Carbon steel cookware

Carbon steel is mostly iron, pressed thin: lighter than cast iron, seasoned like it, and fine on high heat, the grill and induction. It rusts if left wet.

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What carbon steel is

Carbon steel is about 99% iron and 1% carbon, Made In says, stamped from sheet rather than poured like cast iron, so a pan weighs about half as much as a cast iron one and holds its heat almost as well. It has no coating: food releases thanks to seasoning, thin layers of oil baked onto the metal, and the pan gets slicker the more fatty food you cook in it.

Cooking with it

It takes the high heat of searing, stir-frying and the grill: Made In rates its carbon steel to 1200°F, and it works on every cooktop, induction included. Tomatoes, wine, vinegar and citrus strip the seasoning, so keep long simmers of those for another pan until the seasoning is well built up.

Carbon steel against cast iron, by weight

Lodge makes both, so its figures make a fair comparison. Its carbon steel skillets weigh 2.35, 3.49 and 4.15 lb at 8, 10 and 12 inches; its classic cast iron skillets of about the same sizes weigh 3.44, 5.66 and 7.69 lb. The gap grows with the size: about 1 lb at 8 inches, 2 lb at 10 and 3.5 lb at 12. Lodge says its carbon steel works on any stovetop, induction included, and goes in the oven, without giving a top temperature; Misen’s carbon steel pans weigh 2.1, 3.2 and 3.9 lb at the same three sizes and go in the oven to 500°F, and Made In rates its own to 1200°F.

Looking after it

Wipe it out, or scrub stuck bits with oil and coarse salt, and if you use water, dry it on the stove straight away, because wet carbon steel rusts. It doesn't go in the dishwasher. If it rusts or the seasoning flakes, scrub it back and season it again; the pan itself hardly ever wears out.

The table compares how each is made, which stoves it works on and how to wash it.

Compare them side by side

Scroll sideways for every column; tap a heading to sort. “Not stated” means the maker doesn’t publish it.

Find in this table

26 of 26 rows

Contents, cooking jobs and model-specific limits

de Buyer Mineral B Classic carbon steel fry pan, 8 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Flash use only: under 10 minutes at 400°F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
de Buyer Mineral B Classic carbon steel fry pan, 9.5 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Flash use only: under 10 minutes at 400°F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
de Buyer Mineral B Classic carbon steel fry pan, 10.25 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Flash use only: under 10 minutes at 400°F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
de Buyer Mineral B Classic carbon steel fry pan, 11 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Flash use only: under 10 minutes at 400°F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
de Buyer Mineral B Classic carbon steel fry pan, 12.5 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Flash use only: under 10 minutes at 400°F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
de Buyer Mineral B Classic carbon steel fry pan, 14 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Flash use only: under 10 minutes at 400°F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
de Buyer Mineral B PRO carbon steel fry pan, 8 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Oven safe; no top temperature given / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
de Buyer Mineral B PRO carbon steel fry pan, 11 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Oven safe; no top temperature given / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
Lodge 8-inch Seasoned Carbon Steel Skillet	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Not stated / No lid	Hand wash only	Made Right warranty
Lodge 10-inch Seasoned Carbon Steel Skillet	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Not stated / No lid	Hand wash only	Made Right warranty
Lodge 12-inch Seasoned Carbon Steel Skillet	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	Not stated / No lid	Hand wash only	Made Right warranty
Made In Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan, 8 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	1200 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime
Made In Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan, 10 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	1200 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime
Made In Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan, 12 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	1200 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime
Mauviel M’STEEL carbon steel frying pan, 7.9 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	680 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime, home use
Mauviel M’STEEL carbon steel frying pan, 9.4 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	680 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime, home use
Mauviel M’STEEL carbon steel frying pan, 11 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	680 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime, home use
Mauviel M’STEEL carbon steel frying pan, 12.6 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	680 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime, home use
Mauviel M’STEEL carbon steel frying pan, 14.2 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	680 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime, home use
Misen 8-inch Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	500 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime against defects, when bought from Misen
Misen 10-inch Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	500 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime against defects, when bought from Misen
Misen 12-inch Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pan	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Skillet	Works on induction	500 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime against defects, when bought from Misen
Misen 12-inch Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Wok, with lid	Carbon steel	1 / 1	Wok	Works on induction	500 °F / Not stated	Hand wash only	Limited lifetime against defects, when bought from Misen
de Buyer Mineral B carbon steel wok, 11 in	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Wok	Works on induction	Flash use only: under 10 minutes at 400°F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime for the original buyer, bought from de Buyer or an authorized US seller
Made In Seasoned Carbon Steel Griddle	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Flat griddle	Works on induction	1200 °F / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime
Made In Seasoned Carbon Steel Wok, wok only	Carbon steel	1 / 0	Wok	Works on induction	Not stated / No lid	Hand wash only	Lifetime

Questions before you choose

Does carbon steel work on induction?

Yes. Carbon steel is magnetic, and Made In says its carbon steel works on every cooktop, induction included. A wok needs a flat base to sit on the glass.