De buyer Mineral B Pro

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Bill13

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I have been looking at De buyer pans for a year or so, I am tired of "non stick" that sticks. The only issue I had was that I thought the handles were not that comfortable. Then I found out they were available thru rakuten (a Japanese website) with the cast iron handles and I thought perfect, but the ordering process confused me, I don't speak Japanese, so I never placed the order.

This morning, since my wife is gone all day, I thought I would look around on eBay etc and in the process I stumbled upon this new line called the Mineral B Pro and I thought the handle looked perfect. http://www.debuyer.com/en/products/mineral-b-pro-frypan-with-cast-stainless-steel-handle

I took way to long to find a place that sold them for a reasonable price - Chefs Catalog wanted 99 for the 32 alone! Eventually I found them on Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NSHWE9M/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 I won't say how long this whole effort took, let's just say it was too long.

They are supposed to arrive in a couple of weeks so I will let you know my thoughts once they arrive (I got the 32 and the 24).
 
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Nice Bill. Curious if the handle will get hot? I've never taken objection to their stick style handles but I like the looks of the stainless steel one better. Keep us updated on your finding.
 
Those look nice, not sure I'll be upgrading though as I'd have far too many of the others to replace (about 14 including the blinis, grill, crepe and country/sauté pans). I've also seen a De Buyer pan with an Eiffel Tower handle, the Y shape is supposed to be good for preventing heat conduction. That said I'll be following this thread with interest.

The only quibble I have with the current handles on the Mineral B is that some appear to have a clear lacquer coating and others have sort of a silvery coating that has flaked off on some where the bend/curve is above the rivets. I just put some oil on it while seasoning and it seems fine. Some also say "De Buyer Made in France" and others say "De Buyer depuis 1830" or something.

Slightly off topic but just curious if anyone has had issues with the yellow silicone things in the handles, I've used mine in the oven but usually take them out then pop back in once done as in not sure how high a temp they're rated for.
 
Crap, now I NEED another pan.

On the yellow button, I've done some broiler work with mine, quickly, not had any issues. I've not gone into the oven for longer roasting.
 
tjangula said:
Those look nice, not sure I'll be upgrading though as I'd have far too many of the others to replace (about 14 including the blinis, grill, crepe and country/sauté pans). I've also seen a De Buyer pan with an Eiffel Tower handle, the Y shape is supposed to be good for preventing heat conduction. That said I'll be following this thread with interest.

The only quibble I have with the current handles on the Mineral B is that some appear to have a clear lacquer coating and others have sort of a silvery coating that has flaked off on some where the bend/curve is above the rivets. I just put some oil on it while seasoning and it seems fine. Some also say "De Buyer Made in France" and others say "De Buyer depuis 1830" or something.

Slightly off topic but just curious if anyone has had issues with the yellow silicone things in the handles, I've used mine in the oven but usually take them out then pop back in once done as in not sure how high a temp they're rated for.
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Regarding the heat concern - I have read that the cast iron handle did get pretty hot which makes sense. I think that may of played a part in the use of cast stainless - we all know stainless sucks at conducting heat. I also think that is the purpose of the slot in the handle, it serves as a heat checkpoint, although that is just a guess. I have an IR heat thermometer and when they come in I plan on testing the temp differential before and after the slot.

I'm pretty psyched about getting these, it was hard to choose the slower shipping:biggrin:
 
panda said:
consider vollrath carbon pans, they are half the price and just as good.
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They look the same as the Mineral B, which is a great pan, and the price is very nice - but the new handle is what made me shell out the extra money. If I had the Vollrath or Mineral B already I would not "upgrade".

I have this Vollrath non stick http://vollrath.com/Tribute-3-Ply-F...on-Stick-and-Trivent-Silicone-Handle-1809.htm it's well made but the non stick lasted 6 months of home use which is probably why I did not think to look at them.
 
panda said:
consider vollrath carbon pans, they are half the price and just as good.
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This. At my last job we had some that were five years old, in a pro kitchen, shoved into a 1000 degree wood oven, with no warping. The don't have the fancy name, but they do the job over and over.
 
I've had the little silicone button in the oven for hours at a time at 230 Celsius with no problems.
 
Hey there Kitchen Knife Forums denizens, refugee here from foodieforums from many years ago:)

I've had it in the back of my mind to try a carbon steel skillet for a while, but the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated reviews them and got me thinking about actually ordering one. Their equipment recommendations are sometimes a bit screwy, but their pick was the Matfer Bourgeat 11-7/8" skillet because of the medium thickness and weight and non-sloping handle. The equivalent de Buyer Element B was down in the middle of the list because it weighs a pound more, has a steeply angeld handle, and costs twice as much. They actually preferred the spot welded handle of the Matfer, which I've also seen other people mention in reviews.

I'm in Canada, so the selection of carbon steel skillets is mostly limited to ye olde $10 special from the retaurant supply store or a very overpriced Mauviel M'Steel. I can get the Matfer from amazon.com whenever it's back in stock, or the de Buyer from another source for about the same price after tax and shipping. KKF has had a couple really great threads about carbon steel skillets in the past, and I'm curious to know if anyone has any thoughts about choosing between these two.
 
I just picked up a De Buyer Carbon + pan off of Ebay. I have never used a carbon pan before, just the good ol' Lodge cast iron. But I'm really liking it. Seasoning it is a bit of a pain, but no different than any other cast iron. I've done a small vegetable stir fry as a side dish and cooked some bacon as well. I really like how even it cooks compared to other pans I have used previously. I would buy another in a heart beat if the price was right. Currently I'm looking at the Country Cooker style with the higher rim. Has anyone ever used this, and would you recommend it?
 
Aleque said:
I just picked up a De Buyer Carbon + pan off of Ebay. I have never used a carbon pan before, just the good ol' Lodge cast iron. But I'm really liking it. Seasoning it is a bit of a pain, but no different than any other cast iron. I've done a small vegetable stir fry as a side dish and cooked some bacon as well. I really like how even it cooks compared to other pans I have used previously. I would buy another in a heart beat if the price was right. Currently I'm looking at the Country Cooker style with the higher rim. Has anyone ever used this, and would you recommend it?
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I use the country pan more than any other (I've a total of five deBuyer pans).
 
Aleque said:
I just picked up a De Buyer Carbon + pan off of Ebay. I have never used a carbon pan before, just the good ol' Lodge cast iron. But I'm really liking it. Seasoning it is a bit of a pain, but no different than any other cast iron. I've done a small vegetable stir fry as a side dish and cooked some bacon as well. I really like how even it cooks compared to other pans I have used previously. I would buy another in a heart beat if the price was right. Currently I'm looking at the Country Cooker style with the higher rim. Has anyone ever used this, and would you recommend it?
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I have two of the country style (24 & 32 cm IIRC). I use mine sort of as a wok, since most woks I find nowadays have some crap silicone/non-stick coating inside (I miss the old round bottom seasoned carbon steel one my parents had when I was younger :()

I'm limited to an electric stove at the moment, so my only complaint is the limited heat transfer up the sides (ie bottom is much hotter). Also because it is thicker than the average wok you need to keep that in mind when cooking.
 
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Bob_McBob said:
Hey there Kitchen Knife Forums denizens, refugee here from foodieforums from many years ago:)

I've had it in the back of my mind to try a carbon steel skillet for a while, but the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated reviews them and got me thinking about actually ordering one. Their equipment recommendations are sometimes a bit screwy, but their pick was the Matfer Bourgeat 11-7/8" skillet because of the medium thickness and weight and non-sloping handle. The equivalent de Buyer Element B was down in the middle of the list because it weighs a pound more, has a steeply angeld handle, and costs twice as much. They actually preferred the spot welded handle of the Matfer, which I've also seen other people mention in reviews.

I'm in Canada, so the selection of carbon steel skillets is mostly limited to ye olde $10 special from the retaurant supply store or a very overpriced Mauviel M'Steel. I can get the Matfer from amazon.com whenever it's back in stock, or the de Buyer from another source for about the same price after tax and shipping. KKF has had a couple really great threads about carbon steel skillets in the past, and I'm curious to know if anyone has any thoughts about choosing between these two.
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Sorry i don't have the background knowledge of those brands to comment. I got my De Buyer at bestbuy.ca on sale for like 40% off, not sure if they still sell it? You can get it elsewhere in Canada but it is expensive. Good luck with your search.
 
tjangula said:
Sorry i don't have the background knowledge of those brands to comment. I got my De Buyer at bestbuy.ca on sale for like 40% off, not sure if they still sell it? You can get it elsewhere in Canada but it is expensive. Good luck with your search.
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Pretty sure they have cleared em out. I've searched a bit.
 
My two are coming in Tuesday. I have the flaxseed oil and can't wait to season them up. I will be posting handle temps and my general thoughts a couple of days later. My first carbon steel pans - I'm stoked!
 
I found the instructions to season confusing (both in the pamphlet and the online video), after washing in hot water to remove the excess wax I just seasoned in the oven several times similar to a CI pan to get the initial layers.

I tried heating the oil on the stove as suggested with one of the 12cm blinis pans for practice, but as the bottom of the pan got hot, it forced the oil up the sides and made a gummy mess, may be because I'm with electric at the moment. That said I didn't just crank the heat either.

Flaxseed oil smells really nice when seasoning, and the residual beeswax smells like honey
 
tjangula said:
I found the instructions to season confusing (both in the pamphlet and the online video), after washing in hot water to remove the excess wax I just seasoned in the oven several times similar to a CI pan to get the initial layers.

I tried heating the oil on the stove as suggested with one of the 12cm blinis pans for practice, but as the bottom of the pan got hot, it forced the oil up the sides and made a gummy mess, may be because I'm with electric at the moment. That said I didn't just crank the heat either.

Flaxseed oil smells really nice when seasoning, and the residual beeswax smells like honey
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If it's gummy, the coat was too thick...almost none is the right amount...and plenty of heat.
 
chinacats said:
If it's gummy, the coat was too thick...almost none is the right amount...and plenty of heat.
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Agree, that's why I scrapped the method they say to use and did it like a CI in the oven for the initial seasonings. Basically the heat causes the oil to rise up the side of the pan, and the cooler side of the pan resists it and begins to polymerize at the top of the puddle as a ring.

There must be something lost in translation; in the video thy say to use about 1cm of oil and in the pamphlet about 1mm of oil.

[video=youtube_share;hQwCiYPW1Fg]http://youtu.be/hQwCiYPW1Fg[/video]
EDIT: skip to about 1:30 if you don't want to watch them make the pans.


ImageUploadedByKitchen Knife Forum1439089695.300068.jpg

In another Eurodib video (all mine came in Eurodib shipping boxes), they talk about boiling potato peels to help remove the wax before the seasoning, I just used the hot water method in the other video.

And when cleaning after cooking: no. soap. ever.
 
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I've done this and put warm, oiled pan (wiped it almost dry) in a 500F oven. Both will work well. The oven is a little more hands off and produces a little more even finish.
 
I've seen the Vollrath method as well, almost like a combination of the two. It's sort of what I do after washing/drying except I do it only once and have to do it on electric. Just to clarify, my issues were past tense as I've gone thru this all some time ago
 
daveb said:
I've done this and put warm, oiled pan (wiped it almost dry) in a 500F oven. Both will work well. The oven is a little more hands off and produces a little more even finish.
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When you season the carbon pan, do you season the outside of the pan as well? I initially didn't season the outside to maintain the shiny silver look, but as I cooked the oil from the food would sometimes get on the outside and make it look splotchy so I ended up doing thin layers of oil on the outside as well. Is there a downside to seasoning the outside of the pan?
 
I seasoned the outside of mine, not sure if there are downsides. I've heard of cases of CI pans becoming fire hazards due to buildup grease/crud on the outside (clean with an e-tank or lye bath, you'd smoke out your house if you use the self clean oven). I can't see a thin coating that is properly polymerized being a problem.
 
I've never seasoned the outside of mine.

If I ever feel like there is a little too much burnt buildup on the bottom, I just scrub them with steel wool for a few minutes.
 
Not seasoning the outside means it's more likely to rust. If you're putting it in the oven or on a grill there's no downside to doing it. On a ceramic/induction stove, it won't be so easy as the smoke from the burning oil would be trapped below the pan.

It will probably get seasoned from use anyway... I'd love for the inside of my carbon pans to be as well seasoned as the outside :)
 
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