Merten & Storck Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel 12" Frying Pan Skillet, Cast Iron Lightweight, Durable, Sear Grill Broil Fry, Indoor Outdoor Cooking, Easy to Clean, Oven Safe, Induction, Steel Handle, Black

1 year update: I happen to stumble across this listing again and it seems like the reviews are very polarized so I want to do an update and share a tip for people having sticking issues. Firstly, this is still my daily driver in the kitchen. In regards to this pan specifically, I think it's a perfectly good carbon steel and reasonably priced. That said, I have struggled with the non-stick performance and was nearly ready to give up on it before stumbling upon a "hack". So like I said originally the factory seasoning works quite well. However, that started to fade after a few weeks or so. After awhile I got annoyed and tried to apply new layers of seasoning. This is my first carbon anything pan so these attempts had varying success (seems like the best was leaving it in the oven for a good 20-30 mins and leaving it in there to slowly cool). Regardless, even if it worked great for a few days or couple weeks, it always faded again. Seemed like the "gets better with time" didn't apply to carbon steel or I was doing something wrong. I started calling it the "all stick pan" and at one point was trying to apply a seasoning layer every week or two. I bought a flexible metal spatula and this was a big upgrade. Much more effective at releasing stuck on food. Annoying that it's necessary but hey it works right? However, I noticed that simply running that spatula over the pan to remove food bits made the pan more non-stick the next time I used it. This was my first clue that I wasn't cleaning aggressively enough. Now I have a friend who loves his cast iron and he's anti-soap. He does what I'm now calling a "hot water deglaze". As soon as you're done cooking and the pan is still piping hot, throw a splash of hot water in so that it boils very vigorously. I'd only very seldom done this bc the instructions say let it cool slowly (presumably to prevent warping). However, one night I deglazed while making a pan sauce. I'd made the "mistake" of not using my stainless for that. The pan was being pretty sticky at that point. But the next morning I made eggs and boom! Super non-stick as if I'd just seasoned it. So it seems like the issue is thin layers of baked on food residue that don't come off with normal scrubbing. I've noticed some foods are more problematic than others (eg meats, and I think mushrooms). The hot water deglaze removes the remaining grime layer. Now whenever the pan starts getting a little sticky I just do a hot water deglaze after cooking and it's been great. Some of my excess seasoning layers have flaked off and it's forming a nice patina (black area) underneath. Hopefully this tip helps for some of the people struggling with sticking issues. To address warping: I did have an issue with that and I ended up pounding it out with a rubber mallet (while hot). It sits flat and stable now but does have a high spot in the middle and the oil pools around the edges as others have shown. Don't really want to pound it the other way so idk what to do about that. I just try to tilt the pan a bit to spread the oils before tossing food in. Doing the hot water deglaze hasn't caused any warping. Since I pounded it out it's been stable. Original review: Was shopping around for a cast iron and discovered carbon steel. Never heard of of it before, nor owned a cast iron, but I like the idea of it being lighter weight and heating up faster for daily use. I like the idea of a smooth surface too. Note that probably a lot of my comments pertain more to carbon steel in general than this specific pan. Pros: pre-seasoning is great. The pan is very nonstick right out of the box, on par with typical nonstick pans. It's very light and responds quickly to changes in heat. The instructions say you don't need to oil it regularly but I'm doing it anyway. But I like knowing that if that step gets skipped on occasion it's no big deal. It has a smoother surface and requires less oil than cast iron. Also, the handle doesn't get hot under normal usage which is nice. Cons: I think the biggest con here is that the pan is actually too thin. Great for lightness and responding to heat, but it warps very easy. Won't matter much on a gas stove but I have a glass top and that means poor contact, hot spots, and being annoyingly unstable (always wants to spin). You have to try to heat the pan slowly to avoid warping. And of course lack of thermal mass isn't as good for searing meat (cast iron is better for that). It's actually thinner and lighter than my stainless pan (has layers of copper and such). Also, the first time I used it I was using metal tongs and I ended up getting a nick in the bottom of the pan. Hasn't adversely affected anything but it seems like I'll have to stick to silicone cookware or flexible metal. Overall great pan and is now my go to.

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. In conclusion, I would definitely recommend these pans if you are willing to take the time to maintain them. If you can do this, they will last for years to come. UPDATE 03/31/22: I have 3 of these pans in 8", 10", and 12" sizes, and the two pictured are the ones I have used the most. In the last 4 weeks, I have used these pans quite often, and 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. UPDATE 4/07/22: Today, I found out something about carbon steel pans the hard way. Cooking acidic foods in a carbon steel pan removes 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. I also want to mention that when searing meat, you need to get a good sear on the meat before turning it. If you don't, the meat will stick. UPDATE 5/13/22: I have added pictures of my 8" and 10" pans that have been used quite a lot since I got them a couple of months ago. I am extremely happy with the nonstick quality of these pans and that they are so very much lighter than my cast iron pans. After every use, I season them as described previously, and so far they haven't changed in color. Personally, I believe this is because I don't let the oil burn on the pan when I season it as I have also found this to be true with my cast iron pans. All of my cast iron is an even dark black color and also nonstick. In the past, I have had a couple of cast iron pans change color when oil had been left on it for too long and burned. 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 hope this review was helpful for you. I will update the review if my opinion changes.

I bought the 8" on a whim after nuking years of carbon buildup off of my workhorse ~10" carbon steel pan (I don't know the brand, just that it was made in Japan, and that I bought it for around $37 at a local Japanese grocery chain in Southern California). My 10" was always just a bit too big for eggs and omelettes, and as it's slightly convex by design (intended to flatten out when heated), at lower temperatures it retains its convexness, causing eggs to make a run to the edges and making omelettes a bit awkward and uneven. Also in my arsenal is a smaller, 5" cast iron skillet, which is perfect size for a single egg, but it also takes forever to heat up and too small for omelettes. Enter this 8" Merten & Storck. I find it to be the perfect sidekick to my larger carbon steel pan. While small, the steel on the handle is quite thick, giving the whole pan a bit of heft. The pan definitely does not feel cheap, in fact, the fit and finish feels a bit nicer than my MIJ 10", which is quite spartan and no-frills in comparison--I'm guessing it was intended for use in Japanese commercial food service and not really in home kitchens. The size is great for omelettes, and I managed to do a perfect french-style omelette in it--no browning, slightly runny in the center! This speaks to its properties regarding thermal conductivity and retention. While some people have noted the thinness of the steel, I find it an advantage--it doesn't take long to evenly heat the pan up, though it won't retain heat as well as thicker carbon steel pans or cast iron. While on the topic of heat, since I'm mainly using this for eggs, omelettes, and the occasional stir fry, I haven't tried to use this pan with the burner on full blast like I would my thicker/larger 10" CS, cast iron skillets, or CS wok. Thus, I can't speak for how warp resistant it is, but I would be a bit wary. I'm guessing this was mostly intended for medium to low heat (though I'm sure it can handle more). Of note is the pan's finish. Merten & Storck claim that it comes pre-seasoned, but considering my previous Japanese carbon steel was preseasoned (which I'm 100% sure of, as I've stripped the seasoning down to raw steel and re-blued many times), I'm not convinced they're completely telling the truth. Rather than a dark, glossy finish, the Merten & Storck is rather matte, and considerably lighter--it's almost a cold, gunmetal grey, with a bit of blue in it. At first, I thought that I either didn't remove the protective wax coating completely, or that the pan was actually coated with Teflon, as water and oil beaded up much like you'd expect with other nonstick coatings. However, there is no horrific off-gassing when smoking hot, so I'm pretty sure that it _is_ raw carbon steel underneath. I'm convinced that the pan is actually nitrided carbon steel, which, from what I've read, tends to give the surface high lubricity (in other words, a naturally non-stick surface). After using the pan a fair amount for about a week, I've noticed some slight discoloration, which means that it _is_ developing a seasoning, albeit rather slowly. You just won't be able to season this pan as you would a traditional carbon steel pan, as any oil you try and spread on it will simply bead up and wipe away. Ultimately, I find this to be a non-issue. Since the point of seasoning is to offer corrosion resistance and to prep an even surface which will prevent sticking, nitriding should naturally accomplish both of these things. Just be aware that more care might need to be taken to retain the nitriding, as it seems it's less resistant to pitting than regular carbon steel. In other words, you probably don't want to be slamming metal utensils against it like you might do on a CS wok. Other reviewers have brought up the fact that this pan was made in China. I've no qualms with this, my carbon steel wok is Chinese made, and is a total workhorse. I find the pan to be a great value, and I'm quite satisfied with my purchase. If you just need a little pan to use and abuse, definitely consider this one. EDIT: OK, so I dry roasted some chiles, tomatillos, and tomatoes in this pan for salsa. Being acidic, the tomatoes and tomatillos definitely stripped away some of the surface steel, but I wasn't cooking a whole sauce so it only affected small areas. The pan is now taking seasoning properly on the bottom, but still exhibits some hydrophobic qualities on the sides and some areas on the bottom edge. Still wonderfully non-stick, and my eggs are turning out perfectly. Added some photos to show how it looks now, and in comparison to my Japanese CS pan.

Excellent alternative to traditional non-stick pans that can break down over time. The initial seasoning works great out of the box, but you definitely have to build up a more robust seasoning with use. Fast heating and temp adjustment. Flat bottom, so liquid/oil doesn't just pool in the edges. Overall better in every way than the Lodge cast iron it replaced (pan cracked). Only dropped it down to 4 stars because the handle could be a bit more ergonomic, but it also doesn't get too hot to use with bare hands. For a home cook, this is fine. If I was using this pan all day, the handle might get uncomfortable. This pan needs more maintenance than a cheap non-stick, but it will last a lot longer, and shrugs off any abuse with metal spatulas, forks, etc.

UPDATE THREE YEARS LATER: I should have corrected my review long ago, this is now by far my favorite pan and I use it for everything! It truly is non-stick and all I can figure is that I had to completely scrape off all of the crap they put on it prior to shipping it to me. I bought an aluminum grill spatula with sharp edges and used that to scrape it down to the bare metal (it was still black lol) I just took everything off that was hard or lumpy or sticky even a little bit. Then I spread a very light layer of coconut oil on it and wiped it down until almost dry. It has been a perfect non-stick pan ever since! I just made cheesy Hamburger Helper and it DID NOT STICK while cooking--it tried to while simmering but when the plastic spoon scraped across the bottom center of the pan to stir the food it released immediately. When done cooking it LITERALLY completely cleans in warm water with a soft sponge. I then dry it and apply a very light layer of coconut oil and wipe it all down and it's ready to go when I need to cook again. I will be buying an 8 inch version and probably a 12 inch one also and have already thrown away all of my other Teflon pans--yes, it's better than Teflon! The main rules I found are: 1.) use a much lower heat than you normally do and lower than the recipe calls for, and 2.) when done wipe it down in warm water and re-oil it very very lightly. It is now a 5-star review! --- I followed the instructions closely when it arrived. I scrubbed it with a sponge under hot water with light dish soap then dried completely and then added a small amount of oil and spread it around all inside surface. The first time I tried to cook in it there was so much smoke from the pan it made all smoke detectors go off. So I let it cool down, rescrubbed it and repeated the process. The next day I tried to use it again and same thing happened, but a little less smoke this time. Scrubbed, dried, oiled again. Third time's a charm: very little smoke (but still there) however no alarms went off this time and was able to cook hash browns and eggs just fine. As far as sticky goes, it is NOT nearly close to teflon but I don't have to worry about little particles getting in my food. There are hot spots that form and cause food to stick if you don't keep constant stirring. Important note: it conducts heat crazy good and I have to reduce all temperatures to avoid burning food, as in, medium-high needs to be medium with this pan! I can't get in the habit of using metal utensils yet, old habits die hard, but they say you can. I've only used it 4-5 times so far but will revisit this review in a year for an update. UPDATE: two months later and the entire pan allows all food to stick on the bottom now. It is not rusted at all, just the non-stick surface is gone and only a rougher surface remains. After every use I washed and thoroughly dried pan then applied a light coating of cooking oil and smeared it all around the interior. Use rubber spatulas not metal. I did everything to keep it nonstick but to no avail. Lowering review from 4 stars to 2 now.

I have used several other carbon steel pans, some that are way more expensive, clad, etc., seasoned them exactly as per instructions, and have had mixed results. Almost every time, at least some of the seasoning comes off on the first cook (I always start with eggs). Over time it does get better, but it's been far from perfect. That's how cast iron and carbon steel go and I accept that. Takes time. That said, I am actually quite surprised, pleasantly, by this pan. True, it does come pre-seasoned, but I've used this pan probably 30 times so far and it has been 100% non-stick with zero flaking. I've only used it for eggs and omelettes but it has performed flawlessly and there is really nothing I could ask to be improved upon. I will say I'm almost afraid to cook a steak or burger in it - the true test - for fear of it flaking or sticking, because it's performed so well so far and I don't want to ruin its perceived perfection heheh. But im so happy with this one that I ordered the 10" and I'll throw a steak in that one and put it in a review. But for this pan, I really can't even find anything to nitpick about. It still looks brand new as the day I got it, no exaggeration. I've been meaning to see how the use of utensils affect the pan, but of all the times I've used it I've never even needed a utensil. I just flip the eggs by flipping the pan. 100% non-stick without the slightest hint of anything wanting to bind to the pan. It behaves like a brand new chemical non-stick pan would. Crazy. At the risk of sounding like I work for this company or something, I'll end my rave review here. It really can't be beat for the price in my opinion.

UPDATE 12/20/2024: I loved the 10" skillet so much, I bought the 12". They are my goto skillets, without a doubt. I use them daily, many times more than once per day. These are the only pans that I use to make eggs. So, my Merten and Storck fry pans have been used dozens and dozens of times. I've ordered an induction range which will arrive day after tomorrow. These pans will work great on the induction cooktop. I'll update with info on how they do with induction and how I have to adapt. I was making tuna patties tonight in the 12" pan. To this day, both pans are non-stick, and I mean so darn slippery that it takes a spatula plus another implement on the other side to flip anything. Even fried eggs just slide around. The pans are almost too slippery. I detailed how to season the pans to keep them nonstick in my original review. I've learned that after reheating and rubbing oil on them a few times that it becomes unnecessary. They'll stop soaking up the oil. When you see this, then simply wash them under hot water (when they've cooled down) and dry. I rarely use dish detergent. I have a BLUE 3M scrubber that I use. I only use the BLUE, because it's non-scratch. If I think the pan needs more, I'll put a very small amount of Dawn on the scrubbing pad, wet it in hot water, wash, rinse, and dry. That's all there is to it. I've had no issues with rust. My pans hang on the wall. You can see where oil has polymerized in a couple of places on the cooking surface. This is correct and what it's supposed to do. Don't scrub it off! It's a part of the seasoning. There are 2 things I never do: 1. I never soak the pans. 2. I never run cool or tepid water into a hot pan to clean it. I always cool them down. Original review: I've read reviews where people think these pans are coated with a nonstick material; they aren't. I've also read that you should treat them like cast iron; you DON'T. Here's the right information. First, the pans may have a bluish hue. It's not from an applied finish. When you heat carbon steel, you get blue heat marks. Certain metals will so this when heated. You see it more readily in silver colored pans and it's natural. These pans are extremely preseasoned. I fried eggs over easy this morning, and they slipped around the pan so much, I had a hard time turning them! This is how you want these pans to perform. I have a carbon steel wok (that was Not pre-seasoned) and I've never had one thing stick in it. Unlike cast iron, you should wash your COLD carbon steel pan, using dish soap, rinsing well. Never ever put a hot pan in cool water; it'll warp. After washing and drying, sit your skillet back on the stove. Turn it on to medium-low. Heat the pan. When the pan is hot, use a paper towel to apply cooking oil. You can use olive oil. I think a higher temp oil is better, like corn or vegetable oil. Don't let the pan overheat. Just rub the oil around. You'll see it disappear into the pan. When the pan isn't taking anymore, turn off the burner. After the pan cools, simply wipe off any excess oil and put it away. That's all there is to it. Don't put in the dishwasher. Just hand wash with dish soap, dry it, heat on a burner and apply oil. It'll stay extremely slick. BTW, if you buy a pan that isn't seasoned, it'll come with a coating of shellac on it to protect against rust. You have to heat it on high heat and burn the shellac off, scrubbing the soot. When you're done, the pan looks like these pans, black with a bluish hue. The 10" skillet is a nice weight without being too heavy. The metal handle doesn't get hot when cooking on the stove. These are very nice pans!

I subtracted 2 stars, potentially warps on glasstop, my old review is below too. If you have a smoothtop/glasstop you need to be very careful and may be better off with cast iron or a thicker carbon steel. However if you are using gas or something not flat you are fine. What tend to happen is when heating up there is a natural bowing of the bottom that's going to happen. Some manufactures ensure that this bowing happens upwards, but this one bows downwards. The weight of the handle causes the pot to tip ever so slightly backwards. Over time and occasionally high temp's that are going to happen, this causes a point to develop on the bottom that tends to stick out. You can see it if you turn your pan over, an area where the metal is bare - that's the contact piont. This will continue to get worse. Now there are some fixes one can use to pound it back which you can search for but this pan should have had that upward curve to prevent this. So I am relegating this pan to my gas stove and looking for a better one for the glasstop. Original: This was bought so I could have something comparable to cast iron to use on a glasstop electric range (not induction). I have to say it is working well. It seem to hold heat great and helps a lot even out the cycling of the electric resistance heater. It does seem to take seasoning well also. Now I don't get a teflon pan type egg sliding around of non-stick but more of a move it a bit first nonstick. But I rarely get that total non-stick outside of a newish teflon pan anyway. Cleanup is easier then my cast iron I believe mostly due to this pan being smoother, and I am considering replacing my cast iron pan (I use at another location with a gas stove), with one of these. Overall for the price I find that it is a very good buy, gives a lot more options then stainless, and works better then cast on that glasstop. However this is my 1st carbon steel pan and I don't have a basis to compare it to how this type cooks, but ovrall I am pleased with it.

La poêle est solide, semble très bien faite. Cuire des tomates l'a décoloré, c'est normal car elles sont acides. Avec une petite touche d'huile rien ne colle. A voir avec le temps, mais je suis très contente avec les premiers essais. La seule chose qui me derange est leur contract légal, il y a trop des provisions bizarres qui me font penser qu'ils vendent un truc dangereux, qu'ils savent que c'est dangereux et qu'ils se lavent les mains en disant que si ça tombe mal, ils n'y sont pour rien même s'ils le sont... Bizarre, comme j'ai dit. C'est une poêle, pas un paquet des cigarettes.

Matériau excellente qualité. Facile à nettoyer et surtout pas trop lourde

I seasoned my pan before use the first time and had no issues. However after cooking 4 pieces of salmon it has left stains even after washing it immediately with hot soapy water, salt and a sponge. I never had this issue with my cast iron from Lodge so it's weird how this seemly now has a permanent stain! And no I feeling NOTHING when touching the surface, so it's clean to the touch.

Una sartén excelente. Las de acero al carbono como esta son las que hay que utilizar para una alimentación sana. Muy recomendable. Solo necesita un curado inicial, y sartén para toda la vida.

My favorite pan! Retains heat, comes so well seasoned that stuff just slides off and is a real work horse. Best buy ever