Steel Pans

[Peter]

Recently somebody gave me his membership card for a wholesale and I bought two steel pans which can be used on Ceran cooking plates. They were cheap (280 and 320mm cost ~23$), you have an excellent temperature control and no matter what, the food tastes very good, fish, roesti, bacon, vegetable "Wok food", eggs, everything. Aren't they common in the U.S.?

Peter

[Fred]

No, very rare in the U.S. I think the only importer is DeBuyer who brings in a French line of carbon steel pans. I carried them for a while and couldn't sell them. Everybody here uses cast iron, stainless steel or aluminum.

[RETREVR]

I like the steel pans. I think mafter makes a line.
They heat up quick and adjust to temp quick, and they brown well. They are like cooking in a little wok. I also liked that the handles had some vert that allowed for better access to the back burners. We had them in the last place that I worked. I was dinner saute. At the same time I was dinner saute at another place that used the aluminum fry pans. Hands down, the steel rocks.

[blwchef]

I love the steel too. I've used them at three different places now and find them to be excellent. They are very responsive to temperature change which is great on busy line. The clean up is great to, just wipe out with lighlty oiled towel and your good for the next round.

[KneeKnocks]

I'll sign on as fan of the steel pans, too. Once you work a busy saute station with them, you'll never be happy with anything else.

Of course, at home--with my circa 1950 electric coil range--any piece of crap will do.....

[RETREVR]

We used to make our manicotti with crepes. I used to fire up ten burners at a time with those steel pans. Talk about dancing. Try flipping ten burners worth of crepes for an hour.
The first crepe is always junk, but after that, you never had to oil the pan again.

[VHo]

if all the pro's use them, where do the restaurants get them from? DeBuyers?

I'm w/ kneeknocks, any piece of crap on my coils. I prefer gas.

vho

[blwchef]

I used to have to do the same thing for crepe suzette with fresh huckle berries. We didn't have burner but one of those french iron flat tops with the fire rings in the middle, talk about sweating. Crank out 300 in an hour and a half.

[KneeKnocks]

VHo,
Can't say for sure where restaurants buy their black steel pans (they've usually been on-site when I arrived), but they're available all over the internet. Google "black steel frying pan" and you'll get dozens of sources, most made by Matfer Bourgeat.

[blwchef]

www.jbprince.com (http://www.jbprince.com) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[KneeKnocks]

Of course! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[RETREVR]

http://www.galasource.com/prodList.cfm/5386,M,Black%20Steel%20Round%20Frying%20Pans,1,1,F ,MX1

They have cheap pot racks also...I think you have to buy two at a time though.

[Scott]

RETREVR,

Wow! That is a great site. I spent way too much time looking around there tonight... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Scott

[barbouni]

I just got a couple of the Matfer Bourgeat steel pans. (very reasonabley priced) I going to season them today. I was wondering if deglazing these pans will affect the seasoning properties.

I got mine here:
Steel Pans (http://www.knifemerchant.com/products.asp?categoryTraversalList=0,108,113,118&c ategoryID=118)

[Peter]

[ QUOTE ]
I was wondering if deglazing these pans will affect the seasoning properties

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely no problems, Barbouni (home use), they stay non stick. I clean them with perfume free dish soap, but it's just because I dont use them all day long, of course.

Peter