I have been a user of cast iron pans for over 15 years. Many of the cast iron pans I have are very old, and were crusted pans that I had to strip the crud off them and season them before they could be used. Some are newer preseasoned pans that I often stripped the seasoning from them to season them again. When I discovered the carbon steel pans, I was intrigued as these pans are much lighter than cast iron. As a point of reference, I also have a number of Le Creuset and Staub pans and Dutch ovens that I love, but are also very heavy and relatively expensive. Before buying, I usually do research to find out about products I am not familiar with. In my research, I found out that materials used in carbon steel and cast iron pans are basically the same except that carbon steel contains 99% iron and 1% carbon vs. cast iron that contains 2%-3.5% carbon and less iron. The additional carbon causes cast iron to be more brittle, so pans are made thicker to help prevent breakage which also makes them much heavier. Since both have a high iron content, they must be oiled to prevent oxidation and rust. Both have pores that absorb oil when heated, hence the creation of the non-stick properties through "seasoning", but the pores in carbon steel are microscopic and much smaller than the pores in cast iron. Because of this, much less oil should be used to season carbon steel than cast iron. If you use too much oil, or do not remove the excess oil as the pans cool, you will end up with a sticky residue on the pan. This is true for both carbon steel and cast iron, and both require some simple maintenance by heating them and coating them with oil after each use. I, personally, use Crisco All Vegetable shortening. A couple reviews mentioned flaking of the surface after use. These pans come preseasoned and coated with a layer of wax to prevent oxidation (rust). The layer of wax must be cleaned off per the instructions before the first use. This is done by washing them in warm soapy water and wiping them with a scrubby sponge to get all the wax off. If this isn't done, the wax will flake off when used the first time. At this point, I truly love these pans and will likely sell some of my treasured cast iron. So, what do I love about these pans. 1 - They are so much lighter in weight than cast iron. 2 - These pans are nonstick with the seasoning already on the pans and only gets better with time and proper seasoning after each use. 3 - Carbon steel, as well as cast iron, will continue to look like new if cleaned and seasoned after each use. 4 - Heats and cools much faster than cast iron. For both, medium to medium high heat is all that is needed. 5 - Can be used on the stove and in the oven as well as an induction cook top. 6 - Since carbon steel cools faster than cast iron, it is less likely to burn foods that are not immediately removed. 7 - Nest together well and take less storage space than most other pan. 8 - Can stack together and use metal utensils without the fear of scratching them. I started with this 8" pan to try it, and, at this point, I have 2 8" pans, 2 10" pans, and 1 12" pan. I have had these pans for about 6 months, and use the quite often. This 8" pan is perfect for making an omelet for one or for frying an egg or 2. Actually it's a great size to sauté onions, or to make a hamburger or grilled cheese. So far, they are totally non-stick and have not changed in color as I expected them to. Maybe it is something in the way I take care of them. After using them, they are washed with soap and water without any scrubbing. I totally dry them by heating them on the stove to open the pores of the pan, and then add a very small amount of Crisco oil on a paper towel to coat them with oil. After a couple more minutes of heating, I use a paper towel to remove any excess oil. As they cool, more oils beads on the surface of the pan, and this is again wiped off. Before I store them, I wipe them again with a kitchen towel. Although I fully expect these pans to change color over time, it's possible they stay looking nice by not letting excess oils stay on them. I do know that leaving excess oil on these pans or on cast iron pans will cause a sticky residue to develop. Built up oils on these pans, or cast iron, will cause them to look really cruddy and will reduce the nonstick capabilities of both. In addition, heating too much oil in them for too long will cause dark, burned spots. I did find out the hard way, that cooking acidic foods in carbon steel pans, as well as cast iron, will remove the seasoning. I made brats with sauerkraut in one of my carbon steel pans. I browned the brats, and then added the sauerkraut to the pan to heat it with the brats. The pan was fine until I cleaned it and found that part of the seasoning was gone. The pan was down to the bare grey metal in spots. Although this doesn't damage the pan, it has to be heated, oiled, and cooled a couple of times to season it again and regain the nonstick qualities of the pan. Although the color of the pans will get darker with use and seasoning, I don't think they have to become ugly if the patina is developed evenly. I have included a picture of my most used 8" and 10" pans that have been used often for about 6 months. So far, they still look pretty nice. Personally, I love these pans, and would recommend them. I hope this review is helpful for you.
