Those pans are an intriguing concept. I'd like to see cook videos as it theoretically should heat faster and more evenly than plain carbon steel, but will it make a practical difference in real life cooking?
My Strata and my carbon steel wok are my two favorite pieces of cookware. Why? Because they encourage you to cook. They look better the more you use them, and they perform better too. They grow with you. Stainless steel and nonstick pans both look and perform worse over time (much more true of nonstick). Although cast iron performs better with use, most modern cast iron comes pretty heavily seasoned, and so the look doesn’t really improve over time. I’m glad you showed how the seasoning recovers pretty quickly, even if it takes a hit. In my experience, the visual loss of seasoning really doesn’t make a huge difference, and it’ll be looking better than ever soon. I recently stewed 3 lbs of blueberries in my carbon steel wok without realizing how much that would strip the seasoning, but it already looks great again, just from cooking a few times.
Ugh, never cut foods while still in the pan, EVER! My own experience with my carbon steel pans is exactly as documented here. Excellent documentation of the usual progression.
I just got my Strata and excited to season it and start using it! i've previously used Flax seed oil for cast iron and carbon steel pans, but I noticed in your instructions that you advised against it. I'm curious why. Thanks!
We don't recommend flaxseed oil for seasoning because, although it polymerizes quickly and forms a seasoning layer faster, it tends to be brittle and fragile. This is likely due to its relatively low smoke point of 225°F, which can cause it to degrade at typical cooking temperatures. It also has a low Omega-6 to Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio which may additionally contribute to its lack of durability compared to other oils.
Most cooking can be done well in a good stainless steel cladded pan which is much lower maintenance and can handle acidic foods. I really only need a carbon steel pan for eggs, 8" will be great.
That's a great technique, we clean our pans like that sometimes ourselves. The seasoning should not be affected. If the pan is extremely hot and the water is extremely cold, it is possible to cause warping, but we have not ever actually seen it with our pans. Just a disclaimer.
Yes! Holds up just like any other steel pan in a restaurant kitchen. The stainless exterior additionally provides protection against rust on the underside so its extra durable in that aspect.
We did a maintenance seasoning just after cooks 20, 24, and 28. We have some other extra details mentioned in the description of this video too if your curious.
My real life experience - better than teflon for eggs. The combination of heat., the easy quality seasoning you can get on a pan makes for the best eggs Ive ever cooked in my life in the last two weeks: sunny side up, over easy, basted, scrambled, frittata, country style omelets and french omelets. Im keeping my new 10.5 just for eggs. Just preordered the larger pan for proteins and vegetables.
We would love for you to elaborate. We are interested to know how our seasonable carbon steel pan, is hazardous waste. The whole point is that it's a natural, seasonable pan that will never need to be throw out.
This is a common misconception! Typical soaps no longer contain any acids such as lye or vinegar like they used to. It will NOT strip seasoning. Typical soaps will just break down only unpolymerized oils or food. By doing this, it's easier to prevent food build up under seasoning. Adding the quick layer of oil after cleaning additionally protects from rust. The "no soap" method works too, but it's all preference. We choose the soap route because its more familiar and can remove a barrier for those who are nervous to try seasoned cookware.
Received my 10.5 pan this week! Exceeding my expectations. The booklet information went into my kitchen notebook. Great instructions. Best Ive seen. Simple first cook of scrambled eggs. Going to be a great weekend cooking up a storm. Will be getting a 12 inch. An 8 inch pan would be excellent as a house egg pan! So glad I heard about these pans on Cook Culture. Really like that they are numbered on the bottom.
Amazing! You don't know how pleased we are to hear you also love the instructions! We worked hard on the product itself, but the other half of the battle is helping people learn. Many carbon steel products provide only short minimal instructions. We are determined to not only provide a quality product but the essential knowledge to use it to it's full potential. Happy cooking!
¨It's cold right now¨ Proceeds to smoke when the wet sponge is put on it. It is easier to clean it while it's still a little warm though so it's fine. It's just the wording made me laugh a little.
lol we were wondering if someone was going to say something. I definitely meant to say its cooled down enough to touch. Also yes! Washing while its still a little warm makes it very easy to clean!
It makes a great egg pan! Yes, we have/are considering non-riveted handles. No promise that we'll do it or not, there are many factors to consider including cost and reliability.
I think this is a great idea. However i honestly don't have an issue with even heating of standard carbon steel pans. Where i think this style of pan would make sense for me would be in a double burner griddle - I have an induction stove without a griddle bridge element. The clad design would really help to spread the heat from the induction burners. Plus I'd get the nonstick benefits of carbon steel. Please consider making a double burner griddle!
It seems like warp risk is partly from steel thickness, how fast change of temperature is, and how even the induction is (cheap transportable burners seem to be the worst offenders)
Yes it can! Many people find it easier to keep seasoning on carbon steel but we will never argue against stainless if someone prefers that! It's all preference.
You've claimed that your pan heats up faster and more evenly compared to other pans, such as regular carbon steel. I would love to see a side-by-side video comparing your pan to a popular carbon steel pan, using an IR gun! I am seriously considering your pan, and this is the factor that I'm still the most unclear about. I love the idea that I can blast it with high heat right from the start, just like my carbon steel wok, and that it's relatively light.
That's a great suggestion. We are just getting started with more quality video content so keep an eye out. A more accurate heat comparison is absolutely in the cards :)
@@StrataCookware I can't wait! There are lots of interesting possible tests, such as comparing it to heavy cast iron (which takes a long time, and doesn't heat that evenly), or typical aluminum nonstick (one test heating both on medium, since nonsticks can't handle high heat, and one test of medium heat for nonstick vs. high heat for Strata).
That is not correct. We used a cast iron skillet because we wanted to show a variety of comparisons. On the homepage of our website we show the same test, but comparing against another carbon steel pan. It's our 10.5" pan vs 10.25" de Buyer Mineral B carbon steel pan (one of the most popular). Our pan is about 2 lbs lighter than theirs. www.stratacookware.com/
This is an excellent video showing what happens to a carbon steel pan as you use it. People get so hung up on their seasoning because they don't understand the process. The pans can get darker , then some seasoning can come off, then come back again. It all depends on how and what you cook in them.
I think the pan should come pre-seasoned to improve adoption rates. For the average cook who wants to be healthy, they don't have the time or patience to go through the possible arduous process of seasoning the pan. I think the pan is a good idea, and hope your successful, but I see possible high returned products due to the pan not being seasoned correctly and people complaining that the pan sticks. The pan seasoning can be a steep learning curve for most with multiple variables as to why the pan still sticks. You better have an iron clad process and procedure of seasoning the pan from multiple burners such as gas, electric, induction, etc..for the most highest case of seasoning success.
This is a great point. We've decided against it for now, but it's likely we'll have an option for a preseasoned pan in the future. We believe there is educational value in seasoning your own pan. You're more likely to use the pan better if have a general understanding of seasoning from the beginning. But your right, the first seasoning is often a "barrier to entry". We hope to provide the best documentation possible to set our user up for success. We'll see how it "pans" out ;)
Just out of curiosity...do you all have an idea as to why there was so much seasoning lost between cook 12 and 13? Also between 16 and 17. I wouldnt think the ingredients used there would have caused so much to come off. Looking forward to receiving my pans!
Great questions. The loss on #13 was from the chicken actually sticking a little. When the seasoning is newer, it is very normal to pull off that initial early seasoning and have a little bit of sticking with more challenging foods like chicken breast. Until that point, nothing had really been sticking. The #17 was because we used an acidic soy sauce which is known to break down seasoning. We did this on purpose to show the seasoning recover after using something acidic. The whole point of this video was to show that the loss of seasoning is very normal and the first month is the "weirdest" when it comes to the visual changes.
Hi, you're right, this is not a video on the initial seasoning process, but it is a video about how seasoning continues to develop over time as you cook. We've noticed that this, even more than the initial seasoning process, was very confusing to people new to carbon steel. We'll make a separate video on the initial seasoning process in the future.
@@StrataCookware Seasoning is pretty straightforward barring misconceptions. #1: If you think steel or cast iron will act like teflon PTFE type non-stick you are a dumbass (no offense, I was a dumbass in this regard till I learned). #2: Cooking w/steel or cast requires oil/fat/butter/etc., not necessarily a bunch but some; any of those sliding-around eggs are achieved w/some fat despite what claims are made otherwise. #3: Learn to read real temps in the pan, that means get an infrared temp gun, otherwise you are not within 50ºF/10ºC by estimating. #4: Initial seasoning: watch some videos but don't get crazy; best initial may be just frying some green onions w/light coat of oil between 350-400F/175-185C till burnt, toss em out, clean the pan w/oil, dry w/paper towel, then start cooking. #5: Always pre-heat to <350F/175C before putting food in the pan, and ALWAYS ALWAYS wait to move the food until it has partially carmelized and will release easily, and use a thin edged spatula (Lamson flipper or decent chef's solid spatula) to 'pop' any stuck parts loose before flipping. Cook a bit hotter on steel/cast than on PTFE nonstick. #6. After cooking, clean the pan w/a few drops of oil, scrape any stuck stuff w/spatula, dry w/scrubbing action using paper towel. #7: Take care not to burn the pan; probably not fatal if you do but then scrub the pan well w/harsh cleanser, steel wool if needed, and re-season as above. #8: If stuff still sticks, you either need a bit more oil, a bit more heat, or a bit more patience before moving food in the pan, maybe a better release action w/the thin edged spatula. #9: Acidy or watery foods will remove some of the seasoning; just treat the pan as above, maybe dry after cleaning w/paper towel then put the pan on heat for 3-4 min but don't burn the residual oil, and you are back in business.
Soon! keep an eye out. if you want to learn more now, check out Cook Culture or Uncle Scotts Kitchen for some great informative content on cleaning and maintenance for carbon steel.
@@StrataCookware Good point! Have you tried sending a pan to Uncle Scott to try out? That would probably get you more orders .. but maybe you have too many pre-orders already!
I am mad. Furious! I was very busy this week and I missed the deadline because you opened and closed the orders in one freaking week! I supported you early on and didn’t get a chance to order one pan. You never answered the questions. This is bad.
Hi there, I'm sorry you missed the Kickstarter. It was open for 28 days actually but I understand it's still easy to miss. Good news is, we have preorders up now on our official website (www.stratacookware.com/shop) I'm sorry if we happened to missed any questions you've asked . Please email us your questions at info@stratacookware.com.
