I wish I could include an image directly in this review.Here's a link to my quick seasoned De Buyer 10" Mineral Steel Fry Pan photo.This was taken after 2 hours of seasoning time:
This pan heats quickly and evenly, and doesn't confer the same texture to the sear as a cast iron does.It's a much more "naked" finished product.So far, I've noticed that the spices and herbs are more up-front than doing something in cast iron.I'm comparing this to cast iron because that's my only reference point for another pan that retains heat, takes a seasoning, and can become extremely non-stick and "self-healing".
I'll update this review after I have some more time with the pan.I wanted to get this up today because I see a lot of different advice on how to season this pan, and I have some relatively foolproof instructions for you.
My wife and I ordered this pan as a lighter weight alternative to cast iron.While it's going to see plenty of kitchen duty, our first use of it will be camping in the wilderness.A really permanent, bulletproof seasoning takes use, care, and time.I needed one tough enough to withstand use and storage in a relatively uncontrolled environment for a few days without rusting.So here's my quick-seasoning guide.Takes a couple of hours, but always produces good results.If you skip or modify any steps, you won't get the same results (this is aimed at those who will invariably try to use grapeseed oil or something as a substitution)
1) You *do* need to peel a couple of potatoes, put the peels in the pan, cover them with an inch of water, and boil for 15 minutes as the instructions mention.There's some sort of shipping coating on this pan that this step removes.You will NOT get a good season on this pan until this coating is removed.While boiling the peels (just the peels, not the potatoes, this step is going to produce inedible results), carefully move the boiling water around the pan by tilting it back and forth.Get that enzymatic, chemically water around all possible cooking surfaces.
2) After 15 minutes of boiling time (not counting the time to get the water to a boil), drain the water, throw out the peels, and dry the pan thoroughly with a paper towel or two.Oil the pan *lightly* with Crisco, lard, clean bacon grease, or peanut oil. Cover the entire pan, bottom and all ... get everything coated except the handle.
*Don't* use canola, olive oil, or any other type of oil right now.You can use them for cooking in the future, but not for this step.
3) I think this is the critical point where people make mistakes. Most people seem to use too high of a heat for an initial seasoning, and/or an uneven heat.Get your oven pre-heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.Place a clean cookie sheet (uncoated if possible, not non-stick) on the lowest rack to catch drips.Place the pan upside down on the rack above the cookie sheet, and set the timer for 30 minutes.
4) After 30 minutes, let it stay in the oven for another 30 minutes with the heat off, so it can slowly cool.A slow cooling process really helps the seasoning develop in my experience.
5) Once the pan is cool, take it out of the oven, and wipe it down with a different type of high temperature oil.If you used peanut oil first, this time use Crisco.If you used Crisco first, this time use bacon grease.This is the key.Different oils have different properties, and they'll bond to each other in different ways.I've seasoned a lot of pans in my time, and mixing and matching different oils for the process always results in a much more thorough seasoning, that doesn't flake off easily.
6) Now, repeat step 3 and 4 exactly.
7) You should now have a good initial seasoning.This process will take about 2.5 hours, of which, you'll mostly be waiting.
To keep it developing, here's all you need to know.Yes, the instructions say you can use a little bit of soap.Don't.Just don't.The heat of the pan will kill all possible pathogens.Just gently scrape the remaining food out of the pan when you're finished cooking, and let it cool naturally.When it's just warm to the touch, add a 2" puddle of oil to your pan, and rub it down with a paper towel.If something is really stuck to it, add a pinch or two of kosher salt or sea salt to the pan, and use that to scrub gently with a paper towel, and then re-oil it.That's all you should ever need to do.If you constantly resort to a hard bristle brush and (uggh) use soap, your seasoning will develop poorly and slowly.
ALWAYS store the pan lightly oiled.ALWAYS.If it looks dry, you're doing it wrong.When it comes time to cook, just put some fresh oil on a paper towel, and wipe it out to remove the old oil.
Don't heat the pan scorching hot for long when it's empty, as this will weaken an early seasoning layer and it might flake off in the beginning.
Don't use metal tools immediately.Try to stick to plastic, wood, or silicone tools for the first few sessions of cooking.
There, that's that.I hope these tips help some people get started with a tool that, properly cared for, will last a lifetime and be far more non-stick than any teflon surface could ever hope to be.
EDIT In response to a comment/question that seems to be deleted
Regarding the safety of oven temperatures and the silicone pad at the top of the handle:
I'm pretty sure it's silicone, though I don't see it addressed anywhere in the manual or online.
My silicone portion looks as new as ever after about 2 dozen trips through the oven.All the other silicone tools we own state 500 degrees Fahrenheit as a maximum temperature, so I have a feeling you shouldn't exceed that as an oven temperature.I have used the pan over a 700F direct heat source without any issues as well.I don't feel there are any safety concerns with silicone at temps below 500F in an oven, as we use silicone baking mats that are much thinner material quite often, and there's never any smell or taste from them at any baking temperature.
Some people use a self-clean cycle in the oven to remove a badly damaged layer of seasoning, but I don't think I will ever do this with mine, as those cycles tend to go to 1000F or higher, and I think that would melt or destroy the silicone portion of the handle.
After reading that NY Times article on nonstick pans, I was looking for an alternative.(It said even the most expensive nonstick pans, with the best possible care, only last 5-6 years.)Food stuck in my stainless fry pans, and cast iron is so heavy and kind of a pain to care for.Then someone recommended carbon steel, which I thought was only for woks.
I love it.Carbon steel is not nearly as heavy as cast iron, so it's easier to handle. It's also smoother, so seasoning is less critical. There are some elaborate instructions for seasoning out there on the net, but all that is not necessary. Follow the manufacturer's simple directions, and you're good to go.
I'm using my new 8" carbon steel pan for everything I used to use nonstick for.It's working beautifully, and I'm kicking myself for not buying these years ago.I've already ordered another, in a larger size.
Carbon steel is very affordable, and should last a lifetime several lifetimes even, which is important to me. I'm not that worried about nonstick carcinogens, or about the expense of replacing them regularly. But I don't like the idea of sending pans to the landfill every five years if it's not necessary.
One thing to watch for: carbon steel pans have sloping sides that make the bottoms of the pans the cooking surface smaller than in comparable stainless steel or cast iron pans.I found this list of dimensions for De Buyer pans on a cookware site:
7-7/8" outer diameter, 5-1/3" interior diameter, 2.5 mm thickness
9-1/2" outer diameter, 6.7" interior diameter, 2.5 mm thickness
10-1/4" outer diameter, 7-1/4" interior diameter, 3 mm thickness
11" outer diameter, 7-7/8" interior diameter, 3 mm thickness
12-1/2" outer diameter, 9.4" interior diameter, 3 mm thickness
14-1/4" outer diameter, 10.4" interior diameter, 3 mm thickness
(If the dimensions seem a little odd, it's because they are converted from metric.)
Buy De Buyer Mineral Fry Pans Now
Nothing beats a carbon steel fry pan. Not All Clad, not Calphalon, not Viking. Its just as non stick as Teflon when you need it to be. Versatile enough to perfectly seer fish, evenly cook pancakes, or gently reduce a delicate sauce. I cannot overstate the perfection of this pan. As a professional chef, I use All Clad sauciers and sauté pans, but wouldn't trade my carbon steel fry pans for anything.
Read Best Reviews of De Buyer Mineral Fry Pans Here
I am a big fan of these carbon steel pans. They season much the same as cast iron pans and need to be taken care of in the same manner as cast iron. Once they are nicely seasoned they are virtualy non-stick. They distribute heat very rapidly and evenly and work well on any burner surface from gas to induction glass top. They are perfect for sticking into the oven or running something under the broiler. The big advantage over cast iron is the long handle that makes them much easier to lift and handle, these pans are heavy, and the shape with the rounded sides.
If you screw up the seasoning by burning something, simply run the pan through a cycle of a self cleaning oven. All the accumulated grease and crud will come off, rinse off and carefully dry. The pan will be as new and will need to be re-seasoned much as a brand new pan. With a minum of care these pans last a lifetime.
Do not confuse these pans with much less expensive and much lighter weight French style steel pans. Those heat unevenly and get hot spots.
Want De Buyer Mineral Fry Pans Discount?
I've bought quite a few of the de Buyer pans recently on Amazon,based on an old pan I've used for years that's quite obviously my "go-to" pan for cooking.In hindsight at age 45,I could have saved hundreds of dollars over the years by buying nothing but de Buyer.I wish I had.I'm writing this as a review of the de Buyer Mineral 10" fry pan simply because it's the one piece that would be a good purchase for anyone wishing to experience this type of cookware.
Before you buy: you should note that this pan (and carbon steel pans in general) aren't likely to look pristine after the first few uses,if you're using and treating them right--they look more used after each time you cook with them.The "natural non-stick" surface builds up over time due to the cooking oils forming a glaze on the cooking surface.The outer part of the pan will become discolored due to the direct heat (especially with gas stoves) and spills and whatnot.If you expect to have shiny cookware forever,forget carbon steel.Carbon steel cookware (or "black steel" or "blue steel" or whatever the manufacturer calls it) is chemically only a bit more treated metal than cast iron--the de Buyer "Mineral" items are touted as being 99% iron.They claim it's recyclable inasmuch as it's pretty much iron.The manufacturer also claims it's non-stick without using fluorinated materials or coatings.That goes without saying,since you create the "non-stick surface" with use.
If shiny pristine appearance over time isn't an issue,and you don't mind NOT being able to put it in soaking water or a dishwasher,or to scrub it down to a shiny surface after each use,the only other concern I can think of is iron content in your diet.If you're one of the few people who has an EXCESS of iron in your diet,you'll be getting more cooking in carbon steel cookware (just like you would cooking in cast iron).
All that being said,this is the cookware to use for real cooking.The de Buyer "Mineral" products are sturdy,conduct heat quite well,hold heat quite well,and you may find yourself modifying your cooking times for sauteing or stir-frying.It's almost funny to cook an omelette in this pan after the first pass of cleaning and seasoning--it's not so much "non stick" as it is "the egg wants to get out of the pan RIGHT NOW",and that just gets more obvious the longer you use the pan.The larger fry pans (12" and above) and the so-called French pans (10" and above) should probably be listed as weapons.
The main drawback in some uses may be the handles--they are angled up,and are quite long,so may not fit your oven as you're used to.
A previous review discussed the cleaning and seasoning steps out of the box.Using potato peels and near-boiling water probably works just as well as the simpler hot-to-boiling water followed by a little bit of soap and hot water,then a rinse.In fact,the de Buyer website video for the "Mineral" pans only suggests hot water and wipe-down before the oil treatment--no potato was used or harmed in their video.
This is true for any carbon-steel pan.You want to remove the manufacturing residue,leave nothing behind,and then start the seasoning process with hot oil.You'll need to continue adding a slight sheen of oil over time when storing it,which (as the other reviewer pointed out) isn't that big a deal.What you DON'T want to do is scrub the pan in soapy water,or soak it,or put it in a dishwasher.Basically,after each use,if there are chunks in the pan,deglaze with hot water and scrape the chunks with the edge of a steel spatula.Rinse,dry well (which you can do by putting on the burner until it's dry),let it cool,and wipe a little oil using a paper towel on the food contact surface.It's not that difficult--it's actually quite easy: deglaze and scrape off the chunks,get it dry,put a little oil sheen on it,and store until you use it again.For my "go-to" pan,storing usually means leaving on top of the stove until tomorrow.
The first time you do the cleaning/seasoning,you'll notice that the paper towel becomes colored with stains (grey to dark grey to almost black).This is normal.You can either repeat the initial cleaning/seasoning,or not worry about it.From what I can gather at other sources (including de Buyer),the protective coating applied before shipping is beeswax or a derivative.If and when you wipe it down after the first few uses (before you start building up the patina),you may see these stains.
Like cast iron cookware,you can cook acidic foods in carbon steel cookware.You don't want to leave it sitting in the cookware,and you probably don't want to boil lemon juice or vinegar in it unless you really want a boost in your iron supplement.Highly acidic liquids can also remove some of the built-up "coating" after some use,which is more of a pain in the butt than it is damaging.
Finally,a comment: you may have noticed in some restaurants (or on cooking shows where the kitchen is shown) that there seem to be a large number of stained and battered pans being put over high flames and used to turn out fantastic dishes in a short period of time.In many cases,where the restaurant is owned by some famous TV chef who touts his or her own cooking line,what is used in the working kitchen looks nothing like what the chef is offering as a product to buy for Mom next Xmas.The useful stained battered pans are likely to be something like this pan.Utilitarian and trustworthy,but over time,not that attractive.
We just received the unit today.Got it on sale at Kohl's for $29.99 from $59.99.If I paid any more, I would be livid.Since it was so inexpensive, I am OK.Shipping was sloooooow from Kohls.I guess I am just used to the speedy shipping of amazon.comOne of the black nobs on the top is at a 45 degree angle. When the pot sits on a flat surface (we tried many), it rocks.Called customer service for Tru. Very nice woman, but did not resolve anything.She asked if all the feet were there.They were, so she said that I would have to return it to Kohls.What a pain! I need it for tonight. The cord is so incredibly short, it is almost comical.We have a outlet at the end of our table, which is up against the wall.This means that the plug has to go straight down from the table, to an outlet that is well off of the floor; and it still does not reach.The crocks seem well made.They look similar to my large Crockpot crocks.They seems to adequately warm up the food.As a matter of fact, I went out, and ruined my fondue :)I did not turn it down, so the cheese boiled and turned into a glob.We also had oil for the meat fondue, and it warmed up adequately to cook the meat.
