I'm glad somebody else is recognizing how good the grind is on these. Once I put an edge on it and started using it, it blew me away. Really frustrating to see all the reviews just talking about it like "oh how quaint, a button lock without a flipper/studs, that's a shame" completely missing how amazing the blade is. The action/deployment thing is a complete non issue, especially if you're already used to opening axis locks by pulling on the bar.
I was about to comment this same thing! Stainless cook wear is a great choice for most everything except non stick, but looks new after barkeepers friend!
Here in the states we have SOS or Brillo pads. Basically 0000 steel wool impregnated with dish soap. I use those for stainless steel pans that have been burnt. I also primarily use butter instead of oil for high heat cooking. Medium or low heat I use extra virgin olive oil.
Been carrying this and gave up on normal rotation since the first time I picked this guy up. The stock clip turned out to be weak as the knife ended up f'ing off somewhere during my travels towards the end of the first year. I thought I could let it go but only made it a few weeks before I felt compelled to pull the trigger on new one and an OEM titanium clip. Apart from having the best blade grind and design to support it's edge, somehow the Sandvik also seems to be superior, even to some powdered steels, for it's ability to be upkept extremely easily with a strop or hone. So if you're someone who has the tools and knows how to do that upkeep, this is an extremely effective and economical way to keep a cutting tool with you that has the potential to get you through scores of jobs before it needs much maintenance. Add to that the balance of stellar ergos and design, the balance of light weight and large form factor and the sheer fidget friendliness of the whole package make this thing the ultimate black sharpie in my book.
Cutting an onion: 1. Cut the flower end off 2. Cut the onion in half vertically, cutting through the root end 3. Peel the onion 4. Now you can slice the onion, using the root end as a place to put your fingers, and the root keeps everything together.
China’s political policies have made me avoid as many products from this country as possible, especially knives. This knife makes me feel the oppression with no artistic flair or innovation. Just another grab into the hard working mans wallet.
@@GG-ml3vr - It’s hard to determine where something is made 100% of time since many companies try to hide the fact they use slave labour. Whining is complaining but doing nothing. Boycotting is taking a stand. Big difference.
Barkeepers friend, fine steel wool and elbow grease. Also, I would echo anyone else’s praise for cast iron. For cast iron cleaning: scalding water, plus salt and a scrub brush does the trick for me. Thanks for all you do!
Yup, barkeepers is stainless pans best friend, works good with the scotchbrite side of a sponge for day to day use and keeps it less sticky for some reason
I screamed about how great of a user this knife is, and how well the grind/ shape is for edc, they said they were running the 14c around 60 61 hrc which I was happy to hear and it did very well in the cut test I did, I’ve been very impressed with Civivi 14c. I’m hoping to see a cut test from on Civivi 14c28n it’s been my most Anticipated test of recently from you. If not oh well I’ll just have to jerk off to something else 👊🏻
I use the cast iron Civivi Button lock with bar keepers friend for pivot lube and sharpen it up with a carbon pan, for what it's worth. I love your videos Pete. Your brand of humor is perfect. Please keep up the great work!
Got mine a week ago and can’t put it down. Grind is awesome like you stated. Love that the blade is clean and has no studs or holes. Wish they used the banter clip.
I absolutely recommend carbon steel pan. Cast iron is next. Both required seasoning but after you cook bacon in it a couple of time it’s pretty much done seasoning. The more you use it the better it gets. It becomes nonstick on its own.
100% agree, never used a carbon steel pan, but cast iron is awesome. Naturally non-stick, a large thermal mass for even heating, never wears out, etc. A little bit high maintenance, but the benefits far outweigh that.
Yep, look up anything on cast iron and you'll be set. Either wipe a thin layer of oil on there and bake it on at high heat, or just cook really fatty foods like bacon on it.
You guys are silly. Stainless steel pans are just as good if you actually treat it the same as a carbon or cast iron pan, its just more finicky to keep it that way due to the smoother surface properties. You need to season it just the same if you want it non stick. It ends up looking all kinds of funky if you do it because of the contrast with brushed stainless, but its the layer of polymerized oil that creates the non-stick and you can also have this on a stainless pan such as what I assume is an All-clad three layer he has here.
@@Ajaxykins Rubbish! Stainless is a poor conductor. That's why you get hot and cold patches when frying. It's only good for low temp sauces and liquids. You just can not sear a steak properly in stainless pans.
The channel has gone through many phases over the years. This chicken/homesteading/digressions/onions fusillade is a golden age. Rivals the New Materials/Amalgamation golden age.
G’day I just want two thank whoever collated the steel test data into those amazing graphs. Until to day I used to just watch the old videos putrid and pause it on the steel I was interested in but these are incredible thank you
Man, I gave up on stainless steel fry pans ages ago. I used cast iron all the time until a couple of years ago I tried a carbon steel skillet. Both cast iron and carbon steel are great!
Agreed. Stainless steel is good for boiling/stewing etc, but you can't beat cast iron and carbon steel for high heat. For cleaning SS, get an abrasive wheel for a drill like a Josco Strip-it from Bunnings.
If you use stainless pans, you need to make sure to wait long enough to turn it (the food) If you turn it too soon it wont release. Also barkeepers friend, stainless cleanser for cleaning it. Maybe some steel wool, or scouring pads should do the trick.
On the SS pan. I cook a lot with those. If I get some burnt on stuff I try and deal with it before the pan cools off. After I’m done cooking I put it back on high heat and soak it with wine or something alcoholic. Let it boil up and scrape with spatula. Seems to get most of the black off. Then use barkeeps or something similar.
I watched a bunch of reviews on this knife before buying it. I’ve had it for a week now and I’m amazed no one mentioned the amazing grind before Pete. I was stunned by that edge geometry on a cheaper knife (my first civivi).
Because mosf knife reviewers are hacks who don't realize thickness bebind the edge is a consideration or that you have to grind all of the bevels on a knife over the long term
@@donjuanmckenzie4897 Seems like a few of em will look at the stock thickness and proclaim it to be a thin slicey knife, even if it isn't ground well and is still quite thick BTE.
BarKeeper's Friend (powder cleaner) has some abrasive and a little acid in it, which helps remove burn and corrosion marks. Cast iron or carbon steel pans have better emissivity, which means they cook the part that isn't quite touching the pan pretty well. The stainless pans really only cook the part that is touching, so you tend to have burnt parts and undercooked parts, which sucks. For health on cast iron or carbon steel, use heavy oils like coconut oil or ghee (clarified butter) to build up the black coating. The thin seed oils are polyunsaturated, which means they have many weak spots and break into hydrocarbon fragments under heat. Those fragments are carcinogenic. Build up the black coating over a number of sessions and don't scrub it away. It is polymerized oil, sort of an organic high temperature plastic.
Cook here. I just use a nice ball of stainless steel wool, a dab of dish soap and a cup of hot water, elbow grease. Tip: Cut the onions like you were doing, up to halfway then rotate 180 degrees and cut the rest of the way, that way they dont shoot out sideways under pressure. My fav onion knife is a 5" victorinox chef knife. Compact and super thin blade stock. Have a good one.
When you cook, heat the pan to the point water rolls around, add oil and swish around for ten seconds, then add food. Just after cooking, add a little water to the pan and scrape with spatula to de-glaze it. No need to season pan this way. Cheers and happy cooking :)
Everyone mentioning cast iron which is certainly good. But I got a big heavy stainless steel pan as a gift (Demeyere I think?) and now I cook everything except eggs in it 3 years running. Love it.
I recommend cast iron skillet . You get a great sear and it’s safe for stove and oven. And imo it’s easier to clean over stainless. Give it a try if you haven’t and compare I’d be Curious to know your opinion?
Berserk sound track, Simpsons references, friendly doggo. Top 5 TH-cam Channel material you're working with sir. Love the button lock Elementum! Fidgety though it gets a bad rap in that department, and definitely a great cutting tool!
Not sure if anyone has said this in a comment, and I'm sure you've gotten your stainless steel pan clean by now (or have given up) - but the best thing for getting burned on crud off a stainless steel pan is tomato sauce or vinegar. I've heard people recommend baking soda, but that has never worked for me. I like Bon Ami cleanser as well (someone else already recommend Barkeeper's Friend, which is a similar product - scratch-free cleaner that works through acid-base chemistry). Fun fact: Bon Ami is also the very best thing I've *ever* found for removing soap scum from a bathtub or shower stall (even the glass doors) with no heavy scrubbing - and it doesn't scratch the surface. Anyway, about your pan: you can cook some jarred tomato sauce in it for a little bit and it should take off the charred residue. Alternatively, I have also used ketchup: cover the charred bits, leave it overnight, and in the morning it should be clean. (Ketchup has the advantage of bringing both tomato and vinegar to the proverbial table.) The common denominator of all these substances is that they are acidic.
Cleaning stainless steel pans tips some one said bar keeps friend that’s great stuff. But if not available or doesn’t get everything out try heating the pan with white vinegar and then scrub it with a blue or green 3m pad. Heating it opens the pores in the metal and lets the vinegar into the pores to get out the gunk. All I used to use stainless but have moved back to cast iron it’s great just have to clean up after cooking.
I also dont use non-stick. Then i thought about your nice big red platic cutting board. Wonder how much of that thing gets in you. I've kindof stppped eating much other than chips of porcelain and wood splinters. But it's hard. Trash is all over. I once bought a chickpea salad and ate a rock.
Whatever chemical you use, rub it in along with water and the heavy duty Mr clean magic erase bar. I brown polish sausage on my stainless steel pan often. The grease browns the casting up nicely. My old pan also turns black. I use the dawn concentrate mist stuff and the magic erase bar. I first boil water in my tea kettle. then do al that
Tips for the pan: You can season a steel pan. The way I've done it is by letting the pan heat up a bit, add enough oil to coat the bottom and let it heat up a bit more. Don't let it get hot enough to fry something or for it to burn. Then (and please be really carefull with this) you will add about 2 tablespoons of rock salt, again, be super carefull because this will start sending oil and small salt fragments flying. Let this go on for 3 - 5 mins. Cut the heat. Discard the oil/salt mix (let it cool off in a separate container before throwing it away). And wipe down all the excess oil, making sure you "rub it" in the pan while doing so (I recommend you do this last step twice). And there you go. Also, this is not absolutely necesarry, but you could rub a little oil before storing the pan just to give it a little help. Lastly, I've no idea what cause all the black stuff to happen, all I can think of is that you were using a low heat oil. I higly recommend using high heat oil for everything, especially for the seasoning. Great video as always, cheers
When I'm cooking in a stainless pan, I've found it helps to put in the butter or oil and then heat the pan up past medium. I let it get good and hot,, then before adding the food, I turn it down to medium. Seems the help with the sticking. I use this method with butter to fry eggs all the time and they come free from the pan just fine and eggs can stick like crazy. I also recommend picking up some cast iron pans to complement the ss pans. They both have their purpose. Good on you for staying away from Teflon. Barkeepers friend or a stainless cleaner should clean up the pan. Scotchbright helps too.
Cast iron frying pans are the way to go. Season it first with oil. No dishwasher or soap, just rub with a paper towel and you're good to go. As for stainless, steel wool will get rid of the dark marks, but will scuff up the finish somewhat too if it was polished.
From what I understand, all Civivi are pretty thin behind the edge. For your burgers, you need a cooking oil with a higher smoke point. Avocado and Macadamia nut oil both fall in that category. Although it has a lower smoke point, testing has shown extra virgin olive oil to demonstrate similar stability. You want stability for health reasons, as well as easier cleanup.
Drop some baking soda readily found at home into that stainless right after you’re done cooking and while still warm apply some elbow grease with the rough side of the sponge, after each use. Will keep it almost new.
Over the years I’ve bought and sold many knives. I’ve settled on three that meet my needs perfectly, Spyderco Delicate, Benchmade 940 and when camping or field dressing small game, Benchmade Griptillisn. For me these are the perfect combination.
I love the look of the elementum. I always like the plain knives though. companies make stuff way too flashy and im just simple folk. I really don't like to draw alot of attention with my knives.
Good review. Every other reviewer harped on dozens of times about how there is only one way to open it. All my Civivi knives have excellent geometry. Other manufacturers should take note.
This is an older video, but when you cook on cast iron and stainless steel, when you put your food on the hot pan, you have to wait for the food to release from the pan. If you try to move it right away, it will be sticking.
Mi amigo, if you're cooking burgers and onions you need to get a cast iron skillet. Get a 12" diameter one as it will cook four 4-ounce burgers at once. Nothing beats quality cast iron for that kind of food. Lodge is a great brand. I've also had much luck using eBay to find vintage skillets. I'm not sure what the Aussie cognate for Walmart would be, but stay away from any of their imported chinesium cookware. If you're stuck on stainless steel (which I do also use), melt butter to use as your cooking oil and stick with a medium or medium-low heat. Get the butter right to the point where a small splash of water droplets from the tips of your fingers immediately boils and sizzles away. THAT is your cooking temperature with butter and stainless. You will never burn a pan that way and the butter won't burn (at that temperature, not any hotter) will keep the pan non-stick so you can wipe it 97% clean with a quick swipe from a paper towel. Oh, yeah, and uh...cool knife, too.
We use a "Diamond Like" coated pan. I assume it's just some very hard ceramic costing but it is an excellent pan. Nothing stick or scratches that pan and we have it for over a year. Can't remember where I got it but it has a blue coating.
Totally agree on the aesthetics, or lack of. As a carry user? Phenomenal. Just ordered the new Cogent for a try, it has more of a "Code 4" kind of look. Very keen to get that one in hand.
You need to season your stainless steel pan. What you do is: apply a very thin layer of oil. You heat the pan on medium heat and wait until the smoking point of oil (starts smoking). Then you wait a bit until the oil starts to turn brown. It won't be brown everywhere but that's ok. From that point on you have an almost non stick pan. Make sure to not burn the thin layer. Add little bit more oil for the actual frying/cooking. To clean, use steel wool. I love SS. It will last for centuries if you know how to cook with it. I hate Teflon because it lasts like two years (depends how often you use it) and that's it - doesn't matter what price you paid, not good for our planet.
I am a HUGE FAN and I am so sorry this comment doesn’t relate to your video, I just don’t think we can message people directly on TH-cam. Have you ever compared the heat treating TOPS knives does, to a factory knife that wasn’t Differentially heat treated in one of your tests?? That would be one insane video. Live your tests. Love your videos. Thanks man.
How do you go about cleaning folding knives like this, before and after using them for food prep? Do you do things any differently between knives with bearings vs phosphor bronze washers?
I finally purchased a civivi a couple months ago I go the minimus and I was not impressed with it one bit the grind was really uneven on it.. i reprofiled the edge and used it for breaking down boxes at work for a couple weeks n finally decided to just give it away..
The trick with getting the SS pan to not have food stick to it is all about temperature- if you don’t get it hot enough, then things will definitely get sticky..!
Try baked baking soda (sodium carbonate). Bake regular baking soda in a 1/2 inch layer or so at about 350F for a couple hours. Half a cup boiling in an inch or so of water will lift all of that off. Great for getting the brown off coffee equipment too.
I hate the non-stick pans, loved the cast iron but becuase high iron in my blood i had to scrap the cast iron. I started using stainless steel. Yes it sticks like crazy, but if you can sharpen a knife to a mirror finish do it to you stainlees steel pan like i did. When the factory machined circles are gone it is super easy to clean, almost effortless. Also, always use oil of some kind.
Did you say 'Scanpan'? Use a stainless steel scourer to rip the black off. But I'd suggest trying to build up a patina (like you do with cast iron when you season it). SS is a bugger of a thing to cook on.
Barkeeper’s Friend will get the black off the pan. Btw, carbon steel and cast iron pans are pretty much nonstick if maintained properly, without any sort of plastic coatings. They’re great to use and clean up pretty easily too.
+1 for using Barkeepers Friend to clean stainless steel pans. That stuff is magic. I use a fair bit of stainless steel, cast iron & carbon steel pans. Go with cast iron unless you are willing to do a LOT of learning about proper care & use for carbon steel. They are amazing when treated well, but have a real learning curve. Cast iron is easy if you follow the basic rules.
Put oil and the burger/beef into the cold pan and let it come up to temperature. Don’t touch it until the sides of the meat are brown. You should be able to flip it then without it sticking. Alternately, you could line you pan with aluminum foil and cook your food on that, chucking the ruined Alu-foil when done.
when cooking in non 'non-stick' stuff (stainless/cast iron/Al etc) you need a deceptively greater amount of oil as its acting both as a lubricant and as a sort of heat paste to the food, i would also suggest turning the heat up as high as is reasonable withput burning said item as the quicker the maillard reactions happen the quicker the meat/potato/egg stops absorbing oil and forms its own kind of non stick coating.... for non 'meat like' foods i.e. risotto/floured sauces/carbonara/etc either try to avoid browning things (or use the oven/grill for that) or try something with an enamel coating its not non-stick bit often better than bare steel.... just my 10 years experience as a professional chef.....oh yeah and you just have to scrub the shit out of it afterwards,
Another great video. Once again, love the beats per usual. I'll have to get one of these down the line. Debating between the green micarta or the fancy damascus with carbon fiber. I'm not a fan of the elementum pattern either, but their other button locks they have in the works look great! I've also heard of blackening steel and Ti via burning oil. Maybe that's what you did to your pan. Maybe you accidentally gave it a protective layer? 🤷♂️🤣
Silica packets are one time use. Those are already filled with moisture totally useless. I use color changing rechargeable silica that can be put into an oven on low and dried out for re-use. They turn blue when dry and red when filled with moisture.
My biggest problem with the button lock elementum is that its too big. Would have been perfect if it was the same size as the flipper elementum. Also it would have been nice to have some sort of aid to keep the blade closed. So many times when i flip it closed it either doesn't make it all the way or it bounces back. Kinda defeats the whole purpose of having a nice smooth one hand open/close if you have to double check that the blade is actually closed and locked whenever you put it away.
@@bradfarrahgerwing154 This sounds like you're trying and failing to humble brag. This isn't an outdoors knife by any means, i have a Helle for that. This is a slim EDC, which is part of the reason it feels too long, simply because of how thin and slim it is everywhere else but without having the ultra slim factors as something like a CEO. It's just kinda goofy looking and feeling in this blade length. The original elementum is a great size at right under 3". Perfect for any pocket and much better at carrying across state lines without potentially breaking any carry laws.
@@jawaring4367 jeez a little full of yourself hmmmm? If I wanted to brag I could talk about how I'm 3rd generation German butcher with 14.5 years experience....ran trapline in northern Saskatchewan for 7 years and was a cook for 3.......and now 17 years in pest control with my own company. Its obvious I don't have nearly the online keyboard warrior special tech operations as yourself and that should preclude me from personal usage experiences with 4 decades of pocket knife usage......10 acres of off grind land in the Cariboo clearing and leveling rough forest for a cabin site and tree stand doesn't teach anything about outdoor usage as well. Under 3 inches might be perfect for you but not everone worries about carry laws in Northern Canada where I have a 7 to 9 inch bowie strapped when I leave the truck plus a large folder Later
DUDE! BladeHQ has the Al Mar Eagle AND Falcon in Titanium. Coming soon! I’m not sure when, but I saw those and thought of you. Thought I’d let you know to keep your eyes peeled 👀
I believe the idea may be to double down on charring the pan up so it is all black. Burn oil onto it repetitively. "Cure" it if you will. That's what you do with cast iron. The black stuff is lower stick than the clean stainless steel. At least that is what I seem to remember reading when pondering the same dilemma a few years ago. Just been using the brain cancer pans lately though.
Just reading the other comments, someone else explains the "seasoning" (not "cure", derrr) process much better. And as others point out there are other pan materials that spread out the heat better like cast iron for the optimum frying experience. I seem to remember copper is actually the best of all for that, but expensive.
Buy citric acid (normally in granular form)and give it a go for that pan. Use hot water with the citric acid. Would love a follow-up if you managed to sort out the pan
I'm glad somebody else is recognizing how good the grind is on these. Once I put an edge on it and started using it, it blew me away. Really frustrating to see all the reviews just talking about it like "oh how quaint, a button lock without a flipper/studs, that's a shame" completely missing how amazing the blade is. The action/deployment thing is a complete non issue, especially if you're already used to opening axis locks by pulling on the bar.
barkeepers friend will take it right off!
That stuff is overpowered
Yesss bar keepers friend
Yep
Definitely barkeeper's friend!!
I was about to comment this same thing! Stainless cook wear is a great choice for most everything except non stick, but looks new after barkeepers friend!
Here in the states we have SOS or Brillo pads. Basically 0000 steel wool impregnated with dish soap. I use those for stainless steel pans that have been burnt. I also primarily use butter instead of oil for high heat cooking. Medium or low heat I use extra virgin olive oil.
Been carrying this and gave up on normal rotation since the first time I picked this guy up. The stock clip turned out to be weak as the knife ended up f'ing off somewhere during my travels towards the end of the first year.
I thought I could let it go but only made it a few weeks before I felt compelled to pull the trigger on new one and an OEM titanium clip. Apart from having the best blade grind and design to support it's edge, somehow the Sandvik also seems to be superior, even to some powdered steels, for it's ability to be upkept extremely easily with a strop or hone. So if you're someone who has the tools and knows how to do that upkeep, this is an extremely effective and economical way to keep a cutting tool with you that has the potential to get you through scores of jobs before it needs much maintenance. Add to that the balance of stellar ergos and design, the balance of light weight and large form factor and the sheer fidget friendliness of the whole package make this thing the ultimate black sharpie in my book.
Better hollow grind than the Buck 110? Uncle Randy just went into cardiac arrest from across the ocean. I hope you're happy, Pete.
Cutting an onion:
1. Cut the flower end off
2. Cut the onion in half vertically, cutting through the root end
3. Peel the onion
4. Now you can slice the onion, using the root end as a place to put your fingers, and the root keeps everything together.
Ada is such a sweetheart. Cherish the old dogs cuz they leave the biggest holes in your heart when their gone. Zoomies in an senior husky is adorable.
China’s political policies have made me avoid as many products from this country as possible, especially knives. This knife makes me feel the oppression with no artistic flair or innovation. Just another grab into the hard working mans wallet.
@@kevola5739 yeah Huskies hey
@@kevola5739 'Avoid,as many as possible? So your commited enough to whine about Chinese products,just not commited 100%🤣
@@GG-ml3vr - It’s hard to determine where something is made 100% of time since many companies try to hide the fact they use slave labour. Whining is complaining but doing nothing. Boycotting is taking a stand. Big difference.
Barkeepers friend, fine steel wool and elbow grease. Also, I would echo anyone else’s praise for cast iron. For cast iron cleaning: scalding water, plus salt and a scrub brush does the trick for me. Thanks for all you do!
Agree with you on both the Barkeeper’s Friend and the merits of cast iron!
Yup, barkeepers is stainless pans best friend, works good with the scotchbrite side of a sponge for day to day use and keeps it less sticky for some reason
Definitely agree on cast iron. Get it well seasoned and it's a joy to cook with and easy to clean
@@jermainesanchez713 It's cause burnt on material is sticky.
Just got this of your rec. Your right the grind on this is sublime, better than my sabenza out of the box, now I'm gonna get all the girls
That Berserk Guts song always gives me the feels.
I screamed about how great of a user this knife is, and how well the grind/ shape is for edc, they said they were running the 14c around 60 61 hrc which I was happy to hear and it did very well in the cut test I did, I’ve been very impressed with Civivi 14c. I’m hoping to see a cut test from on Civivi 14c28n it’s been my most Anticipated test of recently from you. If not oh well I’ll just have to jerk off to something else 👊🏻
Gross
It's crazy you have a farm in that wasteland.
I use the cast iron Civivi Button lock with bar keepers friend for pivot lube and sharpen it up with a carbon pan, for what it's worth.
I love your videos Pete. Your brand of humor is perfect. Please keep up the great work!
I lol'd
Got mine a week ago and can’t put it down. Grind is awesome like you stated. Love that the blade is clean and has no studs or holes. Wish they used the banter clip.
I applaud the use of Gut's theme
Also a baking soda and vinegar reaction may be able to help clean the clean
I absolutely recommend carbon steel pan. Cast iron is next. Both required seasoning but after you cook bacon in it a couple of time it’s pretty much done seasoning. The more you use it the better it gets. It becomes nonstick on its own.
100% agree, never used a carbon steel pan, but cast iron is awesome. Naturally non-stick, a large thermal mass for even heating, never wears out, etc. A little bit high maintenance, but the benefits far outweigh that.
I never tried carbon either but yes my cast iron is amazing! Easier to clean over stainless and great sear!
Yep, look up anything on cast iron and you'll be set.
Either wipe a thin layer of oil on there and bake it on at high heat, or just cook really fatty foods like bacon on it.
You guys are silly. Stainless steel pans are just as good if you actually treat it the same as a carbon or cast iron pan, its just more finicky to keep it that way due to the smoother surface properties. You need to season it just the same if you want it non stick. It ends up looking all kinds of funky if you do it because of the contrast with brushed stainless, but its the layer of polymerized oil that creates the non-stick and you can also have this on a stainless pan such as what I assume is an All-clad three layer he has here.
@@Ajaxykins
Rubbish! Stainless is a poor conductor. That's why you get hot and cold patches when frying.
It's only good for low temp sauces and liquids. You just can not sear a steak properly in stainless pans.
The channel has gone through many phases over the years. This chicken/homesteading/digressions/onions fusillade is a golden age. Rivals the New Materials/Amalgamation golden age.
Oh man, New Materials age was a wild time though
Barkeepers friend powder can be used to clean the pan
G’day I just want two thank whoever collated the steel test data into those amazing graphs. Until to day I used to just watch the old videos putrid and pause it on the steel I was interested in but these are incredible thank you
Dave R is the man to thank for that. Absolute legend
Man, I gave up on stainless steel fry pans ages ago. I used cast iron all the time until a couple of years ago I tried a carbon steel skillet. Both cast iron and carbon steel are great!
Agreed. Stainless steel is good for boiling/stewing etc, but you can't beat cast iron and carbon steel for high heat. For cleaning SS, get an abrasive wheel for a drill like a Josco Strip-it from Bunnings.
Got into cast iron a couple years ago and loved it. Recently was gifted my first carbon steel pan and I'm loving that too.
If you use stainless pans, you need to make sure to wait long enough to turn it (the food) If you turn it too soon it wont release.
Also barkeepers friend, stainless cleanser for cleaning it. Maybe some steel wool, or scouring pads should do the trick.
Barkeeper’s Friend is the way to go. I wouldn’t use steel wool, scouring pads, or any sort of abrasives because they’ll ruin the finish.
Yep, +1 barkeepers friend. It is definitely your friend.
On the SS pan. I cook a lot with those. If I get some burnt on stuff I try and deal with it before the pan cools off. After I’m done cooking I put it back on high heat and soak it with wine or something alcoholic. Let it boil up and scrape with spatula. Seems to get most of the black off. Then use barkeeps or something similar.
I watched a bunch of reviews on this knife before buying it. I’ve had it for a week now and I’m amazed no one mentioned the amazing grind before Pete. I was stunned by that edge geometry on a cheaper knife (my first civivi).
Because mosf knife reviewers are hacks who don't realize thickness bebind the edge is a consideration or that you have to grind all of the bevels on a knife over the long term
@@donjuanmckenzie4897 Seems like a few of em will look at the stock thickness and proclaim it to be a thin slicey knife, even if it isn't ground well and is still quite thick BTE.
BarKeeper's Friend (powder cleaner) has some abrasive and a little acid in it, which helps remove burn and corrosion marks.
Cast iron or carbon steel pans have better emissivity, which means they cook the part that isn't quite touching the pan pretty well. The stainless pans really only cook the part that is touching, so you tend to have burnt parts and undercooked parts, which sucks.
For health on cast iron or carbon steel, use heavy oils like coconut oil or ghee (clarified butter) to build up the black coating. The thin seed oils are polyunsaturated, which means they have many weak spots and break into hydrocarbon fragments under heat. Those fragments are carcinogenic.
Build up the black coating over a number of sessions and don't scrub it away. It is polymerized oil, sort of an organic high temperature plastic.
Cook here. I just use a nice ball of stainless steel wool, a dab of dish soap and a cup of hot water, elbow grease.
Tip: Cut the onions like you were doing, up to halfway then rotate 180 degrees and cut the rest of the way, that way they dont shoot out sideways under pressure. My fav onion knife is a 5" victorinox chef knife. Compact and super thin blade stock. Have a good one.
When you cook, heat the pan to the point water rolls around, add oil and swish around for ten seconds, then add food. Just after cooking, add a little water to the pan and scrape with spatula to de-glaze it. No need to season pan this way. Cheers and happy cooking :)
Everyone mentioning cast iron which is certainly good. But I got a big heavy stainless steel pan as a gift (Demeyere I think?) and now I cook everything except eggs in it 3 years running. Love it.
I have the micarta version and I absolutely love it. It's become my second most carried knife behind my AD 20.5
Your astute assessments are always just that…remarkably astute and always on target.
Ohhh more retired chicken content with added cooking tips ! I'm in ! Really need one if those knife lab tee shirts.
I recommend cast iron skillet . You get a great sear and it’s safe for stove and oven. And imo it’s easier to clean over stainless. Give it a try if you haven’t and compare I’d be Curious to know your opinion?
Civivi just released 2 new button locks too :O
Berserk sound track, Simpsons references, friendly doggo. Top 5 TH-cam Channel material you're working with sir. Love the button lock Elementum! Fidgety though it gets a bad rap in that department, and definitely a great cutting tool!
Hi Pete. Cast iron is completely safe and non stick. Give it a try. Aus Iron is good stuff. Made in Australia.
Solidteknics is the brand name I love mine
I usually use white vinegar to take off discoloration. low heat if needed.
Not sure if anyone has said this in a comment, and I'm sure you've gotten your stainless steel pan clean by now (or have given up) - but the best thing for getting burned on crud off a stainless steel pan is tomato sauce or vinegar. I've heard people recommend baking soda, but that has never worked for me. I like Bon Ami cleanser as well (someone else already recommend Barkeeper's Friend, which is a similar product - scratch-free cleaner that works through acid-base chemistry). Fun fact: Bon Ami is also the very best thing I've *ever* found for removing soap scum from a bathtub or shower stall (even the glass doors) with no heavy scrubbing - and it doesn't scratch the surface. Anyway, about your pan: you can cook some jarred tomato sauce in it for a little bit and it should take off the charred residue. Alternatively, I have also used ketchup: cover the charred bits, leave it overnight, and in the morning it should be clean. (Ketchup has the advantage of bringing both tomato and vinegar to the proverbial table.) The common denominator of all these substances is that they are acidic.
Cleaning stainless steel pans tips some one said bar keeps friend that’s great stuff. But if not available or doesn’t get everything out try heating the pan with white vinegar and then scrub it with a blue or green 3m pad. Heating it opens the pores in the metal and lets the vinegar into the pores to get out the gunk. All I used to use stainless but have moved back to cast iron it’s great just have to clean up after cooking.
I also dont use non-stick. Then i thought about your nice big red platic cutting board. Wonder how much of that thing gets in you. I've kindof stppped eating much other than chips of porcelain and wood splinters. But it's hard. Trash is all over. I once bought a chickpea salad and ate a rock.
Always appreciate your view on the popular models as well
Whatever chemical you use, rub it in along with water and the heavy duty Mr clean magic erase bar. I brown polish sausage on my stainless steel pan often. The grease browns the casting up nicely. My old pan also turns black. I use the dawn concentrate mist stuff and the magic erase bar. I first boil water in my tea kettle. then do al that
Tips for the pan: You can season a steel pan. The way I've done it is by letting the pan heat up a bit, add enough oil to coat the bottom and let it heat up a bit more. Don't let it get hot enough to fry something or for it to burn. Then (and please be really carefull with this) you will add about 2 tablespoons of rock salt, again, be super carefull because this will start sending oil and small salt fragments flying. Let this go on for 3 - 5 mins. Cut the heat. Discard the oil/salt mix (let it cool off in a separate container before throwing it away). And wipe down all the excess oil, making sure you "rub it" in the pan while doing so (I recommend you do this last step twice). And there you go. Also, this is not absolutely necesarry, but you could rub a little oil before storing the pan just to give it a little help.
Lastly, I've no idea what cause all the black stuff to happen, all I can think of is that you were using a low heat oil. I higly recommend using high heat oil for everything, especially for the seasoning.
Great video as always, cheers
When I'm cooking in a stainless pan, I've found it helps to put in the butter or oil and then heat the pan up past medium. I let it get good and hot,, then before adding the food, I turn it down to medium. Seems the help with the sticking. I use this method with butter to fry eggs all the time and they come free from the pan just fine and eggs can stick like crazy. I also recommend picking up some cast iron pans to complement the ss pans. They both have their purpose. Good on you for staying away from Teflon. Barkeepers friend or a stainless cleaner should clean up the pan. Scotchbright helps too.
My pan looks like yours, while i tried do keep my indoorfire going, all the oil burnt completely. Entertaining as always.
Cast iron frying pans are the way to go. Season it first with oil. No dishwasher or soap, just rub with a paper towel and you're good to go.
As for stainless, steel wool will get rid of the dark marks, but will scuff up the finish somewhat too if it was polished.
From what I understand, all Civivi are pretty thin behind the edge. For your burgers, you need a cooking oil with a higher smoke point. Avocado and Macadamia nut oil both fall in that category. Although it has a lower smoke point, testing has shown extra virgin olive oil to demonstrate similar stability. You want stability for health reasons, as well as easier cleanup.
Drop some baking soda readily found at home into that stainless right after you’re done cooking and while still warm apply some elbow grease with the rough side of the sponge, after each use. Will keep it almost new.
Over the years I’ve bought and sold many knives. I’ve settled on three that meet my needs perfectly, Spyderco Delicate, Benchmade 940 and when camping or field dressing small game, Benchmade Griptillisn. For me these are the perfect combination.
Been meaning to grab one of those for a while. Use more oil when cooking in stainless.
as you were walking with the camera I just realized something....we need a Knife version of Pete the Cat(children's book series)
I love the look of the elementum. I always like the plain knives though. companies make stuff way too flashy and im just simple folk. I really don't like to draw alot of attention with my knives.
Really enjoy civivis hollow grind, got one on the way. Thanks
you have a magical way of doing videos on the knives i’m about to buy. truly amazing
Good review.
Every other reviewer harped on dozens of times about how there is only one way to open it.
All my Civivi knives have excellent geometry.
Other manufacturers should take note.
This is an older video, but when you cook on cast iron and stainless steel, when you put your food on the hot pan, you have to wait for the food to release from the pan. If you try to move it right away, it will be sticking.
Civivi Elementum II (button lock AND flipper-tab) is now pretty-pretty great.
Mi amigo, if you're cooking burgers and onions you need to get a cast iron skillet. Get a 12" diameter one as it will cook four 4-ounce burgers at once. Nothing beats quality cast iron for that kind of food. Lodge is a great brand. I've also had much luck using eBay to find vintage skillets. I'm not sure what the Aussie cognate for Walmart would be, but stay away from any of their imported chinesium cookware.
If you're stuck on stainless steel (which I do also use), melt butter to use as your cooking oil and stick with a medium or medium-low heat. Get the butter right to the point where a small splash of water droplets from the tips of your fingers immediately boils and sizzles away. THAT is your cooking temperature with butter and stainless. You will never burn a pan that way and the butter won't burn (at that temperature, not any hotter) will keep the pan non-stick so you can wipe it 97% clean with a quick swipe from a paper towel.
Oh, yeah, and uh...cool knife, too.
We use a "Diamond Like" coated pan. I assume it's just some very hard ceramic costing but it is an excellent pan. Nothing stick or scratches that pan and we have it for over a year. Can't remember where I got it but it has a blue coating.
Yes they are the late night TV specials. Often you get a 2nd one free....or a 3rd one.
I'm sorry for forgetting about your channel for awhile. keep up the good work!
I just ordered the Civivi cogent. I hope their serving button lock is as good as the first.
Used to like flat grind. Then talked to Chris Reeve one day at the blade show. Converted me to a very slight hollow ground blade. Ya!
Totally agree on the aesthetics, or lack of. As a carry user? Phenomenal. Just ordered the new Cogent for a try, it has more of a "Code 4" kind of look. Very keen to get that one in hand.
Steel wool on that Elmax skillet and you'll be all set 😎
nice flock of feathered velociraptors!
Great video as always, thank you.
You need to season your stainless steel pan. What you do is: apply a very thin layer of oil. You heat the pan on medium heat and wait until the smoking point of oil (starts smoking). Then you wait a bit until the oil starts to turn brown. It won't be brown everywhere but that's ok. From that point on you have an almost non stick pan. Make sure to not burn the thin layer. Add little bit more oil for the actual frying/cooking.
To clean, use steel wool. I love SS. It will last for centuries if you know how to cook with it. I hate Teflon because it lasts like two years (depends how often you use it) and that's it - doesn't matter what price you paid, not good for our planet.
I've found the Solidteknics pans work pretty well
Viniger and bicarbonate soda for the pan. Leave it in couple of hours and rub off with sponge.
I am a HUGE FAN and I am so sorry this comment doesn’t relate to your video, I just don’t think we can message people directly on TH-cam. Have you ever compared the heat treating TOPS knives does, to a factory knife that wasn’t Differentially heat treated in one of your tests?? That would be one insane video. Live your tests. Love your videos. Thanks man.
How do you go about cleaning folding knives like this, before and after using them for food prep? Do you do things any differently between knives with bearings vs phosphor bronze washers?
I switched to carbon steel fry pans but they need seasoning. Great for burgers and steaks and a like. Stainless steel is great for acidic foods.
I finally purchased a civivi a couple months ago I go the minimus and I was not impressed with it one bit the grind was really uneven on it.. i reprofiled the edge and used it for breaking down boxes at work for a couple weeks n finally decided to just give it away..
Recommendation without reading previous comments - use cast iron or carbon steel pans and season well. Best Teflon-free alternative in my opinion
I was so surprised by this knife. I heard all the hype and then it lived up to it.
Cast iron, that's all you need. Blackening only makes it better.
Any abrasive cleaner and if available mr. clean magic eraser works well to clean stainless.
The trick with getting the SS pan to not have food stick to it is all about temperature- if you don’t get it hot enough, then things will definitely get sticky..!
The Sencut Actium is another budget knife with a great thin hollow grind
Thanks was waiting for this review, just ordered one as a Christmas present for myself. Keep it up, proud of you!
I use a drill copper brush attachment to clean stain like that on my pan.. that type of stain will be gone in less than 5second.
Try baked baking soda (sodium carbonate). Bake regular baking soda in a 1/2 inch layer or so at about 350F for a couple hours. Half a cup boiling in an inch or so of water will lift all of that off. Great for getting the brown off coffee equipment too.
I hate the non-stick pans, loved the cast iron but becuase high iron in my blood i had to scrap the cast iron. I started using stainless steel. Yes it sticks like crazy, but if you can sharpen a knife to a mirror finish do it to you stainlees steel pan like i did. When the factory machined circles are gone it is super easy to clean, almost effortless. Also, always use oil of some kind.
The Frugal Gourmet use to quip “Hot pan, cold oil, food no stick”
Did you say 'Scanpan'? Use a stainless steel scourer to rip the black off. But I'd suggest trying to build up a patina (like you do with cast iron when you season it). SS is a bugger of a thing to cook on.
Barkeeper’s Friend will get the black off the pan.
Btw, carbon steel and cast iron pans are pretty much nonstick if maintained properly, without any sort of plastic coatings. They’re great to use and clean up pretty easily too.
+1 for using Barkeepers Friend to clean stainless steel pans. That stuff is magic.
I use a fair bit of stainless steel, cast iron & carbon steel pans. Go with cast iron unless you are willing to do a LOT of learning about proper care & use for carbon steel. They are amazing when treated well, but have a real learning curve. Cast iron is easy if you follow the basic rules.
Put oil and the burger/beef into the cold pan and let it come up to temperature. Don’t touch it until the sides of the meat are brown. You should be able to flip it then without it sticking.
Alternately, you could line you pan with aluminum foil and cook your food on that, chucking the ruined Alu-foil when done.
when cooking in non 'non-stick' stuff (stainless/cast iron/Al etc) you need a deceptively greater amount of oil as its acting both as a lubricant and as a sort of heat paste to the food, i would also suggest turning the heat up as high as is reasonable withput burning said item as the quicker the maillard reactions happen the quicker the meat/potato/egg stops absorbing oil and forms its own kind of non stick coating.... for non 'meat like' foods i.e. risotto/floured sauces/carbonara/etc either try to avoid browning things (or use the oven/grill for that) or try something with an enamel coating its not non-stick bit often better than bare steel.... just my 10 years experience as a professional chef.....oh yeah and you just have to scrub the shit out of it afterwards,
I have ordered an iron enamel pan too so will see the results with that too! thanks for the tips i am cooking again right now
@@CedricAda nice, hope it helps
Talk to Uncle Randy about cast iron skillets and how to season the things!
Another great video. Once again, love the beats per usual. I'll have to get one of these down the line. Debating between the green micarta or the fancy damascus with carbon fiber. I'm not a fan of the elementum pattern either, but their other button locks they have in the works look great!
I've also heard of blackening steel and Ti via burning oil. Maybe that's what you did to your pan. Maybe you accidentally gave it a protective layer? 🤷♂️🤣
Silica packets are one time use. Those are already filled with moisture totally useless. I use color changing rechargeable silica that can be put into an oven on low and dried out for re-use. They turn blue when dry and red when filled with moisture.
Given the similar pricing, would you pick the button-lock Elementum over the Lazar? Thanks for the review. I'm glad you mentioned the grind!
i think i like the lazar more as an object but the elementum is a better performing knife
And if you're looking for a super duper thin behind the edge hollow grind production knife, civivi shredder is up your alley
Curious if you've ever handled a Kubey 322? Lot of knife for $42US on Amazon.
My biggest problem with the button lock elementum is that its too big. Would have been perfect if it was the same size as the flipper elementum. Also it would have been nice to have some sort of aid to keep the blade closed. So many times when i flip it closed it either doesn't make it all the way or it bounces back. Kinda defeats the whole purpose of having a nice smooth one hand open/close if you have to double check that the blade is actually closed and locked whenever you put it away.
A little practice helps you.
I don't understand how 3.5 inches is to big......I prefer 3.5 to 4.25 as an outdoorsman, cook and fishing addict....extra blade axes everthing easier
@@jaysgood10 i've had plenty of button locks before, this is the only one i regularly misfire when putting away
@@bradfarrahgerwing154 This sounds like you're trying and failing to humble brag. This isn't an outdoors knife by any means, i have a Helle for that. This is a slim EDC, which is part of the reason it feels too long, simply because of how thin and slim it is everywhere else but without having the ultra slim factors as something like a CEO. It's just kinda goofy looking and feeling in this blade length. The original elementum is a great size at right under 3". Perfect for any pocket and much better at carrying across state lines without potentially breaking any carry laws.
@@jawaring4367 jeez a little full of yourself hmmmm?
If I wanted to brag I could talk about how I'm 3rd generation German butcher with 14.5 years experience....ran trapline in northern Saskatchewan for 7 years and was a cook for 3.......and now 17 years in pest control with my own company.
Its obvious I don't have nearly the online keyboard warrior special tech operations as yourself and that should preclude me from personal usage experiences with 4 decades of pocket knife usage......10 acres of off grind land in the Cariboo clearing and leveling rough forest for a cabin site and tree stand doesn't teach anything about outdoor usage as well.
Under 3 inches might be perfect for you but not everone worries about carry laws in Northern Canada where I have a 7 to 9 inch bowie strapped when I leave the truck plus a large folder
Later
I like the size of this Elementum as well!
I do really like cutting with mine. Its not a hard user in any way, but as an edc, it really does a great job.
Pete's on a roll with the vids 👌
Go cast iron buddy imo. Cheers another good video!!
It just looks like you'll hit the button with your finger/hand while trying to hold it in various grips for various tasks. Does that ever happen?
cast iron for the win, I can't get the pans like yours to work to save my life lol
DUDE! BladeHQ has the Al Mar Eagle AND Falcon in Titanium. Coming soon! I’m not sure when, but I saw those and thought of you. Thought I’d let you know to keep your eyes peeled 👀
I believe the idea may be to double down on charring the pan up so it is all black. Burn oil onto it repetitively. "Cure" it if you will. That's what you do with cast iron. The black stuff is lower stick than the clean stainless steel. At least that is what I seem to remember reading when pondering the same dilemma a few years ago. Just been using the brain cancer pans lately though.
Just reading the other comments, someone else explains the "seasoning" (not "cure", derrr) process much better. And as others point out there are other pan materials that spread out the heat better like cast iron for the optimum frying experience. I seem to remember copper is actually the best of all for that, but expensive.
Buy citric acid (normally in granular form)and give it a go for that pan.
Use hot water with the citric acid. Would love a follow-up if you managed to sort out the pan