Carbon steel vs stainless steel pan Reddit

If it’s your first and only pan I’d probably get a large high quality stainless skillet. Carbon pans are amazing but they’re kind of like classier cast iron pans, and have some limitations and require different upkeep.

12-13 in stainless skillet, 2-3 stainless saucepans between 2 and 3 qt, 6qt stainless stock pot, 3-4 Aluminum half-sheet trays,

That’s the base you work from. From there you can add: Carbon steel or Cast Iron skillet, Enameled cast iron Dutch oven, Couple hotel pans of different sizes, 3.5qt Straight-walled sauté pan,

I'll throw in a vote for CI or CS over stainless. You put steaks and burgers are the front of your list. Both get a better sear on cast iron than the other two. Carbon steel is almost as good for that, and lighter, so it isn't a bad choice at all. Stainless tends to require a lot of extra oil to keep a burger from sticking bad enough to be prohibitive, and that's just not a good thing. Steak wise, stainless does okay, particularly if you're going to baste it. I just find that I get a more satisfying crust on the others. With the tiny amount of extra oil it takes for a steak, it's still enough to change the results noticeably.

Chicken, the only problem with stainless is sticking. But that's able to be minimized once you get used to the pan. Not a huge factor at all. And stainless does build fond well, so with chicken, you get better pan sauces for sure.

A lot of material choice comes down to what you prefer really. There are use cases where each type is appreciably better, but for the most part it comes down to what you prefer on average.

One thing I have noticed is that pretty much any cast iron performs the same as every other.

Carbon steel you can get some benefit from picking brands since the thickness is a factor in how it performs, and de buyer is thicker than the other better known brands (I still prefer my lodge CS though).

Stainless, you really can't go cheap unless you want it to suck. You need a thicker base, clad design or they just plain suck. They'll warp easy, have uneven heating, have stuff burnt before you can notice it, and are harder to clean because of it. Luckily, the mid range prices for stainless are more than adequate. So none of the options are that far apart in price for something you can rely on.

Personally, I say having more than one option is the best option. But, if I could only have one primary skillet, it's going to be cast iron. I very much enjoy my carbon steel, but I could do without it just fine. Having to give up CI and only have stainless, I'd be unhappy. Like I said, that's my preference for my stove, with the way I cook. Your needs and preferences might be different enough to be the opposite. But, of the very few people allowed to cook in my kitchen, every single one has ended up getting their own cast iron skillet. They'll still use Teflon for eggs, but they've all switched to CI eventually.

I'm getting ready to take the plunge and buy all new cookware. My target price range is 300-500 (but I may be willing to go a bit higher if the price/value is right). I've been reading up on the pros and cons of both carbon steel and stainless, and I'm still not sure which way to go. Leaning towards stainless, simply because I love the aesthetics, but don't want to end up with sub-par cookware because I was more concerned with the way it looks than the way it cooks. Advice from the peanut gallery would be welcome. Thanks!

Edit: I'm a home cook, not a professional chef, just in case there was any confusion.

General consensus for what pans you need are a basic cast iron skillet and some stainless steel ones, along with at least one decent nonstick for a few applications like eggs, knowing it will need to be replaced every so often.

I’m fortunate enough to have amassed all of these over the decades, but I’m hearing more and more about carbon steel which seems to be nirvana if all skillets...lightweight like a stainless, durable like a cast iron and nonstick like a Tfal type pan.

For those of you who have experience with the carbon steel, what are the things you love. Followed by, what are the things you don’t love.

TL;DR: is investing in a carbon steel pan worth it? And if so, what brand?

Planning to stock up on pans in my kitchen (but gradually since I'm on a budget heh). I mostly cook meats and pasta--a lot of pasta. Haha. But sometimes I make so much sauce I just use a pot instead of a pan. I would love a saucier but I can't seem to find online here in my country.

I mostly just want to buy a new pan, so I can cook salmon and steak on it. Get a good sear and crust on it. If I get the cast iron pan I'm definitely making cast iron pizza. Lol.

What are your experiences cooking with them and also experiences with maintenance? I don't mind needing to baby the pan. Haha.

I found two pans from IKEA for $120 and a 12" cast iron pan for $30. Also found a carbon steel pan for the same price ($30).

Is carbon steel better than stainless steel?

Why do chefs use carbon steel pans?

Is it healthy to cook with carbon steel pans?

Why are carbon steel pans better?