Review of DeBuyer Mineral B Element Country Cheff Iron Pan, Round

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List Price: $70.00
Sale Price: $60.44
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I really like this pan and have found it Remarkably well suited for stir-frying, braising small cuts of meat, and it has even worked well for deep frying egg rolls. If you're interested in frying steaks, etc, I would not recommend this pan as it is a bit small at the base for such things. Instead, consider the larger De Buyer Country skillet (be forewarned that it is a heavy pan) or one of the traditional De Buyer fry pans.

My only complaint with the pan is that the silicone coating on the handle seems pointless--it is too thin to offer any real insulation from the heat and it has melted/cooked away at the point where the handle is riveted to the body of the pan.

Seasoning: there is an incredible amount of debate/information on the web about how to season steel and cast iron pans. My experience has been that the methods for seasoning cast iron and steel are similar but not necessarily interchangeable. The method I used, one that has worked well, is to:

1) Boil potatoes skins in the new pan as directed by De Buyer (this helps remove the bees wax coating that the pan ships with). Throw out the resulting grey mess;

2) scrub the pan thoroughly with soap and water to get off any remaining wax;

3) Heat the pan slightly on the stove to ensure that it is completely dry--about 2 minutes on medium heat;

4) Using a clean paper towel, vigorously rub a thin coat of flaxseed oil onto the insides of the pan (don't forget to shake the oil well before using it and to refrigerate it). I cannot reiterate that this layer of oil needs to be very, very thin--best to apply lots of thin layers than one big thick one;

5) Heat the pan until the oil cooks past its smoke point--about 15-20 minutes. Remember that seasoning IS NOT cooking and the goal here is to cause the oil to polymerize. If you are really interested, leave a comment and I will point you to a link that explains the chemistry in-depth;

6) Allow the pan to cool and then repeat steps 3-6 several more times;

7) After you've created a solid coating of 7-10 layers on the inside of the pan, just start cooking with it and it will continue to season on its own.

Cleaning; usually I just wipe it out with a clean cloth/paper towel; however, it does, on occasion require that I use some boiling water and salt to get out crusty bits.

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These pans are amazing! they are the best cooking items we have discovered lately. Solid, smooth surface cooks evenly... it's almost like a smooth cast iron pan. We are throwing out all of our Scanpans. There is a big draw back though. They are extremely heavy. With some of the larger ones, they are very difficult to handle when trying to hold with one hand to dump/pour and use the spatula with the other.... but they cook very well, just remember to season the pan first.

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Alton Brown once said that his desert island pan would be a Lodge cast iron pan. I respectfully disagree. I would go with this pan in the 12.6" size. I have seared steaks, deep fried fish, made chilaquiles, and a whole lot of other meals in this pan. And i've only had it three days. When seasoned, nothing will stick. Eggs and potatoes slide right out, and i only have to give a quick rinse with hot water and dry on the stove. The high sides help keep the stove top clean when deep frying and help keep the food in the pan when stir frying. This is and will always be my favorite pan. I will be buying more for my kids so that they can start out with a good set of cookware. They are 15, 10, 6 and 3, so i have time to season this one well, and hand it over to the oldest. Then buy a new one and start the process over again.

The only drawback I can think of is the size and weight. I will be installing a hanging pot rack soon, so this won't be an issue for me, but those with less space may have a problem. The weight may be an issue for some, but the installed helper handle helps with this.

Buy these pans and you will be set. Take care of them and you will be passing these onto your great grandchildren.

I got very lucky and purchased these at Williams Sonoma during an unadvertised sale. I got both the 12.6" and the 9.4" for $85.00. But even at Amazon prices, it is totally worth every penny.

One last note, DO NOT leave these pans to "soak". They require immediate cleaning and drying. So if you or you significant other like to "soak" cookware, buy something else.

BUY THESE BE HAPPY!!!!

Honest reviews on DeBuyer Mineral B Element Country Cheff Iron Pan, Round

I didn't realize how huge this pan was going to be. I need two hands to move it when it's filled. But wow it holds a lot of whatever you're cooking. I use it to stir fry, boil smaller batches of potatoes, more versatile that I imagined. I was nervous spending so much on a pot, but I was so impressed by the quality I bought 2 more by the same company in different sizes. I am slowly replacing all my nonstick cookware for cast iron, stainless, and these types of pots.

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I use it to cook most things. It works well. It would be nice if it had a cover made for it. I use one from another skillet I had that works when I need it.