Before buying any piece of cookware, it’s important to do your homework. How this tool is different from cookware you already own, how to care for it, what you can cook with it, and how long it’ll last are all important factors to consider when adding a new item to your kitchen.
This is definitely the case for carbon steel cookware, which has been a fixture in European kitchens for centuries and is becoming more prevalent in home and professional kitchens in the USA. If you’re debating adding a carbon steel pan to your lineup, then use this guide to walk you through everything you need to know so you’re set up for success before hitting “purchase.”
We like to describe carbon steel as a combination of the best parts of stainless steel and cast iron cookware—with the heat retention and non stick properties of cast iron, paired with the cooking speed and heat control of stainless steel.
This combination means it can execute different kitchen tasks including low or high-heat cooking and oven finishing, while still remaining lightweight and easy to maneuver around the cooktop or in and out of the oven. In short, it’s one of the most versatile cookware materials on the market.
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Our Carbon Steel is made in a French factory that has been manufacturing carbon steel since the 1800’s. It's composed of 99% iron, 1% carbon.
To make our pans, an annealed square of iron is cut into a circle and shaped into the body of your pan that includes high, curved walls. The Stainless Steel handle is then attached to the body using three French rivets that can hold up to one ton of weight. Because the pan itself is made from one piece of metal, it heats evenly and quickly—unlike pans that are made from multiple pieces.
Carbon steel is 100% safe—enough that if you really wanted to, you could eat directly from your pan. It’s constructed using non-toxic, corrosion resistant metals that won’t leach into your food. If your pan rusts or becomes scratched, you’ll just need to remove the rust or fill in the scratch with more seasoning, which you can find out more about in our seasoning guide.
Much like unfinished cast iron, carbon steel must be seasoned prior to first use—unless you're using a preseasoned pan, that is.
This involves a layer of oil that becomes polymerized, or transformed from a liquid to a hardened solid when exposed to high heat, to create a seal on the pan. The initial seasoning, along with periodic reseasoning, helps seal in the microscopic pores of the metal that helps prevent rust and create a non stick surface that keeps your food from sticking, and is an important part of upkeep.
While caring for carbon steel isn’t as simple as a quick wash and dry like you may be used to, it’s not complicated by any means. There are a few key things to remember when it comes to caring for your carbon steel pan, and we cover them all in our care guide.
Since our Carbon Steel Frying Pan is endlessly durable, able to handle both high and low temperatures, and is oven safe up to 1200F, this is a versatile pan that can handle just about any recipe you throw at it in the kitchen. It can develop a beautiful sear on any protein or char on any vegetable.
A few of our favorite uses beyond recipes include:
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Since carbon steel is often seen as a combination of stainless steel and cast iron cookware, it’s worth wondering if this is a necessary purchase if you already own either (or both) those pans. Here’s how this cookware material holds up against some of its similar counterparts.
The closest relative to carbon steel in both appearance and performance is the unfinished cast iron skillet. Both are constructed of dark, iron-based metals, can withstand high temperatures, and are versatile pans that are just as at home on the stovetop as they are over a campfire.
That said, carbon steel has a significant advantage in terms of weight—a 12” carbon steel frying pan weighs only 4.5 pounds, while a Lodge cast iron skillet weighs in at 7.89 pounds. While we don’t think you need to toss out your cast iron if you have one, we prefer carbon steel when choosing between the two.
While not quite as similar as cast iron, stainless steel shares the same cooking speed and heat control as carbon steel. Both these pans heat up quickly, can handle high temperatures, and are the perfect choice for getting a beautiful sear on a protein.
We recommend not viewing these pans as competitors, but rather as complements—they both can be used for a variety of different purposes to help round out your kitchen.
While carbon steel develops a non stick exterior over time, a high-quality non stick pan will have this quality from the time it’s unboxed. These two materials differ from each other in many different ways, and we recommend having both as they excel at different tasks and are used for different purposes around the kitchen.
Carbon steel cookware can come in a wide range of prices. Our pans range from $69 to $129, depending on size and whether it comes preseasoned. A carbon steel pan can last for decades with proper care—which in our opinion is a better choice than buying a cheaper pan and replacing it every 1–2 years once it's degraded.
Now that you’ve done your homework and learned all about why Carbon Steel is right for you, you can feel confident when making this purchase—now you just need to decide whether you want a Frying Pan, Grill Frying Pan, or a Wok—or all three.
While professional chefs swear by carbon steel cookware, it’s one of the lesser known cooking materials among home cooks. Given its superior heat control, durability, and versatility, we can only figure that its relative obscurity is simply a result of not knowing how to cook with it—or even what it is.
Because it’s indispensable for any home kitchen, we compiled the most common questions we’ve received about our Carbon Steel and created a comprehensive guide to purchasing, seasoning, and cooking with it. Whether you’ve got a technical question about using carbon steel on an induction stovetop (spoiler alert, it is induction-compatible!) or simply want to know the differences between cast iron and carbon steel, no worries—we’ve answered below.
Carbon steel is an alloy—a metal composed of more than one metallic element—made of carbon and iron. Professional chefs love this material because it’s tough, maneuverable, versatile, and highly responsive to changes in temperature, meaning you can go from searing to sautéing almost instantly.
Our Carbon Steel Pans are 99% iron and 1% carbon, effectively combining cast iron’s durability and stainless steel’s heat control. Like cast iron, carbon steel must be seasoned prior to use (more on that below) and will develop a naturally non stick patina, or protective layer that seals the pan’s surface from oxidation, or the chemical reaction that causes rust, over time.
Some carbon steel cookware—including ours—is labeled as “blue carbon steel,” meaning it has undergone an additional heat treatment process called “annealing” that increases its corrosion resistance.
This means your pan will arrive with a slightly blue hue, but the color will change drastically once you begin cooking with it. Over time, it will fade away completely.
Seasoning carbon steel involves heating a small amount of high smoke-point oil—our test kitchen prefers grapeseed oil or Seasoning Wax, but any unflavored oil works, like canola, sunflower, or avocado oils—to fill in the small pores of the pan’s metal surface. When heated over high temperatures, the oil dries out and becomes a slick polymer coating that's bonded to the surface of the pan, also called "polymerization".
When done correctly, seasoning results in a smooth protective coating that prevents rust and keeps even the most delicate foods from sticking.
Make sure your pan is completely clean and dry before seasoning, and err on the side of using too little oil rather than too much—a scant teaspoon is perfect. Too much oil during the seasoning process could result in a sticky pan with uneven, flaking, or beaded seasoning.
When you’re ready to season your carbon steel pan for the first time, head to our How to Season Carbon Steel Cookware guide, complete with a step-by-step video detailing our favorite stove-to-oven method.
Able to withstand temperatures up to 1200F, carbon steel is ideal for everything from searing steaks to open flame cooking. Using carbon steel on the grill helps you get a smoky, charred flavor without losing precious marinades, oils, and fats through the grate.
While there’s nothing you really can’t cook in carbon steel, there are a few things that may be better suited to other cookware materials. Like cast iron, carbon steel is reactive, meaning its surface metals undergo chemical reactions when introduced to certain ingredients like citrus, tomatoes, wine, and vinegar. If you do end up cooking with these ingredients in carbon steel, you’ll likely need to reseason your pan after the dish is complete.
Cooking wit highly acidic ingredients like those risk stripping the Pan’s seasoning and/or adding a metallic flavor to your dish. A quick white wine deglaze in a Carbon Steel Pan is perfectly fine, but a slow-simmered Filipino adobo may be better in another pan. In general, acidic ingredients are better suited to nonreactive Stainless Steel or Enameled Cookware.
Yes, carbon steel is induction compatible. In fact, most of our cookware is compatible on induction, gas, electric, and glass stoves—only our Copper Cookware and Sheet Pans are not induction compatible.
There are a couple things to keep in mind when cooking with carbon on an induction surface, however:
We’ve previously shared a complete guide to cleaning carbon steel cookware, but keep reading for a quick review. For all levels of messes, hand-wash your pan only—do not put it in the dishwasher.
A well-seasoned pan develops a non stick patina that protects it from rust and corrosion. As you use your pan, it will evolve and darken as it interacts with the heat, ingredients, and environment around it—that’s totally normal. Consider your pan a living entity that alters as you cook with it.
With a high iron percentage, carbon steel does have a tendency to rust, especially if you live in a humid climate or haven’t used your pan in a while. The good news is that bringing it back is as simple as following our guide to dealing with a rusty carbon steel pan.
Using acidic ingredients may strip some of the seasoning, causing the black coating of your pan to flake. This can often be remedied, either by giving your pan a light coating of oil or reseasoning entirely. Flaking or beading can also occur when pans are over or unevenly seasoned.
If your pan feels tacky, it’s probably over seasoned. Continued use is sometimes enough to even out the seasoning and course-correct, but you can also take your seasoning buildup back a layer with an abrasive sponge and mild soap.
On rare occasions, you may want to strip the seasoning entirely—head to our guide on reseasoning for detailed step-by-step instructions.
At less than half the weight of cast iron counterparts, professional and home chefs love carbon steel for its maneuverability around the stovetop, in and out of the oven, or over an open flame.
Carbon steel’s responsiveness to temperature also means it’s much faster to heat up and cool down than cast iron, meaning your proteins end up seared—not burnt. Because the surface pores are much smaller on carbon steel pans, they require less oil during seasoning compared to cast iron. Head to our guide dissecting the differences between carbon steel vs. cast iron for more details.
Unlike stainless steel, carbon steel requires routine seasoning and is considered a “reactive” material. As such, it’s not recommended for cooking highly acidic foods.
However, carbon steel develops a helpful non stick layer as you use it, meaning dishes cooked in carbon steel often require less cooking oil or butter than those prepared in stainless. Head to our guide on the differences between carbon vs. stainless for more info.
Carbon steel is incredibly durable. Like cast iron, it’s almost impossible to ruin, save for running it over with your car. Chefs and home cooks alike love it for its heat control and maneuverability, not least of all because it’s less likely to burn food. It handles extreme temperatures with no problem, making it a great choice for those who love open flame or outdoor cooking.
While carbon steel is preferred among chefs for its versatility and high-heat performance, it does require some attention. All carbon steel pans require proper seasoning before use, and acidic ingredients should be avoided as much as possible. With proper care, however, carbon steel can last a lifetime.
Unseasoned carbon steel pans are not non stick out of the box, but our Seasoned Carbon Steel Pans come with the first two seasoning layers—aka, the hardest ones—complete, so you can start cooking with it and skip the seasoning. If you opted for an unseasoned pan, you will need to thoroughly wash and season it prior to cooking. This will create a protective layer sealing the pan’s surface, preventing rust and food from sticking.
Both seasoned and unseasoned carbon steel pans will become more non stick the more you cook with them. We recommend cooking something fatty off the bat—like bacon, steak, or burgers—to kickstart building up a solid non stick patina.
Heft-wise, carbon steel is almost as light as stainless steel. Unlike cast iron, which is almost twice as heavy, carbon steel’s lightweight maneuverability means chefs can easily handle and cook with it from open to close.
As you can tell, we're firm believers that carbon steel is an indispensable tool that no home kitchen worth its salt should be without. And once you get that base seasoning down, your cooking will be the crispier, juicier, and more flavorful for it. Check out our Carbon Steel Cookware collection to stock up now and see the difference it can make.
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