Compare Carbon Steel Pans
Which scores higher on safety? R3 breaks it down.
The most important dimensions, side by side.
The cooking surface is bare iron — no coating of any kind. The blue-black color is natural iron oxide from the manufacturing process, not paint or a chemical finish. Nothing to chip, flake, or off-gas onto your food.
PFAS and PTFE cannot be present in a pan with a confirmed bare iron-carbon surface — there is no synthetic polymer in the material composition. This isn't a brand marketing claim; it follows directly from the material science.
De Buyer doesn't address acidic foods (tomatoes, citrus, wine) in their care guide, which is typical for carbon steel brands. A well-seasoned carbon steel pan handles moderate acidity fine, but prolonged simmering of acidic sauces is best avoided until the seasoning is well established.
The 2mm pan body heats quickly and is noticeably lighter than the 3mm Mineral B models, which makes it easier to maneuver. The trade-off is slightly less even heat distribution at maximum burner output and a higher chance of warping if repeatedly exposed to extreme induction heat.
The pan arrives coated in beeswax from handle to rim for rust protection during shipping — completely natural and food-safe, but you need to scrub it off with steel wool and hot water before your first seasoning. This takes about 10 minutes and is clearly documented in the care guide; skip it and your seasoning won't stick.
The handle is welded directly to the pan — no rivets, no seams, nowhere for water to collect and start rust. You can dry this pan completely by setting it on a warm burner for 30 seconds, which you cannot do as effectively with riveted handles. It also goes straight from stovetop to oven without any temperature restriction.
Rated to 500°F, which covers everything from finishing a steak under the broiler to roasting vegetables. Most home ovens max out around 500°F anyway, so this is a practical ceiling that will not limit any standard cooking technique.
Works on induction cooktops — carbon steel is naturally ferromagnetic, so compatibility comes with the material. De Buyer confirms it explicitly.
At $70 you are getting the same bare-carbon-steel safety profile and welded handle construction as the more expensive Mineral B models — the main trade-off is the thinner 2mm gauge rather than 3mm.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You want the strongest material safety credentials in the category at the most accessible price — bare carbon steel with a verified PFAS-free surface.
You prefer a welded handle over riveted: no moisture-trapping crevices at the handle join, and no rust risk at that seam.
You are new to carbon steel and want a lighter, more maneuverable pan without giving up material safety.
You cook on induction and want a confirmed-compatible pan at a lower price than the Mineral B lineup.
You want the largest cooking surface (12.5") with 3mm professional gauge in this carbon steel set
You cook large proteins or batch meals where surface area matters more than handle oven-ceiling
You want verified PFAS-free bare carbon steel with professional French construction
The main thing to know
The beeswax full-pan shipping coat must be scrubbed off with steel wool before first seasoning — skip this step and your seasoning won't adhere. The 2mm gauge is also the thinnest in this category, so if you run induction at maximum heat for long searing sessions, the thicker Mineral B models will hold heat more evenly.
No oven-safe temperature rating published — the stainless-steel-riveted handle implies limited oven use, but the exact ceiling is unconfirmed. Budget time for beeswax full-pan removal before first seasoning.
Skip this if you...
You sear large proteins on induction at maximum heat regularly and want the best heat retention — the 3mm Mineral B Element handles sustained high-heat better.
You want a ready-to-cook pan straight from the box — the beeswax full-pan coat requires a 10-minute steel wool removal step before first use.
Pan size matters for your batch cooking — the Blue is 11"; the Mineral B Pro at 12.5" gives meaningfully more cooking surface.
Oven finishing at high temperature is important — the Element (400°F confirmed) or Blue (500°F) are safer choices if you regularly finish proteins in the oven
You are new to carbon steel — the beeswax setup and larger mass make this a better choice for experienced users
You want the most usability-optimized de Buyer — the Blue at $70 has the welded handle and 500°F oven rating for $40 less
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Carbon Steel Pans options at every price pointEvery Carbon Steel Pans in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated de Buyer and de Buyer across 3 independent criteria: Safety (83%), Efficacy (6%), Usability (11%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
Both scored close to 9.3/10, so the better choice depends on your priorities. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy, and usability. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Carbon Steel Pans across Safety, Efficacy, Usability using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects our weighted rubric, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
Not the right match? Explore these alternatives in the same category.
