Best Carbon Steel Pans & Woks of 2025: 7 Skillets and Woks Tested & Compared
Carbon steel is the middle child of cookware. Cast iron gets the nostalgia points. Stainless steel gets the professional kitchen reputation. Non-stick gets the convenience crowd. Carbon steel sits in a weird spot — it’s lighter than cast iron, more responsive than stainless, and develops a non-stick patina over time that rivals any coating. Chefs love it because it heats fast and evenly. Home cooks are slowly catching on. We put seven pans and woks through daily cooking — seasoned them, burned the first batch of eggs, seared steaks hot enough to set off the smoke alarm, stir-fried vegetables until the seasoning was black. Here’s what held up. ...