Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Frying Pan 280 mm

There is a reason this pan is top rated by Cook's Illustrated. It's a great pan for the price. Heavy enough too heat evenly, but not so heavy as your 12 inch cast iron pan, not even close. Very non-stick once it has been seasoned. That was a little bit of work; the manufacturer recommends washing thoroughly, then doing a stove-top process with oil, salt, and potato skins for 15 minutes. It went well, but the house smelled of hot oil for quite a while! Still, entirely worth it; my hash browns this morning were delicious and easy.

I received this as a gift for Christmas and it's been on my wish list for some time. It has not disappointed. The first couple of things that are very noticeable are the weight and the welded handle vs. riveted handle. The weight was exciting; it's a solid construction and the even heating and distribution is wonderful. It's taken a little getting used to because it's different, but that's a good thing. I have an electric stovetop so I have to be patient for best results. That changed how I seasoned and also how I cook. The payoff is great though. Speaking of construction I was unsure about the weld. I get it that it's for a smooth interior that won't hold any bits. I held the handle tightly and gave it a couple of solid shakes knowing that I was placing a lot of ... MoreI received this as a gift for Christmas and it's been on my wish list for some time. It has not disappointed. The first couple of things that are very noticeable are the weight and the welded handle vs. riveted handle. The weight was exciting; it's a solid construction and the even heating and distribution is wonderful. It's taken a little getting used to because it's different, but that's a good thing. I have an electric stovetop so I have to be patient for best results. That changed how I seasoned and also how I cook. The payoff is great though. Speaking of construction I was unsure about the weld. I get it that it's for a smooth interior that won't hold any bits. I held the handle tightly and gave it a couple of solid shakes knowing that I was placing a lot of faith in the product and simultaneously exposing my floor (and toes) to extreme peril. I came out unscathed as did the pan. SO-LID! Overall the performance is what is most notable; vegetables get good color, mushrooms sear up, chops are beautifully crusted, and eggs.....well, that's the test, right? Some bacon lard and butter and they get the most amazing crispy bottom at medium heat. My wife said that they are the best eggs I've ever made.

Best Pan for Omeletes

What an enjoyable experience to make omeletes with this pan. Once you have "seasoned" the pan according to DeBuyer instructions, it is soooo easy to cook an omelete or fried eggs as the eggs just slide off the pan. Treat this well and you will have beautiful omeletes. This pan is my new best friend in the kitchen! Gorgeous omeletes to keep my husband happy!

Great non-stick pan!

We use this pan for everything now. It's just becoming more and more non-stick, and it's easy to clean. I did think it would feel a little bit lighter, but it is still lighter than our cast iron of similar size, just not by much. The handle has good leverage though and doesn't immediately get super hot when cooking over high heat.

Great pan with a few reservations

Getting the seasoning right is a bit of a challenge and I ended up using the oven vs the coil E stove. It's definitely more maintenance but that gets less as you build up the seasoning. I was a little surprised by the heft and I'm not sure it's lighter than my Lodge of the roughly the same size. Pro's: thick steel, no rivets, not bothered by being in a very hot oven, perfect size for standard electric heating element, good (but not great) heat distribution. Neg's: seasoning maint, weight and very long handle (although it fit in my kenmore oven).

I would buy this product again

Carbon steel pans require seasoning several times & several used to become non-stick. Now that the two pans that I bought have been seasoned & used a few times the non-stick surface is starting to develop. The weight of the pans is somewhere between my stainless steel & my cast iron pans of similar size & this is something to consider. My wife will use this 10.25" pan but the larger one is a little too heavy for her. I do 99% of the cooking so this is not an issue for us. I'm enjoying these pans & liking them more with each use. When I ordered the pans I didn't have correct measurements for the cooking surface so talked to the people at Matfer Bourget & they were very helpful. Culinary Depot is easy to work with, their prices are good & I'm happy with their service.

I would not buy this pan, too heavy & NOT RETURNABLE.

Found it too heavy. Feels like more than 4 lbs. I tried to return it, pan is till in bag, I still have the box, but they would not let me, item is considered out of stock and NOT RETURNABLE.I've taken it out of the bag since they told me I could not return it, and it is rough. there are metal bits sticking out the handle!!!I also bought a lighter one, similar that I am looking forward to trying out. It noes not have the metal bits.

Just what I wanted

As a fan of cast iron, and a fan of nonstick, I'd always wondered why there were no carbon steel pans in the American home kitchen. I bought this for my home and am very pleased. The metal seasons quickly and is very slick. I'm looking forward to the fact that this pan should last a lifetime, unlike coated nonstick pans that I have to replace every few years. This is also the best price for this product I've found online so far.

Perfect Pan for Home Cook - Great Delivery Timing

I've wanted a black steel fry pan for years. I saw a video on Youtube rating the Matfor Bourgeat fry pans as about the best available and I made up my mind to go for it.As a pretty avid home cook I buy quite a few knick-knacks online from Webstaurant. They offer Matfor Bourgeat, but only in quantities of 6. I headed off to a few other sources including Amazon but, ultimately, got onto Ebay and found your listing.You made this easy for me. Thanks very much! I ordered on Sunday with estimated delivery on 8/25. I got the pan an hour ago - a couple days in advance!I will be ordering a larger pan soon, perhaps the 11.25", and I'll be getting it from you.Again, Many thanks!!!

Terrific Frying Pans

I'm not a professional chef, but I am a pretty good home chef and baker. These pans are great. I suppose I had a bit of an edge in knowing how to handle them because I'd always used cast iron pans so seasoning and caring for a seasoned pan came easily to me. I've used them for all kinds of things. I've even made cornbread in one. I couldn't be happier with them. Two words of warning for first-time buyers: First, these pans are made for commercial kitchens and have much longer handles than home cooks are used to. Second, the side of these pans slope a lot so the cooking surface is much smaller than one would expect. I just measured my fry pan that is 10 1/2 inches in diameter at the top and the flat is about three inches less.