Watch this before you buy cast iron or carbon steel cookware!
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2023
- I didn't realize how misleading some product reviews can be when they're written by people who have no idea of what they are talking about. Iron cookware has a learning curve, no doubt, but it's important to know how to spot a bad product review vs a misleading one.
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I have found that having a stainless steel skillet as well for those tomato and wine based sauces is probably smart. Do not boil water or make soup in your well seasoned cast iron (unless enameled) or you will ruin the seasoning. I know that there is almost an engineering degree worth of methods to season, but years ago a Chinese grandma told me to season a wok (I.e. carbon steel) just heat the pan on high and stir fry green onions until they are dark brown. Throw out. Do it again. And then the pan is ready. And it is…not perfectly seasoned…but daily use will do the rest.
Thanks for educating the public on the use of these forever pans.😊
Christine Cushing shared this technique on one her videos on how to help make stainless steel non-stick. Except she just used the green onion tops, I have been doing this ever since and it works on CS too.
I accidentally stumbled on a good method while restoring an abused thrift store cast iron pan. I had oven seasoned it one time when I decided to use it to brown hot peppers in prep for a hot sauce. That 20 minutes with a pan full of jalapeños in avocado oil did an amazing job.
My favorite Amazon reviews of cast iron are the ones who buy a 15” Lodge skillet and then rate it one star because it’s so heavy. 🤣🤣🤦♂️
I love this video, sometimes I get a real kick out of reading reviews.
Those comments are obviously from people that don’t know much about carbon steel cookware in general and particularly about properly seasoning AND MAINTAINING (just as important) carbon steel cookware. Some of the best videos on social media about seasoning and maintaining carbon steel and cast iron cookware are right here on this page. Carbon steel and cast iron is not for most casual cooks because they won’t put in the effort to season and maintain them. I actually enjoy the process and taking care of carbon steel and cast iron pleases me as much as cooking a great meal ❤! When that egg slides around or that cornbread bread falls right out of the pan with zero sticking I am so proud 🤣😂!
I'd love to buy a rusted carbon steel pan on the cheap. I'm not into unwarping one, but rust is an easy enough fix.
Those comments were very entertaining. I've had my Mineral B pan for a few years now and never had it rust. But I learned the proper way to season it. That was key for me, using your channel and a few others on UA-cam on how to season and how to cook on carbon steel. I love stainless steel, too, but my one regret was buying All-Clad stainless steel pans. The handles are terrible. I should of saved and bought Demeyere instead.
Wow! What a fun video you make Jed! My story: I was looking for a replacement carbon still pan to make crepes and I sent you several comments to make a video to convince me I should get rid non-stick one I used for several years. Finally, you made one video and I came to your Vancouver ex-store, and with your customer service guys' help, I got one de Buyer Mineral B. It takes about a few days on and off to properly seal it and after I tried to make my first crepe and OMG, from the first crepe, which was super easy flipped from my pan, I totally forgot about non-stick even existed in my house. Later on, I didn't make crepes for a while and recently I pulled out my fav. pan I saw it's not as smooth as it was when I cooked. It's just resting and waiting for a new round of cooking and I don't care how good or bad it looks, I know before I use it, I will season it again and it will be brand new. I really want to get more de Buyer's pans, but I have enough of other stainless steel pans I think made in North America and they work great. But watching your many many videos, I learned how to take care of all cast iron and stainless steel and I really enjoy using all of them, because they all work great if I take care of them properly. Yes, it's a bit of a learning process, but you have to get ready. At the end of my story, I would like to thank you very much for your very detailed videos helping customers to know what to buy and how to take care of our kitchen goodies.
This is very good advice Jed! Hopefully many new carbon steel buyers will see this video!
There are exceptions, but generally I think the less you pay for a hand tool, the more you have to treat it as a kit... be that softening edges on pressings or getting physical with surfaces you want to be slick.
And _then_ find out how to properly prep and maintain.
My cast iron is indian, my carbon steel oriental. Never had trouble with any, even when first starting out too many decades ago.
Example, got a new tawa (chapati pan) couple of months back - straight in with coarse wet'n'dry sandpaper to cut right through the preseasoning and knock down the casting sand stipling, then bring up to temp, wipe on and rub out flax oil, keep at temp for a while then repeat until the wipe-off-rag comes up clean. Slick as an ice rink. No cooking lube required, no residual iron taste.
Just like sharpening. Try it, if unsuccessful, redo it - each time you'll get better (if you think about what might have gone wrong instead of just going through the motions)
I've often thought it a pity amazon don't have a "Wetware Error" feedback flag next to the "Was this review helpful" feedback flag.
Another favourite review type is people buying chinese cleavers/chef knives with thin blades and leave bad reviews after they have destroyed the knife edge by trying to use it to hack through bones which the knife is't supposed to be able to do in the first place.
Thanks Jed, I have several Field.. no mistakes here.😊
I’m new to carbon steel. I bought 2 DARTO pans and made the mistake of seasoning them with a high smoke point cooking oil blend called “SunCoco”. I did the oven method at 450F and the oil separated and made the pans look horrible. Doesn’t seem to affect cooking since they are very non-stick, but the uneven staining is breaking my heart. Beautiful cookware but I fear I’ve forever ruined their look. What should I do?
This was a very good video and is 100% spot on. People just don't get it. Cooking in general, is not taught these days. Food comes out of a box and that's it. I'm in my 50's and even my mother who was an ok cook could not use a cast iron skillet because her mother had no idea how to season one. I used to hate doing the dishes as a kid because everything was burnt on the pans. Hi on the range is not your friend. Fast forward 50 years and I can't remember the last time I had anything burnt on the bottom of a pan. My iron is well seasoned and life is good. Folks just need to slow down and watch a video on seasoning a pan. There are hundreds of them.
Same here. In my 60's and washed burnt super stuck-on food in my childhood. Cooking for myself, I rarely have stuck food, and nothing a 15 minute hot water soak doesn't easily take care of. However I do have to disagree about the seasoning videos. I've found the vast majority of UA-cam videos on seasoning won't get you a good nonstick seasoning and will have you do things that are a complete waste of time. One popular UA-camr in particular, no names but it's similar to Superman's alter ego. Anyway, this guy posted a video with the "secret" to seasoning cast iron was to - not use paper towels. Still makes me laugh today. Especially since I always use paper towels and my pans are very non-stick. Not teflon non-stick but pretty close.
Does Chinese made iron or cast iron pans coating contains heavy metals?
One plus regarding these poor reviews on AMZ is these dissatisfied folks returning their pans is they become available at a deep discount thru their used "Second Life" program. That's how I purchased my Matfer skillets.
Another good video. I have 2 questions. Can I use the same beeswax that I use on my carbon steel and cast iron pans, on my stainless steel pans, in other words will it work the same and build up a seasoning coating? Also, a friend uses a ceramic pan. Are they safer than Teflon pans or just as bad?
Howdy, this is the method I use for stainless to make them non-stick: ua-cam.com/video/3K25wQknokM/v-deo.html. And Ceramic are not the same chemical as Teflon but they are made with chemical, with chemical adhesives, that wear out very quickly. Unfortunately they do not have to disclose what is in the materials so impossible to tell if they are good or bad.
Re: Made in China: I have heard this same statement ("avoid steelware made in China") from various sources, but never with any specifics. Could you please explain why so we better understand the reasoning for avoiding cookware made in China? Thank you!
Unreliable source of recycled materials. If lead is in the pan, there isn't a mechanism for testing each pan that is imported. Buying from a trusted brand like OXO is a better choice, but a lot of Asian cookware is no brand low quality.
I think the key takeaway here is that seasoning to get a *non-stick* surface is a PROCESS. I recently bought a de Buyer 11” Pro, my 3rd carbon steel pan after a Mauviel crêpe pan and a de Buyer Mineral B 9” skillet. Seasoning the Pro was actually a struggle, I’m sure because I varied my seasoning technique and process. I’ve concluded that, at least for the oils I used, stovetop method AND getting to the smoke point was the best method, though I did start with seasoning in the oven.
I bought the Pro to get a large cooking surface and now that it is near or at a perfect surface, I’m very happy with it.
Good on you! Each process can be a bit different.
Should, or should I not season the outside and bottom of my cast iron? I always have, but now I'm wondering what the right thing to do is.
Not all then time, just when it looks like it needs it.
I ordered the Oxo after watching your review. I wanted one that is lighter weight. Should I send it back when it arrives since it is made in China. Would you recommend another brand that is a little lighter weight please.
Howdy, no, no. I like my OXO just fine. I don't like it as much as my French made pans but they are much heavier. You will enjoy the OXO pan. My point is that if you are looking for the absolute best, then stay to US or European.
I would consider a pan from Vollrath if you want a lighter weight pan. They are made in America I believe. Their carbon steel is thinner than Matfer and deBuyer. Might have to be careful with your temperature on thinner carbon steel pans but they look like decent pans. They are used in food service companies.
Thank you both. I feel much better about my purchase of the Oxo. Do I give it a scrub to remove the wax? I ordered the mini chain scrubber and your seasoning stuff. Do I use these on the Oxo?
Enjoyed the video!
Thanks, Scott!
Jed, I finally got a Stargazer b/c of you. That and my recent purchases of Japanese “River Light” (thick version per your general recommendation) carbon steel pans makes me a very happy cook. They’re worthwhile upgrades from Lodge, which served me well for years. Still tempted to get a Matfer or De Buyer, but the price…. Note to others: River Light might not be worth it when you’re outside of Japan. Depending on the markup, the French pans might not cost much more.
Thanks! Sounds like you're making a great collection!!
I followed your seasoning video on how the process will take 5 days in order for each seasoning to harden and I now have a de Buyer pan that is non stick and my fried egg slides around easily. All these commenters are not doing the process correctly. I wish I could find some of these $100 pans they say they threw in the garbage!
Haha. Yes, very little investment for a massive return. Good on you!
What video is it?
I could not stop laughing about magic eraser on a carbon steel pan. Too funny!
I see this all the time. IKEA's website is a sh*tshow... Their stainless steel pan may not be a Demeyere, but, if used properly, it's OK. It's a 3-ply, no frills affaire. I'd say that 7 out 10 reviews say "This is complete garbage" or "Everything sticks".
To be fair, a lot of companies (even high-end ones) have some pretty vague instructions on seasoning. Some are even bordering on wrong. Only today I was looking for a wok, and checked out Dexam's/School of Wok's UA-cam channel. They keep confusing "pre-burned" and "pre-seasoned". Not even explaining what these terms mean or what's the difference. And in the comment section their customers are fuming - without ONE reply from the company itself.
I think it also comes down to the fact that most people can't be bothered to learn things. I don't know... In a time when brand is more important than quality, what can you expect?
It's not just cast iron cookware that gets the 'I'm an idiot' reviews. I recently bought a Bunn Speed Brew coffee maker, which is different from other drip coffee makers. You actually have to read the instructions to make it work correctly, and of course there's the one star reviews from people who very obviously did not read the instructions because 'It doesn't work. I pour the water in and turn it on and nothing happens. What a piece of junk!' Of course, once you read the instructions, it's a terrific coffee maker, well worth the price. I only wish I had bought one years ago.
What I found odd is these people who give perfectly good cookware a one star review think when they look at the review just before and after theirs getting four and five stars. Maybe they don't bother to read other reviews. I love using my carbon steel pans. I found that you have to be patient with seasoning. Some people think that one round of seasoning is all you need and you're good to go. Nope. You have to maintain the seasoning process for a good while, depending how much you use it.
My carbon don't stick, and I learned it from you..............
Mineral B? = awesome pans.
Asian make excellent woks! That’s their carbon steel cooking star!
True, but any specific, reputable brands to recommend? That’s a tough part for westerners to figure out because it’s difficult to find good, credible info online when researching in English. I would love to know which brands are good and which to avoid.
@@peterl.104 I bought one pre-burnt (not really pre-seasoned on Amazon, Hand-hammered, Flavemotion. Is it perfect? No. The flat bottom part doesn’t seem to stay perfectly even. But it works perfectly well on my induction stove, it doesn’t rock or spin - I can’t wish for more. It even comes with a ring so you can put it on the table with it.
It amazes me just how ignorant people can be . Too heavy , well yah it's iron. It rusted , yep you have to use oil . I bought my first carbon pan 6 months ago now I have 5. Not one pan has rusted and they are all non-stick and perfectly seasoned.
👍
I love idiots like this they just donate them and the thrift stores have them for real because of the rust and have no idea what they have 😂 got a $6 Griswold because of them and a $5 lodge.
Cookware & knive reviews are made by ppl dont understand bare basics about subject. Knives are worst for sure ,cs & ci pans next. Funniest is when ppl try find lightest weight cookware ,& then wonder why everything burn as they buy like 1.5mm thick cs ,stainless pans🫠
Knive front when dull zwilling is parametre of ”quality” is ridicilous.
After i started hand made japanese artisan knives ,i realize i never used ”good” knive before & know nothing. After 10yr hobby i still blown away everytime i use them.
Everyone who want get into it buy 1 tojiro dp ,king kds 1000/6000 wheatstone and learn basics & sharpening. Then u know more what u rlly want.
Same goes to cookware.
Cookware wise this channel is one of only very good source of knowledge.
Shame i live in eu; post & taxes are too much. If not i would support u ,for sure!
Japan have some super quality cookware👌 yamada wok is one of my favs ,rolls royce of woks!
Nice! Thanks!!
Your flawed testing methodologies -- for example testing three carbon steel pans of different thicknesses at the rigidly exact same flame level -- are part of the same problem you're decrying here. Projection is not a good look; you might want to try another.
I remember that video. Agreed.
Howdy, I don't ever claim to have scientific testing methodologies. When I test pans against others I like to keep the temperatures constant. This way I can see how the pans react while having one consistent variable. To me, that's logical.
@@Cook-Culture Hey Jed! Firstly… Can't say how much I appreciate your work to show people an alternative to teflon cookware that is potentially poisonous, environmentally irresponsible, and wastefully doomed to occupy a landfill.
I think the original commenter meant to offer constructive criticism. If I were using a new pan and food was overcooking, I'd turn the heat down. Perhaps the review should have been done on that pan alone rather than a head to head cooking comparison. And just point out the construction and fit and finish differences.
Other than that, please keep up the great work! Many Kudos!
@@Cook-Culture You think you're controlling for a variable by keeping the flame level the same but in doing so you're creating an even bigger variable -- not cooking the food properly. Like I tried to tell you repeatedly, you're not cooking the pan, you're cooking the food in the pan.
By cooking the food properly you're controlling for the biggest variable that matters -- what it takes for that particular pan to get the desired result.
To wit, after cooking the food in all three pans properly you can now validly determine significant things like how long or quickly it takes to get the desired result, how much relative adjustments you have to make to the burner to get the desired result,and so on.
By controlling for a superfluous variable all you got was one pan with properly caramelized onions and two with uncaramelized onions. Really now, what of any significance did that tell anyone? The only thing it said was that if you don't cook the food right, the food won't cook right. Sorry, but that bit of Captain Obviousness is utterly useless information.
@@frankhughes001 Thank you, Frank. I appreciate the support. Yes, I agree that the correct use of each pan is to cook to the best of the pan's ability. When I do a head-to-head, I try to cook in a normal range, which works with one of the standard pans I'd use, like a Matfer or Mineral B. With this as the standard, I can get a sense of what the other pans are like compared to those. For example, the Mauviel carbon steel pan is much lighter than Matfer or Mineral B, and did not perform the same way at the same temp. It obviously would be best to use this pan at a lower temp, which was the outcome of that test. Thank you for the constructive criticism, I will endeavour to do better.