DEFINITIVE PAN COMPARISON: Cast Iron V.S. Carbon Steel
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- čas přidán 26. 08. 2024
- What's the big difference between cast iron and carbon steel pans? Is one better? Do I really need both? This week, Nathan is running through the strengths (and faults) of a couple of our favorite types of pans. Do you have a favorite?
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Love both carbon and cast iron. Got away from Teflon many years ago for obvious reasons. Started first with carbon steel pans. I love the carbon steel for pot stickers and eggs. Purchased a high end Cast iron about five years ago for searing, cornbread, frittata. Also have carbon steel wok. Kitchen toys. Always a joy!😊
Have both. Love both.
I have a carbon steel wok I use for stir frying, 8" & 12" Ballerini carbon steel pans for sautees, eggs, quick frying, and a 12" cast iron pan for steaks & roasts. Love them all.
alongside what you said about proper preheating and heat retention in terms of searing, Thomas Keller taught me about tempering your proteins, Pull it out of the fridge at least a half hour before you intend to sear and let it get to room tempurature. that will greatly decrease the tempurature drop when it hits the pan!
love this video and I've been learning a lot about carbon steel/cast iron from you this evening! thank you!
Great point, tempering meat is clutch!
From my experience cooking from frozen gives me the best result. My Steak recipe: Frozen Thick cut Steak 400g. Add the right amount of Tallow to a cold cast iron pan with crushed whole garlics and rosemary. Add the Steak and let it heat up with the pan at medium/ low temp. Keep flipping the steak and add salt, pepper and garlic powder during the cooking once the steak isnt frozen anymore. Once the steak is deeply browned, it should be raw inside. Probe thermometer goes in and into a 160c/ 325f oven till almost desired internal temp. Results are always incredible.
It also gives salt time to work its seasoning magic on the meat. The salt pulls out protein laden water from the inside of the meat, and draws itself into the interior, and then it even helps seal in moisture, but all this takes time and it slows down at lower temps
Carbon steel was definitely a game changer for me. I have the time of my live when standing in the kitchen, preparing food mis en place with my Aogami Super Gyuto by Yu Kurosaki, sipping some IPA in between, listening to rock music and stir fry the food with high heat in my carbon steel Wok 🤘🏼😃
That sounds like my kind of night!
I love both. I have a few stainless steel pans, a carbon steel fry pan, a big cast iron like yours, a carbon steel wok. We have one ceramic pan (with a protector on it) for when someone wants to use it. But I tend toward these myself too
Excellent comparison. Your knowledge of culinary content combined with technical expertise and clear delivery is extremely helpful. It seems there is a need for both types of cookware in the kitchen. Appreciate the information.
Thank you!
I got both kinds. I'm really loving my carbon steel pans more and more. I've got them seasoned perfectly. I even left one outside, full of water overnight. I finished cleaning it, and cooked eggs in it right away. Wipe-out clean surface after sliding my eggs around. Cast iron is a great pizza pan!
Wow, that's awesome!
Nice video. True, cast iron has more carbon than carbon steel, but it's important to put the numbers in perspective. The percentage varies, but the carbon to iron ratio for carbon steel is around .5 or 1 percent while that of cast iron is only around 2 or 3 percent. You could argue that there is hardly any difference at all or you could say one has twice as much as the other, and both statements would be correct. In any case, there is enough difference in carbon content to make a significant difference in properties particularly when it comes to formability. But other properties can be expected to be quite similar.
The primary reason cast iron is thick is because of the way that it is produced. It is difficult to cast very thin parts. On the other hand, carbon steel pans are hand forged by heating and hammering or, in the case of less expensive pans, they can be spun or pressed. Carbon steel pans are thinner both because of the way they're made and because of the alloy of the metal.
Thermal conductivity of carbon steel is actually slightly less good than cast iron, but as you might guess, since the chemical composition is so similar, the difference is small. Almost any other cooking pan alloy has higher, usually much higher, thermal conductivity than either cast iron or carbon steel. Carbon steel pans heat up more quickly because of the low thermal mass compared with the higher thermal mass of cast iron. In simple terms, the heavier piece of metal will have higher thermal mass compared with a lighter one if the metallurgical properties are very similar. Higher thermal mass means a pan heats up and cools down more slowly and that is because there is so much more metal in the heavy cast iron example rather than the chemical composition of the pans in question.
Emissivity is simply a measure of an objects ability to emit infrared energy. Charts showing cast iron and carbon steel emissivity figures vary mostly because of the surface condition more than they do because of their chemical composition. In other words, is the surface polished, oxidized, molten, and so on. But consider the fact that both pans should be well seasoned with a similar surface coating so emissivity will be quite similar because emissivity is related to the surface more than the underlying metal alloy. However, we don't cook by suspending food over a hot pan and hope that the IR radiation does the job. We let gravity do it's work and keep the food in contact with the hot pan and it is that conductive heat which does the job. I don't consider emissivity to be a factor at all when it comes to comparing carbon steel to cast iron as far as actual cooking goes. However, if you're using one of those IR thermometers to measure the temperature of a pan, then a seasoned cast iron or carbon steel might indicate a difference when compared with a shiny stainless steel pan even though they're at the same temperature.
Your bottom line assessment is in exact agreement with the way I view my array of carbon steel pans, cast iron pans, and my hand hammered woks. There is plenty of cross over, but having a choice to better suit the job at hand is nice. I also have quite a variety of enameled cast iron cookware which is ideal for brazing and stewing, especially with acidic foods.
Quite informative. I'd seen a video of either Matfer or Du Buyer pans being pressed, rather than hand forged,
This video is a great practical look at the similarities and differences between good cast iron a d good carbon steel skillets- thanks for doing such a good job of evaluating these!
I have a 10.5” Stargazer that goes up against my 11” deBuyer carbon steel. Both do a great job of almost anything but the differences I note are these: the flared edge on the carbon steel pans and their longer cooler handles let me toss and flip foods easily. The “heat sink” attributes pf the Stargazer makes cooking low and slow more even and better. One for fast skillet work and one for slow.
As far as seasoning retention goes, both do very well, and will “hockey-puck” an egg with ease if you do your part.
Thank you, very well said!
I love my cast iron. I did buy a carbon steel wok, and it's nice, but I'm a cast iron guy. I have a dutch oven I use for deep frying, and an enamaled dutch oven for soups, sauces, etc.
I bought more cast iron at thrift stores and got rid of the teflon and aluminum cookware.
Something to consider for cast-iron use is the Lodge Combo Cooker.
The combo cooker is useful for camp or for ‘bachelor’ [smaller quantity] kitchens in its various configurations. In a single utensil, you get an ~10 inch cast-iron skillet with an ~3 qt. cast iron pot/
lid, or, a cast iron pot with a cast-iron skillet lid, allowing many forms of frying, stewing, and baking for one or two people.
I have done my morning omelet/forearm workout in the skillet for decades [one tip to complete the set is to get yourself a stainless steel sheet metal pot lid to fit which, being lighter, avoids some of the extreme weightlifting workout involved in using the cast iron pot for a skillet cover - doable but HEAVY]. I like to saute/steam my omelet ingredients a bit [onions, cheese and ham…] under the sheet metal cover in preference.
As to baking, [skillet down, pot up], bread, biscuits,and cornbread are a piece of cake. In camp, being nearly indestructible, the combo goes along on all but the backpack trips.
Hohly cow, that one is WAY too expensive in Europe! I can bet it’s nit half as expensive in USA
Excellent video! I'm with you man. I have both carbon steel and cast iron pans in my kitchen. Lodge and Victoria cast iron, as well as Matfer, de Buyer, and a Cast-A-Way carbon steel. These days I mostly use the Matfer pans because they heat up fast, are well seasoned (I've had them a longer time) and they go in the oven for finishing thick steaks. I have two de Buyer crepe pans and one omelette pan. They're more for lighter stovetop cooking. The Cast-A-Way is a deeper pan (almost like cast iron) and it's great for dishes with lots of sauce and liquid.
Demeyer Stainless, Smithey Cast iron, and a Matfer Carbon steel pans are my favorites. No teflon or ceramic allowed in my kitchen we eat enough synthetics as is.
👏👏👏
Awesome demo - what's the knife type / length you are using looks great! - also what are those tongs your using? great video!
Hey! Here's the knife and tongs I used:
knifewear.com/products/king-tong-36cm-tweezers
knifewear.com/products/hado-sakai-sumi-bunka-180mm
@@KnifewearKnives Legend! Thanks so much + keep the great videos coming - love it especially seeing the tools at use in proper meals , not just random tests! :)
Both is for sure the way to go. But if i had to choose only one I’d go with the cast iron for the versatility.
I'm progressively moving from cast iron to carbon steel. I like the fact that carbon steel is less bulky. A video suggestion would be a blind taste test of steaks cooked in both style pans.
That's a great idea!
Great comparo! I only have 1, a de Buyer 11" Mineral B Pro, and 3 various sizes of cast iron (1 is a Dutch oven) from Victoria. Both types are outstanding performers at every kind of cooking a person may do. The smooth cooking surface of the de Buyer is usually asking for a bit more work for seasoning and maintenance on my electric coil stove, but that is fine with me.
Cast iron has 2.5 to over 4 percent carbon. It is saturated with nearly as much carbon as it can dissolve from the coke in the blast furnace. It also has 1 - 3 percent silicon. Whereas carbon steel has much lower levels of both ... No more than 0.6 percent silicon by definition and usually under 1 percent carbon so that it can be pressed and formed into pans. But in no case will non-iron elements comprise more than 1.6 percent in total.
Good to know!
Great information. If you don't mind answering, does blueing a carbon steel pan make it softer and more prone to warping?
@@CoolJay77 Sheet steel used for pans has to be relatively soft temper to handle the draw forming process. Blueing will not really change its properties but the uneven heating that this often entails might itself cause warping.
@@DrJuan-ev8lu Thanks
Lol I love cast iron. Its all I ever use. Durability is why I love it. I'm excited to see what carbon steel is all about. Thank you for the video 🎉
Glad you enjoyed it!
Definitely carbon steel for me, its lightweight and for fast pace cooking on the line is really get the job done..
Great video, learnt a lot. Sick knife collection
Thank you!
Great demos!!
Gold single grill, Nathan? A man of culture I see hehe
Hahahaha, that's from when I knocked a few teeth out on a Lime scooter. Great opportunity for an upgrade!
I have a pan problem. I keep buying them even though i already have more than i need😂😂
Same!
They make silicone sleeves for handle covers. However they tend to slide off if you don't have the best grip strength.
I think smithey makes leather slips specific to their pans. Slick af
Nice comparison. The long hair and beard really fit you well 👌🏼
Thank you!
also! could you maybe do a video of cooking eggs in carbon steel vs cast iron? I know myself and a lot of other people struggle with egg stickage in these pans... would love to see your tips and tricks!
Absolutely!
Love cast iron, want to get into carbon steel. Anyone have thoughts on pan vs wok?
Good question! I have both, but I find I use my wok more, as it offers different utility from my cast iron pan. It really comes down to what kind of food you like to cook!
Talk about some laid back music! I feel so calm right now, everything is gonna be alright. I did just eat two lories so.. that may be why.
Haha perfect!
Cheaper cast-iron pans like lodge?
They're awesome! The only main downside is that they're quite rough, so they can be pretty sticky with eggs.
Bingo... awesome for everything but eggs
For eggs, try a De Buyer carbon steel omelette pan.@@KnifewearKnives
id also add that if u have one stainless steel pan for tomatoe sauces or searing proteins and making pan sauces then thats REALLY all youd ever need. unless you also wanted a dutch oven or something for stews and such
Great point!
Its kinda like that: ci is american muscle car and cs is ferrari
Imo best compromice is atleast 3mm thick carbon steel pan ,best from both worlds. It sear steake as good as ci.
Absolutely! 👍
Totally agree. Then u might not have to worry too much that your CS pan will warp. Like this one, unfortunately 😢😢😢
In my adulthood I've used almost exclusively cast iron. Got curious about carbon steel recently and ordered one.
Stumbled upon this video while researching the topic.
Thanks for the compare and contrast of the two. 👍
Glad I could help!
The carbon steel pan looks very interesting.... what's the thickness of the pan? Does the thickness differ between the different sizes of their pans?
Great question! They're all 1.6mm thick.
I think due to its thickness, or thinness, You have to be really careful using it that it doesn’t overheat too quickly. It looks like yours have unfortunately. Notice a spinning action after the oil is poured onto your pan. It’s warped.😢😢😢
I’m gonna be honest. I know you are showing how to use these pans to their strengths, but I would have cooked the vegetables in the leftover fond from the steak. The pan was still hot and would’ve cooked the vegetables just fine. You just couldn’t flip the pan and would have to use a spatula like a pleb lol😂. Great job!
Haha, totally fair!
So Nathan what about making a Bolognese and so on as I hear the acid in tomatoes can really put a toll on seasoning. We have a bunch of enameled dutch ovens which we used for baking bread, and my GF got herself a cast iron pan for her birthday but I been really debating on getting carbon steel as I hate Teflon pans
Same here on the Dutch oven! You'll love carbon steel pans once you try them!
I have a nicely seasoned carbon steel wok and made the mistake of making sweet/sour shrimp with peppers, pineapple chunks and tomato wedges.........the acid took off the seasoning very quickly....dinner was good but had to reseason the wok....didn't take it down to bare metal, just oiled and rebaked it....a little lumpy for awhile, but eventually great again
Carbon steel is my preferred
What brand is the Japanese Carbon Steel you are using?
I like Kirameki!
Unfortunately it might have been misused…warped (note the spinning action after oil was poured onto it). Out of curiosity is 3 or 2 mm thick.? I’m sure it’s a lovely pan nonetheless.
"That sounds like overhandling to me". For the Letterkenny fans out there.
this is nice if you can fortieth. But nice!
See that carbon steel pan spin after he poured oil onto it😳😳😳. Warped 😢😢😢
That's an induction cooker? Any good? Better for the environment?
It gets hot FAST, which I love. I'm unsure about the environmental benefits, but it seems pretty efficient!
I have both, but a carbon steel pan actually only has advantages while cast iron has some disadvantages such as the hot handle being too short or the bottom being too rough. I would only recommend carbon steel, actually all professional chefs in Europe cook with carbon steel and not cast iron - that's probably saying something ^^ I also have a Fissler stainless steel pan that I can't do without, everything with sauces etc. is just cooked in her.
I guess that you've only looked at one brand of cast iron...
@@kenneth9874 why do think so?
@@Atreuzs I've only seen 2 brands with a rough finish
@@kenneth9874 in europe almost any cast iron have an rough finish
What oil are you using?
I use canola!
Canola😳😳😳. 😢😢😢.
Where are Smiths sold?
Here! knifewear.com/collections/shop?q=smithey
Are we going to see a twin peaks x knifewear shirt? At least some stickers?
Yeah, that has to happen.
Those are black steel. Black steel and cast iron are different. You can fry chicken in either, but you have to be more careful with heat with black steel which can heat up and cool faster.
And warp, like this one 😢😢😢
That seems to be a Smithey cast iron skillet.
@@nokieng6502 The warped pan at 11:22 which spins, is the Kirameki carbon steel pan, which is only 2mm if I am not mistaken.
Has pour spouts, doesn’t use them😂
10:30 Everything looks cooler in slomo
Carbon steel has more carbon than cast iron, that’s what makes it steel.
You're thinking of wrought iron, which has very little carbon. Cast iron has more carbon than steel (over 2%) because carbon lowers the melting point so you can pour and cast it.
You’re right, I was thinking blacksmith-like. I stand corrected. @@mikeobrien4081