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Best Carbon Steel Pans: What 13 People Recommend

More people fault carbon steel pans for how they handle the oven than praise them for it, the opposite of the material's reputation.

About Carbon Steel Pans.

We have not used any of these ourselves. We read 24 sources and structured what 13 people said. Of the 32 quotes below, 15 are complaints and 6 come from someone with a declared commercial interest. Every one of them links to the person who said it and the second they said it.

Based on 13 people, 24 sources and 176 recorded claims. A declared interest is labelled beside the quote rather than removed.

The answer

Cook Culture, who was given a Matfer pan, calls it a pan worth buying without hesitation. Prudent Reviews' clearest single verdict goes further afield, naming the Strata carbon steel pan the best option for a lightweight, evenly heating pan, though Strata rests on that reviewer alone and carries no verdict of its own elsewhere in this guide. No one quoted picks between Matfer and De Buyer, the two names with the most evidence behind them.

The 2 quotes behind this, from 2 people · 1 with a declared interest
23:46 supports Cook Culture Cookware Reviewer was given the product
so you know Matt fur I would give you know a big big thumbs up I think they're tremendous I love that they have non-vivided handles onto the pans the shape of them of course are ideal I really enjoy that they the handles don't have epoxy on them and they can easily just go straight into the oven they're great

recommendation about Matfer carbon steel pan Tested it DEEP DIVE! Testing the New Matfer Carbon Steel Induction Ready Pans

Cook Culture was given the product. Stated in the source: “I'm just so super clear I'm not sponsored by Matt fur they sent me these pants to try I had no responsibility to them whatsoever to give them a positive or A negative”

really happy with these map for pans I would say to me for good carbon steel that's a 10 out of 10. I would highly highly recommend them
What people said about each product discussed below, tallied from the quotes in this article. This is not our ranking. The number beside a reason is how many people cited it, not how many times it was said.
Voices counts everyone quoted about that product, and the last column counts how many of them had a declared commercial interest.
ProductCited in favourCited againstVoicesDeclared interest
Matfer carbon steel panbuild quality (1), ease of cleaning (1)safety (1)4 voices1 of 4
De Buyer carbon steel panprice (2), durability (1)oven safe (2), handle (1)4 voices1 of 4
Made In carbon steel panbuild quality (1), ease of cleaning (1)even heating (1), heat retention (1)2 voices1 of 2
Lodge carbon steel pancoating durability (1), ease of cleaning (1)ergonomics (1), surface finish (1)3 voices1 of 3
Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel frying pannone recordedbase and rim (1), price (1)1 voicenone declared

Where people disagree

  • Non-stick performance splits sharply by product: Autodidactically Yours calls a well-seasoned Matfer the ultimate egg pan, while Jed Grieve, who owns several other carbon steel pans, says a Misen sold as non-stick "is not a non-stick pan" at all.
  • Handle comfort runs close to even across the group. Prudent Reviews calls the De Buyer Mineral B Pro's handle a "comfortable stainless steel handle," while Lisa McManus, testing for America's Test Kitchen, calls Matfer's all-metal handle serviceable rather than comfortable.
  • Weight is the other even split, though only one side has a quote to show for it: Prudent Reviews says the Anolon EverLast N2 feels like a classic carbon steel pan, heavier with taller walls, and calls it a solid alternative to De Buyer and Matfer.
The 5 quotes behind this, from 4 people · 2 objecting
11:34 objects Jed speaking on Cook Culture
Your pan is not a non-stick pan. This is just a standard everyday carbon steel pan with nitrating, and that's all that it ever should have been marketed as. There is nothing about this pan that is different from anything else.

best in class about Misen non-stick carbon steel pan Tested it Investigating the Misen Nonstick Carbon Steel Pan Fraud

Cites non-stick surface (against)

2:30 mixed Lisa speaking on America's Test Kitchen Cookware Reviewer
The handle is all metal and that's a good thing. Some of them had other things on the handle. You you wanna be able to use this in the oven or on the stove top, and we like that this one has an all-metal handle. It's not super comfortable, but it's not bad. Some of the hands we tested had very awkward balance when you…

handling about Matfer carbon steel pan Tested it Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Cites ergonomics (against), handle, oven safe

Matfer carbon steel pan

Matfer carries the most one-sided praise in this guide, but also its most serious complaint: Prudent Reviews reports an ongoing recall after regional testing found "high levels of arsenic, chromium, and iron" in a highly acidic cooking test.

Cook Culture, given a Matfer pan to review, calls it tremendous and likes that its handles carry no epoxy and go straight into the oven. Autodidactically Yours calls a well-seasoned Matfer a pan good for eggs and has cooked on one for 9 months without the surface failing. Lisa McManus, testing for America's Test Kitchen, has owned hers for several years and praises rivets that stay flush against the pan. Prudent Reviews, the same reviewer who reported the recall, also calls the ruling potentially unfair, though it still points buyers toward other carbon steel pans until the matter resolves.

The 7 quotes behind this, from 4 people · 2 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
0:00 supports Autodidactically Yours Food Writer
i bought it in april it's now january so after a few mishaps there's been about six months in between this being a stripped silver pan and now being completely black

durability about Matfer carbon steel pan Owns it Black Carbon Steel Pan in JUST 6 MONTHS (3 EASY STEPS)

Cites seasoning durability

Owned 9 months

i have a new larger style mat for carbon steel pan here that i got for christmas and i've used about less than 10 times and you can already see the seasoning is developing on it
4:01 supports Lisa speaking on America's Test Kitchen Cookware Reviewer
One other factor that was important with skillets, especially ones that you're gonna be searing in and that you might be baking in or cooking in, is rivets, the way the handle is attached to the pan. A lot of them had big, lumpy rivets, and they actually acquired a lot of schmutz, basically. This is nice and smooth.…

handling about Matfer carbon steel pan Tested it Are Carbon Steel Pans Really The Best? | Gear Heads

Cites build quality, ease of cleaning

De Buyer carbon steel pan

De Buyer holds the most evidence of any pan in this guide, but its coated handle draws a real complaint: Prudent Reviews says "you can't use this pan for roasting or broiling," a limit Tom's Kitchen also reports.

Rob Davidson, who earns an affiliate commission on the brand, says these are a long-term investment and does most of his own cooking in his De Buyer pans. Prudent Reviews separately calls the De Buyer Blue a more reasonable price for the performance, and Cook Culture, comparing a newer pan against one roughly 10 years old, still reaches for a De Buyer pan by habit. Warping is the other real complaint: Prudent Reviews found a De Buyer pan "warped significantly on induction" during testing.

The 6 quotes behind this, from 4 people · 3 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
2:00 objects Tom's Kitchen Cookware Reviewer
this pan can be used for anything it's completely oven safe and Broiler safe unlike the buyer mineral B with that stupid coating on the handle

use-case fit about De Buyer carbon steel pan Owns it Why de Buyer Is A Better Carbon Steel Pan Than Matfer

Cites handle (against), oven safe (against)

the buyer does have cons and it's related to the mineral B model and the coated handle which limits its use in the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit at no more than 10 minutes or so
11:13 supports Rob speaking on Nadia and Rob earns commission on this
So, these are a long-term investment.

value about De Buyer carbon steel pan Owns it De Buyer Shootout... Which Pans to Buy? | Mineral B | Mineral B Pro | La Lyonnaise

Cites durability, price

Rob earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “and we have an affiliate link below”

by comparison to say a multi-layer stainless steel pan, those go in the, you know, hundreds of dollars for a quality stainless steel with layering in it to distribute the heat. So that I find that they're a very good value proposition.
Um, and these just are at a a lower price point. They're about 30% lower price point.
a great value. And whatever you buy in this line is going to last you your whole life, your children's lives, whatever. It's a real great investment.
is sort of that perfect balance between value and a great pan.

Made In carbon steel pan

Made In's performance appears weaker than its rivals on this evidence: Prudent Reviews says the pan "performed the worst" in its heat retention test and was "the only pan that noticeably warped" during testing.

Cook Culture, who was given a Made In pan to review, calls the partnership behind it a good one and says most owners enjoy the pan and get what they want from it. That review is also the newest evidence on this sheet: Cook Culture's own copy was a couple of weeks old at the time, so nothing on this evidence speaks to how a Made In pan performs after a full season of use.

The 5 quotes behind this, from 2 people · 2 objecting · 2 with a declared interest
7:33 supports Cook Culture Cookware Reviewer was given the product
Overwhelmingly, people really enjoy the pan and it's doing what they want it to do

performance about Made In carbon steel pan Tested it The Pan I Waited A Year For... Did Made In Meet My Sky-High Expectations?

Cites ease of cleaning, even heating, heat conduction, maintenance, non-stick surface, seasoning durability, surface finish

Cook Culture was given the product. Stated in the source: “this pan here was given to me by Maiden.”

This guy is conducting more heat. More heat's being pulled into it. So, it is a little bit of a hotter pan.
I had brought this down just cooking this on a one out of 10. So really, really gentle heat just to get a nice even fry.
Uh, but you know what it's done in such a short time I think is completely adequate.
Uh, but you know what it's done in such a short time I think is completely adequate.
So, I think it look great. Made in pan here. Little bit residue. Really nothing much. And residue, nothing on there.
It's got that that micro texture on it, which is a a purpose thing done by Maiden. They do several different finishings to the pan to give it a texture and then they season that to grab hold of that texture to make sure that it works incredibly well and that it stands up really well.
So, the seasoning that I've done from cooking has worked out great with a simple egg test.
But the heat is down on the maiden pan. But I would say that that pan is cooking a nice delicate crepe beautifully.
I am finding that using this seasoning that they've done and the the finish has worked out really really nicely. It's really even and it works beautifully. So I have no problem with how that pan has finished up. Like it's it's seasoning beautifully.
So, you know, the ease of maintenance to what they've done makes it great.

Lodge carbon steel pan

Lodge may be the roughest-surfaced pan in this guide: Prudent Reviews calls it the pan with "the roughest texture of all" tested, and Noah Bristol says his was the roughest carbon steel cookware he had ever encountered.

Prudent Reviews still says it has gone dozens of cooks without needing to be re-seasoned, and one reviewer with no disclosed interest reports the coating "stands up very very very well." Neither recommender on this evidence discloses an interest in the brand.

The 4 quotes behind this, from 2 people · 2 objecting · 1 with a declared interest
19:21 supports speaking on Cook Culture earns commission on this
I'm 100 convinced that this pan would perform over time I know the lodge coating it stands up very very very well and you can build a really good coating on it

durability about Lodge carbon steel pan Tested it Lodge Carbon Steel VS Matfer & OXO - In depth review

Cites coating durability, ease of cleaning

The speaker earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “I promote it and I definitely will keep it in our stock”

okay so a quick clean up there of that Lodge pan and it's in great shape so I would do a quick post seasoning of this uh and then ready to go the next time

Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel frying pan

Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel frying pan has only one voice on this evidence, KeithTube, and none of it is positive: KeithTube reports a wobbly base and warns "don't buy this frying pan unless you have a gas stovetop."

The same reviewer also says the pan hasn't been worth it. We do not know whether that experience is typical, since this is the only account of this specific pan on this evidence.

The 3 quotes behind this, from 1 person · 3 objecting
0:33 objects KeithTube
Look how much I can move this handle up and down. That's a pretty good amount of wobble. Just compare it to this stainless steel pan. It doesn't budge. There's no movement at all. This pan it's it as it's warming up, it's getting more and more wobbly.

handling about Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel frying pan Tested it Matfer Bourgeat Carbon Steel Pan Review UPDATE #2 (NOT HAPPY!)

Cites base and rim (against)

4:01 objects KeithTube
I was going to complain about it afterwards and how I don't like the pan and how it hasn't been worth it so far.

value about Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel frying pan Tested it Matfer Bourgeat Carbon Steel Pan Review UPDATE #2 (NOT HAPPY!)

Cites price (against)

This is the most expensive pan I've ever had in my life. And I've done technique after technique after technique that I found on the internet, and nothing works.
I've got a $55 frying pan that my mama gave me for Christmas that is useless. I would have rather had something else that cost $55.

How long each one lasts

Autodidactically Yours put a Matfer pan at about 9 months old in 2021, timing it themselves, while Lisa McManus, testing for America's Test Kitchen, said in 2023 only that she has owned hers for several years. Cook Culture timed two pans directly: a comparison De Buyer pan at roughly 10 years old and a Made In pan a couple of weeks old, both in 2025. Rob Davidson, in 2023, called his De Buyer pans ones he expects to pass to his children, and Jed Grieve, in 2025, said a well-seasoned Misen could work great and go on forever, a claim made about the pan's quality rather than for its longevity. Three of these six figures carry a number, and three carry only a word like generations or forever.

The 6 quotes behind this, from 5 people · 1 objecting · 2 with a declared interest
11:13 supports Rob speaking on Nadia and Rob earns commission on this
These pans are forever pans. These will last your the rest of your life, your children's and your grandchildren's because I can testify to that since I own my grandmother's crepe pan.

durability about De Buyer carbon steel pan Owns it De Buyer Shootout... Which Pans to Buy? | Mineral B | Mineral B Pro | La Lyonnaise

Cites durability, scratch resistance

Rob earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “and we have an affiliate link below”

one of the things that I love about these pans is, I mean, these are steel. These are just a solid hunk of steel. This is what we used to make armor out of. So, you know, you can't destroy them. You don't have to use special soft implements. You can use steel um spatulas. Doesn't really matter cuz these will take…

What happens over time

Autodidactically Yours and Cook Culture are the two voices timing their own pans rather than repeating what carbon steel is said to do as a material. Autodidactically Yours watched a Matfer pan darken from stripped silver to fully black across about 9 months in 2021. Cook Culture's decade figure for a De Buyer pan and one-month figure for a Made In pan both come from the same basis, an owner's own time with the object, in 2025. Between the three, the span runs from a few weeks to roughly 10 years, and nothing on this evidence times a pan for longer.

The 3 quotes behind this, from 2 people · 1 with a declared interest

Also named, on thinner evidence

Four more products are named on this evidence with too little behind them for a verdict of their own: the Anolon EverLast N2, the Misen non-stick carbon steel pan, the Smithey Farmhouse carbon steel skillet, and the Strata carbon steel pan. Each rests on a single recommender, so this evidence cannot say whether that one account is typical of the product or just of the person who gave it. Naming them is not a verdict; it is a record of what this evidence is too thin to judge.

Who wants what

Cookware reviewers supply most of the testing on this evidence: Prudent Reviews, Cook Culture and Lisa McManus among them account for the bulk of the claims in scope. The two accounts of long-term ownership, Autodidactically Yours and Cook Culture's decade-old De Buyer comparison, come from a food writer and a retailer rather than a professional kitchen. Beginners, professional cooks and cooking YouTube each appear only once in this evidence, too thin to say what, if anything, sets their preferences apart from the reviewers'.

What the evidence suggests

  • Choose Matfer if a forgiving seasoning surface matters most and you have weighed the recall: Autodidactically Yours and Cook Culture both describe a pan that seasons well, though Prudent Reviews reports the ongoing arsenic and chromium recall.
  • Choose De Buyer if you want the deepest evidence behind your pick: it carries more claims and a longer ownership record, from Cook Culture and Rob Davidson, than anything else in this guide, and Rob Davidson earns an affiliate commission on the brand.
  • Choose neither Made In nor Matfer Bourgeat on durability alone if you want more than one account: Made In's only voice, Cook Culture, reviewed a pan it was given, and Matfer Bourgeat's only voice, KeithTube, reports a wobbly base.
  • Choose Lodge if you want a pan already proven not to need frequent re-seasoning: Prudent Reviews reports going dozens of cooks without reseasoning one.
The 7 quotes behind this, from 4 people · 2 objecting · 1 with a declared interest

What the evidence doesn’t tell us

Prudent Reviews alone holds 44 of the 176 claims in scope, a quarter of everything said about any of these pans. None of the 13 people quoted has owned a pan longer than the 10-year De Buyer comparison, and 6 products carry no ownership duration at all. Nobody quoted about the Anolon EverLast N2, the Misen, the Smithey Farmhouse or the Strata speaks as an owner, a professional user or someone who stopped using one, only as a tester. Five products rest on a single recommender. Matfer's recall complaint and Made In's warp complaint each come from the same one reviewer, Prudent Reviews, so neither has a second voice to confirm or contest it.

Who says so

Authority here is scoped to the subject, never to how large someone’s audience is. Where we hold no domain expertise for a person, the page says so rather than implying one.

Prudent Reviews

quoted on 12 points 7 against

Cookware Reviewer, Gear Review YouTube, Home Cooks

Domain expertise: cast iron skillets (1.00), carbon steel pans (1.00), stainless steel cookware (1.00), dutch ovens (1.00)

Our mission at Prudent Reviews is to help you find the best products for your home. We take the stress out of shopping by testing, analyzing, and comparing the top products. Our reviews, comparisons, and product guides are in-depth, carefully researched, and completely unbiased. Since launching, we've helped millions of people across the globe find the best products and improve their lives at home. If you have questions or want to partner with Prudent Reviews, email Andrew@PrudentReviews.com. As an Amazon Associate Prudent Reviews earns from qualifying purchases.

Cook Culture

quoted on 5 points 3 with a declared interest

Cookware Reviewer

Domain expertise: cookware (0.75), carbon steel pans (0.50), cast iron skillets (0.50)

We are a small kitchenwares business based in Vancouver Island, Canada. We specialize in lifetime cookware and tools, We believe that the one thing that everyone can make in the kitchen is a better life.

KeithTube

quoted on 3 points 3 against

No domain expertise derived for this person yet.

I am an actor, comedian, musician, writer and producer. I have multiple projects in various stages of development at all times and this is my catch all YouTube channel where I do anything that interests me. That has mostly ended up being food reviews so that is the majority of my content. I try to upload every week and will be increasing that in the near future. Come with me on my journey to see where this thing goes!

Lisa McManus

quoted on 3 points 1 against

Cookware Reviewer, Home Cooks, Professional Kitchens

Domain expertise: stainless steel cookware (0.50), skillets (0.50)

Executive editor for ATK Reviews and co-host of America's Test Kitchen's Gear Heads series on YouTube.

Autodidactically Yours

quoted on 2 points

Food Writer

Domain expertise: carbon steel pans (0.50)

I'm curious. Whenever I encounter something, I like to know what it is and how it works. It doesn't matter if it is a machine, culinary process, social organization, or work of art. I'm fascinated by just about everything. Once I understand something, I like to share my excitement about it with others. I've gotten pretty good at that by working as an educator for ten years. I recently moved away from that profession, so this channel is my new outlet where I will share my adventures on becoming an amateur expert in cooking, technology, and other topics. This channel is operated by Jake Nabasny, PhD. You can find my free cookbook and other texts at my personal website: https://jake.nabasny.com/

Jed Grieve

quoted on 2 points 2 against

Domain expertise: stainless steel cookware (0.50), cast iron skillets (0.50)

Founder of Cook Culture, a Canadian cookware retailer, with over 30 years of kitchenware sales experience.

Rob Davidson

quoted on 2 points 2 with a declared interest

No domain expertise derived for this person yet.

Co-creator of the Nadia and Rob YouTube channel, where he reviews cookware alongside Nadia Cheema.

Noah Bristol

quoted on 1 point 1 against

No domain expertise derived for this person yet.

Tom's Kitchen

quoted on 1 point 1 against

Cookware Reviewer

No domain expertise derived for this person yet.

Hi, my name is Tom. This channel is all about cooking, grilling, gear review, and inspiring you to create delicious meals. I grew up in the LA restaurant scene and learned all aspects of the restaurant business from some of the best to do it. I'll share my knowledge with you. You’ll find a lot of how to’s, how-comes, and nerdy science driven explanations. I studied engineering and it’s become a really useful trade. I see the world as an engineer. When I’m not making videos, I’m engineering stuff, building my business, and being a dad and husband. I really hope you enjoy the content and find it informative. Don't forget to subscribe! #TeamFOGO

What this piece cites evidence about

Every product, brand and category named in a claim behind this article, not only the ones with a section of their own above. Where we hold a full page for one, it is linked; the rest are named as text because the evidence has not cleared that bar yet.

Products

Sources

Short quotes and deep links only. We publish no transcripts, and every quote above opens the original at the second it was spoken.

How this page was made

The prose above was written by a model from a fact sheet assembled out of the evidence, then checked line by line: every quote verbatim against the evidence table, every name against a claim, every number against the sheet. Prose that fails is not published. It is derived data, not testimony. The testimony is the quotes.

Verified 2026-09-23

How we handle commercial relationships

When someone quoted here was paid, sponsored, sent the product free or works for the brand, the quote says so and, where they said it themselves, gives their own words about it. We keep those quotes rather than dropping them: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.