Matfer Bourgeat, Gray 0 Black Steel Round Frying Pan, 10 1/4-Inch

So, why the five stars? Well, the rating is for the quality of the pan, but not the utility. Also, nobody reads the lesser-rated reviews.First off, everything you’ve read about the seasoning process is probably true. I’ll just add that I had to use an SOS pad and Barkeepers Friend a number of times. I also used the potato peel method as directed by the manufacturer, but note that they don’t mention seasoning the bottom. I did that anyway with the oven method.Now, to the utility problem. See, these pans are designed for industrial use. It kind of reminds me of back when restaurant-style gas stoves became popular in home kitchens. The proud owners quickly learned that they were not suited for home use, with their high flames and lack of insulation turning the entire kitchen into an oven. Carbon Steel pans are designed to be cheap and take a beating. But, since they’ve doubled in price the past few years, only the latter remains true.Are they really nonstick? The simple answer is: no. Sure, if you put enough butter in one you can swirl an egg around like you see in the videos. Only problem is you can’t actually swirl the pan because it’s too heavy. What’s more, you can do the same thing with a stainless steel pan which you can actually pick up and move around. But in none of these can you crack an egg into it without fat like you can a nonstick pan.Any other problems? Yes. Because of the way they’re stamped in production, there’s an annoying crease around the interior edge that traps all kinds of gunk. Also, they’re very small. Owing to the highly-flared rims, my 10” pan only has an interior of less than 7”. Compare that to the over 8” interiors of my 10” All-Clad and Oxo Non-stick pans.What would you use it for? Well, it makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich (but then, so do all the others). It excels at steaks and burgers (but then, so do all the others, especially cast iron). And, unlike the others, it leaves a good bit of fond that you can’t just wipe out (see Fig. 1). And, of course, once you scrub it out with hot water (even without soap), there goes your seasoning. And if you want to use that fond for a pan sauce, that will remove your seasoning too, plus add a lot of dirt and rust to your sauce (see Fig. 2). You’re way better off with stainless.Oh, and don’t forget the handle gets hot; you’ll need a silicone cover.So, what is it good for? Hmm…nothing really. It will last forever, though, if you go through the trouble of hefting, using, cleaning, and re-seasoning. And you get to brag to your friends that you have one.Do I hate carbon steel? Absolutely not. My current wok is about twenty years old and has a beautifully-seasoned finish. I wouldn’t use anything else for stir frying. Of course, owing probably to it’s rounded shape (less chance for warping, so thinner), the wok is much lighter (and it's 4” bigger).Do I hate the Matfer Bourgeat? No, but you will.

Terrific pan. My first carbon steel pan, but I've heard about the benefits and quality of them--and of this Matfer Bourgeat in particular--for a long while. I was even able to get this one on sale for only $32 here (what a carbon steal!).I will say that the beeswax coating it came in with took quite a bit of scrubbing with a steel scouring pad to get it all off. So make sure you get it all off before placing it onto the stove or in the oven to season. I also used the instructions on the pan's label to season it for the first time & to soak up any residual wax (cook potatoes, oil, & salt in the bare pan), and it turned out terrific! I've since stuck it into the oven a couple times with a full coat of oil to further season.I've had a great experience with cooking in the skillet so far (I've had it for a month or so now), particularly with meats, potatoes, anything to be fried or seared, etc. Trying to stir fry in the 10.25" is a lot trickier, but that's not a fault of the pan quality itself, just the size. I kind of wish I would've sprung for a bigger version, but only this one had such a big discount at the time. Using sauces in the pan, such as soy sauce, does tend to leave sticky residue that can be deglazed pretty easily with hot water and a spatula while the pan is still hot/has been reheated. I've yet to use soap on the pan after the initial seasoning process.That being said I'm still new and learning when it comes to this pan. I have a pretty hard time not scratching the seasoning on the bottom when cooking with a fish spatula, and I'm not really sure if it's an issue with the spatula or my technique. Sometimes I'll also wipe down the pan with a mixture of oil and salt to remove any particularly stubborn burnt bits or smooth out uneven/bumpy seasoning that won't come off with a brush.I will probably still stick to a non-stick pan/wok for certain dishes like stir-fries, less heat-intensive recipes, and especially acidic foods. I did know what I was getting into in terms of clean up with the carbon steel. And it does tend to be very simple when just frying (just a quick paper towel wipe is enough). However, with certain foods the aftercare does feel a bit tedious, so I'd rather just make it easier for myself. At least until I get more used to cooking in the pan and/or build up a good enough seasoning.Also I would like to give warning that cooking on an electric stove and especially an induction surface will likely warp the bottom of your pan. Mine often ends up spinning while cooking on my electric stovetop, but I don't have a gastop, so what can I do. Luckily my pan's always been able to return to normal after cooling down, though I can always tell where the uneven part is when it's still hot. It does leave me some cause for concern for the future. Hopefully that doesn't become too much of an issue.Apart from that, the cooking experience is very enjoyable. I highly highly recommend this pan. Really, it gives all the benefits of a cast iron pan, while also being a much lighter and a smoother cooking surface. It also doesn't trade any durability for that lightness and is better at regulating heat (both heating up and cooling down). I'm honestly surprised carbon steel pans haven't picked up in popularity in US households compared to the wildly popular cast iron pans, though I suppose the price point is certainly a huge factor in that.