De Buyer Mineral Steel Fry Pan

[forty_caliber]

I recently received a pair of "De Buyer Mineral Steel" fry pans as a holiday gift. I had never heard of these before and there isn't much information available about these pans aside from a brief description on the manufacturers website and a few customer reviews here and there. I started this thread to gather details in one place and document their performance.

My first impression is that these are heavy duty commercial quality pans and come with a lifetime warranty. They look like they will take a lifetime of use and abuse. Usable on all heat sources including induction. 99% pure iron. They are iron but not cast iron. Instead of a grainy finish common on cast iron pans these pans are very smooth.

Packaging:
They arrived in a well padded box. Each pan was in a heavy paper wrapping.



Out of the wrapper




Packaging copy:

MINERAL PAN | ORGANIC CONSTRUCTION: Iron is a 100% natural mineral material | Guaranteed without any coating (PFOA and PTFE free) | No chemicals added | Environment safe production | Ecological , recyclable and good for the environment | HEALTH:Iron molecules from the pan contribute to good health | Allows for high heat which seals quickly keeping vitamins and nutrients in food | COOKING QUALITIES: High temperature=perfect for SEALING, BROWNING, and GRILLING | Perfect for all meat | the Maillard Reaction=improved Flavour | TRADITIONAL: Authentic design: Lyonnaise shape | Made in France since 1830 | Symbol of French Gastronomy | SEASONING:the more the pan is used, the better the performance | The darker it becomes the better it is for natural nonstick properties.

Both pans are 12 1/2 inch in diameter. The shallow pan has 2" sides and a triple riveted handle. The deeper pan has 5" sides and two handles. The handles are thick and sturdy but do not have the "fit and finish" refinements of an All-Clad pan handle.



More to follow...

.40

[forty_caliber]

Printed in 8 languages, here are the English manufacturer's instructions for seasoning:

Seasoning: preparing your frying-pan
Put some potato peelings in your pan, cover with water and boil for 15 minutes. Next, throw away and rinse the inside of the frying pan with very hot water, wipe it and heat a little oil in the pan. Finally, wipe your pan with paper towels and put it away in a dry place.

Use
Heat a small amount of fat in the frying pan and once the pan is good and hot, seal the food on both sides before reducing heat to complete cooking.

Cleaning after each use

1. Wash the frying-pan with very hot water and a sponge with a drop of washing up liquid
2. Rinse with plenty of hot water and wipe dry
3. Oil with a paper towel and put away in a dry place. After using several times, your frying-pan will be seasoned.

Warning!
Do not leave your pan to soak. If food sticks to the pan, use a green sponge and a tiny amount of washing up liquid. Never put in a dishwasher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_hcah_417c

.40

[powerplantop]

Looks like some nice cookware.

[Hoot]

Looks mighty nice!!
I am wonderin' if it is made of the kind of steel this skillet is made from.
Iron Skillet w/ Folding Handle - 9" | | Crazy Crow Trading Post

I have one like this that I only use when camping, mainly Rendezvous. I got it years ago, but it is an amazing little skillet. Over a medium fire it is simply great. Get it hot afore you put the oil in it. Easy to clean up and it packs away nicely.

[forty_caliber]

Originally Posted by Hoot

Looks mighty nice!!
I am wonderin' if it is made of the kind of steel this skillet is made from.
Iron Skillet w/ Folding Handle - 9" | | Crazy Crow Trading Post

I have one like this that I only use when camping, mainly Rendezvous. I got it years ago, but it is an amazing little skillet. Over a medium fire it is simply great. Get it hot afore you put the oil in it. Easy to clean up and it packs away nicely.

The folding handle is a great idea. It would pack close and work well for camping.

.40

[PrincessFiona60]

I saw them in my Chef's Catalog and remembered you said you had received them. Very nice! CHEFScatalog.com I'm looking at them with greedy eyes.

[forty_caliber]

Seasoning results



After boiling the potato peels for 15 minutes, the water was nearly black. This part of the process removed manufacturing lubricants and/or rust inhibitors. Rinsing and oiling left the pans clean and shiny.

Rinsed and oiled


.40

[PrincessFiona60]

They are pretty!

[mollyanne]

.40, nicely presented thread and beautiful pans!
Good photos and clearly explained...very interesting.
I just bought an all-clad frying pan and I wonder
if it needs seasoning. I bought it at a discount
place so it came with no instructions.

[Robo410]

I have many of these pans. You will love them. They will darken with age and use, and cook better than ever! Enjoy.