I didn't fancy the Force Bleu, they seemed a bit lightweight. Place pan back on burner set to high heat: Heat until fat starts to liquify and turn black. Lighting plays an important part in photography. But with cast iron, I believe there are some good rules to follow, but the best thing is... just use it. Here is a thread with two pictures of the same pan taken at the same time with different lighting: http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/46254/hardened-residue-after-high-heat-cooking-carbon-steel-and-cast-iron You can see that the lighting is what's making it look black. $65. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. I basically followed this guide to season my 10" De Buyer, though I used shortening instead of flaxseed oil. Heat the pan until a drop of water evaporates the moment it hits the interior surface. When you’re shopping for carbon-steel pans, you’ll see references to “blue steel” and “black steel” pans. So, for various reasons I bought carbon steel rather than cast iron. 500F seems a bit high to me, but I don't muck about with carbon steel pans, so I don't really have any specific tricks for the OP. Just to be clear, when I say 'days', I mean it's been a couple of days of "warm up, bake for an hour, leave to cool for two" a few times a day - it's just a matter of the process taking up a few days because I have to go out, sleep and so on inbetween coats. But, carbon steel pans are going to look like pretty grotty anyway. Join the discussion today. Similar to the cast-iron but with a few key differences, the carbon steel is a seriously undervalued tool. I've got a big slice of cow I shall cook in this pan this evening. Not a carbon steel expert, but I recently gifted a Paella pan to my Brother in law and wanted to season it before. The end. Luckily it's also easily fixed. I've been following Sheryl Cantor's method this time, but I can't seem to get a black finish. You're probably right about "cleaning" in that weld spots aren't gunk magnets in the same way rivets are. Buy Now. That's because most cast iron comes pre-seasoned from the factory, making it difficult for the home cook to fully grasp what the seasoning even is.That's right, jet-black cast iron isn't black because of the metal, it's black because of the seasoning—underneath that dark exterior is grey iron. De Buyer Mineral B Round Carbon Steel Steak Fry Pan. My first two attempts flaked off all over my food even at moderate temperatures and it wasn't nice. I was using flaxseed oil by this point, and ended up with a sticky dark brown/black covering which wasn't very non-stick (I'm not expecting teflon, but this was as bad as enamelled iron or raw steel) and fell off all over the next day's dinner. I was following De Buyer's instructions to the letter in those instances. Coat all internal surfaces of the pan with vegetable oil, (I used a big wad of kitchen paper for ease), and pour a layer of oil to a depth of about half a centimetre in the bottom of the pan. I consider oven seasoning as a "kick-start" for the non-stick abilities of the pan. De Buyer Mineral B 10.2-Inch Frying Pan. Remove from heat: Remove pan from heat and wipe away excess oil with paper towel. It doesn't work like that. And my pan is not black, it's a pretty dark brown color. And the second. Add a mixture of two parts salt to one part oil (2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon oil, for instance) and, using a paper towel, rub this mixture all over the interior of the pan. I consider oven seasoning as a "kick-start" for the non-stick abilities of the pan. First attempt at seasoning I screwed up. Cookware. You will have it black within a month of continuous use. Life's too short to stress over this. Scrub the pan clean in warm soapy water, being careful to remove all the "anti-rust coating", and dry very thoroughly. I must have put 10 coats on that thing and it was just getting to darker brown before I gave it to him. I have learnt since then.. You have already gone too far down the path of the seasoning fetishists. Well, judging by the picture you posted and your use of words like "flaking" and "sticky", I can say that you're most likely using too much oil. Lost many hours to soaking in oven cleaner and polishing back to bright, clean metal with wire wool. If so, go fo the rivited. You will have it black within a month of continuous use. 2. de Buyer Mineral B 10.2-Inch Frying Pan, $65. If you’re not sure you’ll love cooking … Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/46254/hardened-residue-after-high-heat-cooking-carbon-steel-and-cast-iron, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUotvraw5Y4. Heat the Pan. Vollrath, made in the US of A, are even better. I'm very much looking forward to it. I have limited experience with carbon steel. Remove from heat. Wipe the oil in then pretty much wipe it all out as best you can then wipe again while the pan is smoking hot to prevent thick spots. 3. The finish feels hard, dry and smooth, certainly more so than my previous efforts but I haven't cooked with it yet (the last three days it's mostly been in my oven either warming up or cooling down). It's also more instructive than seasoning case iron. Is this their Mineral B pan or a Cabone Plus Pans? But with cast iron, I believe there are some good rules to follow, but the best thing is... just use it.