Darto Carbon Steel - The best carbon steel pan you haven't heard of

[@alejandroc1062]

Never thought I would spend an hour watching a video about design and manufacturing of carbon steel skillets, but this was such an interesting interview in so many ways. Watch the vid if you haven't yet! (I own two Darto pans since before, and can only agree with all the recommendations!)

[@Cook-Culture]

That's great. Glad you enjoyed!

[@zanlyonsoficial]

I bought the Darto 25 based on this interview. A LOT more cooking are than a DeBuyer of similar size. Seasoned 5 times in the oven and it’s more non stick than a Teflon pan. Superb customer service and delivered to Germany in 5 days. In a nutshell: buy a Darto pan today!

[@Cook-Culture]

Thanks for sharing!

[@helencraw]

Totally agree and confirm this review.

[@Visitkarte]

I LOVE their speedy delivery, NO IDEA how that works. Amazing!

[@SM80FG]

Weight-wise, is it as heavy as a cast iron? Or a bit lighter

[@zanlyons7822]

Lighter but still heavier than a non stick

[@Dave_Helm]

Crazy these pans haven’t seen the limelight. Been using them several years now, and are still the best value for cookware out there. No frills no gimmicks, just one thick clean cut of steel to cook with.

[@Cook-Culture]

Agreed!!

[@sylviarienzo6955]

I hope you are right because I just took the plunge and bought a Darto 25. I was all set to buy a Matfer Bourgeat but I was stuck on what size to buy in particular because the rim distance across is so much larger than the distance across the cooking surface. Then by chance I came across this video and I realized I’d get more cooking surface for the same weight. I’m so happy that I’ll be able to discard my eco-unfriendly and toxic non stick skillets. I cook a couple of eggs and boil a handful of spinach half the mornings in the week so I bought a pair of non stick pans because I didn’t think I could get my cast iron pan nonstick enough nor did I think I dare to boil my spinach in it 43:14 because I would lose the seasoning. Apparently not so that made the decision easy.

[@Visitkarte]

@@sylviarienzo6955How happy are you with your Darto pan? They have one „downside“ - the steep sides are more like a cast iron than like a CS pan. Other than that, awesome! My favorite is the tiny one! 😅 ONE fried egg sunny side up is so much fun to fry in it!

[@sylviarienzo6955]

@@Visitkarte I’m still unhappy with the handle. Both when cooking, but also when washing it afterwards. It’s much worse to handle when I wash it. That darn handle is ridiculously sharp and no sleeve is long enough to mitigate the problem. It is also heavy so why not use an inexpensive cast iron pan. I do like to cook with it and it has taken seasoning well. I’d have no complaints except for the handle.

[@Visitkarte]

@@sylviarienzo6955 I found nice sleeves for the handles so I am very happy with that part. My silicone sleeves for Darto (bought them on Amazon) are 5.5 inch long (14 cm) which is good enough for me. The Lodge sleeve for a SC pan handle is very long, 7 inch (18 cm) and very thick and comfortable. It fits on my Darto pans perfectly, but I use it for my Crepe pan.

[@r_cab314]

Received my n20 yesterday and completed one seasoning session in the oven and made my eggs with a small amount of butter with little to no effort this morning. The simplistic design is great.

[@oneduelist]

Great to see a review of Darto here on KZbin. I love how thick their pans are, and the one-piece construction!

[@Cook-Culture]

Awesome. Yes, well designed pans!

[@CADO7311]

Great pants and how great to hear from the gentleman behind them. Real and humble. I will definitely continue to be a customer. Some griddles would be great! Single and dual burner

[@Cook-Culture]

Agreed. Great guy!

[@DrgnRebrn]

I'm really loving the fresh take on cook ware that you're delivering through your channel's content. Thank you for putting these out there, I LOVE this!

[@Cook-Culture]

Glad you like it!

[@hepgeoff]

These Darto pans look intriguing. I love that there's no rivets, and the cooking surface is so much bigger than the Matfer or De Buyer pans. Great interview, too.

[@Cook-Culture]

Thanks, Geoff. They are a great pan. I'm very happy with mine. Glad you liked the interview. Nicolas is a super interesting guy!

[@zanlyonsoficial]

Buy one! Trust me, they’re superb!

[@demokanatasoy9861]

Great interview, it all makes better sense now. I've looked for the most convenient carbon steel pan for myself for about 6 months online, reading every forum entry, watching all the videos. Then I found Darto. Go a little deep, loved the comments, loved the one piece design and decided I should give it a shot. I think I am the first who bought a Darto from Türkiye and it really was delivered in 7 days as promised. There was a scratch on the corner so I e-mailed them. Send some photos. They assured me that will not create any problems with cooking but at the same time he said they shouldn’t have send a scratched product like that so they send me a second pan free of charge. Now me and my brother have great Darto's and love them. I've been cooking almost everyday with my pan for the last 11 months and getting better at it as well. Can't stop talking about it and cooking for my friends and family.

[@Cook-Culture]

Great story. Thanks for that!

[@dalepellerin]

Ordered 4 of them based upon this interview. Thank you.

[@deirdreberger1363]

Lol, “I would argue that Darto is the hippest carbon steel on the market.” I have to say, it looks super functional and a gorgeous pan! 😍

[@Cook-Culture]

Yup! Love it.

[@exarius]

Love my DARTO pans! I have an n.20 and an n.27, and both have been fantastic. Love the one piece design, and I know they will last me the rest of my life.

[@Cook-Culture]

Awesome!!

[@paule2085]

The only pans to have. Just received the new N.30 sauté pan, it is great. Been using the older design 27 pans for years. They are way better than any non stick pan.

[@Cook-Culture]

absolutely!

[@sylviarienzo6955]

I’m sold on Darto. I’ve been looking for a substitute for my 2 non-stick pans and I haven’t liked the small cooking surface areas of the Matfer and the deBuyer pans so it was a lucky moment for me when I saw this review of the Darto. My only issue is to decide on the size. I’m recently widowed, elderly, so I’m cooking for only one and I don’t want it to be too heavy. Yet it seems easier to have a cooking surface somewhat larger than needed so it is easy to have room to flip and stir. In the end I chose a 25. The only thing missing is a lid. I like to use a lid when cooking.

[@FBall-im8ui]

It's Dec 04 and I am buying 2 today, What a beautiful Pan, One Piece, Genius! and a great looking Pan, I agree the design means a lot with the Pan ans usually all items. Now I can't wait to get them, I am in Victoria not too far from Cook Culture store in Victoria, BC, Thanks for this video.

[@Cook-Culture]

Our pleasure! Thanks

[@Panholistic]

Darto pans are indeed special and I have 3 of them home and one on its way to me. Thank you this was a very interesting video!

[@Cook-Culture]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@th6252]

I’ve had my n27 about 2 weeks now (my first carbon steel pan) and am absolutely loving this pan…as well as my family lol. I followed your oven method for seasoning for 4 rounds then did a butter basted steak (picanha) which I overcooked just a hair as I’m not familiar with cooking on carbon steel. It’s been all good ever since. Seasoning seems to be coming along well. I was a bit worried as I had to cook the steaks with avocado oil for my brother who is on carnivore and seed oils are a no no. But it doesn’t seem to be affecting the seasoning too badly as I am washing it and doing a beeswax post season when I’m done. Glad I saw this collab.

[@harrypond7851]

I watched the video, bought the Darto 30 and am totally sold. It is our go to pan and the next time I see a free shipping sale I will buy a couple of the 20s and 25s. This is really a good product.

[@Cook-Culture]

Nice!!

[@amoswhitwam2691]

Great interview! Love the story about your learning experience and product development. Hope you look to expand your product line to include things like bumper stickers, hats, or shirts at some point in the future; this would be a great way to help people strike up conversations and spread the word about Darto (continued advertising by happy customers). Looking at placing an order for a few next week, super stoked!

[@Cook-Culture]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@Panholistic]

I would wish Darto to make a omelette pan.

[@CastawayHikes]

I had never heard of them but a one piece pan is exactly what I was looking for. I literally just bought 3 😅

[@djC653]

Well this video took a while to come out since I saw the Darto in the background of one of your older videos eons ago lol. Glad to see it's here finally now lets start the interview

[@Cook-Culture]

Yup. I got very familiar with the pan and developed a relationship with Nicolas. I think it made for a better video.

[@americanescu]

I was instantly sold ! I just ordered two (a 25 and a 20). The design is brilliant and it's exactly what I was looking for as I'm not a fan of the classic designs. I was literally looking for information on carbon steel cookware brands when I landed this video! It was meant to be. Kudos to everyone behind this company!

[@Cook-Culture]

Great to hear!

[@helencraw]

Replacing all non stick pans in my kitchen Have learned so much about carbon steel from this channel Just pulled trigger on purchasing some darto pans for my kitchen after watching video Looking forward to adventure in my kitchen What an amazing company

[@Cook-Culture]

Great to hear! Thanks for the note

[@helencraw]

Wow! Ordered on Tuesday afternoon. Purchased a paella pan, the new 4mm skillet with helper handle, and 3 various other size pans. While I’m a home cook we are serious about our cooking at Chez Craw The pans arrived 16:16 by DHL yesterday Friday to Utah. Watched this video with my engineer husband this morning who eagerly opened the box. He so appreciates the good design in objects. We just finished scrubbing up two of the pans. Going to be a fun relaxing afternoon patiently seasoning pans. Had a bit of a challenge getting off all the oil. But having also recently watched your video on reseasoning i used some bar keepers friend. Made it easy The fit and finish on these pans is excellent. Exceeding my expectations out of the box. Looking forward to cooking for family and friends. I can see gifting these to my friends/colleagues /chefs.

[@helencraw]

Couple of weeks in, working from home, cooking 95 percent of our meals at home. These are amazing pans. The seasoning just gets better and better everyday. I even have made Jacque Pepin style omelets. Was not sure with the sides on pans if it would work. Best omelets Ive ever made. So easy to control the temperature on these pans and my cooktop. We like tender eggs with no crispy edges. Opposite of what so many like. Our daily eggs cook so lovely in the pan. Jed following your videos on care and cleaning has helped me gain confidence. Gone are all my non stick pans!

[@felix4525]

Awesome interview. Love the origin story. Hopefully they can keep the manufacturing in country as opposed to outsource to some place in Asia.

[@JoeSevy]

From Argentina. First sentence. Thanks.

[@Visitkarte]

I got both my Darto pans (tiny one (15 cm) and the almost tiny one (20 cm) but with a big cooking surface (17 cm!) and seasoned them with the beewax paste after trying my best to remove the original beewax. I must admit, I might have left a bit too much of the paste on while seasoning them in the oven. So I tried to fix it with the Matfer seasoning method but instead, it poked a few holes in the seasoning (probably for the best), so next time the bacon I fried to build up the seasoning further with ended up stripping almost the entire seasoning off. Only a thin layer “survived”. Maybe I failed to strip off the initial bee-wax well enough. So now I cleaned the bottom of it and re-seasoned it with sunflower oil on the bottom, heated it up, drained it in another pan, cleaned it almost completely until just a tiny sheen was left, heated it some more and then let it smoked a bit, then cool down. I hope it goes well this time. Update: The new seasoning is building up beautifully. Both pans are cooking great and seasoning well. I can’t wait to hold the 25 pan I just ordered!

[@Visitkarte]

Update: I got my Darto 25 and got that one all seasoned and going, too. Sometimes I have some troubleshooting with the seasoning, ham being the worst offender. I started doing my ham in the SS pan because the hassle is just not worth it. Otherwise I love my Darto pans and I don’t think I need any CS pan of those sizes. Their thermal mass is impressive and I love the not-too-long handles.

[@Jonathan-rg7kr]

I have been collecting cast iron for a couple years now-only pans i can use- and have been researching carbon steel pans. I thought my mind was made up until this video. Way bigger surface area than matfer and way way cheaper than the Australian kickstart mentioned. My word 30 dollars for a can opener lol when i decide to move up to the carbon steel world i am definitely going to buy the n.27 pan. Great content thank you. I like all the videos of yours i have seen keep it up

[@Cook-Culture]

Thanks for the support!

[@Jonathan-rg7kr]

Well i finally moved up to carbon steel and did buy the n.27 and am happy with it so far. I seasoned it just like your video suggests and went to cooking after 3 seasonings. A month into using it I let my wife make stir fry and she used soy sauce and stripped my darto. But she is coming back nicely. I recommend getting a smaller size beacuse this is just shy of 5 lbs but feels heavier because of the handle. The handle is great by the way really doesnt get hot compared to stainless or cast iron. Thanks for the videos keep it up

[@alanb7055]

Great interview. As @DonnieX6 said in this comment section, "This whole hour went by way too fast!" Very reasonable prices. I will be buying one soon. (I do not own any carbon steel pans.) I love your channel, Jed.

[@Cook-Culture]

Thanks. I hope you love it!

[@john-smith.]

Perfect timing....I just got my new Darto pan the other day from a pre-order back in May for 50% off.

[@Cook-Culture]

That's great! Enjoy!!

[@konbonwa]

I ordered one each Darto n.25, n.20 and n.15 skillets last night after watching this video. I have been looking for a steel skillet that has a deep bottom curvature to maximize cooking area and the Darto seems to have that shape. I also like the efficient industrial design and lean manufacturing process that Nicholas has implemented. We'll see how they cook when they get to me but I'm hoping for good things.

[@Cook-Culture]

Great. Let me know how you make out!!

[@Assimilator702]

100% you'll LOVE the Darto pans!

[@konbonwa]

@@Cook-Culture My Darto skillets arrived 2 weeks ago. I took an afternoon to season them all and have been using the n.25 for my sautéing and frying. The seasoned pan has been easy to clean and the seasoning has held up well. I've been using grape seed oil and the Darto pans are working as well as my nonstick pan (which has been retired). I think Darto pans are a good deal as long as you don't mind waiting a couple weeks for delivery from Argentina.

[@Cook-Culture]

@@konbonwa Great to hear! Thanks for the feedback

[@coffeemachtspass]

This is an excellent interview. Nicolás is wrong, of course, because many of us really do want to hear about the technical details and insights. 😊 Christmas is coming up and I think I know precisely who could use a new pan or two.

[@Cook-Culture]

Nice! Thanks for the feedback!

[@darrelljanssen588]

Looks like there are no issues with that induction cooktop. I was wondering what setting to use with eggs.

[@dauid89]

claro que siii papa!!

[@Visitkarte]

This is such a wonderful story of a truly beautiful innovative and yet classic “traditional” product and it’s fascinating creator. Yay, Nr. 25 is back! A second question - I would LOVE to buy a good wok designed by you. Pleeease? PPS: I just ordered the two smallest sizes. Can’t wait to hold, season and start using them! 🥰

[@A_Bunch_of_Savages]

+1 on the wok.

[@hotprop92]

Great video, I love your philosophy, your approach to making something. I've never heard of Darto until today dur to a Wirecutter article in the NY Times. I see that you have a presale going on right now which is fantastic, like the fates are steering me to Darto. One thing though it would be nice if you could allow to mix and match different sizes rather than getting two of the same size and if I may suggest split the difference in price if that makes sense business wise.

[@DonnieX6]

Great interview and a great story, Nicolas! This whole hour went by way too fast! And the pans look great, am looking forward to pick one up, once the no.27 is in stock again!

[@Cook-Culture]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Assimilator702]

I ordered no. 20, no. 25 and no. 27 and live them all! No. 27 is excellent for pancakes!

[@warzshadow9701]

I just signed up..question, what are the weight of these pans? I really like the aspect that his customers are not just a number but a person.

[@SM80FG]

Which size pan are you using for your two fried eggs? (4:35) Which number? Tks.

[@Alienking01]

You should also take a look a STUR pans from Germany. High quality and not es heavy as most.

[@creigdudley3016]

That’s was a lot of information but very good to

[@th6252]

What would be the Darto equivalent size to a Matfer 11 7/8”, n27 or 30?

[@brownwise]

Welp, this interview sealed the deal for me! Lets hope my queen also wanted 4 new pans 😆

[@Cook-Culture]

Haha. Way to jump in the deep end!

[@mikegu2527]

Very interesting, are you going to start featuring Dartos pans in future videos?

[@Cook-Culture]

I use a wide selection of brands and try and pick the right pan for whatever the topic of the video is.

[@P-K-Ray]

Good video, I just missed the 2 for 1 deal by about 6 weeks haha

[@bp3719]

Great interview! Question about seasoning waxes (wish I could buy yours but shipping to us is $$$) which of the 3 buzzywaxes do you recommend or have you tried field co. wax which has same oils as yours?

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi, Buzzywax is great. The yellow label is a good one

[@Rayanaadra]

Thanks, just snagged a Darto 25

[@seechangenyc280]

You're gonna hate this question...how does the Darto compare, performance-wise, to Solidteknics pans which are also made from one sheet of steel. I've never held either in my hands...Enjoyed the interview so much that I just bought a pan!

[@Cook-Culture]

Haha. You'll have to wait for that video!

[@erikwithakayy]

@@Cook-Culture I would like to see this video as well.

[@sylviarienzo6955]

I bought a Darto 25 pan as a result of this interview and review. I hesitate to write a negative review but in this case my objection to its handle is so strong I feel compelled to mention my experience. It’s a handsome pan and I was thrilled to see it when it arrived this week. Unfortunately the minute I picked it up I realized I’d made a terrible mistake. The handle has such a sharp edge that it is instantly painful to hold. I wrote Darto and asked for a solution or I would have to return it. The first shock was that there is no return policy. The second shock was their solution to my problem which was to take sandpaper to the edges of the handle. You’ve got to be kidding me! I’d need a machine shop to make rounded edges on this heavy duty handle. And since I no longer drive that is out of the question. Even if I did drive and could find some shop that could round the edges of the handle, it would cost me more than the pan cost me. Bad idea. Very expensive lesson. Personally, my suspicion is that the designer didn’t approach many women, if any, to test his pan during its design phase. In my opinion, the handle is not made for the average women to use. In my case I’m a small woman but I’ve asked my sister-in-law’s opinion and she is a large woman. She found it equally uncomfortable to hold.😮

[@Cook-Culture]

That's unfortunate. Hopefully you find a good home for that pan. I'd suggest to look at the Strata Pan or de Buyer Mineral B Pro.

[@mcclureit]

are you looking to sell your darto 25?

[@sylviarienzo6955]

@@mcclureit sure, I’d be happy to find a new home for it.

[@mcclureit]

@@sylviarienzo6955 How can I get in touch with you? Thank you!

[@guyfisher2050]

What size pan did you demo in the video? 25 or 27?

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi, it's the 25

[@user-vi3tb3bw5t]

These are great pans, same with the Solidteknics. Looks like the Solidkeknics USA factory is shutting down, so they are gonna be AUS-ion only in the future. Super glad I got a 12 inch US-ION before that happened.

[@happyhappynuts]

I was thinking the same thing, just got the Aus-ion Quench preseasoned. It's a single sheet of steel like the one in the video

[@paulyacon5466]

I apologize if I missed it but what size pan, model are you using?

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi, the 25cm

[@crazyascarl]

On Darto's website they say their pans are "100% carbon steel" but I read elsewhere (heath ceramics for one) that their pans are made of "100% laminated iron." I tried emailing them to get answers, but ended up more confused... do you have any insight into this?

[@Dr.Sweetgrass]

Steel is what you get when you mix carbon into Iron. Anywhere from .2% to 2% carbon is called steel. The more carbon, the stronger but also more brittle. Darto website - "All our pans and paellas are made up of 99% iron (an alloy of metals) and 1% carbon."

[@crazyascarl]

@@Dr.Sweetgrass I know, but from the Darto customer service specialist.... "We buy the laminated steel in 3 mm and 4 mm thickness from a very important company in Argentina." When pushed further to see if there was a language barrier, "Laminated means layered, but it is not visible since it is extremely compressed. Our pans are made out of sheets of carbon steel that have the same thickness throughout their whole surface. "

[@john-smith.]

Did you initially season your darto pan the same way as your others...I see in the instructions they put linseed oil on it from the factory.

[@Cook-Culture]

I worked it on the stove top. Maybe for my next pan I will use the oven.

[@Tom-kl9jf]

regarding the second part of your comment, Darto's recommendations are on their website: the linseed oil is to provide a semi-durable protection from oxidisation in warehousing and shipping, which should be washed off before seasoning at home. then they recommend using a higher smoke point oil to season. I know this has been covered elsewhere on this channel, but I personally use canola, which works perfectly well, but it doesn't really matter what higher smoke point oil you use :)

[@redjellonian8126]

The only thing I want is a cover for my pan.

[@kathismatastic]

I love my Darto No. 27 (10-inch), and I'm getting a Darto No. 25 (8-inch).

[@kaspervendler1726]

I have the N30, I got it on PREsale, but if I knew how good it was, I would have bhought it at full price. I have been looking for nonstick pans for induction without any of these fragile garbage coatings. I tried 3 different cast iron pans on induction, and the only useable one for searing was Logde cast iron wich ON INDUCTION were bearly useable. Why those cast iron pans performed so poorly, is due to the mediocre heat conductivity of CI. So when I want to cook a steak (or any protein) at really high temperatures ON INDUCTION with cast iron, I get spots in the pan wich are around 150c (wich is really cold for steaks!), and spots that are well above 250c. Those hotspots instantly chars the steak, and worse completely ruins the oils, wich then gets spread across the whole pan and protein. This is why i ordered the N30 on presale, because I was sceptic about it performing like cast iron, due to carboon steel having roughly the same heat conductivity as cast iron. But when I cooked with it, it turned WAY better than my lode CI despite havign rougly the same thickness at 4.20mm on the Darto (measured with calibers): I am studying eletromechanically enginering and asked a friend about my hypotesis about the metal of carbonsteel having better magnetically properties than that of CI, and he confirmed my idea, that the Darto does better at virtually same thickness ON INDUCTION due to the magnetic properties of the carbonsteel. It even heats more evenly on induction than on halogen! I have a freestanding induction hub, with a single "burner" with a Ø23cm (measuered) coil. And that simply does wonders on the Darto N30 its like a match made in heaven. And the Darto is now my prefeerd pan, and mind you, that I own a "28cm" Debuyer Prima Maetra wich is about as expensive retail price as it gets. Still use it when qick heat response is prefered thorugh.

[@Cook-Culture]

Nice. Thanks for the comment.

[@HrWisch]

Too bad they don't have a 4mm thick paella style skillet with ~28cm bottom size. Looks like I have to stick with my 36cm Turk and wait for a good deal for the DeBuyer 5113.36. But those are only in the 3mm range. 4mm sounds promising and even closer to cast iron.

[@jeronimomacias481]

Very nice story. Now you’re forcing me to look at pans again. 😂

[@Cook-Culture]

I feel your pain! I'm knee deep in pans, but wouldn't have it any other way.

[@jackdews756]

Damn You! Thought I was through buying pans. More importantly, so did my Wife. 😅 How am I going to break this to her? 😊

[@Cook-Culture]

Tell her about the flat rate shipping! 😄

[@guyfisher2050]

I was thinking the exact same thing. Maybe I’ll convince her that it’s much lighter to handle than our Field No. Skillet that she finds too heavy

[@Cook-Culture]

@guyfisher2050 nice long handle too!!

[@rocksaregood]

They're brick shithouses - love them!!

[@tomaszo7557]

Just got my #27. Let me tell you. This pan is not one solid piece of steel but two pieces pressure pressed together. Tried to get rid of wax that pan is covered with and after few hours of using hot water or any possible detergent or solvent the pan turns yellow color no matter what I do. The paper towel that I swiped the pan with was always yellow after cleaning it. Is seems like this steel reacts with something and is not possible to clean because it changes color once dried. Bad experience.

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi, that's normal. It's the iron oxidation. When that happens, it's time to season. I suggest you watch a bunch more how-to videos before you have more problems.

[@jordanstapleton3180]

You really like carbon steel pans.

[@Cook-Culture]

Yes, yes I do. Like, a lot.

[@jordanstapleton3180]

@@Cook-Culture I'm going to order one of these. They look awesome. I've been a chef for thirty years. All stainless, some cast iron but never used carbon steel. Great videos, thanks!

[@Cook-Culture]

@@jordanstapleton3180 Good on you! You'll love it!

[@Moobeus]

Anyone else here because they typed darto instead of datto?

[@tktk1630]

Watched video, bought more 😂

[@Cook-Culture]

Enjoy it

[@eldiosotto9524]

darTo gotta, pronounce that hard T so it doesn't sound like you're sound "darDo"

[@Cook-Culture]

I kinda talk fast. Most of my t's sound like d's 😀

[@NullHyp]

Hadn’t heard of Darto before but I’ve been wondering why nobody was making one piece CS Pans. Now I want one 🫣