Sometimes in it Wild Life You stumble upon a rabbit hole that ends as a giant chasm. Carbon steel pans are such a state of interest and admiration for the world. One might think of this humble kitchen node as heritage-credited cast iron, useful non-stick, or Popular hexagon hybrid Pan technology. You would be wrong; Carbon steel is no race, no runner-up.
There’s an intense, crazy appreciation for this style of cookware that surprised even me, and I write about mineral water influencers. From a busy subreddit From obsessive home and a secret world of professional chefs to artisan carbon steel artisans who sell their wares via raffle ticket, the dedication and appreciation for carbon steel runs deep. It’s a roaring American foodway subculture that’s gone largely unrecognized by the mainstream press, and I can only hope to scratch the surface of doing it justice with this guide (after scratching the surface, of course, I Advise Pan to reason. Grapeseed oil over high heat).
What is carbon steel? It’s a kind of in-between style of pan (made of an iron-carbon alloy) that more or less splits the difference between the ease of use of stainless steel and the long-lasting toughness of cast iron. With proper care and use, carbon steel pans transition easily between different cooking styles, allowing you to fry eggs. And Add a steak, all using the same skillet. There is a slight learning curve to using these panes, for which YouTube and forums (like the above Reddit hub) are your friends. But they are also tanks – they stand up to use and wear, and can be understood Again and again to get the most out of your cooking experience.
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What type of carbon steel pan should you buy?
Carbon steel panmakers run the gamut of size and style, from small artisan operations to heritage brands to crafty Instagrammy upstarts (it’s like looking at America’s pan-shaped mirror) gone big time. Of course price plays a major role in the choice, and as I tested and cooked with the pan over a few months, I was surprised and impressed by how well some of the pans at the lower end of the cost spectrum cooked.
Take it from me, and the carbon steel nerds online, when I say your first carbon steel pan won’t be your last carbon steel pan. Because this cookware varies so much in size, depth, and best of all purpose, it’s hard to settle on just one. A flat skillet works well for some styles of cooking; For other styles, a large, deep pan or even a wok is what you’re really looking for. My advice would be to start with one of the entry-level pans in this guide, then—when you’re fully #CarbonPilled—consider investing in a legacy, small-production pan from an independent manufacturer. Treated correctly and well, a carbon steel pan can become a family heirloom, the kind of thing you’ll pass on to your children and proudly display in your home.
I cooked and cooked and cooked with these pans over the course of three months, putting different models and styles through their paces and coming out with the above recommendations. Each pan in the guide was given some baseline cooks—a fried egg, a fried onion—and then as I got to know the pan better, I started thinking about them in terms of specific recipes and applications. Chicken hunting in Using a deep smithy forge pan, for example, or a lodge as my go-to for frying bacon.
Several pans were tested for each product category, focusing on pans under $55 as well as “deep” pans and flat skillets.
