Generally, the thermal expansion value of ferritic stainless steel and carbon steel is almost similar at around 11×10-6/☌. The density of stainless steel is higher than that of carbon steel and tends to increase with the increase in alloying elements.Īs a result, stainless steel exhibits better ductility and malleability, whereas carbon steels exhibit better hardness and strength. In contrast, carbon steels are more vulnerable to rusting and corrosion and have poor corrosion resistance properties. However, stainless steel is not completely immune to rusting and can undergo oxidation under extreme conditions. If you’re replacing other types of cookware, however, or are passing on your cast iron to the next generation and want pans that are a little lighter, carbon steel pans are an excellent eco-friendly option.Stainless steel is a type of metal that does not rust easily and exhibits excellent resistance to oxidation and corrosion due to the presence of chromium.Īustenitic stainless steel is the best when it comes to corrosion resistance, followed by ferritic, and last is martensitic. Avoid very cheap carbon steel pans, though, as these are typically far too thin for good heat distribution.Īll in all, if you already have cast iron pans and are happy with them, there’s probably not much point in purchasing carbon steel cookware. New carbon steel cookware is often cheaper than ceramic, porcelain enamel, and anodized aluminum, but lasts for generations. Seasoned pans are available, but such seasoning is often irregular and needs repeating at home anyway.Ĭarbon steel is very cost-effective compared to other types of cookware. It is essential to remove this coating before seasoning, otherwise, your seasoning simply won’t take.īeeswax and other coatings can be removed by scrubbing with steel wool and hot water. Manufacturers will normally use a beeswax or mineral coating to prevent the cookware from rusting on its journey from the forge to your kitchen. This can be a positive, however, as you can use a smaller burner ring and move food in and out of the center of the pan (where the heat is focused) according to need. One downside of this is that carbon steel doesn’t always conduct heat homogenously (because of its relative thinness to cast iron). Both pans can be moved from stove top to oven, however, and both are suitable for the grill, campfire, and broiler.Ĭarbon steel is often thinner and smoother than modern cast iron (but similar to vintage cast iron), so is more aesthetically pleasing to some cookware connoisseurs. Cast iron pans have vertical walls, making them better for pan pizzas, cornbread, frittatas, and for shallow frying, and so forth. Despite many years playing badminton, even my wrists struggle to flip a pancake in a cast iron pan.Ĭarbon steel pans also tend to have sloped sides, which makes them preferable for sautéing as it’s easier to flip food off a sloped edge. A 12” cast iron pan might weigh over 7 pounds, while a similar-sized carbon steel pan weighs in at around 5 pounds. While cast iron and carbon steel are pretty similar, the relative lightness of carbon steel makes it easier to move around. You wouldn’t think this would make much of a difference, but it does. Put simply, carbon steel is like the lighter, less clunky cousin of cast iron and, oddly enough, contains more iron than cast iron! While cast iron is around 97-98 percent iron and 2-3 percent carbon, carbon steel is typically 99 percent iron and 1 percent carbon ( R).
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