I used to swear by stainless pans until I tried a cheap carbon steel one

My buddy let me borrow his 20 dollar carbon steel pan from the restaurant supply store over in Portland, and after just one week I saw how much better it handled heat and stuck less than my 150 dollar All-Clad... anyone else had their go-to gear get upstaged by something way cheaper?

2 comments

2 Comments

campbell.david3d ago

Nah, I gotta push back on this. I've got a set of tri-ply stainless that's been through hell and back for five years now, and my buddy's cheap carbon steel pan warped on him after a few hot sears. Plus, you can't just toss carbon steel in the dishwasher or soak it overnight without ruining the seasoning, which my stainless handles like a champ. For stuff like simmering tomato sauce or deglazing with wine, stainless is still king in my kitchen. Have you tried cooking anything acidic in that cheap pan yet?

walker.hayden3d ago

Oh man, you're not wrong at all. Stainless is just a workhorse, no fuss.