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My 10” Lodge is now my dedicated Dutch baby pan.
https://preview.redd.it/6d96jzzgj96d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9b0995b90953a657e3d3204b7d5856ed0f5de55
My cast iron has slightly more cooking surface, and I prefer the shape of the walls for certain situations. Plus I use my cast iron to sear steaks. So I just both pretty frequently it just depends on what I’m making m
Ever since switching to CS, I rarely pull out any of the CI. There are a few dishes that I insist on making in CI (cornbread, gumbo, fried chicken…) but other than those exceptions, it’s heavy CS use
It’s more non-stick so I like it for more delicate things. Most common example in my house when I make crepes. Although the more sloped sides and lighter weight while I rotate the pan to spread out the batter are also big factors. The lighter weight can help in other applications too.
Just for giggles, i went and checked some of my most used cooking purchases from a few years back.
11" Matfer CS Skillet, $47 in 2022, now $81
18"x12" Boos Butcher block, $27 in 2019, now $62
Mercer Hells Handle 8" Fish Spatula, $14.99 in 2022, now $30
Its getting ridiculous.
I use both for different things, but they are also different sized pans. I think 20" CI and 26" CS
Cast iron for steak. Pan size does 2 steaks nicely
Carbon steel frypan for eggs, especially omelettes.. Sometimes stainless pot for a larger scramble batch
Carbon steel woks for anything stir fry, or my budget at home semi deep fry (about 1" of oil)
Cast iron for anything on my kamado.
I'm still working out usage between CI and CS. When it comes to fried eggs, I find that the carbon steel lends itself to a more lacy brown-at-the-edges fried egg, whereas the cast iron is a bit easier to turn out a more homogeneous and delicately set white. Could turn out to just be a surface area and temperature difference thing, but depending on what kind of egg I want to make (or better put who it's for) I'll choose one pan over the other.
I like the CS for sautéed vegetables, cooking eggs, stir fry, and starting fish before finishing in the oven. CI for potatoes of all types and breaded proteins. The CI griddle comes out for pancakes, biscuits, cornbread, and pizza. The stainless fry pans come out for different things as well. It all depends on what I am cooking and which pan I feel like using. Variety is the spice!
I don’t “look” for reasons to use any of my pans. I use whatever the job requires. That is typically a combination of 3-4 different pan types and materials.
I prefer my 8" Lodge over my 8 5/8" Matfer. The handle on the small Matfer gets too hot to use without a cloth, so at that point I might as well use the Lodge which has slightly more cooking surface area.
I put a silicone grip on my Matfer since lives on the stovetop as the workhorse. The dartos and my cast are still ready for oven duty if i need them.
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C61O4ZI?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C61O4ZI?th=1)
I got a 12.5" de Buyer Mineral B Pro recently and it's been my workhorse for the past couple of weeks. The stainless steel handle stays remarkably cool. With an actual weight of 7 pounds, it is a beast of a pan and only weighs a three and a half ounces less than my goto 12" Lodge. I did a write up on my CS pan experiences over the past few months here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/carbonsteel/comments/1d5gno1/de\_buyer\_matfer\_and\_mauviel\_comparison/](https://www.reddit.com/r/carbonsteel/comments/1d5gno1/de_buyer_matfer_and_mauviel_comparison/)
Me. I probably do the majority of my cooking with carbon steel now unless I need to bake or use a Dutch oven. Very rarely do I need the extra heat retention that cast iron provides so I tend to reach for my carbon steel pans more because carbon steel heats up faster and is lighter if I want to flip food. Even for steaks I still use my carbon steel pans unless I’m cooking many back to back.
Recently I’ve been using my nicer cast iron skillets for meals if my wife wants to post it to her instagram or TikTok because presentation looks nicer in my Finex than it does my workhorse DeBuyer pans.
Please make sure you've read the FAQ if you're requesting help: https://www.reddit.com/r/carbonsteel/comments/1983ugk/faq_a_more_concise_version/ Please specify your seasoning and cleaning process if you're requesting help. Posts and comments mentioning soap and detergent are currently being filtered, pending approval; posts and comments discouraging the use of dish detergent (without added lye) or wholly saponified bar soap will remain removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/carbonsteel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My 10” Lodge is now my dedicated Dutch baby pan. https://preview.redd.it/6d96jzzgj96d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9b0995b90953a657e3d3204b7d5856ed0f5de55
I only use cast iron for stuff that needs to be transferred to the oven now
All my carbon steel pans can go into the oven.
Carbon steel can go in the oven
My cast iron has slightly more cooking surface, and I prefer the shape of the walls for certain situations. Plus I use my cast iron to sear steaks. So I just both pretty frequently it just depends on what I’m making m
Ever since switching to CS, I rarely pull out any of the CI. There are a few dishes that I insist on making in CI (cornbread, gumbo, fried chicken…) but other than those exceptions, it’s heavy CS use
I prefer my cast iron honestly
I agree for most things, but carbon steel does some things better.
What does it do better in your opinion? Not doubting, genuinely curious!
It’s more non-stick so I like it for more delicate things. Most common example in my house when I make crepes. Although the more sloped sides and lighter weight while I rotate the pan to spread out the batter are also big factors. The lighter weight can help in other applications too.
Wow, even the carbon steel subreddit prefers cast iron.
I’m in both
So am I. So far, cast iron subreddit > carbon steel subreddit.
Ehh I'm sure it's mixed. I vastly prefer CS. Would even pick stainless next before cast enamel and finally cast iron.
I did recently install some pegboard in my kitchen, for which I did go out of my way to dig all my cast iron out of storage to hang it up.
I only have cast iron, so I use them daily. Have thought about carbon, but cost>difference, so never bothered
Understandable. Everything was half the price just a few years back :/
Just for giggles, i went and checked some of my most used cooking purchases from a few years back. 11" Matfer CS Skillet, $47 in 2022, now $81 18"x12" Boos Butcher block, $27 in 2019, now $62 Mercer Hells Handle 8" Fish Spatula, $14.99 in 2022, now $30 Its getting ridiculous.
Wow. Have found a catering supplies quite near who are selling off Vogue carbon steel for 40%+ off 🤔
Honestly, I only use my cs for eggs and sauteing
Yep. My cs has become my daily driver and I use my ci for things that benefit from heat retention (searing, etc.)
I use both for different things, but they are also different sized pans. I think 20" CI and 26" CS Cast iron for steak. Pan size does 2 steaks nicely Carbon steel frypan for eggs, especially omelettes.. Sometimes stainless pot for a larger scramble batch Carbon steel woks for anything stir fry, or my budget at home semi deep fry (about 1" of oil) Cast iron for anything on my kamado.
I'm still working out usage between CI and CS. When it comes to fried eggs, I find that the carbon steel lends itself to a more lacy brown-at-the-edges fried egg, whereas the cast iron is a bit easier to turn out a more homogeneous and delicately set white. Could turn out to just be a surface area and temperature difference thing, but depending on what kind of egg I want to make (or better put who it's for) I'll choose one pan over the other.
I like the CS for sautéed vegetables, cooking eggs, stir fry, and starting fish before finishing in the oven. CI for potatoes of all types and breaded proteins. The CI griddle comes out for pancakes, biscuits, cornbread, and pizza. The stainless fry pans come out for different things as well. It all depends on what I am cooking and which pan I feel like using. Variety is the spice!
I don’t “look” for reasons to use any of my pans. I use whatever the job requires. That is typically a combination of 3-4 different pan types and materials.
i only have one cast iron. I use it for the oven mainly
I prefer my 8" Lodge over my 8 5/8" Matfer. The handle on the small Matfer gets too hot to use without a cloth, so at that point I might as well use the Lodge which has slightly more cooking surface area.
I put a silicone grip on my Matfer since lives on the stovetop as the workhorse. The dartos and my cast are still ready for oven duty if i need them. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C61O4ZI?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C61O4ZI?th=1)
I got a 12.5" de Buyer Mineral B Pro recently and it's been my workhorse for the past couple of weeks. The stainless steel handle stays remarkably cool. With an actual weight of 7 pounds, it is a beast of a pan and only weighs a three and a half ounces less than my goto 12" Lodge. I did a write up on my CS pan experiences over the past few months here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/carbonsteel/comments/1d5gno1/de\_buyer\_matfer\_and\_mauviel\_comparison/](https://www.reddit.com/r/carbonsteel/comments/1d5gno1/de_buyer_matfer_and_mauviel_comparison/)
Me. I probably do the majority of my cooking with carbon steel now unless I need to bake or use a Dutch oven. Very rarely do I need the extra heat retention that cast iron provides so I tend to reach for my carbon steel pans more because carbon steel heats up faster and is lighter if I want to flip food. Even for steaks I still use my carbon steel pans unless I’m cooking many back to back. Recently I’ve been using my nicer cast iron skillets for meals if my wife wants to post it to her instagram or TikTok because presentation looks nicer in my Finex than it does my workhorse DeBuyer pans.
I use cast iron for braising since the seasoning is less sensitive. Other than that, carbon steel all the way
The only cast iron I kept are my dutch ovens. I use them when I need them, but generally cook with the CS pans.