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Are Carbon Steel Pans Safe for Cooking?

They’re not just safe enough for cooking with, they’re safe enough to eat off, too.

By Team Made In
May 27, 2022
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Cookware safety is an important part of shopping for new pots and pans, especially when the safety of certain cookware materials has been called into question in the past. What your pan is made and coated with, if it will degrade at a certain temperature, and what utensils are safe to use are all important questions to ask during the shopping process.

Luckily, all of our cookware is safe and non-toxic to cook with, including Carbon Steel—which is actually one of the safest materials to cook with. Here’s why.

What Is Carbon Steel?

Carbon Steel is an alloy made up of 99% carbon and 1% iron, that is used to craft products like gears, cables, bridges, and wires. This strength and durability also makes it an ideal material for cookware.

Similarly to cast iron, Carbon Steel  can hold and respond to heat exceptionally well. However, unlike cast iron, it is very light, which makes cooking with it easy and painless.

Carbon Steel has been a prominent fixture in European kitchens for centuries, and is just beginning to catch on in the USA.

Is Carbon Steel Toxic?

Toxicity in cookware is a big concern, dating back to the 1970s when Teflon in Non Stick contained harmful PFOAs.

However, Carbon Steel, unlike old Teflon coated cookware, is completely non toxic. It only has the two chemicals in it—carbon and iron—neither of which are toxic. And the best part about Carbon Steel is that it’s actually naturally non stick when you develop a seasoning layer.

Carbon Steel is safe enough that you could eat off of your Pan if you really wanted to. However, if your pan is rusted, you may want to think twice before cooking a meal in it—it’s usually best to not eat off of rusted surfaces. Luckily, you can easily remove the rust and restore it back to new.

If your pan is scratched, you don’t need to worry about it leaching chemicals into your food. Scratches are a normal result of use, and will fill in with more seasoning—meaning the metal isn’t any more exposed or toxic.

If you’re looking for a non-toxic, healthy cooking option, Carbon Steel is an excellent option. We take cookware safety seriously, so you can rest assured that all of our cookware, from Stainless Clad to Carbon Steel, is 100% safe and trusted by the world’s best restaurants and thousands of home kitchens.


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