*Just bellow find one of my videos from daily cooking with misen carbon steel

If you are looking for a safe non-stick pan alternative, carbon steel cookware is one of the best options to look for. Wait! Don’t say NO  because you just haven’t tried something similar before.

Actually, carbon steel is used by most professional chefs all around the world as an indispensable tool for everyday use. And, Yes there are good reasons for that.

One of the frequent things that you can hear is that carbon steel pans bring all of the benefits that cast iron pans have. However, there are a few important differences.

Because of the thinner walls, carbon steel skillets feel significantly lighter compared to cast iron. This will make you quite comfortable with preparing dishes that require moving the pan around. (Think about pancakes). This reduction in weight triggers slightly lower heat retention compared to cast iron. However, for all of you who want to avoid heavy cast iron but still keep almost all of its performance carbon steel is a great option.

When it comes to carbon steel pans it is good to know that they require little extra work during the first seasoning. This is the same thing that applies fr the cast iron.

However, once when is done you will really enjoy the amazing performances that carbon steel provides. (See maintaining part). Finally, unlike the non-stick coated pans cookware from such material can last for decades and it just becoming more non-stick over time. It is perfectly resistant to scratches and uses sharp metal cutlery.

Tell me now that there is an excuse for Teflon cookware with all of the risks that it brings?

Now, let’s see more details about the Misen carbon steel skillet, and what makes it so special. The Misen is a young startup company that hits the market with several innovative products. Apart from showing high quality and passing Safetouseit certification criteria, these pans are sold for affordable prices and it receives incredible feedback from a number of users.

This pan alone has several thousand reviews, which gives a great insight into the awesome experience that people have with it. Looking overall people really enjoy  Misen carbon steel pan quality, fit and fine finish so it could definitely be something that provides a great impression and performance. So, If you feel like you want to join hundreds of satisfied home chefs and quit using your non-stick cookware, don’t wait, give yourself a try with Misen carbon steel.

The company gives incredible 60 days test drive, so you can return it for two whole months if you don’t feel satisfied. If you find it good, then you will enjoy it for a looong time. Don’t forget that missen is giving a lifetime guarantee to secure that.

**IMPORTANT NEWS: Misen updated their carbon steel pan which now comes in pre-seasoned version! This makes all of the following mainaining practices even easier.

If you are new to using carbon steel and cast iron there is one term that you need to be familiar with, “Seasoning“ (If it is not a new thing for you can skip next two paragraphs).

 Unlike the seasoning of food which includes salt, paper and other spices, pan seasoning is the process of coating the by using oil and heat. It protects your cookware and makes it non-stick.

Let’s explain the nature of the seasoning process in short.

The oil that you use for cooking consists of long linear molecules. When you heat up the oil enough on the surface of your pan these long oil chains start to interconnect and produce a net that covers the pan surface on a microscopic level.  As your pan’s coating develops through this process, it’ll become more nonstick!. After seasoning, your pan typically gets darker, and these colored layers of oil-derived coating are called a “patina.”

It is important to say that exposing the steel to water in the long term can cause rusting, however, seasoning highly prevents that process.

Carbon/steel seasoning is conventionally done with some of the common oils with a higher level of unsaturated fatty acids, like flaxseed or canola. The more unsaturated fatty acids in oil the easier they interconnect with each other, and form the non-stick layer.

However, what I would like to highlight is that Misen company develops a proprietary mix of coconut oil, non-GMO soy oil, and beeswax that makespan seasoning quite easy and convenient. So you can take a look at this option also.

These are just some basic remarks about seasoning to provide you quick, informative review. Additionally, Misen team provides step by step guide on how to season your pan with pictures and a FaQ page that I really liked because of its comprehensiveness. 

Even Misen did a great job on introducing customers to carbon steel pan its maintenance and its seasoning I would go through some basics. Additionally, there are a few useful things that I would add on top of the manual that Misens provides and highlight some points in their instructions that can be very important.

Here is a short list:

Before first use-  Seasoning

  Misen sometimes provides different manuals for seasoning on its website and within the product box. One includes seasoning with applying the oven while the other one uses the stovetop. The stovetop method saves much more time effective and if it is ideal for gas or electric stovetops. However, if you have induction cooktops, they react to overheating by reducing the power which enables you to reach proper seasoning temperatures, so in that case, it is best to use the oven method or find an alternative stovetop.

Additionally, it’s important to have good ventilation while seasoning because of smoking oil. It can be ideally be done outside(e.g. On the grill). Alternatively, some ovens have very good ventilation so they can be used as a perfect option for this.

Washing

 Carbon steel should be washed only by hands. Seasoned pans are cleaned just with a paper towel, after washing with a little of hot water. Keep your carbon steel exposed to water as little as possible because of corrosion. Steel, just don’t go well with water. Don’t forget to store it dry!

Cooking temperatures

No limitations in cooking temperatures. Just like cast iron, carbon steel is a quite resilient material. The only practice that I advise you to avoid is exposing the hot pan directly to water. This can damage the patina (non-stick layer) formed on the pan.

Acidic food

Acidic food will affect your seasoning. A few tablespoons of tomato sauce, a small squeeze of lemon, or a teaspoon of soy sauce won’t make a problem from time to time. However, cooking the dishes with higher amounts of acidic ingredients with larger content of liquid can make problems. (especially when such practice require a prolonged amount of time) This both breaks the patina on your cookware and enhances the release of metals in significant amounts.

In addition

It’s important to remove silicone handle protection before putting the pan in the oven, so it is good to have that on your mind.

It is a good idea to bring ingredients close to room temperature before adding them to a hot pan. This is also one of a proposal from Misen which I fully agree with.

In the first place, Misen carbon steel skillet is perfectly suited to different types of frying. Additionally, unlike conventional non-stick pans which should be highly avoided when it comes to high heat fry methods (e.g. sauteing, searing, or stir fry) carbon still is an awesome tool to use.

With Misen carbon steel, you can do everything from searing big cuts of meat to stir fry your favorite veggies. Additionally, its slopping walls are ideal for shaking small cuts of food all around during sauteing or.

Preparing delicate food like eggs or pancakes in conventional non-stick pans feels so good that it is hard for people to move from it. However, this pan is just great for such a purpose.

Apart from different methods of frying this pan can be used in the oven without temperature limitations. It is perfect for different recipes from skillet baked apple pie to your favorite variation of skillet pizza.

Finally, it gives you the possibility to enjoy all the dishes that start on your stovetop and finish in the oven to get the final touch before serving.