As part of our testing process, we routinely revisit past product recommendations to ensure they’re still accurate and to see how they compare to similar products. In a world full of excellent nonstick frying pans and elegantly designed enameled cast irons, there is a silent but stoic workhorse that has traditionally been the staple of professional kitchens—the carbon steel pan. If you use an induction stove, carbon steel cookware—the Matfer Bourgeat pan included—is an excellent choice. The pan is induction-ready and, as per the manufacturer is compatible with all stovetops, can be used on open fire and grill and is oven safe up to 400 degrees Celsius (over 750 degrees Fahrenheit).

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. 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.On the stove, the handle didn't get too hot to handle considering it was on the heat for 10 minutes. 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. As is the case with cast-iron cookware, you don’t need to pay a pretty penny to get a high-quality carbon steel pan that’s built to last. The single-piece pan design is welded to the handle, eliminating the need for rivets and providing an innovative angled shape for efficient stirring and sauteeing. I thought about sanding them pretty long and made my peace with the trade offs before hand, I am pleased with the result.

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. This steel pan can also withstand and maintain exceedingly high temperatures, as it can be used on all hob and stove types, even induction. It came in a giant box, no leaflet, just a little circular paper disc stuck on with basic instructions. Jed Grieve, too, who runs the Canadian kitchenware business Cook Culture and uses an induction cooktop in his popular YouTube videos, has had success with the current Matfer Bourgeat pans.

But as mentioned before, it’s not much compared to cast iron that offers very similar cooking abilities. So the Skeppshult pans kept seasoning quite well indeed considering I didn’t have any seasoning routines and just washed and dried them after use. As I was contemplating this, I remembered a similar thing happening to a newly seasoned cast iron pan. Again, these are utilitarian working pans, and are meant to be covered in a patina anyway, so not at all an issue. It is among a handful of suppliers worldwide that are able to provide a complete range of kitchen utensils and equipment for any foodservice establishment.

I instinctively splashed in a bit of vermouth to deglaze — and only then did I remember you’re not supposed to cook anything acidic until the seasoning is really built up. What I have noticed now after I sanded my Skeppshult 24 cm and 28 cm frypans smooth, is that these do not scratch nearly as easily my carbon pans with metal utensils. I found it difficult to decide on a size, it's French made, but sold in inches - across the top (widest point). Yes, the adapters worked fine for my purposes of heating cast iron more evenly on undersized burners.

The pan arrives with detailed instructions for seasoning, which you need to complete before you get to cooking. I use a gas hob and have found I set the flame far lower compared to cooking on the Teflon pans I previously used. This makes it easy and hassle free to cook foods at both high and low temperatures, and will never leave you with that sad feeling of seeing the beautiful crust on your steak left on the pan. The heat up time isn’t even so much affected, I can preheat on a bit higher setting than I would normally. I dried it and warmed it on the gas hob before adding a teaspoon of vegetable oil, which it smeared about using a bunched fist of kitchen paper.