Carbon steel vs ceramic pans: seasoned or coated nonstick

A ceramic pan is a metal pan, usually aluminum, with a thin silica-based coating that's slick from the first egg, de Buyer explains. A carbon steel pan, 99% iron and 1% carbon, has no coating at all: it's seasoned with a thin film of oil heated until it bonds, and that patina darkens and gets slicker the more you cook. Pans of solid fired clay exist too, but they're rare, and de Buyer notes they chip and crack with sudden changes of heat.

Carbon steel heats quickly, like stainless, and holds its heat, like cast iron, de Buyer says, so it sears, sautés and goes into a hot oven; its comparison rates carbon steel to 1200°F in the oven against a typical 350 to 600°F for ceramic. Ceramic is at its best for eggs and light sautéing on moderate heat, and high heat wears its coating faster.

Ceramic is the easy one day to day: wash it by hand and keep metal tools and high heat away. Its slick surface fades with time, typically within 1 to 5 years by de Buyer's estimate, and a worn coating can't be restored. Carbon steel needs seasoning before first use and now and then afterwards, drying after washing and a little oil, and acidic food such as tomato strips its seasoning. In return it lasts a lifetime and can always be seasoned again. De Buyer advises keeping both out of the dishwasher.

Choose ceramic if you want a pan that's slick today with no upkeep, mainly for eggs, pancakes and fish, and you accept replacing it in a few years. Choose carbon steel if you'll season it and keep it dry: it sears steak, stir-fries, goes into a hot oven and gets better with age.