All you have to do is wash in warm water and wipe it dry. Use a scrubber to scrape off stubborn bits of food, but avoid soap and harsh scouring pad—both will wear down the seasoning. Con: Reacts With Acidic Foods Summary: As with so many cookware decisions, there's no wrong choice. We like the traditional carbon steel design, but all the designs are functional. What's best for you depends on your personal style and how you'll use the pan. Our pans and kitchen tools are manufactured for use in commercial kitchen environments. Slight cosmetic imperfections, weld marks, or discolorations may occur and will not affect the use of your pan in any way. With this product, you get two handles for easy carrying. The handles are ever cool, so, no worries. Its nice design as well makes it great for table servings. Its durability is, however, one of its strongest points, is its commercial grade carbon steel construction.

Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Blini Pan, 4 3/4 Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Blini Pan, 4 3/4

Do note also that even among traditional carbon steel skillets, the size of the flat cooking surface can vary. That is, some pans have short sides and a lot of flat cooking surface, while some pans have longer sides and less flat cooking surface. One reason we chose the Matfer Bourgeat as the best overall carbon steel skillet is because it has a good amount of flat cooking surface.

The De Buyer 12-Inch carbon steel frying pan and the Matfer Bourgeat 12.5-Inch carbon steel frying pan both weigh 5.8 pounds. Rust occurs because carbon steel doesn’t contain enough chromium to form a corrosion-resistant layer, allowing oxygen to bond with the material, creating rust. The most significant limitation of carbon steel cookware is the fact that it reacts with acidic foods.

Carbon Steel Pans - the rational kitchen The Best Carbon Steel Pans - the rational kitchen

Every pan is a little different, so I recommend following the manufacturers’ instructions on seasoning. Our favorite carbon steel skillets are Matfer Bourgeat, Vollrath, Lodge, and the Northwest Skillet Company's gorgeous high-end blue carbon steel skillet.The point is; if you drop your pan on the floor, bang it against another pan in the cupboard, or mistakenly overheat it, the chances of it breaking, scratching, or warping are slim.