Product By Paderno World Cuisine(12 customers reviews)
- Excellent Heat Conductor
- After Seasoning, Pan Acquires Natural Nonstick Properties
- Safe To Use At High Temperatures
- Great For Searing, Grilling, And Browning Foods
- Even Heat Distribution
2010-06-04
By Eric D. Vincill (Madison, WI)
This pan is very heavy duty. I bought the 12.5 inch pan. I bought it because we are getting rid of our teflon nonstick pans for good. I considered cast iron, but I did not like the rough surface the new ones have and the weight. Carbon steel pans season just like cast iron, but are extremely smooth and not as heavy. Ironically the cast iron pans our grandmother's used (Griswald especially) were lighter in weight and were very smooth, similar to this carbon steel pan. I like heavy cast iron pans, but anything over 12 inches is way too heavy especially once the pan is full of food. Tip on seasoning. wash pan well with soap and water and dry well. over high heat, heat pan until it darkens (you will have to move pan around some to get the corners and sides). Cool to medium low. Cut a potato in half and rub the cut side all around (it might smoke some). Potato starch acts like a glue which helps hold the layer of oil on the pan. If you did not do this, the layer of oil will begin to flake with repeated use. Some people will fry bacon or other food stuff, then scrape it clean and season it. Then rub a very thin film of oil in pan (I use flaxseed oil that you get at healthfood stores. And I mean thin, pretty much wipe it all out. I prefer flaxseed oil because it polymerizes extremely well) and heat for 30-40 minutes and cool. VERY IMPORTANT use a flat metal spatula and scrape the pan (not too hard, but how you would flip food in normal use. Repeat the potato rub and then the oil rub and spatula scraping to smooth the surface (high heat is not required at this point). now it is ready to use It will look uneven for awhile, but with repeated use and repeated seasoning, it will turn jet black and have a dullish shiny surface. To clean, most things will simply wipe clean. If some food sticks, I salt the pan and use the salt as abrasive, then wipe clean. Don't be afraid to quickly use soap and water if things stick really bad, just dry it out and wipe a thin film of oil. Keep using the metal spatula!!!!!!!
2010-05-22
By Loren R. Harmon (Phoenix, AZ USA)
I bought two black steel crepe pans from Duck and Decanter for my wife. They were so cool that I bought the Paderno 11 inch here. The Paderno does a good job, but hasn't developed the black patina of the crepe pans. I can take out one of the crepe pans after a month of no use and after wiping with a paper towel, fry eggs. It works very well indeed. The Paderno is more tempermental. I've heated it in the oven with some canola oil for hours, etc. The much desired black patina hasn't happened. Any suggestions?
2010-05-12
By Steven Farnham (Houston, TX)
If you want polished and shiny pans to impress others, then this isn't for you. But, if you want the best tool for cooking good food, this is what you want. It takes a little care, but not that much, and it won't wear out, ever. I had never even heard of carbon (or blue) steel pans until recently, I could have saved money if I had. I've lost track of how many non-stick pans I've bought and thrown out over the years -- never again. Seasoning these is even easier than cast iron -- oil, heat, cool and wipe, is pretty much all it takes. If you don't put it away wet and it won't rust. To summarize: inexpensive, indestructible, excellent at low to high temperature, perfect shape, non-stick when seasoned properly, and easy to care for. So what if it's not shiny?
2010-03-23
By Matt R. Dubois
Love it. For the money, can't be beat. Will be getting different sizes as soon as I have the money. Took no time to season, only ever wipe it out with salt and a dry towell, good to go.
2010-03-16
By C. R. Lehman (Denver, CO)
This is a first impressions review. I just received the pan yesterday. This is my first carbon steel pan, but I'm a long-time cast iron user. The pan is beautiful and looks like it will be indestructible. I think it would stop a bullet. It's pretty heavy. The 9.5 inch pan actually weighs a bit more than my 8 inch cast iron skillet. I don't mind that, as it makes for an even-heating pan. It seasoned beautifully, and this morning I made an omelet in it, which cooked perfectly with no sticking. Since nobody makes a decent cast iron skillet any more (by decent, I mean one with a smooth machined cooking surface; Lodge and other new ones available have the rough sand-cast finish), this seems to be a very good alternative. The long riveted handle doesn't get nearly as hot as the cast iron handles. Even when I was seasoning on the burner, with the pan much hotter than it would be for normal cooking, I was able to pick it up bare handed, which is not something I would want to try with a cast iron skillet.
