Stainless steel vs. carbon steel

[TomatoMustard]

For some reason I just heard about carbon steel pans today. I did some google searching but that's showing up a large amount of worthless information. So, what is carbon steel and what is the difference between stainless and carbon?

[Andy M.]

Carbon steel will rust and stain. It has to be seasoned similar to cast iron. Carbon steel is standard wok material. It heats rapidly because it's so thin.

Plain, single layer stainless suffers from neither staining or rusting. It also heats unevenly, creating hot spots. SS multi-layer pans eliminate the hot spots.

[dcSaute]

once upon a time, Teflon did not exist.

the need for non-stick pans did however exist.

well seasoned cast iron and well seasoned steel pans were "the answer" - and, yes, they work quite well when properly cared for.

carbon steel has come back into popular vogue with the "Teflon will kill you!" crowd - mostly because it is lighter and easier to handle than cast iron. in the professional kitchen, carbon steel pans never left vogue.

there's cheap carbon steel and good carbon steel cookware. buy the good stuff if you want to go there.

it gets seasoned, it gets cooked in, it gets wiped out and put away. it never gets washed / scrubbed / dishwashered. people who understand that heating things to a couple hundred degrees is likely to kill bugs and germs don't have issues with that approach. not everyone understands how bugs die however, so you might want to check with those for whom you cook.

[TomatoMustard]

Ah, so I'm behind the times. Well, good to know. I think I'll stick with my stainless.

[Stellar]

Just out of interest, what is the life expectancy of a carbon-steel pan provided it is "dry cleaned" as it were and never washed. Would it be worth investing in a more expensive one in the hope it is better quality or is it more a case of replacing every few years regardless?

[justplainbill]

Originally Posted by Stellar

Just out of interest, what is the life expectancy of a carbon-steel pan provided it is "dry cleaned" as it were and never washed. Would it be worth investing in a more expensive one in the hope it is better quality or is it more a case of replacing every few years regardless?

Properly cured carbon steel pans should last a lifetime and can be washed in very hot water. For centuries, people also did fine with carbon steel cutlery and were not put off by the black patina that such cutlery acquires.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have a carbon steel wok that I have been using for fifteen or more years. It's as good a pan as the day I purchased it. Good quality carbon steel, when properly cared for is as durable as cast iron.

Seeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[dcSaute]

they'll last two, mebbe three human lifetimes. commercially they "die" from physical abuse - dents, etc.

deBuyer is a leading brand - might be a couple bucks more but you don't get left wondering if you bought a half quality pan.....

[gadzooks]

I use carbon steel fry and saute pans. Cure them like a wok...heat and oil. I use coconut oil to cure and to cook. Clean-up is simple...hot water scrub, no soap, dry over a flame and wipe with a cloth and a bit of oil while still hot, hang 'til next time.

[Timothy]

My cast iron pans have never seen water. I cook nothing in them that has a high water content and use oil and salt to scrub them.

It takes a bit of time, but when finished, the pan is as clean as can be and as dcSaute said, it's decontaminated by heat before the next use.

Just before using it, I heat it to "just starting to smoke" and then wipe it clean with fresh oil and paper towels.

Only thermophiles could live through that and they're all busy around the vents in the oceans.