Deep cleaning my de Buyer Carbon Steel frying pans in the oven

[@ninapan25]

Thank you for your wonderful videos, you have a gift at that and I love how humble and honest you are! Inspired by your videos, I bought some overly loved and abused pans from a restaurant and restored them. They are like new (except the warping but they still work great). It regret not being able to include pictures in the KZbin comments, you would have loved the before and after ^^ Greetings from France, thank you for sharing your knowledge and kindness !

[@Cook-Culture]

Thanks so much. You can always post to our Facebook page. I'd love to see them!

[@jimhovencamp4487]

when I bought my first de buyer mineral b pan I used the manufacturers seasoning method with mediocre results. I just bought another larger mineral b pan and used buzzy wax and your oven method, and the results are spectacular. Thank you so much.

[@Cook-Culture]

Great news! Yes, unfortunate the tiny seasoning instructions with the de Buyer pans are not perfect.

[@HrWisch]

Tempering / blueing the steel doesn't have any negative impact on its properties. As you already said, it will form a layer of Fe3O4 on the surface which provides some rust protection. However, that layer comes off easily when scrubbing the bare metal with steel wool.

[@hepgeoff]

When coating the pans with Buzzy wax, do you wipe it off before putting in the oven for seasoning, or do you leave the layer of wax on? The reason I ask is because I seasoned my de Buyer pan with grapseed oil in the oven, but left too much on the pan. I got runs and streaks because of too much oil. Do you need to worry about that with the bees wax? Also, when you take the pans out from the 475 oven, is there any danger of warping bringing it out to room temperature that quickly?

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi Geoff, the wax makes for such a thin layer that you do not get a build-up, and no worries on the heat issue. You won't warp your de Buyer.

[@rafael1209]

As far as i can say using plain good old distilled vinegar does a perfect job getting rid of beat up seasoning. Plus it doesn't damage the coating of the handle

[@Cook-Culture]

I haven't had success with pans that are in this bad of shape. For light work, I've found vinegar works great

[@rafael1209]

@@Cook-Culture it is a little time consuming ‚and‘ you defiantly should have a good ventilation going. Since heating up the vinegar for 1/2 hour will produce quite some smell. But once it‘s done I‘ve had no issue getting the old seasoning off with the help of a steel wool sponge. But yeah you‘re right. That pan really looked beaten up badly. Best advice... never let your pan get in that kind of shape in the first place. Just like you already said in the previous episode

[@Cook-Culture]

@@rafael1209 Yes, for sure! That would be the best solution! Our issue is that we have loads of various chefs using our pans so I find these gems hiding in dark corners. At least it gives me pans to experiment with! I'm also playing with some household acidic mixtures to see if I can improve the effectiveness of the vinegar method. More to come.

[@HrWisch]

Vinegar works fine but also dissolves a little metal over time. So don't keep the skillet soaking in it longer than necessary. For completely stripping cast iron or carbon steel, I prefer a lye bath. Not only does it remove the seasoning better, it also doesn't affect the metal at all. So you can soak the skillet for months or even years without any negative effects. On the downside, it requires more care than vinegar. Protective gloves and glasses are mandatory when handling lye. Electrolysis is another method that doesn't harm the metal. It's the preferred method to strip precious vintage cast iron.

[@AgeAndTreachery5167]

I watched your video restoring an old cast iron pan with a lye and water soak. Would this method also work for carbon steel? One of the advantages of the lye method you mentioned was that it does no damage to the steel, only eats the organic matter. I would think that would work as well on carbon steel and avoid the heat damage to the de Buyer handle. I have a de Buyer skillet that I love but it is looking a little rough around the edges and I’m thinking of starting the seasoning over. Thanks, I love your videos! Keep up the good work!

[@Cook-Culture]

Yes, for sure, Try the lye bath on carbon!

[@theandyv8176]

What I don't really understand is how the pan doesn't rust at all when deep cleaned. When I deep cleaned my pan, because it got hot from the water, the whole pan started rusting like crazy in seconds. Yet in your video it stays perfect. Am I doing something wrong?

[@theandyv8176]

Unless there is still some seasoning left in your case that is...

[@Cook-Culture]

Yes, that can be the case. Flash rusting happens but is not bad, just get your oil on asap

[@alicedyment4219]

Thank you for this video. My debuyer pan was in bad shape, too much black flaky carbonization that I had No idea how to remove.. It now looks like new.

[@truenorth2615]

I thought you weren't supposed to put the Mineral B pan in the over for more than 10 minutes....well that is what their website said. What temperature did you use to bake off the excess build up at the beginning of the video?

[@catharina2022]

An electric oven was on for 6 hours to clean these pans, I think a little elbow grease and 15 minutes wood have done the trick much cheaper and seasoning you can do on the stove. It works for my de buyer pans and also for my wok!🙋🏼‍♀️🇱🇺🌷

[@Cook-Culture]

I totally agree with you! That is my preferred choice, as I stated in the video. This is my how-to manually clean kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmnEeZ2ifrB0Zrs

[@pobrien864]

So are you saying that olive oil and avocado oil are not recommended for carbon steel? That is a problem for me ( and likely a great number of people) as seed oils are inflammatory and strongly discouraged from use in low carb diets for type 2 diabetes. I can deal with seed oils for seasoning since they get vaporized but cooking with them is out of the question.

[@Cook-Culture]

Howdy, cooking is not the issue. Once you have a solid seasoning then you should be able to cook with whatever you like without a problem. You could also try a really thin olive oil, as in the cheapest stuff you can find. Highly processed olive oil works ok. Out of interest, have you heard of these guys: www.masteringdiabetes.org/

[@dannyo3317]

What exactly happened to the coating on the handles that keeps Mineral B land from being normally completely oven proof?

[@Cook-Culture]

Sorry, I don't follow your question??

[@dmitrynutels9340]

What do you mean "used at way too high of a heat"? I didn't know there was such a thing (outside of your oven self-cleaning at 900F or some such).

[@Cook-Culture]

Yes, cooking at too high of heat, over long periods of time, will create carbon build

[@SebastianPucci]

I thought the non-pro version can only be in the oven for 10 minutes or so at 400F due to the handle coating. Is that the case?

[@Cook-Culture]

That's what the instructions say! I've pushed the envelop.

[@spicynoodleboi]

Can you use the buzzy wax and do a stove top method and still get a consistent seasoning? I have a pan with an epoxy handle that can't go in the oven.

[@Cook-Culture]

Yes you can!

[@SlamDunkModalOpen]

Interesting. Thanks so much for these great videos! So, this would also work for cast iron pans?

[@Cook-Culture]

Sure can, and won't hurt the handles!

[@HrWisch]

@@Cook-Culture Unless it's a wooden handle. ;-)

[@Cook-Culture]

@@HrWisch Yes, for sure!

[@richlewis8812]

Hello culture... here is my dilemma... I season my blue carbon pan wrong.. I have sticky spots on my pan and don't seem to come off.. how can I completely clean my pan to be re seasoned correctly.. thank u

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi Rich, can you be specific on which brand you have?

[@richlewis8812]

I have a Made In... blue carbon steel pan

[@eddiepugmire447]

@@richlewis8812 had this pan too, it’s been a nightmare for me to work with.

[@johnwilmott8063]

Jed, thanks for the in depth cleaning and restoration video, a very good job by all accounts. As i suspected De Buyer don't recommend that particular model of pan for oven use in the oven, certainly not for extended periods. However it should work on my De Buyer pro which has a stainless handle.

[@RainCity3rd]

Is it normal to find that cast iron pans are more easy to maintain the seasoning on than carbon steel? I started with cast iron many years ago, dabbled in carbon steel but just haven't really found any benefits. Carbon steel are a bit finicky whereas my old cast iron i can take camping, use on a camp fire wash the soot off when i get home and it seems better off from the abuse. I only have an electric flat top though. Gas range in about a month. Will be curious to see if any difference. Interested in your thoughts.

[@berniem.6965]

Cast iron has a more uneven surface which helps the seasoning adhere better. That's why you shouldn't go too high with the grid when sanding cast iron cookware.

[@berniem.6965]

Oh, and the main advantage of carbon steel is the lower weight compared to cast iron. Depending on the sheet material thickness, a carbon steel skillet is roughly 20-30% lighter than a cast iron skillet of the same size. Carbon steel also doesn't tend to crack when dropped or exposed to extreme temperature shock, it will bend instead which, in minor cases, can be fixed.

[@RainCity3rd]

@@berniem.6965 Thanks for the reply. I've never had any issues with cast iron cracking though, not does it seems to be common historically or on modern cookware. It's definitely more Heavy but good steel isn't that far off, with food in it I am certainly not tossing food around either way. Cast iron has more mass to hold heat good for some cooking but also means very slow to hear up and change temps. Carbon steel has less mass, thus changes temps quicker but I find less even than cast iron. Maybe that's more evident on my crappy electric flat top. Gas may be a tad more even. I'm just not sold on carbon steel, but I keep trying to see if it grows on me. So far a bit disappointed.

[@Cook-Culture]

This may be oversimplifying things but try turning down the heat by 10% for your carbon

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi, thanks. It's hard to answer you specifically as every brand is a bit different. However, in general, cast iron is thicker and heavier than carbon steel so this is mainly where you would find a difference in performance. Thick cast takes more hard use and keeps performing. whereas thinner carbon steel will have more direct thermal transfer it can be detrimental to the surface seasoning.

[@pirogue6565]

Fairly sure the handle issue on the smaller pan is due to its handle not really being “oven safe” due to the coating used on it (as opposed to no coating on the other pan’s handle). I’m basing this off of myself having that same smaller DeBuyer pan, which I couldn’t season it in the oven due to the handle coating.

[@HrWisch]

They are both DeBuyer MineralB skillets with an epoxy coated handle.

[@Cook-Culture]

You are correct that they are not 'oven-safe' at self-cleaning temperatures but the pans are identical. I am not curious as to why the handle browned, but why one browned more than the other, especially when the one that browned less started out in worse shape. I have been successful seasoning these pans in the oven: www.cookculture.com/collections/mineral-b/products/de-buyer-mineral-b-wok-12-5-32cm

[@christinasmith9032]

Did the epoxy come off or just get brown? Maybe these pans are “oven safe enough” . I wonder because I’m also considering the Matfer.

[@Cook-Culture]

@@christinasmith9032 Just browned, and I find that they do not get brown when they are used around 400. Mafter is a great choice too.

[@pirogue6565]

@@Cook-Culture Thanks, understood. Love your channel...have learned a lot, especially to stop cooking with olive oil! ;)

[@user-pm3bx2ee4q]

I thought you’d need to remove racks from oven before using the self clean function

[@cybertekyuma]

Not to mention this process can damage your oven. Do you sell ovens?

[@eltoronegro]

Avocado oil is not good to cook with in carbon steel? Better options?

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi, we've found that Grapeseed is best for carbon steel

[@mynala110]

So we shouldn’t use avocado oil or olive oil???? I haven’t heard this before. That sucks

[@Cook-Culture]

it's not that we suggest not cook with olive oil or avocado oil but the issue is that high-quality fruit oils are very poor for seasoning due to the high fiber content and other molecules that make up the amazing flavour.

[@Draeber]

i ordered a whole set of de Buyer pans but I dont think I will season them in the oven.

[@Cook-Culture]

It's best to use the method that you are comfortable with. The stovetop method works just as well as the oven.

[@ritak6329]

Wait....avocado oil is bad while cooking with carbon steel?

[@Cook-Culture]

Fibre is bad for seasoning, so oil with fibre is bad for seasoning. If you are using a thin avocado oil then it may work great. If you have a flavourful, deep-coloured oil, then it may be problematic.

[@ritak6329]

@@Cook-Culture Thank you! I had no idea!!!!

[@OrenNoah]

Any danger of warping due to the high heat of the self-cleaning cycle?

[@HrWisch]

Warping only occurs when heating up the skillet unevenly too fast (like on a too small burner or on induction using the boost / power / quick boil function). Due to the oven heating up pretty much as a whole, there shouldn't be any warping issues using the self cleaning cycle. The high heat itself is no problem for the carbon steel, it can take temperatures way above the self cleaning temperature (which should be somewhere around 450-500°C).

[@Cook-Culture]

No issues whatsoever with de Buyer Mineral B

[@oliviagreen8853]

You don’t season the handle?

[@ShindigEats]

I was thinking that as well, considering they look fairly stripped.

[@guavavodka]

you didnt say the temperature of the oven

[@Cook-Culture]

6:40

[@HrWisch]

It's a self cleaning oven with pyrolysis. Those usually run somewhere around 450-500°C (some manufacturers use up to 600°C).

[@uofm1334]

de Buyer Mineral B pans are not oven safe - therefore the handles lose their coating.

[@Cook-Culture]

Hi John, the oven can definitely damage the handle of the pan but de Buyer Mineral B will not 'lose' their coating. Over time they can discolour and become dry. I have several that have been in and out of if the oven dozens of times and they do look more warn than my pans that have not been but they're just as usable.

[@laurahannon1652]

De Buyer’s website says their coated handles are oven safe for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. debuyer-usa.com/collections/carbon-steel/products/mineral-b-fry-pan

[@Cook-Culture]

@@laurahannon1652 Yes, you are totally correct. If you damage the pan in the oven they are not covered by warranty. When I seasoning in the oven I take on the responsibility of the handle. As you can see in this video, the long and very hot deep cleaning changed the colour of my handles. They are still perfectly usable but no longer like new.

[@peterk.824]

How to destroy a good handle for no good reason...

[@Cook-Culture]

If you watch the entire video you will see that the handle is fine, just discoloured. The first pan that I clean has more damage to the handle from being used on a gas range that it got from the oven.

[@davidcooke7744]

Hi ya some of us don’t have the privilege of a self cleaning oven so that’s me out.