Switching from stainless to carbon steel pans, anyone else go back and forth?

I cooked on stainless for about 4 years in Portland, always thought carbon steel was just hype for the Instagram crowd. But last March I grabbed a 12" carbon pan at a restaurant supply place for $38, and now I barely touch the stainless for searing. The catch is, I still use stainless for anything acidic like tomatoes or wine sauces, the carbon steel just strips seasoning fast. What's your threshold for switching pans mid-recipe, or do you commit to one metal per dish?

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anna_carter532d ago

Got a 10" carbon pan in Columbus last fall and same thing, I use it for everything except tomato based stuff. Even went back to stainless for a quick pan sauce last week, felt like cheating but it worked.