Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Ok, so I have read some of the reviews and have to now chime in. If you are new to cooking or to carbon steel there is a learning curve. It is a lot like cast iron but has its differences. First, you will burn things if you do not control heat. My gas stove goes from 1-6 with high and low as the bookends. I stay below 3 for most things and raise above that only when I’m really loading a pan and have to account for temp drop. Second, the pan comes preseasoned as well as with a protective coating. So, scrub the coating off first and I slowly burnt the factory seasoning off washed and started fresh. Took about a month of regular use to get right and with heavier cooking probably faster. Third, after first set up, keep away from soap and acidic things. Get a chain link scrubby and only wash with warm water. Soap should not touch your pan. When clean, dry and pit on stove top and heat until those little whisks of smoke come off of the surface. Turn off and let cool until you can comfortably touch and apply a light coat of a high temp neutral oil all over the pan. The only place I don’t hit is where I hold the handle. Top reasons your food will stick. Number one, your seasoning has not fully developed. Number two, your pan is not really clean and your food is sticking to something left on the pan. The last is usually the number one reason, you did not heat your pan to a proper temp. Chef Anne says it best. You should hear applause. Look for the little whisper of smoke as your pan beats. Lastly, with meats, make sure you are not turning to early. If you do not let the sear develop the food will stick. So, is this pan good? I think it is a great buy if you either already have the understanding and skill or the patience to learn and develop the craft. I will say that unless you have a good size range, 12 inches may be a struggle to heat evenly, probably meant for more commercial use. I have had mine a year and it is my everyday pan. I am also a former chef and currently teach high school culinary. I am writing this review because I am buying a new one so that I don’t have to transport my home pan back and forth to school and figured a real review is worth the time. This is a real review I have put pictures of the pan up and a little video of me washing out my shrimp and cauliflower fried rice mess. Happy cooking.