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 carbon steel — no coatings of any kind. There's nothing to chip, scratch, or degrade over time, and zero risk of synthetic chemicals reaching your food.
Matfer explicitly claims this pan is PFAS-free, and bare carbon steel backs that claim up by material definition — there's no polymer substrate for PFAS to exist in. This is as clean as it gets for a cooking surface.
This is an important limitation to know about before buying. In 2024, French food safety authorities tested Matfer pans and found elevated iron and trace metals leaching into food under acidic cooking conditions — at levels exceeding EU safety limits. Matfer issued guidance to avoid cooking acidic foods (tomatoes, citrus, wine, vinegar) in their pans. If you regularly make tomato sauces, wine braises, or citrus-based dishes, this pan is not the right choice for those recipes.
Matfer does not publish the pan's thickness anywhere. This matters because thicker carbon steel holds heat more evenly and resists warping — especially important on induction cooktops. We can't evaluate cooking performance without this spec, and the lack of disclosure itself is a transparency concern. If Matfer disclosed gauge thickness, this score would likely rise significantly.
The pan arrives with a factory protective coating, but Matfer doesn't tell you what kind it is. That creates a problem at first use — different coatings require different removal methods (hot soapy water, steel wool, or just high heat). Using the wrong method can damage the cooking surface before you've even seasoned it. Check third-party guides for Matfer first-use prep before you start.
The handle is welded directly to the pan body with no rivets — a big deal for carbon steel care. Rivets create tiny gaps where water collects and rust starts. The welded design eliminates that entirely. The all-iron construction also means you can put this pan in any oven, including under the broiler, without worrying about a handle that can't take the heat.
Matfer doesn't publish an official oven-safe temperature rating for this pan. Given the all-iron construction, it almost certainly handles any home oven temperature — but without a stated spec we can't confirm it. In practice, all-iron carbon steel is routinely used under the broiler without issue.
Works on induction cooktops — confirmed by the brand. Carbon steel is magnetic by nature, so this is expected, but the explicit confirmation is reassuring.
At $113, this is a premium-priced carbon steel pan. You are paying for the professional French construction — bare iron, welded handle, no coatings. Comparable performance is available for less if the construction details aren't your priority.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You want a carbon steel pan that is ready to cook immediately — no beeswax removal or initial seasoning step required
You are new to carbon steel and want the lowest setup barrier — arrives ready to cook with no prep required
You need a 12" pan and prefer a pre-seasoned surface that builds seasoning from the first use
You want bare carbon steel with no coatings of any kind and an explicit PFAS-free claim directly from the brand.
You are an experienced cook who already avoids acidic ingredients in your carbon steel and won't miss that cooking use case.
The welded iron handle — with no rivets to trap moisture and no oven temperature limit — is important to you.
You cook on induction and want a confirmed-compatible pan with professional French construction.
The main thing to know
Handle material is not disclosed on the brand page, and price is unconfirmed. The stated oven-safe ceiling strongly suggests all-metal construction, but cannot be verified without the spec.
In 2024, French food safety regulators documented iron and trace-metal migration exceeding EU safety limits when Matfer pans were tested under acidic cooking conditions. Matfer issued guidance to avoid acidic foods — a real restriction that rules out tomato sauces, wine braises, and citrus dishes.
Skip this if you...
You want to confirm all specs before purchasing — handle material and price are both undisclosed at this time
You want the highest gauge thickness for professional searing — 2mm puts this at the same level as de Buyer Blue, below the 3mm Mineral B models
The de Buyer Blue at $70 is available and confirmed — it provides the same gauge, a confirmed welded handle, and a verified 500°F oven rating
You regularly cook tomato sauces, wine reductions, citrus glazes, or other acidic dishes — the 2024 iron-leaching guidance applies to this pan.
You want to know the pan's gauge thickness before buying — Matfer does not disclose this spec anywhere.
You want a carbon steel pan where first-use prep is clearly explained — the factory coating type is unspecified.
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 Made In and Matfer Bourgeat 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 8.3/10, 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.
