Best Carbon Steel Pans

A staple in professional kitchens, carbon steel pans have a lot to offer the average home cook. Think of the cookware as a lighter cousin of cast iron that’s just as versatile and durable: It’s slick enough to lift a delicate rolled omelet without a tear yet sturdy enough to get a deeply golden-brown sear on a thick piece of meat. After testing 11 of the best carbon steel pans, I believe that the Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Frying Pan is deserving of a spot in any home kitchen. Though it comes unseasoned, the pan is worth the effort it takes to get it ready to cook: It’s sturdy, affordable and a cinch to maneuver. For a skillet that’s about half the price, the line cook–approved Winco French Style Fry Pan is a fantastic budget-friendly pick.

Winco, Matfer Bourgeat, OXO and Made In are the brands behind the best carbon steel pans.

Illustration: Forbes / Image: Retailers

Below you’ll find all the winners from my testing process:

Best Carbon Steel Pan Overall: Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Frying Pan
Best Value Carbon Steel Pan: Winco French Style Fry Pan
Best Preseasoned Carbon Steel Pan: OXO Carbon Steel Obsidian Series Frypan
Best Carbon Steel Pan For Sautéing: Made In Blue Carbon Steel Frying Pan

Made of carbon and iron, these workhorse skillets—which are stamped or spun from metal sheet—are popular for their outstanding durability and ability to heat quickly and evenly. Within the category, there’s tons of variety: Some are heavy while others are barely over two pounds; whereas some come with long, flat handles, others are rounder and shorter. And though carbon steel skillets traditionally need to be seasoned before use, some now come “preseasoned,” making them almost identical in appearance to nonstick pans. The right skillet for you comes down to a few personal preferences: how you plan to use the pan, how much you’re willing to spend and whether you’re game to season it yourself. (It’s not that difficult or time-consuming, I promise.) Ahead, here are the top options to add to your cookware collection.

Wayfair

Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Frying Pan

Diameter: 10.25 inches | Cooking surface diameter: 7 inches | Weight: 3.7 pounds | Handle length: 8.5 inches

Best for:

Home cooks who want even, golden-brown searingThose who need a pan for perfectly fried eggsAnyone in search of long-lasting quality

Skip if:

You want a really lightweight panYou’re not interested in seasoning a pan yourself

For over 200 years, Matfer Bourgeat has been manufacturing professional-grade French cookware of all kinds, from copper to stainless steel to nonstick. Carbon steel is what the brand is best known for, though, and during testing, it was clear why Matfer Bourgeat’s most versatile pan comes so highly recommended by restaurant chefs. Not only does the ultra-durable Black Carbon Steel Fry Pan conduct heat well, making it an ideal cooking surface for a wide variety of dishes, but it’s also affordable.

After one thorough round of seasoning, the pan’s surface was thoroughly nonstick and ready to get cooking. To start, I seared a skin-on chicken thigh that came out evenly golden, and transferring the whole thing to the oven to finish cooking was a breeze. (The pan can withstand temperatures up to 750 degrees.) When it came to eggs, Matfer Bourgeat made me want to give away my nonstick skillet. Fried eggs shook free without the need for utensils; meanwhile, the yolks stayed runny while the whites cooked through with a tender yet golden crisp edge. It sailed through French omelet rolling, too, during which the eggs lifted from the skillet nearly seamlessly. Lastly, it allowed crêpe batter to adhere to the pan as thinly as possible, and as the pancakes cooked, they released beautifully. Rounding out the pan’s appeal, it’s a snap to clean: As recommended by the brand, I’ve either wiped it with paper towels or rinsed it under hot water to remove excess grease, then dried it over a low flame on the stove.

A fried egg in the Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel pan.

Rebecca Firkser

The main downside of this pan? Matfer Bourgeat’s recommended seasoning process is more tedious than other pans I tested: Instead of just oil, salt and potato skins are also needed. However, it has the most specific set of seasoning instructions in terms of explaining exactly how much of each ingredient is needed, and the necessary heating time and flame strength. It’s also worth noting that this pan is on the heavier side, weighing 3.7 pounds, so it might not make sense for someone who likes lightweight pans they can toss while sautéing (though I still believe it’s the best of its kind). While I think most home cooks would be satisfied with the 10.25-inch pan, if you have a larger household, the brand sells nine different sizes, all the way up to 17.75 inches.

(Note: Matfer Bourgeat is currently in the process of reformulating the pan to improve upon its already-impressive design. Once the upgraded pan is widely available, I plan to test it.)

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