de Buyer pans: Mineral B carbon steel and Affinity stainless

Which size

De Buyer sizes its pans across the top rim, and the flat floor you actually cook on is smaller: 5.5 inches on the 8-inch pan, 6.9 on the 9.5-inch, 7.3 on the 10.25-inch, 8.3 on the 11-inch, 9 on the 12.5-inch and 10.25 on the 14-inch. De Buyer suggests the 11-inch for searing several steaks at once.

The 12.5- and 14-inch Classics add a helper handle, and at 5.8 and 7.8 lb you will use it. The 11-inch Mineral B wok has a 5.4-inch flat bottom, so it sits flat on the stove.

Seasoning and care

Wash the beeswax off with hot water and a brush, then season: a thin film of high-smoke-point oil, heated until it just smokes, then left to cool. After cooking, rinse with hot water, dry the pan completely and rub in a little oil. De Buyer says never the dishwasher and, if you can, no soap.

Rust is not the end of the pan. De Buyer’s fix is to scrub it off with salt and oil or #00 steel wool, rinse, dry and season again. Its warranty does not cover rust, so dry the pan every time.

Affinity stainless

Affinity is 5-ply: three layers of aluminum between two of stainless steel, with cast stainless handles. It works on every stove, goes in the oven with no top temperature given, and goes in the dishwasher, though de Buyer recommends washing it by hand. The frying pans come without lids; de Buyer sells them separately.

Where de Buyer is made, and the warranty

Every piece here is made in France; de Buyer makes its carbon steel in the Vosges. The US warranty covers the original buyer who bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller: for life on carbon steel, 2 years on stainless steel. Normal wear, overheating and rust are not covered. To claim, de Buyer asks for proof of purchase, when and where you bought it, and photos of the problem.

Buying from a marketplace? Check the seller first: pans from sellers de Buyer hasn’t authorized aren’t covered, and de Buyer will tell you whether a seller is.

Questions before you choose