De BuyerMINERAL B Carbon Steel Omelette Pan - 9.5” Diameter, 7.7” Cooking Surface - PFAS, PFOA & PFOS Free - Made in France

I purchased this pan after years of frustration with variations on non-stick pans. For most skillet or frying pan cooking I use cast iron, but I never found a satisfactory cast iron solution for the omelet pan. I did a lot of research and read many reviews before purchasing this De Buyer MINERAL B Round Carbon Steel Omelet-pan, 9.5-Inch. I am (so far) really pleased with it. It is high quality, sturdy, and obviously very well made. This size is just right for my needs—light enough to be manageable but not so flimsy that it feels cheap. Then I prepared for the seasoning challenge. I admit to being somewhat intimidated by the challenge. I read many, many reviews and forum discussions about seasoning a carbon steel pan, watched videos from various sources and finally combined suggestions from a couple of reviews on this site, and the information offered in the De Buyer video. The method I used was simple, very quick, and has resulted in (so far) an exceptionally smooth, non-stick surface. First, I ignored the instruction to wash off the beeswax coating with hot water and, instead, followed a reviewer's suggestion to just heat the pan on a burner and wipe the wax coating off the inside and outside with a paper towel or absorbent cloth. That worked perfectly. I could tell that I had removed quite a lot of wax because of the residue on my paper towel. Then, following the De Buyer instructions, I heated the pan until it felt hot when I held my hand over it (heated on the stovetop rather than in the oven), poured a small amount of a high heat oil (I used avocado oil), probably between 2 teaspoons and a tablespoon, swished it around to coat the entire inner surface of the pan, let it heat for a few minutes, then wiped it out VERY well with a paper towel while the pan was still fairly hot, and then let it cool and wiped it again. The pan has worked flawlessly (so far). I have never washed it (so far), because all I have needed to do is wipe it out with a paper towel while it is still warm. If I did wash it, I would not use soap, just hot water, and then heat it and oil it again. The pan has developed a lovely, even, bronze-ish patina, has no sticky spots, and is a joy to use. I don't know, maybe I have just been lucky, but I have not had to do any of the complicated seasoning techniques described by many reviewers, nor have I had any sticking, warping, or flaking problems (so far). If use over time changes my observations, I will amend my review.May 2018: After a few months use, I am updating my review to say that I love this pan even more than I did at the beginning. It has developed a wonderful patina and remains absolutely non-stick. I never subject it to soap. Usually all it takes is a quick wipe out with a paper towel and a swipe with some high heat oil (I use avocado oil) while it is still hot. Sometimes I scrub it a bit in hot water then heat it and wipe with oil again, depending on what I have cooked in it. Always wipe the oil to the thinnest film possible and make sure the pan is dry before storing. My favorite things to cook in it are eggs (fried, scrambled, omelet) and steaks.

I love this pan. I want to make that clear. It is everything a carbon steel pan should be. [Oh, and for that guy who will ask because there is always one, this is NOT the same as a cast-iron pan. If you are unclear on the difference, go to Youtube and you will find countless videos explaining the difference between them. Recently Alton Brown of Good Eats fame did one.] Carbon steel pans like this one are non-stick if you season the pan properly and treat it right and frankly, it is not that hard to do either. But yes, if you fill it full of water and leave it in the sink overnight or longer, you will be upset with the result. If you toss it in your dishwasher and run it through a cycle then you should not be allowed to own good pots and pans at all.Now I will upset those who love this pan as much as I do. There is a cheaper alternative - Lodge. It is roughly the same size and weight and comes preseasoned. You treat it and use it the same way. The primary difference between the two other than price [for the home cook] is that the surface of the interior of the Lodge pan has a very faint pebble texture to it which is done so the preseasoning process works properly. This pan does not, it is as smooth as a baby's bottom. But the Lodge is much less expensive. I own both types and I use both types. If I were rich I would own a lot more of both types but I am not.Final thought - if you buy this pan and use it properly [i.e., not like that cheap dreck you buy at Target], it will last you for your lifetime and your kids will fight over it after you die. And you will make many delicious meals with it.

Ok, so not clear whether this is cast iron or carbon steel; in fact, De Bruyer's instructions call it an "iron" pan and a "steel" pan; no matter. This thing is the bomb. I am very picky about equipment of any type and am usually disappointed. Not this time. The pan is a perfect weight - easily lifted by my girlfriend and just very very solid feeling to me (weight is a surprising concern with this type of pan; I also bought an 11 7/8 pan from another French company that won the hearts of America's Test Kitchen and it was heavy - too heavy for regular use by my friend). The pan is extremely well made with nice touches like an etched bumble bee in the centre and a little ornament on the handle. They say its impregnated with beeswax and who am I to say otherwise. Whatever its coating, the pan seasoned VERY easily with a one time dab of oil brought to smoking temperature (no oil, potato peel, and salt here) and it was ready to go. Using this pan is simply a joy; it spreads heat evenly, doesn't warp, doesn't stick, the handle stays cool, and it has a solid and reassuring feel to it. I am not a chef - just a guy who cooks - but I am here to tell you that this is a cooking tool and is a thing of beauty, it really is. I have used the De Buyer on very nice gas stoves and hideous glass stovetops; it was impeccable on both. I would buy this 100 times before one of those nasty thin non-stick pans that won't sear or brown and are just so displeasing to the touch and to the eye. For many many years I relied on thick stainless pans and a lovely wood handled Le Creuset omelette pan (which the company criminally discontinued in favour of squat, brutish, thick necked non-sticks with mean little handles instead of the lovely tapered wood ones of old (presumably this was to make the pans "dishwasher friendly" and therefore easy to clean). This pan does not pander a la Le Creuset; it is a true working tool and is simply beautiful to see and to touch and to use. Above all it carries that Gallic flair which is so inimitable. It is a little piece of magic.

Very good pan, carbon steel, must season before use. Really works well.