Paderno Heavy Duty Carbon Steel 11 Inch Frying Pan

Heavy Duty Carbon Steel Pan vs. Black Steel Pan
My husband is an Alton Brown (Food Network) fan. Alton said that carbon steel pans were great so I decided to get one for my husband. I bought a Paderno Heavy Duty Carbon Steel Frying Pan, World Cuisine brand from Amazon and a Matfer brand Black Steel Omelet Pan from another retailer. The Matfer Black Steel Pan was more expensive. More expensive is usually better. It wasn't better. I conditioned both pans in an identical process according to the three step conditioning recommendations that I found online--(oil, heat in oven, wipe out with paper towels and lots of salt to get the stickiness out; oil, heat on the stovetop, wipe with paper towels and no salt; oil, heat on stovetop, fry potato peelings). I even repeated the potato cooking process a second time, switching burners because there was an enormous difference in quality and I didn't want to dislike an expensive new pan when the fault might have been my stovetop. By the time I was done with the potatoes, I could tell a huge...

The Classic Lyon Style Carbon Steel Pan
I am a big fan of these carbon steel pans. They season much the same as cast iron pans and need to be taken care of in the same manner as cast iron. Once they are nicely seasoned they are virtualy non-stick. They distribute heat very rapidly and evenly and work well on any burner surface from gas to induction glass top. They are perfect for sticking into the oven or running something under the broiler. The big advantage over cast iron is the long handle that makes them much easier to lift and handle, these pans are heavy, and the shape with the rounded sides.

If you screw up the seasoning by burning something, simply run the pan through a cycle of a self cleaning oven. All the accumulated grease and crud will come off, rinse off and carefully dry. The pan will be as new and will need to be re-seasoned much as a brand new pan. With a minum of care these pans last a lifetime.

Do not confuse these pans with much less expensive and much lighter weight French...

Forget stainless and teflon.
I've been around enough chefs in my life to know that "carbon steel" equals "Hardcore" in the kitchen, from pans to knives, etc. But it was only recently that I decided to go Hardcore in the pan department, having been a bit intimated by the seasoning and maintenance responsibilities. Not sure why, since I've had my trusty cast iron pans for years, and the commitment is pretty much the same. The Paderno 12.5" has become an almost mystical object in our kitchen. It really seems to have a certain magical property with proteins in particular. Seared at high heat, and then thrown into the oven, steaks, burgers, pork tenderloin,salmon, etc. come out just amazing. This pan also seems to have a particular affinity for eggs, and makes truly profound omelets. This size is quite large and hefty, and I plan on adding a smaller size or two, but it serves well for dinner for two, with ample room for dinner for four. As for the anxiety over seasoning and maintenance, it was all for naught. Wash it,...

Click to Editorial Reviews