With the increase in awareness and the number of diseases all around the world, people have become more particular about their health and diet. Interestingly, individuals are not only attempting to improve their overall health by focusing on their diet but now they carefully analyze what they buy for their kitchen. This includes everything from cupcake pans to frying pans. In case you are wondering, the utensils you use have a certain degree of role to play when it comes to your health and safety. The safety of kitchen utensils is measured by the kind of material used in the interior and body. Certain materials are found to be toxic for consumption as they contaminate the food being cooked in them. For instance, Teflon has always been considered a dangerous material. Similarly, many question the safety of carbon steel as well. Right now, there must be several people searching ‘is carbon steel safe?’
For this reason, we feel the need to discuss the topic so that you can choose the right set for your kitchen without any fear of regretting it in the future.
Table of Contents
What is Carbon Steel?
When the steel includes carbon content that amounts to 2.1%, we call it carbon steel. Also, any steel which cannot be classified as stainless steel is referred to as carbon steel. Currently, carbon steel is being used for various purposes. Including for bakeware, cookware, and other utensils that we use in the kitchen. High carbon content in steel makes it a lot more resilient and harder which is, of course, an added benefit when it comes to kitchen utensils. The higher the carbon content, the lower the melting point. This suggests that it is heat resistant and can prove to be perfect for foods that need to be cooked at high temperatures.
Health & Safety
In the text above, we mentioned how most of us are in a race to find things for our kitchen that leave no harsh impact on our health. For this reason, we are always concerned about the quality and functioning of the material of the items we buy for our kitchen. This is why we are compelled to ask ‘is carbon steel safe?’ when we are planning to buy bakeware or cookware from this particular category of materials.
It is important to know that carbon steel consists of carbon and iron content and no other material in the same category. Iron is one of the essential minerals that is quite beneficial for every human’s hemoglobin levels. The iron content in the cooking utensils adds to your good health and of course, what could be better than that? When we talk about the safest materials for cooking and baking purposes, carbon steel and cast iron have always been on top of the list and it has been proven. Hence, you don’t need to worry about adding carbon steel to your kitchen collection. Also, remember that carbon steel does not include any unnecessary chemicals that may harm your health in any way.
Moreover, carbon steel for kitchen items is not new. It has been there for centuries now and needless to say, it has proven to be the favorite of many top chefs around the globe. Most brands selling carbon steel cookware and bakeware have been doing the job since ages which further suggests the credibility of this material.
Carbon Steel for Cookware
If you are planning to buy carbon steel cookware then it is important to know that it does not come pre-seasoned. It’s the buyer’s job to season it before actually using it. Often, the manufacturers attach the instructions on how to season the pan safely. To know more about how to season a carbon steel pan, we have shared the instruction below as well.
Oven Method for Seasoning Carbon Steel
Materials:
- Oven mittens
- Paper towel
- Tongs
- Tinfoil
- Baking sheet
- Vegetable Oil
- Tongs
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven at 400 Fahrenheit and put the pot or pan inside for at least ten minutes when the oven is being preheated.
- Wear your oven mittens and carefully take the pan out of the oven.
- Dip a clean cloth or a paper towel in vegetable oil and spread and properly coat the exterior and interior of the pan. Make sure to wear mittens while you do that to avoid burns. Also, use tongs to hold the cloth or paper towel.
- Add a layer of tinfoil to the baking sheet and put it in the bottom rack of the oven.
- On the rack above the sheet, you placed in the previous step, place the coated pan upside down. The temperature of the pan should be set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and leave the pan inside for an hour.
- Remove the pan from the once it cools down after you turn off your oven.
Stovetop Method for Seasoning
Materials:
- Tongs
- Vegetable oil
- Paper towel or a dishcloth
- Oven mittens
Instructions:
- On medium-high heat, place the pan on the stovetop and let it be there until you feel it has been properly heated up. You will notice the pan turning brown when heated.
- Take off the pan and do not forget to wear oven mittens.
- Coat paper towel or a clean cloth with vegetable oil and coat the exterior and interior. Make sure to coat it fully for exceptional results.
- Put the pan back on the stovetop and the burner should be set to high. When you notice the fat melting and turning black then know that you are on the right track.
- Remove the pan and remove excess oil with a cloth or paper towel. Again, be careful while you do it since the pan is going to be considerably hot.
- Let the pan cool fully before proceeding further.
The fact that you have to season carbon steel pans yourself is in itself self-explanatory. If you want your answers for ‘is carbon steel safe?’. It is quite a big advantage that it is not pre-seasoned because manufacturers, at times, tend to add toxic chemicals to create a nonstick coating. This is, of course, makes your meal of the day harmful for your health. Seasoning yourself pan yourself is a huge benefit. Although it takes time and effort, the process is highly safe and free of toxins and what else do we look for in cookware we intend to purchase. Vegetable oil seasoning is very good for health and it can be quite fruitful for the ones striving to lose weight and improve the overall health of their body.
Our Final Verdict
Keeping in mind the information given above, it is safe to say that carbon steel is highly safe. It may be a bit expensive but the fact that it is friendly for health outweighs that. Therefore, if you are in search of healthy cookware then do not hesitate to buy carbon steel. However, note that it is slightly heavier but again, being healthy is more important. It is available with multiple retailers all around the world. However, we recommend you buy from a trusted retailer so that there are no glitches in the quality and performance because no one wants their hard-earned money to go down the drain.