What is carbon steel pan best for?

You may have heard about blue carbon steel and black carbon steel and wondered if one is better. After our testing, we don't feel it should rank heavily as a consideration for purchase. Blue carbon steel has gone through a process that hardens the material, which can help prevent rust; that process can lend a blue hue to the brand-new pan. But both blue and black steel will take on a dark-brown or black color with proper seasoning during the life of the pan. We've recommended both blue and black steel pans here, as we saw good results from each kind.

Our experts do think these factors are worth considering when shopping for a carbon steel skillet:

✔️ Preseasoning: This is an important consideration if you're new to seasoning cookware. Preseasoned pans usually have a minor glaze to rinse off before cooking, but they're otherwise ready to go. They can feel like nonstick cookware for the first cook, and then they simply require maintenance of the seasoning (read: you will have to season a preseasoned carbon steel skillet over the course of its life). If it's not preseasoned, you'll likely need to scrub off a beeswax coating and then season the pan with layers of oil (see below). It's not a difficult process, but it does require time.

✔️ Weight: There are many lightweight carbon steel skillets on the market now, but our pros stress that it's still an important consideration. Some can be quite heavy, which can limit the pan's versatility. If you're shopping online and can't feel and lift the pan, check the weight in the product specifications. We like pans that are about three pounds or fewer.

✔️ Shape and cooking area: The shape of the pan will affect the cooking. A gentle slope to the sides makes it easier to shake and toss foods, and it keeps the pan open so that liquids will reduce easily. But sloped sides can eat into the flat cooking surface at the bottom of the pan. We've noted when pan on this list had a cooking surface that felt smaller, but some is up to personal preference and the kinds of foods you cook most.

✔️ Handle: Comfort with the handle is another factor that comes down to personal preference. Our experts liked a variety of handles in our tests. Those with a divot in the handle helped with finger placement for comfort. Those with a slight arc or angle helped create balance, which can help improve control. Look for a loop built into the handle if you prefer to hang your pans for storage.

✔️ Rivets: Generally speaking, the handles of carbon steel skillets are riveted to the pan, such that there are bumps on the inside of the cooking area. In our tests, we saw only one with flush rivets (the , which did not make our list) and one that had somewhat flat rivets (the Blanc Creatives Pro Skillet, listed above). Flush or flatter rivets make it easier to clean the pan, as debris is less likely to get stuck, and easier to season it, as you can access the surface more evenly.

Carbon steel pans are a well-kept secret for professional chefs, and for good reason. There’s nothing quite like a carbon steel skillet for cooking up delicious home pan-fries or whatever else your heart desires. I’ve been coveting carbon steel for a while now but can’t quite justify the purchase given how many cast iron pots and pans I already own. I wonder if my cast iron collection merits certification as its own carbon sink at this point….

1. What’s the difference between cast iron and carbon steel?
2. Seasoning carbon steel vs. seasoning cast iron

If you want to cut to the chase, I recommend the carbon steel cookware made by De Buyer because they have the highest-quality conscientious options. You can read more about De Buyer cookware here.

What’s the difference between cast iron and carbon steel?

Cast Iron vs Carbon Steel Summarized:

Cast Iron

• 97-98% iron + 2-3% carbon
• Heavier
• Vertical walls
• Suitable for stovetop, oven, grill, campfire, and broiler
• Better homogenous heat conduction
• Reactive to acidic foods

Carbon Steel

• Typically 99% iron + 1% carbon
• Lighter
• Sloped sides
• Suitable for stovetop, oven, grill, campfire, and broiler
• Thinner and smoother
• Reactive to acidic foods
• Takes on seasoning quickly

Carbon steel is a very tempting choice for non-toxic, eco-friendly cookware. Put simply, carbon steel is like the lighter, less clunky cousin of cast iron and, oddly enough, contains more iron than cast iron! While cast iron is around 97-98 percent iron and 2-3 percent carbon, carbon steel is typically 99 percent iron and 1 percent carbon (R). You wouldn’t think this would make much of a difference, but it does.

While cast iron and carbon steel are pretty similar, the relative lightness of carbon steel makes it easier to move around. A 12” cast iron pan might weigh over 7 pounds, while a similar-sized carbon steel pan weighs in at around 5 pounds. Despite many years playing badminton, even my wrists struggle to flip a pancake in a cast iron pan.

Carbon steel pans also tend to have sloped sides, which makes them preferable for sautéing as it’s easier to flip food off a sloped edge. Cast iron pans have vertical walls, making them better for pan pizzas, cornbread, frittatas, and for shallow frying, and so forth. Both pans can be moved from stove top to oven, however, and both are suitable for the grill, campfire, and broiler.

Carbon steel is often thinner and smoother than modern cast iron (but similar to vintage cast iron), so is more aesthetically pleasing to some cookware connoisseurs. One downside of this is that carbon steel doesn’t always conduct heat homogenously (because of its relative thinness to cast iron). This can be a positive, however, as you can use a smaller burner ring and move food in and out of the center of the pan (where the heat is focused) according to need.

Carbon steel tip!

It’s also best to avoid cooking acidic ingredients for long periods of time in carbon steel as it is, like cast iron, very reactive. So, tomato sauce and a wine reduction might be best suited to a ceramic pan instead.

Carbon steel and cast iron both have an unfinished, industrial quality that contrasts with more light and colorful porcelain enamel, glass, or ceramic cookware. Made from raw, heavy-gauge steel, carbon steel cookware is tough, durable, and… prone to rust. 

Seasoning carbon steel vs. seasoning cast iron

As with cast iron, seasoning is essential for carbon steel cookware. The good news is that because carbon steel is less porous than cast iron, it takes on seasoning quickly. The bad news is that it can also lose seasoning quickly. In commercial kitchens, it’s not unheard of for chefs to season a carbon steel pan several times in an evening.

Manufacturers will normally use a beeswax or mineral coating to prevent the cookware from rusting on its journey from the forge to your kitchen. It is essential to remove this coating before seasoning, otherwise, your seasoning simply won’t take.

Beeswax and other coatings can be removed by scrubbing with steel wool and hot water. Then season as you would with cast iron. Seasoned pans are available, but such seasoning is often irregular and needs repeating at home anyway.

Carbon steel is very cost-effective compared to other types of cookware. New carbon steel cookware is often cheaper than ceramic, porcelain enamel, and anodized aluminum, but lasts for generations. This makes it particularly eco-friendly. Avoid very cheap carbon steel pans, though, as these are typically far too thin for good heat distribution.

What not to cook in a carbon steel pan?

Can you cook anything in a carbon steel pan?

Why do chefs use carbon steel pans?

Which is better cast iron or carbon steel?