My first all steel frying pan.

Today my girlfriend and I went to Blokker, a Dutch chain of household stores to get some stuff. They also had a couple of de Buyer steel frying pans left and the 28cm pan was just €24. I've never used a steel frying pan but for this money I was willing to give it a go and I'm glad I did. I asked my niece who's a chef what's the best way to break it in. She told me to get it screaming hot, take it off the fire and pour peanut oil in it. Then let it cool off, pour out the oil, remove the excess oil with some kitchen paper and repeat the process three times. I followed her instructions precisely and now it's completely non stick. The pan heats up very fast and it's excellent for searing meat without it sticking to the pan. Baking an egg in it is also a breeze. The egg slides across the surface just like with a ceramic non stick pan. Of course this one won't lose it's non stick properties when cared for the right way and it's virtually indestructible. I should have bought a pan like this years ago.

Awesome work. Love these pans.

Mine needs to be re-seasoned so I might give your method a go

I was quite surprised how easy it is to season a steel pan with my niece's method. I was even more surprised how very non-stick the pan is. I'm a convert, no more teflon or ceramic coated pans for me. I'm going back to Blokker on Monday to buy the 32cm pan as well. It's a good size for backing potatoes and larger cuts of meat.

I stopped using non-stick pans this year I got sick of them degrading and I think it's becoming clearer that the PFOAs in them aren't really all that good for you. They also require low- medium temps. I initially started using a stainless pan, seasoned well and this does work well. However, my blue steel pan has become my favourite (very similar to your pan).

After doing a lot of reading, I chose rice bran oil to season with, as it has a very high smoke point. I add enough oil to just coat the pan when it's hot (a few tablespoons). I heat it to just below smoking (it gives off a sort of play-doughy smell just before smoking), then roll the oil over the pan. I intermittently heat it to maintain the smell (but hopefully not the smoke) for ~2 mins. Let it cool and wipe off the oil. This apparently forms a coating of polymerised oil that seals over the microscopic pits in the steel of the pan which would otherwise cause food to stick. You know that you've achieved this when there is a mirror-like sheen on the surface of the pan.

You will need to do this every time you wash the pan with soap/ detergent. What I do for most washes it to wash in hot water only, then dry the pan by heating on a hot burner (obviously keep an eye on it while doing this).

When cooking with a seasoned pan, it takes a while to learn to change your technique. The pan needs to be hot but not smoking before you put the food in. Apparently when the food first hits the pan, the water in the food vapourises and forms a cushion of steam to protect the food from sticking to the pan while the heat seals the underside of the food. Once this is achieved, you may then need to turn down the heat (depending on the food you are cooking).

Have fun with the new pan.

I bought my first carbon steel skillet a few months ago and used different methods and oils to get it all nice. I used an oven method to coat all sides of the skillet, but concentrated on a stove top method for the cooking surface. Thing is I just love things that take extra care and, like my carbon steel knives, feel rewarded by the extra effort in applying frequent updated coatings of either flax seed or coconut oil to the skillet.

On the other hand, I hate not only the chemicals in non-stick skillets (although this situation is improving) and, ironically I know, the kind of extra care needed to cook with them. Just a different kind of care to me. I want something like you guys that lasts a lifetime and one that I develop a personal relationship with.

Even thought about getting one from Blu Skillet, which, even though it costs a lot, takes me to that psychological place of a different time/space of cooking ware. Unfortunately, a new batch only comes available every few months and they sell that entire stock in a few minutes.

Interesting. I just bought two De Beyer carbon pans on a local black friday sale, the 20 cm and the 28 cm. I'm now doing the fifth pass of seasoning with flaxseed oil in the oven on the 28 cm pan and later today I'll try the first frying after that. After the fourth pass, the pan was a very nice golden brown. I kind of regret I didn't take pictures of the process - perhaps I'll do that when doing the next pan.

And when talking indestructable - the only thing really hurting these pans are rapid temperature changes. Since I don't have an induction stove, I guess that rapid cooling is the easiest way to make it bent...

I have a 32, a 28 and 20 cm since a year or so. I am very pleased and will never go back to smth else. However, the main issue is that you have to clean the pan more or less directly. You cannot wait until the end of the diner for instance.
Concerning the non sticky: even after seasoning with flaxeed oil etc... I still use a non-stick pam for omelette. It is the only thing that I do not manage to do in the de Buyer

zetieum said:

I have a 32, a 28 and 20 cm since a year or so. I am very pleased and will never go back to smth else. However, the main issue is that you have to clean the pan more or less directly. You cannot wait until the end of the diner for instance.
Concerning the non sticky: even after seasoning with flaxeed oil etc... I still use a non-stick pam for omelette. It is the only thing that I do not manage to do in the de Buyer

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Then you need to add a deBuyer omelette pan...they rock!:happymug:

gaijin said:

Interesting. I just bought two De Beyer carbon pans on a local black friday sale, the 20 cm and the 28 cm. I'm now doing the fifth pass of seasoning with flaxseed oil in the oven on the 28 cm pan and later today I'll try the first frying after that. After the fourth pass, the pan was a very nice golden brown. I kind of regret I didn't take pictures of the process - perhaps I'll do that when doing the next pan.

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I've done a total of 4 passes and my pan is also a nice golden brown. Btw, I also coated the outside with every pass per my niece's recommendation to make it easier to clean in case some grease spills over.

zetieum said:

However, the main issue is that you have to clean the pan more or less directly.

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I asked my niece about cleaning it and she told me it doesn't really hurt the non-stick layer if you clean it after dinner.

I did notice a baked egg is tastier baked in this pan.

PalmRoyale said:

I've done a total of 4 passes and my pan is also a nice golden brown. Btw, I also coated the outside with every pass per my niece's recommendation to make it easier to clean in case some grease spills over.

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I also did the outside. It should soon be cold from the fifth pass, only one more to go. Tonight it will be tested.

PalmRoyale said:

I did notice a baked egg is tastier baked in this pan.

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I definitively agree with that. Fried egg are just better. But the main difference for me was cooking meat/fish. I just wonder how I could have waited so long before that. It is just a game changer in term of taste compared to non stick pan.

Taste is on another level on carbon steel / cast iron. To me, it was a revelation and I couldn't believe I was hoaxed with only cooking in teflon..

How would you rate stainless pans in the taste department?

zetieum said:

I definitively agree with that. Fried egg are just better. But the main difference for me was cooking meat/fish. I just wonder how I could have waited so long before that. It is just a game changer in term of taste compared to non stick pan.

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Yesterday I prepared to small cuts of beef in it and it tasted so much better. Must be the better and tastier caramelisation of the meat.

Fun fact, according to my niece it's also healthy because the pan releases small amounts of iron during cooking.

Yes, I got myself one of these a few weeks ago and i LOVE it too! The non-stick properties are damaged more quickly than with cast iron pans, but they can be restored in a couple of minutes, so no big deal. A major upgrade from any Teflon-coated pan, and all that for less than 50€.

gaijin said:

I guess that rapid cooling is the easiest way to make it bent...

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There is another way to bend them for sure: Use a heat source that is significantly smaller than the bottom of the pan. That'll kill it too :bat:

Can you use very little to almost no oil when cooking with these pans? I can't use a lot of fats in my meals and would rather use these than nonstick. Ryan

Hmm it depends on what you will make exactly. Generally speaking, I would tend to "no" - you will need at least a bit if oil for frying tasks if the original ingredients contain none. For example, pancakes will stick if you use no oil at all.

I hate to burst everyone's bubble but Debyuer pans do not want to be pre seasoned. You're only kidding yourself if you think it's going to last. They will blacken and patina properly by just using them. At least that what happens with the eight or so i have.

De Buyer explains on their FAQ page how to season it (just found out :biggrin: ) to speed up the process. I think they would know better than you how to treat the pans they produce.

Shots Fired!:nunchucks:

PalmRoyale said:

De Buyer explains on their FAQ page how to season it (just found out :biggrin: ) to speed up the process. I think they would know better than you how to treat the pans they produce.

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I forgot how the manufacturer is always right no matter what. I guess maybe I should go pick up a Henckels pull-thru sharpener and start sharpening knives the correct way.

It really is not so much of a big deal with forged iron pans. They will take a patina super quickly. Rub some oil on it, put it in the oven, done. I didn't even do that, just heated the thing on the stove with some oil and started cooking, it worked pretty well already. So no reason to get scientific about it - some heat and some grease, and the pan will do its job :surrendar:

DamageInc said:

I forgot how the manufacturer is always right no matter what. I guess maybe I should go pick up a Henckels pull-thru sharpener and start sharpening knives the correct way.

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:doublethumbsup:

I think I'll maybe start using the steel to "sharpen" my knives as many claim

Doing the method described in the OP certainly will season your pans, but like a forced patina, the finish will be overtaken (and better for it) if you actually use the pan frequently.

i quit caring about the seasoning on mine. it is blotchy, gone from areas, super seasoned on some areas..i fried a piece of deer meat and it even pulled up some seasoning. granted i did pull it up, before the meat hit that perfect sear point where it releases by itself. duh.

i'm taking it camping in a few weeks to hunt more deer. that pan is about to see hell.

just watched a youtube video..this lady's pan was black like coal!! like a cast iron pan. she must use it everyday for things..