So far the Lodge hasn't warped. I have used it a few times now on the Induction cooktop. However I am finding the rhino liner seasoning in this thing to be a bear. I will need a lot of cooking in it to get it to where it needs to be. The low sides on it really make a mess. When on the Induction I start the cooktop on low for a few minutes and then will turn it up in the hopes that maybe that will help keep the pan from warping. I don't think the Lodge is going to be a pan that I love. Over time I think it can be made usable. Time will tell now. One of my new stainless pans showed up yesterday and I did my first cook in that and the higher side walls were very welcome, but it is going to take some getting used to how things stick to the bottom of a stainless pan. So this old dog needs to learn some new tricks. LOL
I have wanted a deep Farmhouse Smithey, it's bigger and deeper, but $325 made me a little nervous. I have been having a hard time learning how to use my Made In cast iron enamel pan and thought about their carbon steel one. Have used it twice for eggs and worked good. I will be trying more ways to use it and sell how it holds up. Made In has become my favorite pans to use. Will see by Spring if it warps or not. Thanks for another very good informative video.
I have that Lodge pan and really like it. I have a few Lodge cast iron pans too and all of them work great. I don't sand them down like some do. The rougher surface takes seasoning better than any pan I have including Field, Smithey and Stargazer. Easy as Hell to season a Lodge.
I use a Vollrath carbon steel pan. It was less than $50 unseasoned and welded not riveted. Vollrath are professional pans used in restaurants. I don’t plan on dropping any weights on it to test durability. It’s taking quite a while to get it seasoned to how I want it, but I figure it will get there eventually. I like it because it heats up fast and cools down quickly. I don’t use it for everything. It depends on what I’m making. I also have a Vollrath stainless steel pan that I have had for years. It has been a real workhorse for me. My other pan I use a lot is my Lodge cast iron pan. These are the pans I use the most. I don’t think you have to pay a lot for a good pan.
TY for this. My best friend has several "Smithey" pans both cast iron and carbon steel. I'm at wits end to pay the price but I know how good my friend cooks with both iron and carbon and I've decided to go with Smithey. I guess you get what you pay for and I do like that they are made in the USA.
Rumor says the same French agency recalled DeBuyer skillets which failed another test. The building burned down after they tried boiling rocket fuel for two hours ...
The French government made a British woman drain the "400" year old lake at her château because they said it didn't meet their new environmental water laws. She has spent almost as much getting her lake back as she has buying the château itself. I'm not surprised one bit that a French government agency would boil rocket fuel in the first place.
The Smithy pan is something I would want to serve from if I had guests. I keep the electric induction surface clean by covering it with parchment paper. I have considered aluminium foil, but decided against it in case it melts.
If you have induction, want a carbon steel to crazy sear steak, please read my experience. I use induction for 13 yrs. I have 2 DeByer and for me, they are heavy but they don't warp with very high heat. I added silicone handles, You can preheat your pan in 30 sec, deeply crust a steak in less than 1 minute per side. ( perfect with sous-vide) Very Impressive. ! Now, for protecting my glass surface I purcharsed Lazy K Induction Cooktop Mat - Silicone Fiberglass Scratch Protector on all 4 burners. It protects the surface but more importantly, because of its ridges, it diffuse a bit of the heat from the bottom of the pan on the sides instead of being radiated inside towards the induction coil. It's a game changer. ( The price for replacing those unit is the cost of a regular electric range. )
I have a new 8 3/4" winco CS that I'm enjoying. I also have an old (15y) DB Blue crepe that is perfectly seasoned and is great except for the bulge in the middle that is supposed to flatten heated but never does. The winco was $20, oct'24.
I've enjoyed my matfers for a few yers now, I'm not too worried about the recall, i don't use them for acidic food and if even if idid i doubt it would be a long time use, not say 2 hours, really not the type of cooking those pans are made for, these matfers are workhorses have used them in professional kitchens before, work great with eggs and bacon(really produces some best cooked bacon out of any style pans i have , cast-iron, or stainless steel, they sear meats great and work well in ovens,also these type of pans make it easy for the butter basting technique , spooning on butter on finished steaks or scallops by tilting the pan(not something as easy with a cast-iron pan) and letting the butter pool up, before basting on your protein, no rivets is a plus, one thing people should be aware is if you use them on electric oil burners you probably wont get that all black finish /patina that you would get using therm with gas because the gas usually wraps up and around more of the sides then electric, you'll get more of a spotty /blotchy type finish but hasn't affected my cooking of the pans and i have had them for 3-4 years now , great review of these type of pans, keep up the great videos!
I own a De Buyer Mineral B Pro carbon steel pan and a Made-In carbon steel pan. I use the De Buyer Mineral B Pro more than any pan I own. It lives on my stovetop. The Made-in pan lives in a cabinet under my stovetop. Yes it's heavy, but I'm a large and reasonably strong man and it's just not an issue for me. And in exchange for that weight/mass, I get heat retention that rivals cast iron. I disagree with the comments about the seasoning. My De Buyer is very well seasoned. I cook eggs with it often. I bought mine brand new 5 years ago for $70. Sorry to see the price has more than doubled. Still, highly recommended.
I don't know if you can get them where you are, but you should look for carbon pans from Gräwe / Gaewe. They are very inexpensive, come with a silicon handle protector and are about the same weight as mineral B.
@@PrudentReviews durability and design are the 2 big things but mineral rich clay is amazing and should be tested to void of (heavy metals and toxic materials). I use clay pots for lots of slow cooking recipes. Thanks!
GREAT product review..!! I do realize that manufacturers products through different sizes should be similar, if not the same. However, I have found, in my nearly 80 years, that just because the product bears the same brand, they can differ immensely. Being in the market for an 8” plus a 10” carbon steel pans, I would find it tremendously interesting if you were to test the smaller 8” ( +\- ) versions of the same manufactures. GREAT VIDEO… Very informative + helpful in anyone’s decision making..!! 👍👍
I bought a made in cause you mentioned it in one of your videos. I got it last week and I've been having a good time with it. The warping definitely scares me though.
You should be ok, just preheat it gradually and don’t rinse it with cold water when it’s piping hot. I put my pans through some unusual abuse during my tests which may have lead to the warping.
I have a 12" Mineral B with the helper handle. I really like it, but I don't use it for as much, since it's heavier and takes longer to clean up for a couple eggs in the morning. (Love it for pancakes, though) I have a small (8" ?) Matfer that I appreciate and use much more often, though I think the Mineral B seasons better for some reason. I got them a while ago, when the prices were much better, via Amazon. Lately, I've been appreciating stainless steel as well. And then I have a fancy cast iron pan, but I don't use it for a whole lot.
For classic CS pans, I have a big De Buyer Pro omelette pan, two Grewe pans (those are insanely cheap here AND have an awesome silicone sleeve) and three Darto pans. Every one of them has some up- and downsides so I am using all of them for different purposes. Except for the fancy De Buyer pro line stainless steel handle, I always use a silicone sleeve. Makes your life WAY more comfortable. Darto is the best if you want to go in the oven. Who needs cast iron when you have a DARTO pan?
So, if you actually think responsiveness is more important than heat retention, the ability to quickly cool down if too hot or to quickly heat up or impart more heat fast if things drop down to running too cool, AND you don't plan on dropping a brick onto the rim of your pan or otherwise slam and bash it around a lot, then maybe the Strata is the best all-around? Just saying, the two things it came up short on might be the least significant of all the factors, but I will give that it's new and is the only one on the list here that doesn't have a test-of-time track record, since it basically only just came out a few months ago. (Of course I am a bit prejudice, because I own a 12.75" Strata and I love it. I have had resounding success cooking with it, and along with my CS wok it is one of my two main skillet workhorses. I wouldn't trade it for any other 12"-carbon-steel skillet out there!)
Strata is a great replacement to an aluminum nonstick pan or even a stainless steel pan if you want something that has a little bit more of a slick surface. If you want a heavier, thicker pan with better heat retention more like a cast-iron skillet, de Buyer mineral B pro, and Smithey are better options. There’s a place for both in my opinion.
@@PrudentReviews Well, I do have a 12" Lodge Cast Iron too. When I recently wanted to sear a ribeye steak after a sous vide, I didn't reach for my 12" Strata anyway, but rather I used my 12" Tramontina stainless steel. But I'm not sure that has all that much more heft to it really. Here is a factor for me that might not be true for everybody: I am cooking on induction, so maybe just because of that I am less concerned with heat retention because I can much more instantly make the pan hotter if I need to, since induction directly heats the pan and the pan is then the source of the heat, and not the burner itself. That might be a factor, and maybe if I was stuck with using an electric ceramic/glass top stove, then heat retention might be a bigger deal for me, and I would be more likely to want to use cast iron or something with more heft and heat retention. Since induction permits to make a pan hotter so much more instantly if I need to, maybe I don't worry about heat retention because I don't need to. It is kind of amazing to play with induction, with a pot of water boiling in it, dial it down to 210, just 2 degrees below the boiling point, and it near instantly stops boiling. Dial it back up to just 215, just 3 degrees above boiling, and in seconds and sometimes just right away, the water resumes boiling. There really can be some tight temperature control with induction. But not everybody is cooking on induction, and even some of those who are might have an induction cooktop that isn't capable of extremely tight temperature control, in which case heat retention would be a much bigger deal.
@@TheInvisibleCarI think you’re right. Heat retention is more important with an electric burner because they cycle on and off and don’t heat nearly as fast as induction. I got the Breville induction burner and plan to do lots of testing on it to show the differences across burner type and find out which pans are best for each. Stay tuned!
Great and thorough review! I would have loved if you had included Darto and Solidteknics. Both great, rivetless higher end options out of Argentina and Australia, respectively.
@@PrudentReviews, could you also include a review for the Mauviel M'STEEL CS pan? It was ATK #1 pan since the Matfer Bourgeat recall. I trust your reviews much more than them!
This was super helpful review. Unfortunately it also confirmed my concern with Made In as mine also warped after a few months of use. Ridiculous! It's basically useless now. I will take your recommendations. Thanks!
Almost pulled the trigger on Strata during their Black Friday sale but decided to wait. Now I'm wishing maybe I had. . . I'm moving to induction next year and have warping anxiety. That would be an amazing test: Try to wrap them all on a 4kw induction cooktop.
PROTECT YOUR SEASONING - something that a famous Chinese chef once said is crucial for protecting your seasoning. NEVER cook acidic foods (like Italian tomato-based sauces) in your seasoned carbon steel pan! Use a stainless steel pan for anything acidic, and reserve your treasured seasoned carbon steel pan for foods like steaks. You also need to avoid deglazing the pan with acidic wine (a traditional trick to get the meat juices into your sauce) as the acidic wine will remove your seasoning.
@6:00 re: the mineral B ; I sort of accidentally baked off the coating of my handle when trying to season in the oven. It no longer has any sort of temperature limit, and I can reseason it in the oven just fine. (A few other people have done the same) It would be nice if they gave you an option to buy it without the coating, but it can be baked off. (maybe do it in an outdoor grill though)
There's a Reddit thread on this; evidently this is a pretty common practice among Mineral B owners. Though I wonder what one is breathing when the epoxy is baked off.
I own a Matfer and a couple notes in my experience. It does cook good, but compared to my cast iron ( Field and Lancaster ) it was harder to season, does not clean as easy as the cast iron and mine also warped ( I have a coil stove top ). I almost bought a Dardo ( highly recommended on reddit ) instead of the Matfer and now I wish I did but it is what it is. I am not unhappy with the purchase its not a bad pan, but it does not get used to often anymore.
I got the same carbon steel 12" madein pan as you, and got the same warping after a couple uses on my induction stove. It's warped so much that it's unusable now for induction, I only use it as a mini griddle now. Definitely not meant for induction.
I would love to see a review of the Babish cookware. Not sure if you’re against that since he’s another TH-camr but an unbiased review would be nice to see since the cookware is pretty affordable
@@PrudentReviews I did reach out via their customer support email and twitter/X. No response... I'll definitely stick with my de Buyer and Stargazer skillets going forward... :)
I bought 2 Lodge while they were 1/2 off. One warped immediately, the other I was able to use a 3 lb persuader, aka Mjolnir's puny brother, on and put just enough convex shape in the bottom so it stays flat when heated. Moral to the story? Try and find a pan that's every so slightly convex when buying. Put it on a flat surface and see if it stays really flat or if it spins. Leave the spinner or anything that's barely flat.
Is the Matfer alloy composition so different than it's domestic competitors to warrant a recall over using acidic ingredients? My B.S. meter is curious.
I know the Our Place Always Pan is not good value, but I *love* the shape/size of it for general cooking. Mine is worn out and I was hoping to replace it with a Carbon Steel pan, but I cannot find anything in carbon steel that is quite the same depth or shape as the always pan. Carbon steel pans typically have less steep sides and are quite a bit shallower. Can you recommend one?? So far the only things that I have found is the Made In 10" pan, which is noticeably less deep at only 2.2" of depth (notably, their website only indicates 2" of depth!") and perhaps the JB Prince Solid Iron Skillet - but it's very difficult to get any kind off reviews or figures on that pan and it's not exactly carbon steel, and it has a large lip around the edge.
The de Buyer MINERAL B Carbon Steel Country Fry Pan has 4-inch walls. That's a good option. The Made In 12-inch carbon steel fry pan has 2.4 inch walls - that's the deepest one I tested.
Interesting that the temperature test results are markedly different between the Mineral B and Mineral B Pro, considering everyone says that they are the same pan with different handles...
I have the DeBuyer mineral B pro omelet pan. The handle is absolutely worth the little extra you'll spend. Just keep in mind when paying the extra cost, it's built to outlast your grandchildren's children.
Thank you once again Andrew for another on point review. While I try my very best to stay away from Chinese manufactured products, the Strata checks all the boxes for me. I'll be purchasing the 10.5" and 12.5" the near future.
The Cook Culture yt channel recently interviewed the designers behind Strata and asked why they make the pans in China. Here is the response: "The biggest reason is we have a very strong relationship with a company over there. So our history is product development and manufacturing, and since the beginning we've been manufacturing with actually my college friend who lives in China and he has a company over there called Pinu. So we are exclusive partners-we're basically one company. We design stuff, they make it. We talk every day multiple times a day. They're in Asia, we're over here. So we've been through this cycle five, ten times with different products, scaling them up, manufacturing. They have the facilities, they have the staff, they have the space, they have the supply chain, especially for metal working. So it was just natural to continue to use someone who you trust that deeply. It's not like we just called up random companies and tried-we called the company we've been working with for 10 years. I think it would be crazy almost not to start with them. As we scale, as volume is more locked in, as we learn more, it does make sense to make it here for efficiency's sake. You have to transport it, the local supply chain, support US economy-there's a lot of good reasons. But in the beginning that was definitely the right choice, especially at our lower volumes as a new company."
Please please please do a review on gas stove top 2-burner griddles. I need a larger one that fits flat and completely over the entire area. I am currently using a smaller cast iron Lodge but its too small and should be wider/longer and with a bit of a ridge so I dont have flames coming up the sides when cooking burgers. Lodge is super heavy for me but I tend to lean towards them for durability and cleaning. (My family who is not careful with cleaning pans do the dishes). I love the look and colors of other pans (like that yellow one from Caraway) but at the end of the day I need something that will hold up to daily cooking, steel spatulas and no fuss cleaning and cooking. Thanks
My favorite pan is the Matfer Bourgeat. Mine is several years old but I wonder about the potential hazards and recall. Does the recall cover my pan too? Matfer Bourgeat is a minimalist masterpiece. I prefer the Matfer Bourgeat to the hand hammered Smithy and Blanc Creative pans that I own.
@@terfalicious not sure but probably not good. I’ve heard from several people saying they burned it off. But I don’t like the idea of buying a product that I need to alter to be able to use it the way I want - it’s unnecessary with all the alternatives.
Can't remember who did the detailed evaluation (being around 15 years ago), but one of the world's top Chinese chefs did a similar test of carbon steel Chinese woks. In those days we didn't have so many of today's overpriced "designer" brand names, but you could still spend a lot of money for a named brand. After all of the testing, in professional kitchens with other famous chefs, the winning Woks based upon performance (not price) were those purchased from market stalls. The cheapest, most basic, Woks made to traditional standards. The conclusion was that all you needed was for the pan to be manufactured from quality carbon steel. I know that my best Wok is a very basic cheap carbon steel Wok that I purchased as a student in the early 1980s. It still beats every fancy Wok that I've used ever since - just a pain to maintain the seasoning, remembering never to use it with acidic foods. This separation of acidic (e.g. with tomatoes) vs traditional Chinese foods is key to maintaining that seasoning.
@4:50 - I wouldn't hold off on buying the Matfer, if you otherwise like that pan. Most of us are not planning to boil a really acidic dish in an unseasoned pan for hours, and to do that every day of the week, such that the amounts of leached chemicals can harm us. Or at least look into the issue further and get to the bottom of it.
At this point, I wouldn't cook any acidic dish (e.g. tomato based pasta sauce) in a carbon steel or cast iron pan. It spoils the food and ruins the seasoning! Use stainless steel for that.
Do other pans have this issue? That’s one thing that is unclear. I’d this a matter of problems with the Matfer pan or would others fail if tested in France as well? I have the pan and enjoy using it, but this does give me pause.
This is something that I would like to know and is not clear. Which other brands did this regional agency test and what were the results. De buyer also manufactures in France so you’d think they would be held to the same testing. There’s not much info out there so assuming these other brands haven’t been put through the same testing.
I’ve tested it in the past (before they started making them preseasoned) and I’m a fan. They have sloped walls like Strata, thick construction, and a silicone sleeve. I’ll include it in round two along with Darto and others.
Frankly I find this De Buyer handle thing a little ridiculous and can’t understand it except to market the Pro model as resolving a non existent “real” issue. When I first got my “B” pan, I didn’t think much of the acrylic coating. Aside from very limited appearance “improvement”, it did noting for me. But I had my own improvement idea and bought a roll of silicone tape from Amazon. Two weeks later I decided to nuke my pan and redo the seasoning with more care. My process used the oven clean cycle. The tape is rated for 500F but not for a 4-5 hour clean cycle. Sure enough, my tape was black dust. After cooling and cleaning, on went another application of the tape. It’s easy, looks OK and feels great. I’m sure it will handle shorter finishing bakes and if it doesn’t, I have enough tape for several more applications. More fun and easily cheaper and more comfortable than the “”pro”.
Based on this, the De Buyer Pro seems to be the best. I don't care if it's heavy. It's not like it weighs more than a car battery. However, I've seen online reviews that really liked Mauviel pans. How do those compare?
I have Merten & Storck in their lowest cost category. Test kitchen describes it as too nonstick. That isn't an issue for me and why I like it the best. It cost me $26 almost three years ago but is now $50. Inflation is really killing me thes days. No matter what brand or model, each pan has it's quirks. In time you automatically adjust to using it. The only thing I don't advocate for is low quality cookware.
Useful test, what's up with most of CS pans having this horrible uncomfortable handle? Mine has the same and it's painful to hold. Have you used the new IKEA VARDAGEN CS pan series? I've seen some positive opinions for affordable price.
Great question. Not 100% sure but some reasons might be that CS pans are often used in commercial kitchens, so the flat handle is ideal for grabbing with a towel without slipping, better for stacking, a solid piece of metal is more durable than a hollow handle that you’ll find on most cookware designed for home cooks, the flat design is cheaper…. I have not tested that yet but plan to
I'm interested in CS to replace an aging non-stick skillet, My local restaurant supply store carries Vollrath which is at a better price point to check out whether or not I want to try carbon steel. Any experience from the commenters (I see one below)?
I don’t think heat retention should be necessarily a positive factor for a carbon steel pan. These are generally chosen for situations where responsiveness to change of temp settings is more important than heat retention - for the latter - cast iron will be a better bet. Therefore, the Strata seems to be the best for, being responsive, and having the least temperature variation (usually a weak point for carbon steel). I love the Smithey too, but the price is hard justiy for most
I have wanted a carbon steel pan for a while, but my Wife just can't tolerate not fully washing everything which strip off the seasoning! I finally had to give away our cast iron pan for the same reason. Every time my Wife got ahold of it, she would strip off the seasoning and it would start rusting again.
LOVE your channel. I need a set for around $500. 8-10pc preferred. What do I buy? Just need a good all rounder all things considered. Help I’m so confused hahah.
Thank you so much!! The video I posted before this one walks through what to buy if you’re starting from scratch with budgets of $150, $250, and $500. Highly recommend checking that out! I usually recommend buying pans individually because sets usually don’t have the ideal sizes for all pieces. However, there are some good sets out there. The Heritage Steel Eater Series 8-piece set is currently $550 and has everything you need and it’s made in the USA. That’s a great option.
You misrepresented the Matfer issue. The French agency test was done with acidic foods for 2 hours. I don’t know anyone that cooks for that duration in their carbon steel skillet. You made it seem like cooking acidic foods for any amount of time would be cause for concern.
@@PrudentReviews How about Misen, Tamontina, or Gräwe carbon steel? I’m considering Tramontina for the price point but Misen looks to be a better product. Recent Subscriber, thanks for the phenomenal reviews.
Been using De Buyer for a while. The handle is not that big of a deal on the Mineral B compared to the Mineral B Pro. Also having seen a few of the Mineral B's in kitchens when the coating fails they just season the handle.
Can you tell me where I can find that pan temperature probe that you use? I haven't been able to find it. Is it an adapter for a regular meat thermometer?
Carbon steel is the lighter weight version of cast iron. The main benefit over stainless steel is food release - a well seasoned carbon steel pan is more slick and makes it a tad easier to cook delicate foods like eggs. Also, carbon steel can be easier to clean due to the slick surface.
@@PrudentReviews Generally, I think most carbon steel pans will also exhibit a greater heat retention. Mine certainly do. I can get a better sear on a steak or chop with the carbon steel. And as you mention, cleaning is a big plus.
Nice review. I have the lodge myself and I stripped off the factory seasoning with a vinegar bath, and aggressively rubbed the cooking surface with a stainless steel chainmail, and then reseasoned and it came out great! Very smooth cooking surface but still holds a good season. Not everyone is going to want to bother but 20 min of active work and it’s a lifer on the cheap.
I agree, it really is an excellent carbon steel.
An orbital sander takes the 20 mins down to like 5 tops, for those that have one. Seems like a no brainer.
@@d077Z I've done that on two Lodges and one other piece, and I agree, it is a no-brainer.
I got the Lodge carbon steel paella and was thinking of doing that. It worked great on my cast iron pan. What did you season it with?
@@barcodefly Any high temp fat / oil is fine. Whatever is cheap in your market.
Sir, ATK has nothing on you! I love your straightforward, fact driven reviews without cutesy chatter. You test for things that matter to home cooks. And while I don't really need another pan, Christmas is coming and maybe Santa needs to bring me something shiny in carbon steel!
That’s what I’m going for! Really appreciate your support. You can never really have too many pans ;)
I like ATK, but their reviews are generally "go with the opposite of what they recommend."
I'm not sure whether they're receiving kick-backs from certain manufacturers, or they're just going with their "feels," but yeah, I don't bother with their recommendations for pots and pans.
That Smithey pan is a work of art, absolutely gorgeous
Regarding the matfer recall in France, Uncle Scott's Kitchen has two videos on the subject with a response from matfer in them. The videos are from late April.
I would be very curious to see others CS endure the same tests as Matfer had. I'm sure the result would be interesting.
Very interesting! (I've had a Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel crepe pan for over 20 years. I love that thing--makes great crepes and it's perfect for a single serving of eggs and so much more!)
I have had my De Buyer Mineral B pan with the coated handle for almost 4 years now. It is amazing. If I need a pan that can go into the oven for an extended period of time, I use my 80 year old hand me down Griswold cast iron pan. Neither the De Buyer, nor the Griswold can deal with acidic foods. That's when the almost 40 year old stainless steel pan sees some action. If you only have room for one skillet, go with a stainless one. It is the most versatile.
Great advice! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Nice post. But IMO, an enameled cast iron pan is actually the most versatile. Sears better than stainless. Easier to clean than stainless. Less sticky than stainless. Handles acidic foods fine. Goes right in the open. If I had to live with one pan forever, it would be my Staub enameled cast iron pan.
Helpful review and good timing, as I'm shopping for a CS pan; thank you! And in another bit of good timing, as your video is released, de Buyer is having a pretty good holiday sale.
Thanks for watching! Yes de Buyer is running a nice sale right now which doesn’t happen often.
This is amazing video - you really helped me with my choices. I fully trust your reviews. Your thoroughness, databased approach and unbiased reviews are unmatched. I am telling everyone about your channel. My go to!
Definitely missing Darto, which is an amazing pans. Also, Cast-a-Way which while I don't have, I did hear great things about.
I like my Cast-A-Way pans. Handles aren't the most comfortable, but seamless handle to pan connection and pouring spouts are nice. Good value.
darto fam
I am in love with the blue De Buyer CS line. I have the crepes pan of the line and it’s wonderful, it IS responsive as a crepes pan is supposed to be, very easy to season and keep it seasoned. I can flip the pancakes the fancy way by throwing them in the air and they are way tastier than when I made them in my old non stick pan. It’s also better than the standard, thicker carbon steel pan. It’s lighter and no downsides.
Agree. I have a blue crepe pan as well as a 12" mineral B. They both live on the stove. The big one is sometimes just too much pan. Too big, too heavy, takes a while to come to temp. Still love it, but the little crepe pan is none of those things. I use it often.
LOVE the Strata! I used mine tonight (and almost every day since I got it)
It’s becoming one of my got-to pans because it’s so light and therefore easy to handle/wash/store. Plus, it cooks great. Glad you’re liking it.
About the Matfer pan test: cooking a very acidic water solution for two straight hours on the stove? It’s not the same as using a splash of lemon at the end of the cooking process.
It’s how we usually strip all seasoning!
Totally agree. It doesn’t represent a realistic cooking scenario.
I've got the Smithey Little Farmhouse skillet and it performs great!
Yes, pricey up front, but with simple maintenance it will last generations so it's a great long term value.
Beautifully made and is always noticed, picked up and complemented anytime someone new walks into my kitchen.
It is on the heavy side.
Thanks for the video. I have owned Matfer for a very long time after Americas Test Kitchen gave them such a glowing review. My largest Matfer warped and I had been living with it like that for quite some time. Not a problem on a gas cooktop, but totally stinks on glass top/induction cooktops. So I started looking for a replacement. When I started the search a couple of weeks ago I thought I was going to buy a Strata. I was ready to place the order, but I kept watching your vids and found myself down a couple of rabbit holes and started to change lanes over to stainless. So I ordered a couple of Made In fry pans in stainless.
BUT I do like carbon steel. I decided after spending so much on a couple of stainless pans that I needed to keep my budget down if I wanted to add a new carbon steel. So I went with the Lodge. The Lodge arrived yesterday and I had the first cook on it today. The finish on the Lodge is like Rhino liner truck liner looking stuff. It really is very ROUGH. Wasn't impressed with the finish. The handle is no worse that my Matfer pans so I say that is a wash. The side walls are VERY low/short on the Lodge and I got a LOT of splatter from the pan when cooking in it today.
I assumed the Rhino liner would be an issue, but it wasn't. I added some tallow to the pan and no issues with the finish causing problems. Heat evenness seemed to be OK on my induction cooktop. The Lodge gets a passing grade, but it's biggest negative at the moment is the low/short sides and the splatter. For the price though I really can't complain. I get to keep a carbon steel pan in the arsenal, but looking forward to learning some new tricks with the Made In stainless when it arrives next week.
Thanks for sharing! We’re on the same page with Lodge. It gets the job done but I wish it was smoother and had taller walls. For the price, it’s a good value. You’ll love Made In stainless, it’s fantastic.
The Matfer warped but the thin Lodge hasn't warped on induction?
@@quakerwildcat My biggest Matfer warped, but not because of the Induction(at least in my case). It warped very early on when I bought the pan and I think it happened during my seasoning sessions in the oven when it was pretty new. I only noticed it when I tried the Induction cooktop that on the glass top that the pan had warped. You don't really notice these things on a gas cooktop so much. So I was pretty upset about it, but lived with it for a lot of years since most of my cooking was on gas at the time. I have the Matfer in two other smaller sizes and neither of them have warped and they are good pans, but I find I use the larger pan the most. So when I finally was fed up with the warped pan on the Induction cooktop I went looking for options. I ended up ordering a new set of stainless fry pans, but still wanted another large carbon steel since it is what I have grown comfortable with over the years. That is how I ended up deciding to try the Lodge.
This time of year I pull out a portable induction cooktop for cooking. So far the Lodge hasn't warped. I have used it a few times now on the Induction cooktop. However I am finding the rhino liner seasoning in this thing to be a bear. I will need a lot of cooking in it to get it to where it needs to be. The low sides on it really make a mess. When on the Induction I start the cooktop on low for a few minutes and then will turn it up in the hopes that maybe that will help keep the pan from warping. I don't think the Lodge is going to be a pan that I love. Over time I think it can be made usable. Time will tell now. One of my new stainless pans showed up yesterday and I did my first cook in that and the higher side walls were very welcome, but it is going to take some getting used to how things stick to the bottom of a stainless pan. So this old dog needs to learn some new tricks. LOL
My Made In warped also. I tossed it. Using Marquette Casting now.
Great testing. Thank you.
This is a great review and so helpful.
I have wanted a deep Farmhouse Smithey, it's bigger and deeper, but $325 made me a little nervous. I have been having a hard time learning how to use my Made In cast iron enamel pan and thought about their carbon steel one. Have used it twice for eggs and worked good. I will be trying more ways to use it and sell how it holds up. Made In has become my favorite pans to use. Will see by Spring if it warps or not. Thanks for another very good informative video.
Smithey is the best
I have that Lodge pan and really like it.
I have a few Lodge cast iron pans too and all of them work great.
I don't sand them down like some do. The rougher surface takes seasoning better than any pan I have including Field, Smithey and Stargazer. Easy as Hell to season a Lodge.
I use a Vollrath carbon steel pan. It was less than $50 unseasoned and welded not riveted. Vollrath are professional pans used in restaurants. I don’t plan on dropping any weights on it to test durability. It’s taking quite a while to get it seasoned to how I want it, but I figure it will get there eventually. I like it because it heats up fast and cools down quickly. I don’t use it for everything. It depends on what I’m making. I also have a Vollrath stainless steel pan that I have had for years. It has been a real workhorse for me. My other pan I use a lot is my Lodge cast iron pan. These are the pans I use the most. I don’t think you have to pay a lot for a good pan.
Volrath is good stuff. It’s what restaurants use, so it’s made to be used and abused, not to be pretty.
TY for this. My best friend has several "Smithey" pans both cast iron and carbon steel. I'm at wits end to pay the price but I know how good my friend cooks with both iron and carbon and I've decided to go with Smithey. I guess you get what you pay for and I do like that they are made in the USA.
Rumor says the same French agency recalled DeBuyer skillets which failed another test. The building burned down after they tried boiling rocket fuel for two hours ...
The French government made a British woman drain the "400" year old lake at her château because they said it didn't meet their new environmental water laws. She has spent almost as much getting her lake back as she has buying the château itself. I'm not surprised one bit that a French government agency would boil rocket fuel in the first place.
I just learned about Matfer recall from your videos...I have been using two of their pans for years. Oh god...
Unless you have been cooking concentrated acid in them for hours, you will be fine
The Smithy pan is something I would want to serve from if I had guests.
I keep the electric induction surface clean by covering it with parchment paper. I have considered aluminium foil, but decided against it in case it melts.
If you have induction, want a carbon steel to crazy sear steak, please read my experience.
I use induction for 13 yrs. I have 2 DeByer and for me, they are heavy but they don't warp with very high heat. I added silicone handles, You can preheat your pan in 30 sec, deeply crust a steak in less than 1 minute per side. ( perfect with sous-vide) Very Impressive. ! Now, for protecting my glass surface I purcharsed Lazy K Induction Cooktop Mat - Silicone Fiberglass Scratch Protector on all 4 burners. It protects the surface but more importantly, because of its ridges, it diffuse a bit of the heat from the bottom of the pan on the sides instead of being radiated inside towards the induction coil. It's a game changer. ( The price for replacing those unit is the cost of a regular electric range. )
Have Matfer and Mineral B. Love both,
Any preference to one over the other?
Excellent review. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
I love you Pan-man!
I have a new 8 3/4" winco CS that I'm enjoying. I also have an old (15y) DB Blue crepe that is perfectly seasoned and is great except for the bulge in the middle that is supposed to flatten heated but never does. The winco was $20, oct'24.
Really needed to add the Misen Carbon Steel pan which I think is the best one. Esp for the money.
After several years of using a Lodge it is very smooth. If roughness is a real issue then use some crocus cloth and smooth it out a bit.
I've enjoyed my matfers for a few yers now, I'm not too worried about the recall, i don't use them for acidic food and if even if idid i doubt it would be a long time use, not say 2 hours, really not the type of cooking those pans are made for, these matfers are workhorses have used them in professional kitchens before, work great with eggs and bacon(really produces some best cooked bacon out of any style pans i have , cast-iron, or stainless steel, they sear meats great and work well in ovens,also these type of pans make it easy for the butter basting technique , spooning on butter on finished steaks or scallops by tilting the pan(not something as easy with a cast-iron pan) and letting the butter pool up, before basting on your protein, no rivets is a plus, one thing people should be aware is if you use them on electric oil burners you probably wont get that all black finish /patina that you would get using therm with gas because the gas usually wraps up and around more of the sides then electric, you'll get more of a spotty /blotchy type finish but hasn't affected my cooking of the pans and i have had them for 3-4 years now , great review of these type of pans, keep up the great videos!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I own a De Buyer Mineral B Pro carbon steel pan and a Made-In carbon steel pan. I use the De Buyer Mineral B Pro more than any pan I own. It lives on my stovetop. The Made-in pan lives in a cabinet under my stovetop. Yes it's heavy, but I'm a large and reasonably strong man and it's just not an issue for me. And in exchange for that weight/mass, I get heat retention that rivals cast iron. I disagree with the comments about the seasoning. My De Buyer is very well seasoned. I cook eggs with it often. I bought mine brand new 5 years ago for $70. Sorry to see the price has more than doubled. Still, highly recommended.
I've been needing this video
I don't know if you can get them where you are, but you should look for carbon pans from Gräwe / Gaewe. They are very inexpensive, come with a silicon handle protector and are about the same weight as mineral B.
amazing video! I like the scientific approach. Could you review best clay pots next?
Great suggestion!
@@PrudentReviews durability and design are the 2 big things but mineral rich clay is amazing and should be tested to void of (heavy metals and toxic materials). I use clay pots for lots of slow cooking recipes. Thanks!
GREAT product review..!!
I do realize that manufacturers products through different sizes should be similar, if not the same.
However, I have found, in my nearly 80 years, that just because the product bears the same brand, they can differ immensely.
Being in the market for an 8” plus a 10” carbon steel pans, I would find it tremendously interesting if you were to test the smaller 8” ( +\- ) versions of the same manufactures.
GREAT VIDEO… Very informative + helpful in anyone’s decision making..!!
👍👍
I usually test the 12-inch versions because those are more popular, but this is an interesting idea!
@@PrudentReviews
Something to consider..!!!
Blessings….
👍👍
I bought a made in cause you mentioned it in one of your videos. I got it last week and I've been having a good time with it. The warping definitely scares me though.
You should be ok, just preheat it gradually and don’t rinse it with cold water when it’s piping hot. I put my pans through some unusual abuse during my tests which may have lead to the warping.
I have a 12" Mineral B with the helper handle. I really like it, but I don't use it for as much, since it's heavier and takes longer to clean up for a couple eggs in the morning. (Love it for pancakes, though) I have a small (8" ?) Matfer that I appreciate and use much more often, though I think the Mineral B seasons better for some reason. I got them a while ago, when the prices were much better, via Amazon. Lately, I've been appreciating stainless steel as well. And then I have a fancy cast iron pan, but I don't use it for a whole lot.
For classic CS pans, I have a big De Buyer Pro omelette pan, two Grewe pans (those are insanely cheap here AND have an awesome silicone sleeve) and three Darto pans. Every one of them has some up- and downsides so I am using all of them for different purposes.
Except for the fancy De Buyer pro line stainless steel handle, I always use a silicone sleeve. Makes your life WAY more comfortable.
Darto is the best if you want to go in the oven. Who needs cast iron when you have a DARTO pan?
So, if you actually think responsiveness is more important than heat retention, the ability to quickly cool down if too hot or to quickly heat up or impart more heat fast if things drop down to running too cool, AND you don't plan on dropping a brick onto the rim of your pan or otherwise slam and bash it around a lot, then maybe the Strata is the best all-around? Just saying, the two things it came up short on might be the least significant of all the factors, but I will give that it's new and is the only one on the list here that doesn't have a test-of-time track record, since it basically only just came out a few months ago.
(Of course I am a bit prejudice, because I own a 12.75" Strata and I love it. I have had resounding success cooking with it, and along with my CS wok it is one of my two main skillet workhorses. I wouldn't trade it for any other 12"-carbon-steel skillet out there!)
Strata is a great replacement to an aluminum nonstick pan or even a stainless steel pan if you want something that has a little bit more of a slick surface. If you want a heavier, thicker pan with better heat retention more like a cast-iron skillet, de Buyer mineral B pro, and Smithey are better options. There’s a place for both in my opinion.
"If." I don't subscribe to your ifs, but DSFDF.
@@PrudentReviews Well, I do have a 12" Lodge Cast Iron too. When I recently wanted to sear a ribeye steak after a sous vide, I didn't reach for my 12" Strata anyway, but rather I used my 12" Tramontina stainless steel. But I'm not sure that has all that much more heft to it really.
Here is a factor for me that might not be true for everybody: I am cooking on induction, so maybe just because of that I am less concerned with heat retention because I can much more instantly make the pan hotter if I need to, since induction directly heats the pan and the pan is then the source of the heat, and not the burner itself. That might be a factor, and maybe if I was stuck with using an electric ceramic/glass top stove, then heat retention might be a bigger deal for me, and I would be more likely to want to use cast iron or something with more heft and heat retention. Since induction permits to make a pan hotter so much more instantly if I need to, maybe I don't worry about heat retention because I don't need to.
It is kind of amazing to play with induction, with a pot of water boiling in it, dial it down to 210, just 2 degrees below the boiling point, and it near instantly stops boiling. Dial it back up to just 215, just 3 degrees above boiling, and in seconds and sometimes just right away, the water resumes boiling. There really can be some tight temperature control with induction. But not everybody is cooking on induction, and even some of those who are might have an induction cooktop that isn't capable of extremely tight temperature control, in which case heat retention would be a much bigger deal.
@@TheInvisibleCarI think you’re right. Heat retention is more important with an electric burner because they cycle on and off and don’t heat nearly as fast as induction. I got the Breville induction burner and plan to do lots of testing on it to show the differences across burner type and find out which pans are best for each. Stay tuned!
Thanks very much for your attention to detail. HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎁🎁🎁🎁✨✨✨✨🎊🎊🎊🎊
Same to you!
Great and thorough review! I would have loved if you had included Darto and Solidteknics. Both great, rivetless higher end options out of Argentina and Australia, respectively.
I keep getting comments to review Darto - that will be coming soon...
@@PrudentReviews, could you also include a review for the Mauviel M'STEEL CS pan? It was ATK #1 pan since the Matfer Bourgeat recall. I trust your reviews much more than them!
This was super helpful review. Unfortunately it also confirmed my concern with Made In as mine also warped after a few months of use. Ridiculous! It's basically useless now. I will take your recommendations. Thanks!
Almost pulled the trigger on Strata during their Black Friday sale but decided to wait. Now I'm wishing maybe I had. . . I'm moving to induction next year and have warping anxiety.
That would be an amazing test: Try to wrap them all on a 4kw induction cooktop.
I just got the Breville Control Freak - I plan to do lots on induction testing with it :)
Realy nice review
Thank you!
I'd like to see you cover the Darto, I've heard nothing but good things about it so i ordered one myself.
I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s on my list.
It's worth ordering several considering the limited availability. I think I ordered 7 pans so far. The buy 1 get 1 free promotion was a no-brainer.
PROTECT YOUR SEASONING - something that a famous Chinese chef once said is crucial for protecting your seasoning. NEVER cook acidic foods (like Italian tomato-based sauces) in your seasoned carbon steel pan! Use a stainless steel pan for anything acidic, and reserve your treasured seasoned carbon steel pan for foods like steaks. You also need to avoid deglazing the pan with acidic wine (a traditional trick to get the meat juices into your sauce) as the acidic wine will remove your seasoning.
Great tips, thank you
@6:00 re: the mineral B ; I sort of accidentally baked off the coating of my handle when trying to season in the oven. It no longer has any sort of temperature limit, and I can reseason it in the oven just fine. (A few other people have done the same) It would be nice if they gave you an option to buy it without the coating, but it can be baked off. (maybe do it in an outdoor grill though)
There's a Reddit thread on this; evidently this is a pretty common practice among Mineral B owners. Though I wonder what one is breathing when the epoxy is baked off.
Cookware purchases need prudence, but, even better, Prudent Reviews !
LOL!
I own a Matfer and a couple notes in my experience. It does cook good, but compared to my cast iron ( Field and Lancaster ) it was harder to season, does not clean as easy as the cast iron and mine also warped ( I have a coil stove top ). I almost bought a Dardo ( highly recommended on reddit ) instead of the Matfer and now I wish I did but it is what it is. I am not unhappy with the purchase its not a bad pan, but it does not get used to often anymore.
I got the same carbon steel 12" madein pan as you, and got the same warping after a couple uses on my induction stove. It's warped so much that it's unusable now for induction, I only use it as a mini griddle now. Definitely not meant for induction.
Very informative thank you.
You’re welcome, glad it was helpful!
I would love to see a review of the Babish cookware. Not sure if you’re against that since he’s another TH-camr but an unbiased review would be nice to see since the cookware is pretty affordable
I'll check that out. Not against it at all.
I have owned the Lodge carbon steel pan for a while now . I love it, but you Must buy the silicone handle “cozy”!
My Made-In carbon steel pan warped after 3 cooks. And I never had that happen with any of my de Buyer carbon steel!
Curious, What type of stovetop?
@@PrudentReviews Electric flat top. Always hand-washed. Never in the oven over 450F... Quite disappointed!
@ you should contact them. I’m pretty sure they will replace it.
@@PrudentReviews I did reach out via their customer support email and twitter/X. No response... I'll definitely stick with my de Buyer and Stargazer skillets going forward... :)
I bought 2 Lodge while they were 1/2 off. One warped immediately, the other I was able to use a 3 lb persuader, aka Mjolnir's puny brother, on and put just enough convex shape in the bottom so it stays flat when heated. Moral to the story? Try and find a pan that's every so slightly convex when buying. Put it on a flat surface and see if it stays really flat or if it spins. Leave the spinner or anything that's barely flat.
How's the handle on the Strata?
Is the Matfer alloy composition so different than it's domestic competitors to warrant a recall over using acidic ingredients?
My B.S. meter is curious.
Do not worry about this issue. The test was done cooking acidic foods for 2 hours which is completely silly
I know the Our Place Always Pan is not good value, but I *love* the shape/size of it for general cooking. Mine is worn out and I was hoping to replace it with a Carbon Steel pan, but I cannot find anything in carbon steel that is quite the same depth or shape as the always pan. Carbon steel pans typically have less steep sides and are quite a bit shallower. Can you recommend one??
So far the only things that I have found is the Made In 10" pan, which is noticeably less deep at only 2.2" of depth (notably, their website only indicates 2" of depth!") and perhaps the JB Prince Solid Iron Skillet - but it's very difficult to get any kind off reviews or figures on that pan and it's not exactly carbon steel, and it has a large lip around the edge.
The de Buyer MINERAL B Carbon Steel Country Fry Pan has 4-inch walls. That's a good option. The Made In 12-inch carbon steel fry pan has 2.4 inch walls - that's the deepest one I tested.
Interesting that the temperature test results are markedly different between the Mineral B and Mineral B Pro, considering everyone says that they are the same pan with different handles...
Yeah, that IS curious. ???
I have the DeBuyer mineral B pro omelet pan. The handle is absolutely worth the little extra you'll spend. Just keep in mind when paying the extra cost, it's built to outlast your grandchildren's children.
For me Smithey all the way!! LOVE ❤️ THEIR PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IS A TOP NOTCH!!
I think the OXO carbon steel pan is pretty underrated. It's around $50, preseasoned, has a comfortable handle.
I’ll have to give that one a try!
Thank you once again Andrew for another on point review. While I try my very best to stay away from Chinese manufactured products, the Strata checks all the boxes for me. I'll be purchasing the 10.5" and 12.5" the near future.
The Cook Culture yt channel recently interviewed the designers behind Strata and asked why they make the pans in China. Here is the response:
"The biggest reason is we have a very strong relationship with a company over there. So our history is product development and manufacturing, and since the beginning we've been manufacturing with actually my college friend who lives in China and he has a company over there called Pinu. So we are exclusive partners-we're basically one company. We design stuff, they make it. We talk every day multiple times a day. They're in Asia, we're over here. So we've been through this cycle five, ten times with different products, scaling them up, manufacturing. They have the facilities, they have the staff, they have the space, they have the supply chain, especially for metal working. So it was just natural to continue to use someone who you trust that deeply. It's not like we just called up random companies and tried-we called the company we've been working with for 10 years. I think it would be crazy almost not to start with them. As we scale, as volume is more locked in, as we learn more, it does make sense to make it here for efficiency's sake. You have to transport it, the local supply chain, support US economy-there's a lot of good reasons. But in the beginning that was definitely the right choice, especially at our lower volumes as a new company."
Try the Merten and Storck.
Please please please do a review on gas stove top 2-burner griddles. I need a larger one that fits flat and completely over the entire area. I am currently using a smaller cast iron Lodge but its too small and should be wider/longer and with a bit of a ridge so I dont have flames coming up the sides when cooking burgers. Lodge is super heavy for me but I tend to lean towards them for durability and cleaning. (My family who is not careful with cleaning pans do the dishes). I love the look and colors of other pans (like that yellow one from Caraway) but at the end of the day I need something that will hold up to daily cooking, steel spatulas and no fuss cleaning and cooking. Thanks
My favorite pan is the Matfer Bourgeat. Mine is several years old but I wonder about the potential hazards and recall. Does the recall cover my pan too? Matfer Bourgeat is a minimalist masterpiece. I prefer the Matfer Bourgeat to the hand hammered Smithy and Blanc Creative pans that I own.
I have a mineral B and put it in the pan no problem. I just decided to not care about that coating. it's been going well so far!
Great to hear!
Am I wrong to worry that the epoxy would off-gas is the oven?
@@terfalicious not sure but probably not good. I’ve heard from several people saying they burned it off. But I don’t like the idea of buying a product that I need to alter to be able to use it the way I want - it’s unnecessary with all the alternatives.
@@PrudentReviews Agree! Esp at this higher price point!
Good test but gotta include the up and comer Darto.
Noted, thanks for the suggestion!
Can't remember who did the detailed evaluation (being around 15 years ago), but one of the world's top Chinese chefs did a similar test of carbon steel Chinese woks. In those days we didn't have so many of today's overpriced "designer" brand names, but you could still spend a lot of money for a named brand.
After all of the testing, in professional kitchens with other famous chefs, the winning Woks based upon performance (not price) were those purchased from market stalls. The cheapest, most basic, Woks made to traditional standards. The conclusion was that all you needed was for the pan to be manufactured from quality carbon steel. I know that my best Wok is a very basic cheap carbon steel Wok that I purchased as a student in the early 1980s. It still beats every fancy Wok that I've used ever since - just a pain to maintain the seasoning, remembering never to use it with acidic foods. This separation of acidic (e.g. with tomatoes) vs traditional Chinese foods is key to maintaining that seasoning.
I’d be interested to see how the the ikea carbon steel pan does in comparison. I think its the cheapest, has a large cooking surface and is oven safe.
This will be included in a future video for sure
Thank you so much looking for a larger fry pan to cook a whole spatchcock chicken
@4:50 - I wouldn't hold off on buying the Matfer, if you otherwise like that pan. Most of us are not planning to boil a really acidic dish in an unseasoned pan for hours, and to do that every day of the week, such that the amounts of leached chemicals can harm us. Or at least look into the issue further and get to the bottom of it.
At this point, I wouldn't cook any acidic dish (e.g. tomato based pasta sauce) in a carbon steel or cast iron pan. It spoils the food and ruins the seasoning! Use stainless steel for that.
Do other pans have this issue? That’s one thing that is unclear. I’d this a matter of problems with the Matfer pan or would others fail if tested in France as well? I have the pan and enjoy using it, but this does give me pause.
This is something that I would like to know and is not clear. Which other brands did this regional agency test and what were the results. De buyer also manufactures in France so you’d think they would be held to the same testing. There’s not much info out there so assuming these other brands haven’t been put through the same testing.
I'm not worried about the Matfer recall in France. Knowing French bureaucrats it's most likely an issue of an unpaid bribe.
I was hoping to see Misen in the test list.
I’ve tested it in the past (before they started making them preseasoned) and I’m a fan. They have sloped walls like Strata, thick construction, and a silicone sleeve. I’ll include it in round two along with Darto and others.
If carbon steel is supposed to be pretty much iron and carbon, how was the Matfer pan even releasing those other metals ? Thanks
Have you heard of Marten& Storck brand? I own a couple, just got them a week ago because they're affordable but I'd like to know your opinion too.
Yes, but I haven’t tested it yet. How do you like it so far?
The best pan we have at our house is a carbon steel pan that we bought from ikea. It was so good we got another one
I need to test IKEA soon
Frankly I find this De Buyer handle thing a little ridiculous and can’t understand it except to market the Pro model as resolving a non existent “real” issue. When I first got my “B” pan, I didn’t think much of the acrylic coating. Aside from very limited appearance “improvement”, it did noting for me. But I had my own improvement idea and bought a roll of silicone tape from Amazon. Two weeks later I decided to nuke my pan and redo the seasoning with more care. My process used the oven clean cycle. The tape is rated for 500F but not for a 4-5 hour clean cycle. Sure enough, my tape was black dust. After cooling and cleaning, on went another application of the tape. It’s easy, looks OK and feels great. I’m sure it will handle shorter finishing bakes and if it doesn’t, I have enough tape for several more applications. More fun and easily cheaper and more comfortable than the “”pro”.
Can you test KIR Equipment carbon steel? purchased mine for $42...waiting for it to be mailed.
I keep having Guy Fieri's Flavortown cookware show up in ads. It's supposed to be like stainless steel but is titanium. Can you review these please?
Now you've got me wanting one of these carbon steel pans....
It’s a great alternative to non-stick, and most are lighter than cast iron
@@PrudentReviews Sounds like a perfect middle ground pan when you take that into account. Thanks for the reply!
Based on this, the De Buyer Pro seems to be the best. I don't care if it's heavy. It's not like it weighs more than a car battery.
However, I've seen online reviews that really liked Mauviel pans. How do those compare?
I have Merten & Storck in their lowest cost category. Test kitchen describes it as too nonstick. That isn't an issue for me and why I like it the best. It cost me $26 almost three years ago but is now $50. Inflation is really killing me thes days.
No matter what brand or model, each pan has it's quirks. In time you automatically adjust to using it. The only thing I don't advocate for is low quality cookware.
Useful test, what's up with most of CS pans having this horrible uncomfortable handle? Mine has the same and it's painful to hold. Have you used the new IKEA VARDAGEN CS pan series? I've seen some positive opinions for affordable price.
Great question. Not 100% sure but some reasons might be that CS pans are often used in commercial kitchens, so the flat handle is ideal for grabbing with a towel without slipping, better for stacking, a solid piece of metal is more durable than a hollow handle that you’ll find on most cookware designed for home cooks, the flat design is cheaper…. I have not tested that yet but plan to
I'm interested in CS to replace an aging non-stick skillet, My local restaurant supply store carries Vollrath which is at a better price point to check out whether or not I want to try carbon steel. Any experience from the commenters (I see one below)?
I wonder if made in would replace that one
Get a Lodge, grind it smooth with a grinding wheel on your drill, season it, And Away You Go!
I don’t think heat retention should be necessarily a positive factor for a carbon steel pan. These are generally chosen for situations where responsiveness to change of temp settings is more important than heat retention - for the latter - cast iron will be a better bet. Therefore, the Strata seems to be the best for, being responsive, and having the least temperature variation (usually a weak point for carbon steel). I love the Smithey too, but the price is hard justiy for most
I have wanted a carbon steel pan for a while, but my Wife just can't tolerate not fully washing everything which strip off the seasoning! I finally had to give away our cast iron pan for the same reason. Every time my Wife got ahold of it, she would strip off the seasoning and it would start rusting again.
LOVE your channel. I need a set for around $500. 8-10pc preferred. What do I buy? Just need a good all rounder all things considered. Help I’m so confused hahah.
Thank you so much!! The video I posted before this one walks through what to buy if you’re starting from scratch with budgets of $150, $250, and $500. Highly recommend checking that out! I usually recommend buying pans individually because sets usually don’t have the ideal sizes for all pieces. However, there are some good sets out there. The Heritage Steel Eater Series 8-piece set is currently $550 and has everything you need and it’s made in the USA. That’s a great option.
You misrepresented the Matfer issue.
The French agency test was done with acidic foods for 2 hours. I don’t know anyone that cooks for that duration in their carbon steel skillet.
You made it seem like cooking acidic foods for any amount of time would be cause for concern.
Merten and storck is really good and price.
So I have heard. I wish he had included it in this review.
What about Darto? Also, i really like tge style of matfer, is it that bad?
Darto is still on my list of brands to test
@@PrudentReviews How about Misen, Tamontina, or Gräwe carbon steel? I’m considering Tramontina for the price point but Misen looks to be a better product.
Recent Subscriber, thanks for the phenomenal reviews.
what do you think about the BK carbon steel pans? thank you for your reviews!
Haven’t tested them yet. Would love to hear others’ opinions…
Been using De Buyer for a while. The handle is not that big of a deal on the Mineral B compared to the Mineral B Pro. Also having seen a few of the Mineral B's in kitchens when the coating fails they just season the handle.
Can you tell me where I can find that pan temperature probe that you use? I haven't been able to find it. Is it an adapter for a regular meat thermometer?
I added a link to it in the description of this video - it's awesome
Sorry, newbie here. What are the advantages of carbon steel over stainless steel?
Carbon steel is the lighter weight version of cast iron. The main benefit over stainless steel is food release - a well seasoned carbon steel pan is more slick and makes it a tad easier to cook delicate foods like eggs. Also, carbon steel can be easier to clean due to the slick surface.
@@PrudentReviews Generally, I think most carbon steel pans will also exhibit a greater heat retention. Mine certainly do. I can get a better sear on a steak or chop with the carbon steel. And as you mention, cleaning is a big plus.
can you try yoshikawa pan?
What about the IKEA pans?
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about these. I’ll definitely include them in an update to this video at some point.