Review of Carbon Steel Cookware

Carbon steel pans have grown in popularity in recent years. What was previously the exclusive domain of high-end restaurant kitchens has made its way into homes, and home cooks are now understanding why these pans have been a Chef’s favorite for decades.

Blue or black carbon steel cookware seems to combine some of the greatest aspects of cast iron cookware with the ease and accessibility of stainless steel pots and pans. Made In, a manufacturer of high-quality Direct To Consumer cookware and cutlery, has lately introduced blue carbon steel cookware, which, like all of their items, is a delight to use.

In my experience, made-in items ranging from knives to cutlery and kitchen accessories have been both well-made and reasonably priced. The Blue Carbon Steel Cookware Set by Made In is no exception, and I was able to put it through its paces over the course of a week or two to fully appreciate where this set of pans shines and where it could require refinement.

Overall, I discovered a set of pans that matched the ease of stainless steel cookware with the heat retention and nonstick attributes of a well-made cast iron pan during my testing. Although carbon steel cookware is not without flaws, it really provides the best of both worlds.

Made-in Carbon Steel Cookware Review!

What We Liked:

• Feeling of high quality
• Durable construction
• Seasoning wax is included with the set.
• Extremely reasonable in pricing

What We Didn’t Like:

• Stainless steel handles and rivets

What’s in the box?

• Frying Pan 12 Carbon Steel
• Wok Made of Carbon Steel
• Roasting Pan Made of Carbon Steel
• Roasting Rack Made of Stainless Steel
• Bag for Storing the Roasting Pan
• Carbon Steel Wax, 2 oz.

Look and Feel.

Carbon steel pans are often designed to be functional. Carbon steel or black steel pans have always seemed like a camp tool or an older more primitive pan design in my experience. The Manufactured in Carbon Steel pans do not have that sensation to me.

These black steel pans don’t feel as rough around the edges as many carbon steel designs on the market, thanks to a sleek, curved handle design and a high degree of polish on the pans themselves. They have the appearance and feel of a stainless steel pan without the finish.

After seasoning, they become blue. The pans themselves are made of a thin but sturdy sheet of blue carbon steel, and they have an almost grey or muted look out of the box, which luckily intensifies to a rich black.

Overall design. Stainless steel has a propensity to get discolored during the seasoning process due to the baked-on oil or seasoning layer, which detracts from the overall aesthetic of the pans. I would have liked black steel rivets and handles, but I realize that stainless steel strengthens and lasts. The rivets and handles are both composed of stainless steel. This might just be an aesthetic problem.

Seasoning the Made In Carbon Steel Pans:

The Made In carbon steel pans do not arrive seasoned and must be seasoned before the first usage. I scrubbed the pans gently with a few drops of soap, warm water, and a non-abrasive scrubber to season them.

High heat for 3-5 minutes, or until completely dry. The oven was then preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. After the pans were clean, I wiped them dry and set them on a stove. I heated the pans on medium heat.

As the oven was heating, I sprayed the pans with canola oil and cleaned them inside and out with a paper towel, spreading the oil in a fine coating over the carbon steel surface.

After preheating the oven, I put all of the pans in it and baked them for an hour before turning off the oven and leaving them to cool.

I took the pans from the oven after they had cooled to find a completely seasoned, glossy surface that was ready to cook!

Using the 12″ Frying Pan.

One of the reasons I like carbon steel pans is that they function well over an open flame. Whether you’re searching for a grilling pan or a new camping pan, carbon steel is nearly always a good choice.

In the past, I’ve always attempted to carry a cast iron skillet on vacations or beach getaways, particularly if I was staying somewhere with a kitchen. Because of the space and weight savings possibilities of a carbon steel pan, it is even simpler to bring a great cooking pan wherever you go.

To put the frying pan to the test, I fired up my charcoal barbecue and seared some rib-eyes. Although I wouldn’t generally use a grill to test a frying pan or carbon steel skillet, I was hoping this pan may serve as my camping pan and I wanted to see how it performed over an open fire.

After the grill was hot enough, I placed the 12 carbon steel frying pan straight on the grill grate and let it heat up completely. Carbon steel heats up quickly due to its strong conductivity, and it retains its warmth quite well, similar to cast iron.

Now that the skillet was hot, I put a couple teaspoons of canola oil into it and added two seasoned 10 oz ribeyes to begin searing.

Cooking over coals or a live fire may rapidly cause the pan to overheat due to the high conductivity of black carbon steel pans. The idea is to take the pan away from the fire when it becomes too hot, and then return it when you want to reheat it. This may be inconvenient, but carbon steel pans lose heat fast as well, so you only need to remove it for a few seconds at a time to adjust the temperature.

After 4 minutes, I turned the steaks and cooked them for another 2 minutes before taking them from the pan and letting them to rest.

It seemed a waste to pour out the oil and clean the pan after I’d done cooking. If We were camping, I would have quickly tossed some vegetables into the pan to use up the delicious meat drippings and make a fast and simple side dish.

The pan was hot enough to thoroughly sear the ribeyes, and the seasoning coating held up nicely after they were done. After cooling, all I had to do for cleaning was wipe the pan with a dry towel and I was ready to go.

Although though grilling steaks over coals or an open fire is almost identical to searing them on a stovetop, the taste is distinct despite the fact that they are both cooked in a pan. The steaks were excellent, with a fantastic sear and crust.

I’ve always like using cast iron pans to cook roasted ribeyes, but they’re heavy, awkward, and take long to cool. Carbon steel frying pans, such as the Made In 12 frying pan, are the ideal marriage of cast iron and stainless steel. They heat rapidly, sear well, and look stunning while doing so.

Using the Carbon Steel Wok.

A wok is a fantastic culinary utensil that can be used for a variety of dishes and cooking techniques. To begin with, most woks are carbon steel, so the fact that the Made In wok is carbon steel isn’t all that amazing.

Overall, the designer of this work is excellent. The wok base is 5.5 inches in diameter, and the overall diameter of the wok is somewhat more than 12 inches, giving this item a wonderfully uniform taper while preserving a pretty big direct cooking surface.

Most woks have a straight or slightly curved handle, but the Made In wok has a much more curved handle with a characteristic goose-neck appearance. When it comes to flipping ingredients or stir-frying, this model will take some getting used to for anybody with a lot of wok expertise. Its strongly curved handle will assist beginner wok users emulate the sensation of a saute or frying pan, reducing the learning curve.

high. Carbon steel cookware, like cast iron and stainless steel cookware, can be used on induction burners, making it ideal for contemporary ranges. Brussels sprouts made from soy. I placed the wok on my induction burner and turned it to medium. I chose to create one of my favorite autumn recipes after seasoning the Wok.

I don’t have a current induction range, but when I use my wok, I prefer to use an induction burner since it’s one of the finest methods to imitate the supercharged wok burners used in traditional wok cooking.

Once the wok had properly heated, I put in some canola oil and let it cook for a few seconds before adding the cleaned brussels sprouts. I let the sprouts rest for a minute or two to sear before tossing them occasionally. Next, I added the maple syrup and soy sauce to the Brussels and let the mixture simmer and caramelize around them before taking them from the pan to serve.

The cleanup was straightforward. After removing the sports, I just returned the wok to the heat for a few seconds before running it under a stream of hot water. I swirled the water around the hot pan to remove any stuck-on sauce before pouring it into my sink. Next I washed off the interior of the pan with a dry cloth before finishing with a few drops of canola oil.

Despite the unusual handle, I absolutely liked this Wok. The design is good, and it seems cleaner and more well-designed than many cheaper woks I’ve seen, which is to be anticipated given the whole price of this set. The wok’s taper is quite even, allowing you to swiftly reduce a sauce or boil a soup or stewed meal.

Using the Roasting Pan.

Using the Carbon Steel Roasting pan was a breeze, and it was no different from using any other roasting pan. The retractable stainless steel roasting rack is ideal for raising roasts or proteins above the pan’s surface to produce a more uniform, consistent output.

Apart from the seasoning, this roasting pan was identical to the ones I’ve used over the years. To be honest, I’m not sure what the purpose of a carbon steel roasting pan is. Although carbon steel is highly attractive and has a very uniform heat profile, it is not ideal for roasting due to the regularity with which you would need to re-season the pan.

There is liquid in the pan. Additionally, carbon steel is not suitable for braised or stewed foods that would ordinarily be cooked in an enameled or stainless steel roasting pan. As liquids stay in the pan for an extended period of time, they tear away the seasoning layer, and when roasting foods like a turkey, entire chicken, or prime rib, you will end up with some drippings.

Whilst I like the roasting pan overall, it would not be my first pick for a new roasting pan if I were looking for one.

Cleaning Carbon Steel Pans.

I handle my carbon steel cookware similarly to how I care my cast iron skillet. This means I clean it by hand, using as little water and soap as possible, and never, ever putting it in the dishwasher.

It’s worth noting that Made In does not advocate washing these pans with water. Although I agree, there will come a moment when you have scorched something to the bottom of the pan or cooked something that would need some form of water-based cleanup. After all, water is the universal solvent, and it actually does assist with cleaning.

To avoid using water-based cleaning products, arm yourself with a dry scouring pad, a firm spatula, and salt. You can scour your pans with salt to remove difficult stuck-on food, but it will only go you so far. If you find yourself in a scenario where water or soap is required, make sure you re-season the pan before using it again.

To re-season your cookware, just follow the same steps you did to season the pans the first time. Depending on how often you cook in these carbon steel pans, you should get acquainted with re-seasoning rather fast. Seasoning does not stay forever, and if you want to keep these pans around for as long as possible, reapplying the seasoning on a regular basis can help maintain them clean and consistent.

Is the Made In Carbon Steel Cookware Set right for you?

Carbon steel is quite useful to have on hand. Carbon steel pans combine the greatest features of stainless steel and cast iron cookware, with a very uniform heat profile, glossy surface, and lightweight construction.

While it may rust and takes more maintenance than other pans, this cookware is significantly simpler to maintain than cast iron pans and provides remarkable flexibility.

If you’re looking for a stunning set of contemporary carbon steel cookware, the 3-piece Made In Blue Carbon Steel Cookware Set is an excellent option. These pans are both visually appealing and produce delicious cuisine. They are simple to clean, lightweight, and simple to use. Although they lack the traditional or basic aesthetic of carbon cookware, they make great cuisine.