Bought a $200 carbon steel pan and finally got why chefs love them

I picked up a De Buyer carbon steel pan last month after my nonstick started flaking. First few tries were rough, eggs stuck like crazy. But I kept cooking with it, bacon, veggies, even a steak. After about 2 weeks the seasoning built up and now stuff slides right off. Has anyone else dealt with the learning curve on carbon steel or did you give up and go back to nonstick?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliverhernandez24d ago

That's the whole thing right there though... people get used to instant results from nonstick and forget that some things actually take a little work. It's like that with anything worth doing really. I've noticed that same pattern everywhere I look, people quit on things after the first bad experience instead of pushing through the rough patch. Cooking, learning an instrument, even starting a new hobby, everyone wants that perfect result day one and gets frustrated when it doesn't happen. The payoff is always better when you earn it though, that pan will probably last you twenty years now.

sage30824d ago

Ngl, the flip side nobody mentions is that cast iron actually makes you a better cook because you have to pay attention. Nonstick lets you zone out and still get decent results, but cast iron forces you to learn heat management and timing which carries over to everything else you make.

nathan90124d ago

Yeah, the first week is brutal. I remember burning through a whole batch of scrambled eggs before I figured out the heat has to be just right. I learned to let the pan preheat slowly on medium-low for a good 3-4 minutes, then add oil, and wait until it shimmers before dropping anything in. Also, a fish spatula was a game-changer for me, it's thin enough to get under sticking spots without gouging the seasoning. Once you get that first solid layer of seasoning down, it's smooth sailing. Just don't try tomatoes or any acidic stuff for the first month or so.