Black steel pan how to#

Inexpensive: Most carbon steel pans are inexpensive. Many people claim it's even better-and it's certainly safer, as the pan has no potentially dangerous chemicals. Nearly nonstick: When well-seasoned, carbon steel can make an excellent substitute for nonstick-coated pan. But even so, you can get excellent searing, and the thicker the carbon steel, the better the searing. Is carbon steel as good as cast iron for high heat searing? Not quite.

Many people disagree with this statement, and you will find other sites that say it's just as good, but the physics of heat retention make it impossible for thinner carbon steel to retain heat as well as thicker cast iron the heat capacity ratings of carbon steel and cast iron are identical, which means the thicker material will retain more heat.

Note that because carbon steel is thinner than cast iron, its heat retention won't be quite as good. If you pre-heat carbon steel enough before use, it makes an excellent all-purpose skillet. Great heat retention: Like cast iron, carbon steel heats slowly and unevenly, but once heated through, it retains heat well. This is the main reason carbon steel is lighter than cast iron: because it's thinner. Because carbon steel has less carbon, brittleness isn't as much of an issue, so it can be worked into thinner pans. Lightweight: Carbon makes steel brittle, which is why cast iron is always thick-the thickness makes it less prone to cracking. Here are the traits that make carbon steel excellent for skillets:

Carbon steel is most similar to cast iron, but it contains less carbon (somewhat ironically, given the name). The Bon Appétit test kitchen does not recommend buying pre-seasoned carbon steel pans, as their quality is not as high.Back to TOC What Makes Carbon Steel Great?Ĭarbon steel is sort of halfway between clad stainless steel and cast iron. Then, the first few things you cook in your carbon steel should be high in fat, like bacon or a pork chop-as the fat renders, it will boost the layers of seasoning. Instead, follow the method prescribed for cast-iron: Rub it down with a neutral oil and bake it, upside-down and set over a sheet pan, in a 350˚ oven for an hour. Cooking bacon in it is not effective for its inaugural seasoning. The seasoning on carbon steel pans is all superficial-meaning it just builds up on the surface of the pan. This is why conventional wisdom holds that you shouldn't get your cast-iron pans wet the water will sneakily leech its way into the pan, degrading the quality and making it rust. fat build-up) seeps down into the pan, permeating it from the outside-in. Cast-iron is more porous than carbon steel, meaning the seasoning (a.k.a. The main difference, however, between cast-iron and carbon steel is in the seasoning. Plus, its shiny black exterior makes it a handsome addition to your stovetop-just look at this beauty, which won Garden & Gun's Made in the South award. Carbon steel tends to have better nonstick qualities, so it’s a better bet for eggs and seared meats. Its sloped sides make it ideal for sautéeing, and it is lighter weight than cast-iron. Similar to the cast-iron but with a few key differences, the carbon steel is a seriously undervalued tool.

Black steel pan how to#

If you have a cast-iron skillet or two, and you know how to season it, and how to clean and maintain it-you're finally ready for a pan upgrade.