Carbon Steel Pans - Seasoning and Care

 

Here is some care advice from the makers of our carbon steel pans and skillets 

Care & use

Carbon steel pans
Alex Pole Ltd pans and skillets are spun from raw steel, pre-seasoned with rapeseed oil and baked at around 425°C to give a sealed finish. This makes our pans ready to cook with straight out of the box. However, for best results we advise regular re-seasoning, especially after the first few times of use. 

The colour of the pan will change from the blue/grey when is arrives to a dull silver and then to a much darker red/brown and even black. This is completely normal and is reflecting the build-up of seasoning. Don't worry! Cooking some foods, especially acidic produce like tomatoes, can remove some of the seasoning, but again please don't worry! This may result in a pale silver finish but the seasoning can be easily re-applied.

Our pans are all spun by hand and as such can pick up scratches and tooling marks during this highly-skilled process - this does not affect the pan. The spinning process can also create some stress in the base of the pan and this can be released when first heated causing very slight warping. Heat your pan slowly to avoid this.

Raw steel pans are fantastic to cook with and they have no chemical or industrial coatings and as such are better for both the environment and for your health.

Pan seasoning tips

  • Wash your pan in hot water and dry thoroughly
  • Wipe with a very fine layer of oil using a cotton cloth
  • Place the pan in the oven at a medium temperature for 30 minutes
  • Turn the temperature up to maximum and bake pan for 60 minutes
  • Remove pan (careful, it will be hot!) and very gently wipe again with a fine layer of oil
  • Leave to cool slowly; do not cool with cold water as this can buckle the pan
  • The more often a pan is re-seasoned the better the pan will perform

Caring for your pan 

  • Carbon steel will rust if left wet for too long. For best results wash your pan in hot water and dry up thoroughly after use and store in a dry place
  • Steel pans can be re-seasoned after every use if desired and re-heating in the oven with a little oil after cleaning is a good idea
  • Do not put your pan in the dishwasher as it will rust
  • Do not use detergent or excessive soap

 Cooking tips

  • Slowly pre-heat your pan then add oil
  • Most food is best cooked from room temperature rather than directly from the fridge
  • Steel pans can sometimes transfer heat unevenly – find the best heat spot for the type of cooking you are doing

 


OUR 100 YEAR COOKWARE GUARANTEE

NO CHEMICAL COATINGS | NO BREAKABLE PARTS

Our heritage cookware is designed and made to last a lifetime - or even two - so we are confident to give a 'more than a lifetime' guarantee on any of our pans , skillets or casserole dishes.

If a product breaks or is defective in any way we will replace or repair it - for free , for 100 years.

As long as the fault is ours in any way and has come from an issue occurring in The Forge we will endeavour to repair your item - for free . If it is beyond repair and it is our fault it will be replaced - for free.

You may have spent many hours cooking and seasoning your pan so we will try and send it back to you in good condition - for free.

We want to make sure you’re happy, but normal wear and tear, or things like leaving it out in a field for a year in the rain or being left in the sink over night after a boozy dinner party are unfortunately not covered by our guarantee.

Seconds and samples are NOT covered by our guarantee and cannot be returned unless by permission of the company.

We will try our best to help and if you have any questions please get in touch .