Carbon Steel vs Cast Iron: Which Pan an Old Line Cook Actually Reaches For

Carbon steel vs cast iron: a 12-inch cast iron skillet runs about eight pounds empty, while the same size carbon steel pan runs closer to four and a half. I'm Wes Fordham. I cooked on the line for forty years, from 1979 to 2019, and most of those years I cooked on the same black cast iron skillet I bought my first year. A cook doesn't buy his tools. He earns them. This video runs both pans through nine rounds and gives you the straight answer. WHAT YOU NEED 1 twelve-inch cast iron skillet 1 carbon steel pan, about the same size 1 whole chicken 1 steak Potatoes Eggs Here is what you will learn: ✔ Cast iron is poured, carbon steel is pressed — that one line explains everything ✔ A cast iron skillet is a good deal thicker than carbon steel ✔ Most people blame steel for faster heating, but a thin pan just has less iron ✔ Slow preheat, five to eight minutes on medium-low, fixes the hot spots ✔ When water drops bead and skate like marbles, the pan is ready ✔ Seasoned carbon steel slides eggs off after a few weeks of regular cooking ✔ Cast iron makes one of the best steak crusts you can get at home ✔ Cornbread and skillet pies need the stored heat of the old pan ✔ Bad wrists or arthritis can settle this whole question by itself You do not need a pan that costs more than it cooks. You need one you can lift off the burner a hundred times a shift. What was the first pan you learned to cook in — your mother's, your grandmother's, or one you bought yourself? Keep it hot. Keep it oiled. Keep it simple. Chapters: 0:00 - Cast Iron vs Carbon Steel 2:47 - Weight and Handling 5:35 - Heat Control and Seasoning 8:26 - Seasoning Carbon Steel 11:12 - Warping and Acid Damage 14:00 - Which Pan to Buy #carbonsteel #castiron #cooking