French Steel vs Carbon Steel...Difference?

**texasPI** · 08-29-2009, 11:01 PM

I'm looking to acquire a new fry pan and I'm not sure what (if any) differences there are between these two descriptions. Also, any links, brands etc to look into/for?

I have my eye on a Debuyer...

Thanks!

**tsmba** · 08-30-2009, 07:20 AM

I've never heard the term "French steel". Usually, when I see "French" in reference to a frypan, its indicative of the shape/design. When I worked as a line cook, we used plain steel saute' pans. They were a pain to clean. While I like non-stick for a few applications, I prefer pans with a stainless layer as the cooking surface, and a good conductor (aluminum or copper) beneath.

**SiBurning** · 08-30-2009, 09:03 AM

They're the same thing. What you want to watch for is whether it's anealed, in which case it's blue or black steel aka gun metal, or if it's enamel coated. Untreated, they need to be seasoned like cast iron, or at least carbon coated (like a thin layer of charcoal). Even annealed, they still could use seasoning. They're very reactive, so stay away from acids.

Carbon steel is thin, and while the heat does even out a bit, the thinness means it'll never stay completely even. It's certainly better than stainless steel, though. You want to use it for fast cooking or where you can tolerate uneven heat. Woks are perfect for carbon steel. Crepes are another good example--once you heat the pan evenly, they practically cook themselves. Otherwise, it's hard to come up with a use for these pans that wouldn't work better in a different type of pan.

I inherited two sets of these. One was a thicker (probably 2mm) blue metal frying pan with high sloped sides and a wooden handle, that I found useless except for mimicking a stir fry. The other was a set of three thin enamel coated pans, that couldn't cook eggs, but made nice crepes, and eventually rusted. Well, they all eventually rusted. Yes, it rusted right through the thin enamel coating, although it probably pitted first. Good riddance. The only thing these pans have going for them is they're cheap, and they're not just thin stainless steel. Still, if I made a lot of crepes, I would get another gun metal one rather than use non stick.

I don't think brands matter much here. The only thing to watch out for is how well the handle is attached, and of course, how thick the metal.

More at eGullet Understanding Stovetop Cookware, Instr: Samuel Lloyd Kinsey and also check out the corresponding discussion there.