MINERAL B Carbon Steel Country Fry Pan

I now own 4 of these carbon steel mineral B pans, in various sizes. I also cook so much in a 14" wok that I thought this might be a really useful in between go to everything pan, that was a little smaller. In actual fact it turned out to not be quite as versatile as I'd thought. It's in no way the pans fault at all. The same heavy gauge heat retaining awesome stuff as all of my Mineral B's are, but the high sides that are also much closer to one another make the sides somehow more in the way when it comes to anything that might require stirring. You find yourself angling the utensil way up, which is something I didn't give any thought to in regards to reducing the size of what is effectively a kind of wok. I do like now the base IS wider that a wok. It's very stable, and because of the high sides, a great saute pan that also minimizes oil spattering. I really do like i t, but find myself reaching for it less than I thought I would. Perhaps I need some time to get used to it, but I find I'm still going for my full size wok, or my much smaller saute pans, and also my crepe pan, because it has no sides at all to get in the way. Cannot demote it for that though. It's beautiful, and it seems to have found a place in being the perfect ramen pan; searing onions prior to noodles and boiling water going in.

I really like this pan and have found it Remarkably well suited for stir-frying, braising small cuts of meat, and it has even worked well for deep frying egg rolls. If you're interested in frying steaks, etc, I would not recommend this pan as it is a bit small at the base for such things. Instead, consider the larger De Buyer Country skillet (be forewarned that it is a heavy pan) or one of the traditional De Buyer fry pans. My only complaint with the pan is that the silicone coating on the handle seems pointless--it is too thin to offer any real insulation from the heat and it has melted/cooked away at the point where the handle is riveted to the body of the pan. Seasoning: there is an incredible amount of debate/information on the web about how to season steel and cast iron pans. My experience has been that the methods for seasoning cast iron and steel are similar but not necessarily interchangeable. The method I used, one that has worked well, is to: 1) Boil potatoes skins in the new pan as directed by De Buyer (this helps remove the bees wax coating that the pan ships with). Throw out the resulting grey mess; 2) scrub the pan thoroughly with soap and water to get off any remaining wax; 3) Heat the pan slightly on the stove to ensure that it is completely dry--about 2 minutes on medium heat; 4) Using a clean paper towel, vigorously rub a thin coat of flaxseed oil onto the insides of the pan (don't forget to shake the oil well before using it and to refrigerate it). I cannot reiterate that this layer of oil needs to be very, very thin--best to apply lots of thin layers than one big thick one; 5) Heat the pan until the oil cooks past its smoke point--about 15-20 minutes. Remember that seasoning IS NOT cooking and the goal here is to cause the oil to polymerize. If you are really interested, leave a comment and I will point you to a link that explains the chemistry in-depth; 6) Allow the pan to cool and then repeat steps 3-6 several more times; 7) After you've created a solid coating of 7-10 layers on the inside of the pan, just start cooking with it and it will continue to season on its own. Cleaning; usually I just wipe it out with a clean cloth/paper towel; however, it does, on occasion require that I use some boiling water and salt to get out crusty bits.

I was looking for a “wok” style pan within the 9 inch size and this met what I was looking for. Heavier than I expected but fits what I am looking for- frying, cooking pasta and yes tomatoes and lemon will leave white marks but that's easy to wash. Apparently this brand is well known. If I choose to buy another item from de Buyer, I will wait for a sale. Not sure this brand is worth the cost. Last of all, it still has a strong metallic taste and smell after following the instructions.

Along with all the regular benefits known about this pan it also 'fits' a whisk well. Whether sauces, ice cream or whatever else; egg and other bits can't hide along the wall of the pan. Everything gets whisked together and cooked evenly. It puzzles me why there are so many problems with cleaning and maintaining the Mineral B line of cookware. I treat them the same as cast iron - cooking and cleaning are one continuous process. It takes about twenty to thirty seconds to remove the food and clean the hot pan completely by wiping or gentle scrubbing with water, placing it back on the burner for drying with a cloth, quickly swiping a lightly-oiled cloth over it (reserved for the purpose) and leaving it to cool. I have had some of these pans for several years and one just purchased. They work well to start and better with time. When any pan is used on high temperature (usually well above recommended temperatures for non-stick coatings) and left 'for later' it becomes more difficult to clean. Anyone concerned for the few extra seconds required after cooking can simply make the plates hotter. Many things that stick should rest anyway. The DeBuyer pans are the best fast response non-stick pans I've ever used. Cast iron are, at least for us, equally good but respond very differently to changing temperatures.

Only have gotten it 3 weeks ago but it's fast become my favorite pan. Just big enough to make a dish for 2-4 people. Great quality. Love the cast iron qualities but smooth surface. The deep sides makes it very versatile. Easy cleanups. It was fairly non-stick with the factory seasoning, but it's gotten noticeably better over the course of daily use in the last 3 weeks. It's also not as heavy as a cast iron pan of the same size but still heavy enough to retain heat and feels sturdy. Love it in every way. The only complaint is I wish the light button on the handle were not silicone/plastic so that I could put it in the oven

Not good quality

LA qualité De Buyer. Une fois bien culottée, cette poêle Wok n’attache pas et fonctionne à merveille. C’est très costaud mais il faut en prendre soin. Pas de lave vaisselle, lavage à la main, séchage quelques minutes à feu doux puis, une fois refroidie, appliquer une fine pellicule d’huile. Ne surtout pas gratter comme un dingue, ça doit rester marron/noir.

Ho comprato la mia prima padella in ferro spinta da un lontano ricordo, quando ero piccola ricordo che la mia mamma cucinava le patatine e il pesce fritto in quella padella nera brutta però i sapori unici e inimitabili che la cottura in ferro da non li ho mai dimenticati e quando l' ho vista qui su amazon l' ho subito comprata. Arrivata oggi e dopo aver fatto il primo trattamento ho subito fritto tante patate...che delizia belle asciutte e per niente mosce. Dopo le patate ho fatto due fettine insomma tutto sommato sono rimasta molto soddisfatta dei risultati e soprattutto ho impiegato meno tempo del solito. Questa ha i bordi molto alti forse anche troppo però buono che non sporca quindi adatta per fritture in olio abbondante. La prossima comprerò una più grande con i bordi svasati. Questa misura 24 va benissimo io per le patate ho fritto a più riprese. Sicuramente laboriosa nella manutenzione ma per le fritture in abbondante olio è il top. AGGIORNAMENTO dopo circa due mesi di utilizzo: nel tempo ho imparato a gestirla mi sono resa conto che non è una padella per tutti ci vuole una certa dimestichezza per mantenerla idonea all' uso. L' ideale sarebbe averne più di una perché se ci friggi le patate dopo si può fare a meno di lavarla mentre se ci cucini una bistecca a mio avviso poi bisogna lavarla io quando la lavo la asciugo e ci faccio scaldare un pochino di olio prima di riporla. Alcune volte per evitarla di lavare ci metto una manciata di sale e strofino con carta da cucina. Prima di utilizzarla con un tovagliolo tolgo il residuo di olio che aveva e spesso viene via residuo di ferro il che ti fa sembrare il tutto un po' sporco però dicono che sia salutare per chi ha carenze di ferro. Nonostante ciò la consiglio perché per le fritture è velocissima e le bistecche le cuoce benissimo.

If you're serious about your cooking, these are the best pans you can get and this shape is particularly useful (I have this one and a huge one - about 15" diameter). You can heat them very hot over a flame or in the oven, and (properly maintained) they will soon become virtually non-stick and last a lifetime. They take a while to reach black, well-used perfection, but the maintenance routine (clean in hot water, without scouring, then dry over a flame and rub a couple of drops of oil into the surface) becomes automatic and almost a pleasure. It's best to avoid acid ingredients like tomatoes and lemons, but for frying or sauteing meat or veg these are unsurpassed. They are also quite heavy.

Order arrived ahead of expected time. The pan is very well made and works really well. Thank you. I would buy from this seller again.

It is nonstick, and I cannot believe people buy other crappy pans when they can buy these professional ones that are nonstick, easy to use and clean. Far outstrips All Clad D5, or any of the more expensive pans.