Swapped my usual stainless pans for carbon steel on a bet last Saturday and burned through three batches of onions before getting one right

I've been cooking on stainless for like 8 years now, figured carbon steel would be pretty much the same. Boy was I wrong. First batch of onions stuck so bad I had to soak the pan. Second batch I tried using way more oil, still got a dark mess. Third batch I finally realized I was heating it too fast. Let it preheat slow and low, then added the oil, waited for the shimmer, and it worked. The onions came out golden and smooth. I guess I learned you gotta respect the seasoning on these pans a lot more than I thought. Has anyone else made this switch and struggled with the learning curve?

2 comments

2 Comments

norag6611d ago

Ha my buddy wrecked three pans in one week doing the same thing.

murphy.barbara11d ago

You're basically describing user error not a problem with the pans themselves. Carbon steel is literally just a thinner version of cast iron and everyone knows you gotta season it right and control your heat. Stainless steel is way harder to cook on in my opinion because stuff sticks way easier if you don't get the pan hot enough first. Your first two batches failed because you didn't let the pan come up to temp slowly like you figured out, that's not the pan's fault that's on you for rushing it. I've been using carbon steel for a few years now and it's way more forgiving than stainless once you get the technique down, especially for things like eggs or fish.