de Buyer Mineral Pan, Fry Pan: 8"

Excellent Fry Pans but not for the Broiler....
I recently purchased the 8" and 14" pans to replace a couple cast iron fry pans my daughter took to college. (Note that these pans are measured by their diameter across the top lip.) First off, I love these pans. They have significant thermal mass, the included directions got them moving the the right direction getting seasoned and non-stick. These pans are closer to carbon-steel than stainless. You will need to treat them like your cast-iron cookware. Bottoms are flat and smooth, which is nice if you have a glass-topped electric range. The one area that I have very mixed feelings about are the handles. I like the angle the handle is set in relation to the pan. I think it helps keep it cool, out of the way, and can even be used for a little extra leverage with the larger plans. In spite of that, the handle poses one limitation.... the ability to use the pan under a broiler.... The 8" pan's handle sits 4 inches above the cook surface. This one just fits into my broiler...

Great Pan!
Doing most of my stove top cooking on my various iron skillets, I decided to try the mineral fry pan out.

After some seasoning according to the instructions that come with the de buyer pan, it works wonderfully.

Few points:
- works just as well as my well seasoned iron skillet in terms of non-stick properties
- for those who have been afraid to use iron skillets, try this: better than Teflon coming off onto your food
- probably just as heavy as my iron skillet
- does need some maintenance, including seasoning, and is not dishwasher safe.
- unlike my iron skillet, i can cook sauces in this (traditional iron skillets are averse to acidic sauces and liquids in general)

Other notes:
- the handle does angle high: this means that the entire pan will not fit into most oven broiler racks (top rack) with the door closed. door must remain open while broiling. not the end of the world.
- cannot leave soaking in the sink...

Low Patina and Pitting
I now own two types of de Buyer pans - carbon steel and mineral. The mineral fry pan is at least twice as heavy as the carbon steel and takes forever to develop a seasoned patina (black film). The 99% mineral pan is more eco-friendly and nutritious, but it is still prone to rust and some stickiness. The mineral pan also develops small pits over time, so I now have new pitting on the sides and corners of the pan (which becomes covered with patina). This pitting appears to be exclusive to the mineral pan because the carbon steel does not form pits. There is also a silicone logo on the handle of the pan which seems unnecessary. The patina develops slowly compared to the carbon steel (wiping with paper towels actually "sands off" iron until fully seasoned), and the weight is equivalent to cast iron, but I like the fact that it's 99% iron which is a far healthier option. The long handles are useful for stove top use (it fits in the oven on the middle rack, but there's little room for...

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