What Helen Rennie recommends: 41 claims, 2 sources

4:31 supports Helen Rennie earns commission on this

I love this pen with time it became really nonstick and it makes a fabulous omelette

Two judgements rest on this sentence:

performance about Matfer carbon steel pan Owns it cites even heating, non-stick surface
use-case fit about Matfer carbon steel pan Owns it cites non-stick surface

Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Helen Rennie earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “My Matfer Carbon Steel Skillet: https://amzn.to/3Wa1BFj (affiliate link)” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

7:32 objects Helen Rennie

here are some steaks that I cooked in it after about two months of use to be fair the pan was only two months old but it has been through several rounds of seasoning and regular cooking and yet it was still sticking

durability about Made In carbon steel pan Tested it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites acid resistance (against), seasoning durability (against)

Owned 2 months

I can see some of the seasoning on the maiden pan dissolving let's wash it and inspect the damage well that's not good

6:32 objects Helen Rennie

well I was wrong even after a year of use this band is not working for me

performance about Made In carbon steel pan Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites even heating (against), maintenance (against), non-stick surface (against), seasoning durability (against)

here's some smashed Burgers see how unevenly they are Browning yes I tried to heat up the panel longer to get it to even out but even without the oil some parts of the pan got hot so quickly that they started to smoke this uneven Browning is easy to explain the pan is just too thin

but what I can't easily explain is how sticky the span is and how badly it holds seasoning

I don't know how to explain it but here is my guess after I wash the pan I dry it and set it over the burner to dry completely then I rub it with a tiny bit of oil and wait for it to harden over moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes I have a feeling that some parts of the pan get overheated by the time all the oil pollen…

5:32 supports Helen Rennie

but there are a few dishes that do come out exceptionally well in them roasted root veggies particularly thinly sliced potatoes are simply heavenly

use-case fit about Cast Iron Skillets Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites handle, shape and form, surface finish

if you need the pan for cornbread and biscuits I'd go for cast iron since those dishes need straight sides

5:02 objects Helen Rennie

Dear Mason, I would seriously reconsider your oil advice. One of the main reasons people get carbon steel skillets is egg dishes, and if you tell people to cook the eggs in oil, you'll have lots of unhappy customers.

recommendation about Mason Tested it Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites non-stick surface (against)

5:02 supports Helen Rennie

I washed out the skillet with salt and oil. Did another couple of minutes of seasoning. Cooled the skillet. And tried again with butter. Which went a lot better.

performance about Strata skillet Owns it Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites browning visibility, non-stick surface

I tried another round of eggs in butter, and they were almost nonstick. For an extra challenge, I broke the yolks and moved them around the skillet. No problem.

My omelet is particularly difficult because it has a lot of milk. Let's see if we can start layering. Yes, I see some browning. So far, so good. Let's put it under the broiler to finish. And finally, the moment of truth. Can we slide it out of the skillet? Yes, we can. Just one tiny spot in the center stuck a little.…

4:32 objects Helen Rennie

Normally, I cook my eggs in butter, but since this was my first time, I wanted to make sure to follow all the carbon steel rules. Well, that was a total disaster. My eggs stuck terribly.

performance about Strata skillet Owns it Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites non-stick surface (against)

1:30 supports Helen Rennie

I filled my skillet with equal parts water and white vinegar, covered the skillet, and brought it to a simmer. There's no need to fill the skillet to the top. The vinegar vapor will take care of the sides. I brought it to a boil, reduced the heat to a gentle simmer, and cooked it for 10 minutes. When I started to see…

repairability about Strata skillet Owns it Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites ease of cleaning

0:00 objects Helen Rennie

But it's little brother turned out to be a terrible troublemaker. I seasoned and re-seasoned. I never let acidity touch it, even in the smallest amounts. I got so paranoid that I didn't let anyone in my family wash it, except for me. And yet, it was losing seasoning and sticking.

durability about Strata skillet Owns it Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites non-stick surface (against), seasoning durability (against)

11:04 supports Helen Rennie

here's how I would make a decision between cast iron and carbon steel if you want a pan for burgers eggs potatoes fish and whatever else you want to Brown without sticking I'd go for carbon steel because of its smooth bottom and the comfortable long handle

recommendation about Carbon Steel Pans Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites handle, shape and form, surface finish

10:04 objects Helen Rennie

another thing I bought from Maiden was this seasoning wax all the upscale carbon steel and cast iron companies seem to make something like this and I kept wondering if I was missing out by simply using canola oil is it worth 25 dollars absolutely not it doesn't work any better than oil its solid state makes it easy to…

value about Made In Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites price (against)

5:32 supports Helen Rennie

here is what attracted me to it it has a stainless steel handle which is supposed to stay cool and reduce the weight of the pan for a 12 inch carbon steel pan it's pretty light sure it's not as light as a 12 inch stainless steel pan but for its category it is one of the lightest pans out there

handling about Made In carbon steel pan Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites handle, weight

5:01 objects Helen Rennie earns commission on this

I also find not using any acidity really annoying say I roasted some veggies I need to get them out of the pan before giving them a squirt of lemon juice or a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and that's just not the same thing I want that lemon juice to sizzle and reduce lightly if I get the mat with the pan first the…

performance about Matfer carbon steel pan Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites acid resistance (against), shape and form (against)

Helen Rennie earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “My Matfer Carbon Steel Skillet: https://amzn.to/3Wa1BFj (affiliate link)” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

as far as the size goes go slightly bigger than you think you need because the sides on the mat for Skillets are very sloped this means that you get slightly less cooking area than you would in a similar sized pan that's stainless or Teflon

the sizes of the pens listed in their description are lip to lip that's not just for carbon steel that's for all cookware the slip to lip measurement doesn't tell you much about the size of the actual cooking surface for example this nine and a half inch mat for carbon steel pen has a six and a quarter inch cooking…

3:30 objects Helen Rennie

I tried to buy a very expensive cast iron pan made by field and it's not much better instead of little bumps the bottom is covered with very thin lines like a vinyl record it might be impossible for my camera to show you that but it's not smooth

Two judgements rest on this sentence:

performance about Field cast iron skillet Owns it cites surface finish (against)
value about Field cast iron skillet Owns it cites price (against)

Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

1:30 supports Helen Rennie

aluminum is a great conductor it heats up quickly cools off quickly and moves the heat from the heat source to the other parts of the pen quickly that's why aluminum pans cook very evenly

performance about aluminum Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites even heating, heat conduction, heating speed

1:00 supports Helen Rennie

the strength of this material is that it can be seasoned to become almost non-stick not quite Teflon but close

performance about Carbon Steel Pans Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites even heating, non-stick surface, surface finish

to deal with this problem of uneven heating most cast iron and carbon steel pans are very thick and heavy this helps them cook more evenly but also makes them very slow to adjustments in heat

if you were lucky enough to inherit and then kick cast iron pan its bottom might be completely smooth

luckily carbon steel pants come completely smooth which helps them take on the seasoning rather easily

0:00 supports Helen Rennie

My first Strata skillet is one of my favorite pans.

recommendation about Strata skillet Owns it Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

14:05 supports Helen Rennie earns commission on this

both Scott and Cooks like Matt for a lot

mention about Matfer Passing on someone else's experience Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites reputation

Helen Rennie earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “My Matfer Carbon Steel Skillet: https://amzn.to/3Wa1BFj (affiliate link)” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

12:04 supports Helen Rennie earns commission on this

Mad fur would be heavier and the handle wouldn't stay nearly as cool but it would probably stick less brown more evenly and it's also cheaper

value about Matfer carbon steel pan Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites price

Helen Rennie earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “My Matfer Carbon Steel Skillet: https://amzn.to/3Wa1BFj (affiliate link)” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

11:34 supports Helen Rennie earns commission on this

but if I have to buy another carbon steel pan it will likely be mad for

recommendation about Matfer carbon steel pan Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Helen Rennie earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “My Matfer Carbon Steel Skillet: https://amzn.to/3Wa1BFj (affiliate link)” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

11:34 supports Helen Rennie

I know that she receives and Cooks Illustrated like to wax poetic about carbon steel hands and how much professional chefs love them but I don't know how much testing they do on Flat Top burners

mention about Carbon Steel Pans Passing on someone else's experience Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites reputation

9:33 objects Helen Rennie

I wish I watched Scott's video before I shelled out a hundred bucks on this pen but live and learn

value about Made In carbon steel pan Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

9:33 objects Helen Rennie

after a bit of Googling I found out that my experience with Maiden carbon steel pan is not unique

reliability about Made In carbon steel pan Passing on someone else's experience Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites non-stick surface (against)

5:01 objects Helen Rennie

I would gladly give up on cast iron and carbon steel all together

use-case fit about Cast Iron Skillets Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

so what does this leave me with carbon steel pans I can totally live without them

4:31 objects Helen Rennie earns commission on this

the reason I don't use it for my Chelsea's because it's so small and heavy

handling about Matfer carbon steel pan Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites handle (against), size and capacity (against), weight (against)

Helen Rennie earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “My Matfer Carbon Steel Skillet: https://amzn.to/3Wa1BFj (affiliate link)” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

2:30 supports Helen Rennie

carbon steel pan candle that is welded to the pan or it can be made from a different material which allows it to be longer and stay cooler ideally it could also allow the pan to be lighter

handling about Carbon Steel Pans Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites handle, weight

unfortunately most carbon steel pens don't have handles that are light or cool or comfortable but at least they are longer than cast iron which makes it easier to maneuver the pan and to put a protective sleeve on the handle

2:30 objects Helen Rennie

with cast iron the handle and the pan are made of the same piece of metal cast iron handles a generally short and get very hot

handling about Cast Iron Skillets Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites handle (against)

1:00 objects Helen Rennie

the weakness is that it Heats less evenly than aluminum

performance about Carbon Steel Pans Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites even heating (against), heat conduction (against), heat control (against), non-stick surface (against)

iron is not nearly as good of a conductor as aluminum that's why it's prone to hot spots

I find that this bumpiness makes it hard to achieve a truly non-stick surface and slows down the seasoning process

4:32 notes Helen Rennie

I remembered reading on Mason's website that they recommend using high smoke point oil for carbon steel cookware instead of extra virgin olive oil or butter.

recommendation about Mason Passing on someone else's experience Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

3:01 notes Helen Rennie

Another thing that surprised me was that the skillet looked completely dry. I mean, we want the oil coat to be very thin, but I've never had it feel this dry before. So, I oiled it one more time. This time with a slightly oilier towel, and then wiped everything out as much as I could. I put the skillet upside down…

durability about Strata skillet Owns it Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites seasoning durability

I continued to bake the skillet for an hour, and then repeated the is a seasoning process. I oiled the skillet, wiped out all the oil, and baked for another hour. During the whole seasoning process, the skillet seemed thirsty, like it was absorbing the oil, which was new to me. Normally, the oil stays on the surface,…

1:00 supports Helen Rennie

Isn't acid the enemy of seasoning? It is. It's the enemy of existing seasoning, but it's your friend when it comes to priming the metal underneath the seasoning. The acid in vinegar corrodes the metal, creating microscopic bumps that can then trap the oil during seasoning.

durability about Carbon Steel Pans Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites rust resistance, seasoning durability

Rust is a bad thing long term, but on a naked skillet, a little rust is actually a good thing. It helps the seasoning adhere.

1:00 objects Helen Rennie

So, I started researching why carbon steel might not hold the seasoning and came across an interesting idea. It might be too smooth.

durability about Carbon Steel Pans Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites rust resistance (against), seasoning durability (against), surface finish (against)

9:03 supports Helen Rennie earns commission on this

now let's try mad for okay let's wash it and inspect the damage it seems fine still black and smooth to be fair mad for pen is older but I barely use it

durability about Matfer carbon steel pan Tested it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites acid resistance

Helen Rennie earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “My Matfer Carbon Steel Skillet: https://amzn.to/3Wa1BFj (affiliate link)” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

2:31 supports Helen Rennie

My best guess is that months of cooking in the pan have oxidized it, and the top layer has turned into carbon oxide. People do this on purpose. It's a process called blueing, and in my case, it might have been a side effect of using the skillet for several months. If this was a new skillet, I'm guessing I'd be seeing…

durability about Strata skillet Owns it Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites rust resistance

8:03 supports Helen Rennie

re-seasoning in the oven might solve this problem but I can't run the oven for an hour every time I use this Pan the slight re-seasoning on the stovetop is very typical although the pan did get a bit more nonstick with them the seasoning is still very finicky

performance about Made In carbon steel pan Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites non-stick surface

6:32 supports Helen Rennie

this company had so many celebrity chefs endorsing their cookware that I thought it was worth a shot

mention about Made In Passing on someone else's experience Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Cites reputation

4:31 notes Helen Rennie earns commission on this

this is my first ever carbon steel pen from matte fur that I've had for about five years

ownership about Matfer carbon steel pan Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Helen Rennie earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “My Matfer Carbon Steel Skillet: https://amzn.to/3Wa1BFj (affiliate link)” Kept and labelled rather than dropped: a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Owned 5 years

0:00 notes Helen Rennie

I've owned it for about a year

ownership about Made In carbon steel pan Owns it Carbon Steel Pans (In-depth Guide and Made In vs Matfer)

Owned 12 months

0:30 notes Helen Rennie

I contacted Strata about my problem and they told me the usual, "Just keep cooking. Carbon steel is like that. It seasoning can wax and wane. It will eventually outgrow the ugly caterpillar stage and emerge as a beautifully seasoned butterfly."

durability about Carbon Steel Pans Passing on someone else's experience Fix Carbon Steel Seasoning with Vinegar

Cites seasoning durability

Helen Rennie

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