We write a lot about the cast-iron skillet here — the heavy, heat-insulating, high heat cooking tool of choice. We also write a lot about stainless steel skillets — the maneuverable, versatile, supremely durable everyday cookware. But we only sometimes write about carbon steel, and that’s because most home cooks don’t know a whole lot about it.
Despite its name, carbon steel is incredibly low in carbon. All carbon steel used in cookware is at least 99 percent iron and less than one percent carbon (stainless steels have added properties like Chromium, which bring corrosion and stain resistance). As minute a detail as this may seem, it’s what makes carbon steel cookware the most versatile cookware you can buy, and that’s what Made In is banking on with the release of its own carbon steel skillet.
The quick and dirty is this: carbon steel is significantly lighter than cast iron. Made In’s new 10.25-inch pan, for example, weighs just three pounds — a comparably sized Lodge clocks in around 5.5 pounds. But it will sear and hold its heat as good as anything you’ve ever used, and in fact, will probably heat faster, too.
Made In manufactures its skillet at a French factory with more than two-and-a-half centuries of metalworking experience. The pans can be pre-ordered through the site now ($69), and will be available for purchase tomorrow.
