The 9 1/2" (6 1/2" cooking surface) is a little small, except for a single burger, sandwich, or two egg omelette. In November 2018 Cook’s Illustrated updated their test, and still the Matfer-Bourgeat came out on top as a test kitchen favorite. They offer a complete range of professional catering equipment and utensils in a variety of metals, shapes and sizes.

Handling and keeping them on the diffusers is a bit awkward though, but I keep doing it pretty often for the evenness benefit, especially if I am pan frying fish for example on the 28 cm. The omelets slid out with ease; the crêpe batter held onto the pan as I swirled it around, then released once the batter was cooked through. While the handle is longer than cast-iron pans, it was advantageous to have as the handle does get very hot near the base. Quality and service are commitments through all processes of design, manufacturing, logistics, marketing and maximum safety requirements.And like any other good quality carbon steel pan, the Matfer becomes non-stick after a good seasoning and a couple of uses. If you’re interested in more about what seasoning involves, check out my extensive guide to carbon steel cookware care and maintenance. As I’ve moved around in the industry, I’ve found that there’s often a discrepancy in skillets that are marketed to—and therefore preferred by—home cooks versus those who cook for a living. I then scrubbed off the thin anti-rust wax layer using running hot tap water and detergent until it didn't feel waxy/sticky inside AND outside - and the handle too.

They have all the benefits of cast iron —they’re cheap, can be used on any heat source, are great at searing, perfectly nonstick when properly seasoned — except they don’t retain heat quite as well. It seems the older Matfers would have had a rather straight bottom then and it was a bit warp prone. To test the pan’s heat conductivity and retention, I filled the pan with half an inch of water and timed how long it took the water to come to a boil (212 degrees) over medium-high heat; then, I turned off the heat to time how long it took for the water to come to room temperature (75 degrees). I think the new Matfer carbon steel pan is a definite upgrade design wise to the old design, but let’s see how well it performs. Overall, the issues are very minor and the Matfer carbon steel pan is really fun and rewarding to use.I don’t know about if there is big differences in the steels being used, I guess they’d use about the same steel at similar hardness between the French brands most likely though, but indeed I don’t know. I don't plan to use this pan for lemon or lime juice, wines etc to make pan sauces or tinned tomatoes etc - acidy stuff that removes the seasoning. Thanks to its ability to conduct heat quickly (but not too quickly) and retain it, this pan is a kitchen workhorse.

While the pan requires a slightly tedious seasoning process right out of the box (potato skins are involved), the task is ultimately straightforward, leaving the pan with a beautifully smooth, dark coating that’s ready for cooking. I then tested the pan’s nonstick capabilities by frying eggs, which didn’t stick one bit—they slid right out of the pan without the need for any additional utensils. Just like the Cook’s Illustrated team, the first thing I cooked was a couple of fried eggs, which slipped around the pan with ease.It is however about a pound lighter than the Matfer pan making it a better choice for someone needing a lighter pan. After the pan was seasoned, I made sure to clean the pan with hot water after every use, dry it and apply oil again to keep it seasoned for next time. We do this to ensure that the wok heats up quickly when placed on the hob and cools down fast when the heat is removed, an essential requirement for stir-fry cooking. As I was contemplating this, I remembered a similar thing happening to a newly seasoned cast iron pan. They mention that it is a good quality solid steel pan, over engineered, and delivers excellent cooking results.

Considering the best of their kind can last a lifetime, the Matfer Bourgeat pan is a worthy investment for any home cook looking to add carbon steel cookware to their home kitchen. Now on the large burner, the coldest area for pans of this size is in the middle of the pan, inside the inner “donut”.While they won’t replace your other beloved pots and pans, carbon steel pans are a great stand-in for cast iron and are much more durable than nonstick cookware.