carbon steel skillet

[Palmetto Bug]

I know there's a pretty serious group (cult) of cast iron cookware chefs on here. Disclaimer: I used aluminum non-stick stuff for most of my life. I didn't inherit any family legacy pot and pans. My wife bought me a Smithey cast iron and I was fairly impressed. I think the main difference between it and any other cast iron brand is the smoother surface. They are heavy as hell and the extra handle on the opposite side is a good idea. The glass lid makes it a complete system...maybe even "tactical". It became my most used pan.

Anyway, I later got interested in induction burners and started looking for pans that would work on those. The next gift giving opportunity came up and my wife bought me a Smithey carbon steel chef skillet. It's become my main cooking utensil. It's still pretty heavy, not quite as heavy as the cast iron skillet but still too heavy for a woman or sissy-man. It holds and distributes heat about as well as cast iron. They don't sell a glass lid for it because they're supposedly hand hammered and not uniform enough for them to fit lids (lame excuse!) but I've found a lid that fits it quite well enough. If you've never tried one, even if you're a cast iron stalwart, it's worth the try. I saw a chef on TV that said he'd run back into a burning building to save his steel skillet and I'm beginning to understand his affinity. I've got guns I'd trade before I gave up my steel skillet.

One thing that's different and what made me look into them is that I can simmer acidic stuff, like shrimp Creole, without getting that iron taste. I ruined a couple meals by letting tomato base sauces simmer in the cast iron too long. Another plus, at least over the aluminum stuff I had, is that I can pour water in to deglaze it without much concern about warping the hell out of it. It would probably make a respectable weapon in an emergency situation if I worked on my upper body strength a little more.

[whistlinwingswilly]

I’ve never used the high dollar stuff, but I have a carbon steel lodge skillet that I worked over with a wire wheel and seasoned with avacado oil that is as non stick as any teflon pan I’ve used. I’d love to compare it to a smithey or other high end brand.

[reeltight]

I love mine. I purchased mine from Ace in St Matthews after we went to him for a two day knife making class. He and his coworker have been on forged in fire and he’s done some some specialty shows for forged in fire. John is good people.

Ace leather and knives and Ace cookware

https://acekitchenandco.com/


https://www.aceleatherandknifeworks.com/

[Highstrung]

I mentioned it once on here.. I got bored after being retired in my first year... a few board members from our county's Habitat for Humanity approached me about taking over as the new director. Along with the homes I'm/we're building we have a Restore where my office is located upstairs, it's a pretty big store. I have a store manager there and the rest of our support team.. but we've made a few cool connections in our store. One with Made In. It's pretty good stuff, with an entire line of carbon steel. We recieve most of their seconds.

When I got the store back open from a bad accident back at the end of March I had shelves full of their carbon steel stuff.. I brought a pan to 2th around then. I never know from day to day what will pop up, but if we get stacked with it again I'll let y'all know. We're able to sell it for a low price, like extremely low, and it supports a good cause. I think the only pan I have at the moment is a cool looking wok sitting in my office.

I do have a bunch of smithey though..

[acebasinman]

These are excellent carbon steel pans made in Hanahan by good folks.
https://castawaycarbon.com/

[killzone]

These are excellent carbon steel pans made in Hanahan by good folks.
https://castawaycarbon.com/

Got one last year and then ended up buying all 3 of their sizes and that’s all I use now for everything. Awesome pans and supporting a local SC company

[Highstrung]

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https://madeincookware.com/?utm_sour...s&gad_source=1

Most of their carbon steel stuff is in the first pic.. we're sold out I believe at the moment.. we're able to sell them in that 25ish to 30ish a pan range.

I like their steel stuff as well.

[Buckin Bronco]

We have a Missen carbon steel pan. It’s advertised as coming pre seasoned to be “non-stick.” Well it has not lived up to the advertisement. Everything sticks in it. We’ve contacted the factory to ask for care instructions which might have helped a little but the amount of extra steps it apparently takes to make it usable isn’t worth it.

We also have the smithey carbon steel skillet and while it’s significantly heavier, it is a much better piece of cookware; and I say that being someone who is not a huge smithey fan.

[willk]

I have smithey cast iron and carbon steel. I use both often. Ralph, I got a 5qt Made-In for Christmas and it's a damn workhorse.

[murraywader]

I’ve had the same problem using a smithey Dutch oven with the food tasting like metal. Only happens with tomato based sauces.

[Buckin Bronco]

These are excellent carbon steel pans made in Hanahan by good folks.
https://castawaycarbon.com/

First I’m hearing of it. I would love to test drive one but I don’t think that’s a thing.