The famous chef/TV host/food scientist’s love of carbon steel cookware never appeared on his show. But it’s a smart addition to your kitchen arsenal.
In his last cookbook, Good Eats: The Final Years, Alton Brown shared his last word on how to cook everything from the best brownies to fried eggs.
Egg cookery leads him to expound on his favorite cookware: the carbon steel pan.
“A carbon steel pan [is] a tool I consider essential despite the fact that I’ve gone 20 years without mentioning one on TV.” —Alton Brown
“One of the problems with fried egg recipes, my own past efforts included, is that they make very vague references to heat,” he notes.
That can cause inconsistent results—underdone whites in the name of runny yolks or overdone yolks sacrificed for lacy white edges.
His solution: Preheat the pan in the hot oven.
“It sounds weird, but it works,” Brown promises, “but only if you have a carbon steel pan, a tool I consider essential despite the fact that I’ve gone 20 years without mentioning one on TV.”
What???
This is fascinating. I’ve interviewed Brown, picking his brain about his favorite gear. We talked at length about his love of vintage cast-iron skillets, which he restores as a hobby.
The Case for Vintage Cookware →
But not one word about carbon steel.
What Is Carbon Steel Cookware?
Carbon steel skillets are nothing new—they’ve been hiding in plain sight in professional kitchens all along. The cookware is a restaurant supply store standby, and carbon steel woks have long found a place in home kitchens.
But in the past few years, the cookware made its way into more home kitchens, thanks partly to direct-to-consumer companies like Made In (I’ve got several of their pans). Merten & Storck, Volrath, de Buyer, and Mauviel also produce excellent carbon steel skillets. Carbon steel has picked up enough steam that the iconic cast iron cookware company Lodge now has a line of carbon steel cookware.
A few years ago, weary at the prospect of replacing yet another nonstick skillet (they all die, eventually, no matter how expensive they are), and after a good experience with a carbon-steel wok, I decided to try a carbon steel skillet as my nonstick go-to.
Like Alton Brown, I’m a convert, using it to cook everything from eggs to steak to fish. It’s also the pan I reach for most when I’m developing recipes for client brands — and the one that shows up in frame most often when I’m shooting them.
Yes, You Really Do Need More Than One Thermometer and a Kitchen Scale →
Carbon Steel vs. Cast Iron
Carbon steel cookware shares some qualities with cast iron—with some key differences:
- Both are made of iron, though carbon steel contains 1% carbon vs. cast iron’s 2%-4% carbon. That means a carbon steel pan can weigh half as much as a comparable-size cast iron skillet.
- Both are virtually indestructible. Cast iron can withstand temps up to 650°F, while carbon steel can go up to a rippin’ hot 1,200°F. Even if they get covered in rust, you can strip them down to their unseasoned state and start over.
- Carbon steel heats up and cools down much faster than cast iron, so it responds to changes in temperature more quickly while cooking. This is nice when, say, you want to sear a steak at high heat, then lower the temperature to finish it (or reverse-sear it).
- Cast iron heats up more slowly but retains heat longer, so it’s great for braising and baking. That’s why Dutch ovens typically are made with cast iron, often with an enamel coating that makes them nearly nonstick.
- Both require seasoning, and you can buy pre-seasoned pans. (The exception is enameled cast iron cookware, which doesn’t require seasoning.)
- Well-seasoned carbon steel and cast iron pans are as close to nonstick as you can get without using a specifically nonstick pan.
Which is best? That depends on how you like to cook. I have both, though carbon steel’s lighter weight means those are the pans I reach for most often.
Do you need both? Nope. I’d say if you’re a devoted cast-iron fan, you’re set. If you’re considering cast iron but are concerned about the weight, carbon steel is the way to go.
Stay Sharp: How to Be a Knife Master →
Maintaining Carbon Steel Cookware
Like regular (i.e., not enamaled) cast iron pans, many carbon steel pans come pre-seasoned, while others don’t.
I’m not sure why you’d buy one that isn’t pre-seasoned unless, like Brown, you’re into seasoning pans as a hobby.
My advice is to always go with a pre-seasoned option so you can get cooking. Carbon steel cookware’s patina and nonstick qualities continue to improve with use.
But you’ll want to maintain that seasoning:
- Wash the pan after use (yes, it’s fine to use soap). Avoid leaving water to soak in the pan, which can cause it to rust. For anything that’s really stuck on, I like to use The Ringer, which is made of stainless-steel chainmail and won’t damage the pan’s seasoning.
- Place the pan over medium-low heat to dry completely.
- Rub the pan’s surface inside and out with a thin layer of cooking oil (vegetable is a good candidate). I like the Crisbee Puck, which makes it easy to keep that layer thin. This helps protect the pan from rust.
(Note: The Ringer and Crisbee Puck also are great for maintaining cast iron cookware.)
What About Nonstick Cookware?
If you like nonstick cookware, that’s OK. But know that it’s never going to be a long-term relationship. At best, nonstick cookware is a culinary fling.
Here’s how to make it work for you:
- Don’t spend a lot. I’ve tried both expensive and cheap nonstick pans over the years, and in my experience, paying more doesn’t pay off. If I needed a nonstick pan, I’d check out stores like Home Goods or Ross or a restaurant supply store for bargain options from T-Fal or Tramontina.
- Replace regularly. A friend of mine, who’s a retired food stylist and has used every kind of cookware you can image, buys one Teflon-coated (yes, Teflon) skillet each year.
- Reserve it for for things that really benefit from a nonstick surface. My friend only uses her nonstick skillet only to cook eggs and fish.
- Watch the heat. Add some fat to your pan and preheat it over medium, max.
- Use the right utensils. Some manufacturers claim it’s fine to use metal utensils on their nonstick pans. Maybe. If you want you pan to hold up, use wood or silicone instead.
- Keep an eye on the surface. Any changes to the surface – a scratch, chip, or even fading – is your sign it’s time to replace.
With care, you might be able to eek out 18 months or even a couple years of use out of nonstick pan. Of course, that means it’s not a sustainable choice. Nonstick pans are very difficult to recycle; it depends on the surface and what your local recycling authority will accept. Some manufactures will take back their pans for refurbishing or recycling.
If you’re a food or beverage brand: This kind of hands-on product testing – knowing not just how something works, but how it performs across different types of dishes – is exactly what goes into every recipe I develop and every shoot I create for client brands.