Swapped out my stainless pans for carbon steel and never looked back

I used to swear by all-clad stainless for searing steaks at the bistro I work at in Denver. But after a buddy let me borrow his 12-inch carbon steel pan for a week, I was shocked at how much better the crust came out on a pork chop. The only downside is you have to keep it oiled or it'll rust in two seconds flat. Anyone else made the switch and found it worth the extra upkeep?

3 comments

3 Comments

harperg761mo ago

Honestly the upkeep is real though. I left mine on the stove with a bit of water after washing and had to scrub orange rust off the next morning before service. Tbh I still think the crust on a seared pork chop is worth the extra five minutes of oil wiping though. Ngl my carbon steel pan has a permanent sheen of oil on it now like it lives in a state of constant greasy grace.

pat_fisher241mo ago

Oh man that "constant greasy grace" line really got me. But I gotta say something about leaving water on the stove overnight. You really shouldn't do that with carbon steel, even just a little bit. The rust will show up so fast its almost impressive. What you want to do after washing is dry it on the stove on low heat for maybe a minute, then wipe a thin layer of oil while its still warm. That little trick keeps the patina healthy and stops the rust before it even starts. I know it feels like an extra step but it beats scrubbing orange spots off before a morning service. That panic scrub is the worst.

claire_gibson1mo ago

Oh man, you hit the nail right on the head with that constant greasy grace thing, I think my pan has the same condition. I've definitely done the same thing - left a little water in the sink with my pan and woke up to an orange mess that made me want to cry into my coffee. But yeah, totally worth it for that perfect sear on a pork chop, I just keep a paper towel and a tiny bit of oil handy now like it's a ritual.