De Buyer Mineral Steel Fry Pan

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forty_caliber

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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.

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Out of the wrapper
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Packaging copy:
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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.

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More to follow...

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Seasoning Instructions

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

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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.
 
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.

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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.
 
Seasoning results

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

My new De Buyer Mineral pan has a rather heavy, glossy coating (plastic?) on the handle. What do you think will happen when this pan is put in the oven or under a broiler?
 
My new De Buyer Mineral pan has a rather heavy, glossy coating (plastic?) on the handle. What do you think will happen when this pan is put in the oven or under a broiler?

That's a really great question. I haven't tried them under a broiler yet. I'll try that at some point and update the thread. The De Buyer website doesn't have any information about this use.

I am drooling, please let us know how you like cooking with them

Josie

So far, I've used them to fry chicken, make grilled cheese, and pancakes. They are performing wonderfully. The seasoning hasn't darkened the whole cooking surface yet but I was able to slide the pancakes and grilled cheese out onto a plate.

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The seasoning process is coming along nicely. I've used both pans several times with great success. Both are developing a deep dark chocolate brown ring covering beginning to cover the bottom.

I like the shallow Lyonnaise-style skillet the best. It is a bit thicker than the deeper skillet. I used it in a 425 oven to make cornbread this evening. No sticking whatsoever. The cornbread fell out when I inverted the pan over a serving plate. The bottom had an even golden brown crispy crust.

Other cooking experiences have been just as positive. Searing meats make this pan stand-out from any other skillet I've used. After a few minutes browning time the meat simply "releases" from the skillet leaving a nice crust.

No apparent change to the handle coating after 25 minutes in the oven.

Cons:

  • They are heavy. Almost as heavy as cast iron. Each weighs in at about 5 pounds.
  • The long steel handle makes them a little unwieldy for an average residential kitchen. I can fit 12" of pan and almost 15" of handle in the oven but only at an angle.
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These are the classic French steel pro pans. When you watch restaurant shows on TV notice how often pans like these are used. They are very heavy, but they cook great and nothing sears scallops better. I have replaced all the teflon pans in my kitchen with these. With use they take on a black finish which is naturally non stick. I got mine at frenchcookware.com a great site for cooks to visit
 
Utensils

Can I use any type of utensils with these. I used a stainless spatula and it did scratch the bottom a bit. What would be best and link me to any that you guys like specifically as I need some new ones. Thanks :chef:
 

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