Chefs Love Carbon Steel. Here’s Why. 

Skillets and woks, as well as omelet, crepe, and paella pans are often made from carbon steel. That’s because the composition of carbon steel, an alloy made of about 1 percent carbon and 99 percent iron, makes it a particularly functional material for cookware.

Here’s why chefs—and home cooks!—love their carbon-steel skillets and pans so much.

• They’re versatile. You can use pans made from carbon steel on the stove, in the oven, under the broiler, even on the grill.
• They’re (relatively) lightweight. Skillets made from carbon steel are lighter than those made from cast iron but still sear beautifully. Carbon steel contains slightly less carbon than cast iron, which makes it less brittle; as a result, it can be made relatively thin and lightweight but still be plenty durable. It’s heavy enough to retain heat well but thin enough to heat quickly. (Learn more about carbon steel vs. cast iron.)
• They’re naturally nonstick. Traditional nonstick skillets use a coating of plastic on their surface to get their nonstick ability. Carbon-steel skillets rely on seasoning—a very thin layer of oil that gets baked onto the surface of the pan over time, just like with cast-iron skillets. (Here are our tips for seasoning a carbon-steel skillet.)

Don’t ask me why, but I named my pan Eddie. (I think I’d been watching a lot of The Munsters?) I don’t typically name my cookware but I have a special connection to this pan. There is something about the relationship you develop when seasoning a pan. A tiny bit of consistent love can make the surface a gorgeous, glossy black. (This takes time, and your pan will look splotchy as you start to use it! This is a good thing; it’s the seasoning starting to build.) 

Several times I’ve thought I’ve ruined his seasoning but Eddie never holds a grudge. This is a pan, if treated correctly, to pass down to the next generation. And a well-seasoned carbon-steel skillet, as I can attest to with Eddie, is truly a rich inheritance.

Matfer makes our winning carbon-steel skillet. It comes in small (~8 inches), medium (~10 inches), and large (~12 inches). I am super excited because our deals team put together a great sale with a bunch of Matfer products (Matfer also makes our winning paella pan, nonstick-safe spatula, tart pan, and more). If you want to see what all the fuss is about, get yourself one of these chef-favorite pans while it’s on sale!