Seasoning my new 32cm De Buyer Acier Carbone

[Devon_Steven]

The whole process here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/139117223@N03/albums/72157673125997173

When this pan arrived from Amazon.co.uk it wasn't in great condition; the packaging was all torn and dirty and the pan was covered in marks and had a few scratches.

It also got a little rusty sitting around unseasoned in the kitchen for several weeks.

Well, being into knives this was no problem as I have a full range of high-quality wet and dry sandpaper to tidy it up with. Even 'eased' the rim of the pan (which was a little sharp).

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Oil used is flaxseed oil, as per many online recommendations.

 

[aboynamedsuita]

Looks good, nice and dark. I did my Mineral B with flax but did it in the oven and it came out golden (more even on the sides, bottom and outside). Has since gotten darker from actual use.


Off topic a bit, but does anyone know the differences between the Carbone and Mineral B? Is it just the handles, no wax coating or stamp in the middle?

 

[Devon_Steven]

Specs are here:

http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/mineral-b-element-round-fry-pan

http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/carbone-plus-round-frying-pan-with-iron-handle

There's more choice in the Carbone line, but the only meaningful difference, I think, is the Carbone's lack of plastic handle coating.

I deliberately avoided the plastic handle coating as I was not sure if that was compatible with oven use. I take it your handle was undamaged during the seasoning process..?

 

[Devon_Steven]

I think I should also do the sides in the oven.

That egg was sliding out the pan nicely but then gripped on to the relatively un-seasoned side.

 

[daveb]

Sweet. I've done them on a wok burner, a stove top, an induction thingy and in the oven. Preferred is a couple rounds of induction to get good base then into the oven for a few cycles. Flaxseed all the way. Less oil, more cycles.

 

[guari]

Lovely pan. For some reason flax seed peels/flakes of for me later during use, so I've reverted to sunflower oil and it's working great

 

[daveb]

Less oil, more cycles.

 

[aboynamedsuita]

Less oil, more cycles.

This!

When i put in the oven I almost thought I may have wiped off too much oil, but there'll always be just a bit there, and that's all you need

 

[aboynamedsuita]

Specs are here:

http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/mineral-b-element-round-fry-pan

http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/carbone-plus-round-frying-pan-with-iron-handle

There's more choice in the Carbone line, but the only meaningful difference, I think, is the Carbone's lack of plastic handle coating.

I deliberately avoided the plastic handle coating as I was not sure if that was compatible with oven use. I take it your handle was undamaged during the seasoning process..?

I missed this comment earlier… that would confirm what I thought as well. Both are 2.5 or 3 mm thick, and the differences are the mineral B stamp in the middle and the handles. The handle on the carbone appears to have some sort of a textured coating, correct? Not sure if it's an enamelled paint or something. Also interesting that they now make the 32cm with helper handle, only my 36cm has it (thing's a beast!)

I've seen two types of handles on Mineral B, one is clear (top, epoxy like) and one is more like a sparkly grey (bottom, paint like):

I have the bottom type and had no problems in the oven at 500°F, I've heard the little silicone button is good too, but I took mine out while seasoning. Only thing is some of the coating chipped off at the bend in the handle, but I just seasoned over it to be safe. I'd almost like the get them all sandblasted off then season for consistency, but that'd be a huge undertaking without damaging the pan/seasoning.

 

[Matus]

I have also learned that the slower the seasoning is allowed to form, the smoother, less sticky and more resistant it will be. In the mean time I give my carbon pans (I love my little Turk pan) a short burn after they were cleaned with water and steel brush. During this short ehat-up I wipe the pan several times with paper towel which, once the remaining fats get hot an the pan starts to 'sweat' gets re-distributed and excess wiped out. This gave me very smooth surface on the pan after some 10+ cooking. If thicker layer of oil burns-on the pan during cooking, then it is removed during cleaning before it can burn-on completely.

Needles to say - my de Buyer Carbone Plus bowed that much that it is nearly unusable. The reason is partially probably the size (32cm), but I suppose that the main reason is that the bottom is slightly larger than the size of the heater underneath (ceramic cook-top). The little Turk pan does MUCH better - it has grooves ground-in the bottom and stays flat even when allowed to over-heat at full power (happened once by accident).

 

[zetieum]

I have a 32 cm Mineral B, a 28cm and a 20 Carbone plus. I have them both with a "cold handle". I am very pleased of this choice, the handle is much more comfortable than the original one, and indeed stays cold.
http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/carbone-plus-round-frying-pan-stainless-steel-cold-handle

 

[boomchakabowwow]

mine is seasoned great..until i wash it with anything..i could use a silk diaper and it would pull off the "Brown"

 

[krx927]

I have a 32 cm Mineral B, a 28cm and a 20 Carbone plus. I have them both with a "cold handle". I am very pleased of this choice, the handle is much more comfortable than the original one, and indeed stays cold.
http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/carbone-plus-round-frying-pan-stainless-steel-cold-handle

You learn something new every day. I was not aware that they make pans with "cold" handle.

So you are saying it really works?

Perhaos I will send back my Carbone plus that I ordered few days ago and go with this one.

 

[Devon_Steven]

The handle on the carbone appears to have some sort of a textured coating, correct? Not sure if it's an enamelled paint or something.

This is the handle on my carbone pans:

Also interesting that they now make the 32cm with helper handle, only my 36cm has it (thing's a beast!)

Yes, they are beasts!

As I mentioned, I bought the carbone because I was worried about the mineral b's handle going into the oven... turns out I can't even get the 32cm into my oven!

(pictured is some seasoning work)

----------------


@KRX927, your inbox is full...!!!!!!!!

 

[Devon_Steven]

Needles to say - my de Buyer Carbone Plus bowed that much that it is nearly unusable. The reason is partially probably the size (32cm), but I suppose that the main reason is that the bottom is slightly larger than the size of the heater underneath (ceramic cook-top). The little Turk pan does MUCH better - it has grooves ground-in the bottom and stays flat even when allowed to over-heat at full power (happened once by accident).

Not that it does you any good, but the De Buyer iron cookware pans are not manufactured completely flat:



Why is my iron pan curved?
All de Buyer iron pans have a slightly convexly curved bottom to guarantee a great stability when they are used on powerful heating sources (especially on induction). This convex curve prevents pans from deforming and doesn’t spoil their cooking properties.
Induction hobs showing an exceptional heating performance, when using an iron pan, it is necessary to:
cook at a medium temperature,
avoid using the powerboost function,
avoid over-heating your iron pan while it is empty.
These precautions are essential for pans from 26cm of diameter to avoid deformation.

From: http://www.debuyer.com/en/faq

 

[krx927]

@KRX927, your inbox is full...!!!!!!!!

I cleared it.

 

[krx927]

About seasoning technique. This one is quite good:

[video=youtube;xoIO8YOpyN4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoIO8YOpyN4[/video]

I did it and is quite OK. Really the catch is to put just a little of oil and wipe it with paper tower and then burn (x8 to 10 times).

But according to DamageInc the best one is the one described here with salt and potato peelings. I did not try it yet but for sure will do my new 32cm when it arrived this week:

[video=youtube;-suTmUX4Vbk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-suTmUX4Vbk[/video]

 

[paulraphael]

You can do any pan quickly and smoothly if you understand the basic principles. Pan "seasoning" is a mix of polymerized oil and carbonized oil. Polymerization in this case means forming new bonds and turning the oil to a plastic-like material under heat. The ideal oils for this ones that are highest in polyunsaturated fat. Some people upthread have used flax oil which should work well; I use safflower oil because it fits the bill and I use it for sauteeing. Canola would work fine. Just make sure you're using a clear, very refined version of the oil. Some oils say "high heat" and back that up with smoke point temperature. Ideally, get one of these, and get one of the highest temperature versions ... over 450°F.

Set your oven 25° higher than this. Open a window. You want to go hotter than the smoke point, because you want a portion of the oil to carbonize, which is to say, to burn all the way to charcoal. This is the component of the seasoning that's actually stick-resistant. If you stop at polymerizing the oil (which will give a brownish, translucent coating), the pan will stick like a motherf***er.

You want to apply a very thin coat of oil. Use a paper towel dampened in the oil, and spread it LIGHTLY on the surface. Put the pan in the oven until the house smells like a tire fire. Pull the pan out. Using tongs this time, put on another thin coat. Back in the oven. Repeat 5 or 6 times. It should take around 20 minutes. The pan will be perfect, like you've been using it for years.

Keep in mind that spun steel has smaller pores than cast iron, so the seasoning will be much more fragile. Don't expect the pan to stay perfect looking. You'll likely chip parts of the seasoning off with use. It really won't matter. New seasoning forms pretty quickly on these pans, and the stick resistance is pretty unimportant if you've got good cooking techniques.

If you're going seriously old school and using the pan for eggs and omelettes, it makes sense to have a dedicated pan for this, and to baby it. It will help preserve the stick resistance, and help keep this morning's scramble from tasting like last night's mackerel.

 

[Elfen23]

I'm so excited!! Like giddy schoolgirl excited. My very own Mineral B should arrive tomorrow!!! I've been stalking prices since Danny passed, and I didn't get to keep ours. Amazon had a great deal on the fry pan I wanted, and I get to season over the next few evenings before hopefully putting it to work this weekend! Glad to see others feeling the carbon love

 

[krx927]

You can do any pan quickly and smoothly if you understand the basic principles. Pan "seasoning" is a mix of polymerized oil and carbonized oil. Polymerization in this case means forming new bonds and turning the oil to a plastic-like material under heat. The ideal oils for this ones that are highest in polyunsaturated fat. Some people upthread have used flax oil which should work well; I use safflower oil because it fits the bill and I use it for sauteeing. Canola would work fine. Just make sure you're using a clear, very refined version of the oil. Some oils say "high heat" and back that up with smoke point temperature. Ideally, get one of these, and get one of the highest temperature versions ... over 450°F.

Set your oven 25° higher than this. Open a window. You want to go hotter than the smoke point, because you want a portion of the oil to carbonize, which is to say, to burn all the way to charcoal. This is the component of the seasoning that's actually stick-resistant. If you stop at polymerizing the oil (which will give a brownish, translucent coating), the pan will stick like a motherf***er.

You want to apply a very thin coat of oil. Use a paper towel dampened in the oil, and spread it LIGHTLY on the surface. Put the pan in the oven until the house smells like a tire fire. Pull the pan out. Using tongs this time, put on another thin coat. Back in the oven. Repeat 5 or 6 times. It should take around 20 minutes. The pan will be perfect, like you've been using it for years.

Keep in mind that spun steel has smaller pores than cast iron, so the seasoning will be much more fragile. Don't expect the pan to stay perfect looking. You'll likely chip parts of the seasoning off with use. It really won't matter. New seasoning forms pretty quickly on these pans, and the stick resistance is pretty unimportant if you've got good cooking techniques.

If you're going seriously old school and using the pan for eggs and omelettes, it makes sense to have a dedicated pan for this, and to baby it. It will help preserve the stick resistance, and help keep this morning's scramble from tasting like last night's mackerel.

I was wondering about putting it into the oven. Unfortunately like Steven is saying 32cm is too big for the normal sized oven. I do not think you can get it hot enough with the door open...

Just one more info: I was testing the potato peelings method and it is not really good. It does not leave nice seasoning compared to the other method I posted. This one is much better.

 

[DamageInc]

Strange it not working well for you. Works better for me than any other method I've tried.

Did you clean off the wax/shipping grease first?

 

[boomchakabowwow]

hmm..my seasoning looks at good as the ones in the ATK video. anyways, i quit caring and just use it. it is what it is.

however, anyone put the pan in a vice to bend the handle down some?

 

[paulraphael]

I have also learned that the slower the seasoning is allowed to form, the smoother, less sticky and more resistant it will be.

This is really just a factor of the coating being built up in lots of thin layers. But it doesn't mean it has to be slow. As DaveB said above, "less oil, more cycles." Upthread I detail how you can accomplish this in under 30 minutes. The result will be just as good as if the same process had happened over months.

 

[aboynamedsuita]

Are most ovens 60cm width in Europe? I was able to fit the 36cm Mineral B with helper handle in my oven (75cm or 30" stove/range)

 

[krx927]

Strange it not working well for you. Works better for me than any other method I've tried.

Did you clean off the wax/shipping grease first?

Yes I did clean it, but being Carbone plus it did not have much of it... I ended up with non uniform seasoning and on the sides it was not really black but more brownish.

Are most ovens 60cm width in Europe? I was able to fit the 36cm Mineral B with helper handle in my oven (75cm or 30" stove/range)

Yes in Europe standard size of stoves/ovens is 60 cm. 28 cm pan fits inside but 32 cm does not.

In my second video the guy is saying that between applying layers you need to leave the pan to cool down. From what I am reading now this is not necessary. What is the truth?

 

[Devon_Steven]

Are most ovens 60cm width in Europe? I was able to fit the 36cm Mineral B with helper handle in my oven (75cm or 30" stove/range)

As per KRX's reply, 60cm is standard in the UK also; having said that, larger ranges (5+ hobs) with accordingly wider ovens are becoming increasingly popular.

 

[paulraphael]

I was wondering about putting it into the oven. Unfortunately like Steven is saying 32cm is too big for the normal sized oven. I do not think you can get it hot enough with the door open...

Just one more info: I was testing the potato peelings method and it is not really good. It does not leave nice seasoning compared to the other method I posted. This one is much better.

There are uncountable old-husband's tales about seasoning pans. Most of them don't even nod in the direction of the chemistry.

You can certainly do it on the stovetop; it's just harder to control the temperature and you're not as likely to get even results. But it should be fine.

For what it's worth, they use these spun steel pans in restaurant kitchens all over Europe and I've never heard of any of the professional users bothering to season them. Spun steel builds a working seasoning so quickly, that doing a good job is largely cosmetic.

One reason restaurants often don't bother with seasoning is that the steel isn't very porous, so the coating is fragile. The seasoning constantly gets banged and scraped off, and then re-formed again. There's little point in being precious about it.

On American-style cast iron, the coating will be more durable, so it can make more sense to put effort into it.

My point is ... if you can only manage it on the stovetop, just do as good a job as you can, and it will be more than good enough.

 

[zetieum]

Are most ovens 60cm width in Europe? I was able to fit the 36cm Mineral B with helper handle in my oven (75cm or 30" stove/range)

mine could not fit in the oven. I used my BBQ.