I have a confession: For five years, I’ve had a skillet in my kitchen cabinet that I have never used. Not once! I’m embarrassed to admit it.
It’s a carbon-steel skillet. More specifically, it’s the winner of our review of carbon-steel skillets, the Matfer Bourgeat Black Steel Round Frying Pan, 11 7/8". I bought it because my coworkers all rave about carbon-steel cookware. The material is pretty special: It has some of the best qualities of my other favorite pans. It sears as well as a cast-iron skillet. It heats as evenly as an All-Clad skillet or another good-quality, tri-ply stainless-steel pan. And it can be as slick and easy to use as a nonstick-coated skillet.