Made In Cookware - 10" Blue Carbon Steel Frying Pan - (Like Cast Iron, but Better) - Professional Cookware - Crafted in France - Induction Compatible

When cleaning the pan before use, a gray “coating” came off on the paper towel. Washed the pan then used to heat vegetable beef soup. After hand washing, noticed large patches seemed to be missing from the surface coating. Very disappointed! Returned

This is for the 12” pan. I’m an experienced home cook. This is just my personal experience with choosing a carbon steel pan and why I sent this one back, so maybe the information might be helpful to someone similar in size to me. This pan was returnable as long as I didn’t use it. I didn’t wash it, or cook in it, I just put a bit of weight in it (equivalent to two steaks for us; ~500 grams) and tried to mimic cooking with it, and moving it around, to see how it felt in my hand. This review is based on my issues with the handle, not the cooking performance, as I know that would have met my expectations based on the fine craftsmanship of the pan. It’s hard to give it a fair star rating just because of a weird handle. I hardly ever give 5 stars, so if the handle was better, it would have received 4 stars - so I ultimately gave it 3 stars to be fair, all other factors considered.Because carbon steel pans are directly compared to cast iron, that is the basis of my review. My favorite cast iron pan (Lodge 12”) is 33 years old and is my go to for searing steaks, burgers, chicken and making pizza. I use my stainless steel (Cuisinart) for pan searing that makes a lovely fond for sauces, or for acidic foods not meant for cast iron. My non-stick (AllClad) is for eggs. And of course, my trusty old enameled Lodge dutch oven for stews, risotto, etc. No, I don’t work for Lodge, I have a lot of it because when we got married (eons ago), it was very, very cheap and I knew it would last forever.When I saw the 12” Made-in carbon steel pan for sale during prime day, I thought I would give it a try due to the great price. I didn’t need a new pan, but thought a lighter pan would be a relief from my 12” Lodge pan for some things. My Lodge pan weighs 8lbs. The Made-in weighs 4.31lbs. That’s a significant difference, especially to a 53 year-old home cook. My 30+ year old 12” Lodge has a 10” cooking surface, compared to the specs for a new pan which is listed at 9.13”. I measured the Made-in and it was about 9.25”.The dimensions of both pans (minus handles) are similar (cooking surface area, width, and height). Honestly, the weight difference was the single determining factor for purchasing the pan, all other things being equal in care and use of the pan compared to cast iron.For those of you considering purchasing any brand of carbon steel pans: Carbon steel must be seasoned and cleaned exactly like cast iron - they both WILL rust if not properly cared for. They are both heavier than non-stick and most stainless steel. Why buy them instead of cast iron (if you have neither)? The weight and the fact they heat up and cool down much quicker than cast iron, similar to stainless. Even with the lighter weight, for me, this particular pan was still too heavy to pick up with one hand, and lacked two handles (like my cast iron has) to lift it with two hands if needed. So, for me, I’ll stick with my cast iron because I have a lot of it.The handle is the reason I chose not to keep it. If the handle was designed differently, and/or it had an additional handle opposite the main handle, I probably would have kept it.I am 5’6” tall and wear small to medium gloves; my hands are strong, but on the smaller side. I have no problem giving my cast iron a quick shimmy to move butter around, and to lift it off the burner - but sometimes I have to use both handles if I have two larger steaks in the pan. The Made-in pan didn’t give me that option. It also has an unusual curved, long and high handle (see photos) that my hand just didn’t feel comfortable gripping. Most other carbon steel pans I considered have straight handles. The handle grip is very flat and wide, instead of curved or round and hollow like some of my other pans, so it is hard for my hand to get a solid grip on it (even with a holder or towel). It also hurt my wrist after just a few minutes of tinkering with it. I know if I were to use it for a longer saute or heavier contents, I would end up with more wrist strain and could possibly drop the pan. That is the reason for returning it - it was purely based on comfort and safety while cooking. I would still recommend the pan for those with larger hands that prefer a curved handle.

I have followed the directions included with the skillet as to how to season it. I have done it 4 times now and still everything sticks to it even when I oil the pan prior to cooking. No idea if I season his skillet more if it will get better but it is not worth my time when there are so many other products on the market that do not require this amount of time and effort. On top of all the trouble it is just ugly! I would never let anyone see it if I were cooking for them as it looks dirty.

Perfectly designed tall sides make it a great pan to stir fry for 2-3 people. Carbon steel is a must have for pans and knives. Seasoning and care are a breeze, if you care enough to learn. This is a versatile pan that can be used to cook and bake just about everything. It has replaced my wok for most tasks. It is an industrial grade pan that is well constructed and rivals other expensive pans on the market for build quality.

I'll probably never buy a Made In product again.These pans start warping at medium heat. Just a little, but noticeably. They warp badly at high heat. This is because they are 33% thinner than pans half their price.Worse than the warping is that they will not hold a seasoning no matter what I do. Multiple, super thin, seasoning layers come off on the paper towel after frying an egg.The handle is good, it's one of the main reasons I chose this pan (the other is the large cooking surface), but that's pointless if the pan itself is unusable.I'm getting the Mineral B Pro 11" instead. It has a smaller cooking surface but also has a stay cool handle.