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Carbon Steel frying pans

Anyone else a fan of these? I just got one, and so far it's been a little finicky. When the seasoning is working properly, it's super slick and incredible, really love it but a couple times I've cooked things that seemed to take the seasoning off with the food (just fish, never anything acidic like tomato). I just pulled it out the other day and I guess I failed to re-oil it after the seasoning was removed and the spots that were missing seasoning had started to rust. Spent the morning scrubbing everything back down to zero and re-seasoning it. This time, used the oven method as I've heard that method can give a more durable seasoning layer than the stovetop.

Anyone else have any tips? Things they like to cook in them, etc?
 
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Absolutely. I have a few de Buyer pans that I love.

For me, it seems like seasoning them is a much quicker process than on cast iron. Also, I feel like it is easier to make adjustments with temp as you cook than on cast iron.

I occasionally cook something (i.e. searing steaks) that ends up compromising the seasoning a bit, but I have not had to use anything more abrasive than salt for a long time on mine. I generally have some grapeseed oil I just use for oiling these and the cast iron pans I use
 
Agree with jmwebster. I also have a few de Buyer pans and prefer them over cast iron these days. Just dry it carefully before you put it away. I will put it back on the heat for a few minutes after cleaning to make sure the pan is dry.
A couple of things that work for me.

I always clean my pan as soon as I’m finished cooking. I transfer the food to the dish and immediately take the pan to the sink and scrub it under the running faucet with a bamboo scrubber. Then back to the stove with a quick wipe with a lint free cloth around the pan to dry. The cloth helps redistribute any oil still on the pan (usually from around the top edges) and helps protect the pan. I don’t apply any additional oil as I think this gums up the pan long term. As you wipe it, you will see the oil coat the pan and dull areas will be glossy. This is all from what little oil is on the pan after cooking.

Storing your pan in the oven is a great way to help season it faster. Each time you use your over the pan will heat and cool...building seasoning. Or better yet, leave it on the stove top and use it everyday.
 
The one I got is a deBuyer. The 12.5incher. Like I say, overall it's been great. I said "just got one" but really it's been a few months now (blink of an eye for me) but was kind of surprised that the seasoning came off so easily. I figured it was mostly cosmetic so I rinsed and wiped like you mention here, but a week or two later when I pulled it out, all the places that the seasoning came off of were rust (almost didn't notice because the rust was close in color to the brown seasoning).

I was a little concerned with putting it in the oven because it has a poly-whatever coating on the handle, but it hasn't been a problem.
 
I use a CS pan almost daily. I have a mafter and a few from blu skillet ironwork. I also have a steel 18" wok. I don't use my steel pans for fish or acidic foods. If I want heat retention or slower temp reactions I will pull out the cast iron skillets or step outside and use my flat top griddle.
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
Huge fan. They season easily. They are darned near indestructible and so are fine with very high heat. The typical Lyonnaise handle makes them way easier to maneuver than cast iron with its short, horizontal handles. I just made a fairly long post on the cast iron thread.
 
Huge fan. They season easily. They are darned near indestructible and so are fine with very high heat. The typical Lyonnaise handle makes them way easier to maneuver than cast iron with its short, horizontal handles. I just made a fairly long post on the cast iron thread.

I like my cast iron too, and I do really like this one... or at least I really want to like it. However, after doing the oven seasoning method I mentioned in the thread starter, it ended up coming off AGAIN and was rusty when I pulled it out this weekend. So I spent a few hours on Sunday again cleaning the flat cooking surface down to bare metal (sides were fine) drying it, then wiping it down with a very thin coating of oil, heating it to the smoke point (stove top this time) letting it cool down to room temp, and then repeating that it 5 more times. We'll see.

I know that's probably excessive, but I mainly had a couple hours to kill and I wanted it to look like it looked before I cooked swordfish in it.
 
Had one for years that I've used, it's pitch black, and . . . the carbon flakes off pretty easily, revealing the original metal underneath. Nice pan, non-stick, but I'm falling out of love with it as time goes on (TBH, mostly because it's only 8 inches, and too small for most of my uses. And oiling it after every use is something of a PITA)
 
Huge Fan...I have a De Buyer white steel in 11" dedicated to steaks and a 8" that I use on just about anything.
 
I have most of the cold handle pans and I treat them as the same as my cast iron, never have a problem, i use my 39 1/2 daily

Just made salmon burgers, and they crisped up great and slid around like the puck on air hockey. I’m just going to have to have to use it more...tough job but someone’s got to do it!

BTW you either have an enormous stove or you use the metric system! :p
 
Just made salmon burgers, and they crisped up great and slid around like the puck on air hockey. I’m just going to have to have to use it more...tough job but someone’s got to do it!

BTW you either have an enormous stove or you use the metric system! :p
Haha Nah the 39 1/2 is a 6" pan. I also use it on my camping trips down the river. cowboy skillet
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Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
I like my cast iron too, and I do really like this one... or at least I really want to like it. However, after doing the oven seasoning method I mentioned in the thread starter, it ended up coming off AGAIN and was rusty when I pulled it out this weekend. So I spent a few hours on Sunday again cleaning the flat cooking surface down to bare metal (sides were fine) drying it, then wiping it down with a very thin coating of oil, heating it to the smoke point (stove top this time) letting it cool down to room temp, and then repeating that it 5 more times. We'll see.

I know that's probably excessive, but I mainly had a couple hours to kill and I wanted it to look like it looked before I cooked swordfish in it.
Seasoning and babying CS is over rated. Just cook with it, using a little oil as needed.
 
I am a big fan of Debuyer blue steel pans - I have 2 crepe pans, an 8" and a 13" frying pan and an 11" deep skillet. They are lighter and quicker to heat up and cool down than cast iron, plus unlike cast iron, the handles stay cool.
 
Just made salmon burgers, and they crisped up great and slid around like the puck on air hockey. I’m just going to have to have to use it more...tough job but someone’s got to do it!

BTW you either have an enormous stove or you use the metric system! :p
Another sweet little trick is before you heat the pan up, cut a potato in half and rub it in the pan. The sticking problem goes away. Sorry i just remembered that. An ole codger taught me that during a float trip years ago.
 
Another sweet little trick is before you heat the pan up, cut a potato in half and rub it in the pan. The sticking problem goes away. Sorry i just remembered that. An ole codger taught me that during a float trip years ago.

Interesting. One of the tips they recommend to season it is to stir fry a bunch of potato peels in some oil. Never bothered because I didn’t have any potatoes when I wanted to start using it.
 
Nice assortment you’ve got there!
Nah i found that pic on the web, i have about half of those pans, i was just to lazy to take a pic. They go on my camping trips ,but the 6" stays on top of my stove because i use it daily. All the others are packed with my camping gear.
 
I use my matfer ci pans all the time and they are as non stick as my cast iron pans. I like to clean them with the plastic lodge scrapers and a japanese tawashi scrubber. Only problem with ci pans is they are thinner than cast iron pans and need some gentle hammering every so often when they get warped a bit.
 
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