UPDATE on first Carbon Steel Pan

DMartin — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 17:56:39 +0000

Pretty happy with this pan – until I wasn’t.

It is time for a follow-up to my post from Christmas 2020. As a reminder, take a look at my previous post: Review of the BK Carbon Steel 10- inch pan.

As you can see, I was thrilled when I got it. It looked good and it felt great. I debated stripping the initial seasoning but my initial cooking tests looked good – so I spent the next four months using it couple times a week.

I followed my standard iron pan maintenance and it behaved well. It was a joy to use and it cleaned up nicely. But after about 3 months I noticed larger bare spots and it sure looked as if the initial seasoning was coming up in the center of the pan.

When it became apparent that the initial seasoning was flaking off I decided to give it a light rub with the green side of a Scotch Brite sponge. It surprised me to see that the majority of the seasoning came up quickly. So…I continued scrubbing until the bottom was clean.

So last Saturday, I followed my own instructions for initial seasoning and baked on 3 new layers over the course of about half a day. The initial look of the initial seasoning, as always, is awesome…

It never really stays that way but as long as the performance is good then I’m happy. Initial performance this week has been fantastic so this pan is back in circulation!

So I will reduce my wholehearted recommendation for the BK Carbon Steel Pan to a mild recommendation because I really like the feel of this pan. If you just got this pan keep an eye on the initial seasoning and see if you have any difficulty with it in the first 4-6 months. If you have owned it for a while, I would be interested to hear if you have any thoughts on this pan.

Time for my first Carbon Steel Pan

DMartin — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 22:52:56 +0000

Review: BK Carbon Steel 10 inch pan

Check Out this update after 4 months of using this pan!

UPDATE on first Carbon Steel Pan

I have been working with cast iron pans since I was young but I only just purchased my first Carbon Steel pan. Actually, it was a 2020 Christmas gift – but I was very specific with the exact make and model when I asked Santa. And the pan I asked for was the BK Carbon Steel 10 inch pan and I immediately cooked in it for several days.

As some know from other parts of this site…a carbon steel pan is the very close cousin of the cast iron pan. I mention them over in the Pros and Cons section. To summarize, the carbon steel pan is lighter and heats up more quickly than cast iron and the care and maintenance is the same. And like any new iron pan – you are faced with the eternal question of initial seasoning.

I could strip it and start again with my own seasoning process. Then I would know that it was done correctly. But the reviews on the pan were very good and information I read on the company was comforting.

If it was a garage sale or flea market find – I would consider stripping it to the bare iron. But in this case, the pan looked great and came from a reputable company and they suggest that the pan is already pre-seasoned. So I followed my own suggestions on the Restoration section of this website. If it looks good – try cooking in it and see if you are satisfied with the results. So I gave it a good wash to remove any protective wax that companies typically use to protect the iron. Then it was time to get start the ultimate evaluation test – the simple fried egg.

I left the pan on for a while since I noticed a slight odor on its first heat. It dissipated quickly and it was ready for the butter. I admit, I used a bit more butter than I usually do – I wanted to give it the best chance to succeed.

The eggs went in soon after the butter quickly melted. I was anxious to flip them and try out the pan but I knew that was a newbie mistake. Let the food cook.

I knew I was in for a treat when I saw the eggs sliding in the pan before I even flipped them! Check out the videos below!

So on Day 1 and two delicious fried eggs later – I had my answer. I would not have to do anything to this pan – except continue to cook in it, of course. Over the past two weeks the pan is starting to darken, as expected, and it behaves beautifully. Small amounts of burned-on food (from last week’s pork ramen, for instance) cleaned easily with a water soak (about 1 hour) and 10 seconds with a nylon brush.

The look and feel of the pan is quite nice. The handle is long and tends to stay pretty cool while cooking. If they don’t, I have my extra-long Hardmill leather handle covers – see blog post! The rivets that attach the handle are good looking but more importantly – they do the job and clean-up well without food hiding in any crevices. My pan weighed in at 3.0 lbs. and is 10.25 inches across the top and about 8.25 across the bottom. I really like that the whole thing can be popped in the oven for cooking or future re-seasoning.

I believe it was about $40.00 (Amazon) and I am pleasantly surprised with this pan. I did not know the company, but I will keep it in mind for my next needed purchase and if you couldn’t tell – I highly recommend it.

Click for BK Cookware website.

Check out the company website, if interested. For the record, I am not associated with the company and receive nothing from linking to their information.