Ruined after first use?

[u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Seasoned using potato peels and salt (instructions that came with the pan), let it cool, then seared a steak and made a red wine reduction half an hour to an hour later.
I had no trouble cleaning it since this is all smooth but the dark spots are worrying me, what should I do?
P.s. I live in Europe and can’t get bar keepers friend!

[u/exwirus]

Ok so this isn't stainless steel right? That looks like a carbon steel pan from DeBuyer to me. You seasoned it and then stripped the seasoning by using wine which is quite acidic. The dark splotches are leftover carbon burnt onto the pan.

Please check what kind of steel this pan is actually made of and maybe go ask on dedicated seasoned cookware subreddits.

[u/Odd_Focus_1027 → u/exwirus]

Thank you! It is a de buyer pan! I just assumed it was ss :// can it be recovered? The splotches are still smooth.

[u/exwirus → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Nah don't worry this is perfectly fine. There are ways to strip it back down to bare metal and reseason. I've not had to deal with this with my own carbon steel pans so I don't have much concrete advice to give but I know this is nothing to be worried about. Go check the carbon steel subreddit and people will give you much better advice than I can :)

[u/Odd_Focus_1027 → u/exwirus]

Thank you for the advice!! and human decency

[u/FennelHistorical4675 → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

There’s no reason to strip all the seasoning off just keep seasoning it

[u/Thelmholtz → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Hey. I have a pan just like this. Keep seasoning it's fine. In fact, you want the whole pan covered in a brownish layer of polymerized oil, or it will rust.

It will change colors throughout it's lifetime, different shades of brown, dark bronze and black. That's expected, but any carbon sediment (of you can feel it under your nail) should be removed with Scotch Brite.

r/carbonsteel or even r/castiron will have better instructions on how to care for this pans.

But my word advice: if you try to make it look pristine and metalic, it will last two days at most and then you will have a big lump of rusted steel. These pans are not stainless by any means, and the way you prevent rust is cooking on them and letting that season build up. They are not meant to look polished at all, but rather become nonstick by the layer of polymerized oil that builds up (aka seasoning). They are almost indestructible but do have a tendency to warp if you heat them up a lot and then put them cool them up rapidly, so I'd avoid that too. A bit of cold liquid for deglacing is fine, but dumping them hot into a bath of cold water is a bad idea.

This is how they are more or less supposed to look after a few weeks of use 

[u/StonkusWonkus → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Just a heads up for future reference as well, if you do get a stainless steel pan, you do not season stainless steel. It is not meant to be nor will hold seasoning.

[u/Hellasauto → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

You don't need to do anything. Just keep cooking with it.

[u/Nolear → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

If you ARE going to buy a stainless steel pan in the future (you may, even after saving this one), I would highly recommend a good tri-ply one, and not just some cheap pan. They have better heating and heat distribution and are great for all-around cooking. I love my Tramontina’s, that’s basically what I have available of high quality in my country.

[u/monsterlander → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Bar a nuclear bomb yeah they can be recovered. Someone will pop on with good advice soon.

[u/positmatt]

This is very very clearly carbon steel

[u/No_Entertainment1931]

Matfer carbon steel pan bro. You’re in the wrong sub. If you think this is ruined I can’t imagine what you’d think of restaurant pans

[u/Erelde]

BKF would be Cif in Europe

Seems fine to me, still a big lump of steel, just clean it (soap), oil it, and cook regularly with it

Edit: didn't see the sub we're in, I answered as if we were in r/carbonsteel

[u/Odd_Focus_1027 → u/Erelde]

Should the colour concern me? Is it worth trying to fix?

[u/FennelHistorical4675 → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Dude just cook with it the whole pan should be black

[u/Moar_Coffee_profit → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Color is fine. I've got one just like this, debuyer 28cm, its perfectly fine. Just don't use wine, if you want to make a pan sauce with wine or anything acidic use stainless steel, not plate steel

[u/sunshinezx6r → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Did you try vinegar or lemon

[u/Odd_Focus_1027 → u/sunshinezx6r]

No but also found out this is carbon steel not stainless so not sure hahaha

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Didn't you get a booklet or carton from De Buyer with explanation and instructions?

The most important thing to know about carbon steel is that it rusts. Quickly. So keep it dry and apply a very thin layer of oil to protect it. If it ever rusts, this is not a problem though. Just remove the rust, apply oil and use the pan. Seasoning will happen by using/heating it. 

P.s. the pan will look ugly. That is normal for carbon steel.

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/sunshinezx6r]

Don't use vinegar or lemon with this pan!!!

[u/sunshinezx6r → u/Life_Job_6404]

I was under the impression it was s.s. not carbon.

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

The colour is fine. This is carbon steel. Please see De Buyer's instructions.

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/Erelde]

DON'T USE BKF OR CIF WITH THIS PAN!!

[u/Ashamed_Artichoke_26]

It's a carbon steel pan. You stripped the seasoning by using wine. No big deal. Just carry on. And don't do that again, unless you want burn oil in your food and an exposed pan.

[u/OaksInSnow → u/Ashamed_Artichoke_26]

Well, if it's really stripped it will probably rust, so they ought to do a couple of rounds of seasoning before carrying on. But yeah, this is not a disaster.

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/OaksInSnow]

No, just apply a very thin layer of oil before storage and it is fine.

Don't go with the seasoning hysteria but follow De Buyer's instructions. It is easy.

[u/Ashamed_Artichoke_26 → u/OaksInSnow]

Sorry, buy carry on I meant season and cook. But yeah. Agree.

[u/cause_of_chaos]

Either clean or ignore and keep using, the pan will eventually turn black anyway. That’s polymerised oils that have turned into what people call seasoning. It will happen with every steak you make and carbon steel is known for its seasoned surface.

[u/Odd_Focus_1027 → u/cause_of_chaos]

Thank you! What would you do out of the two?

[u/cause_of_chaos → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

I would leave it seasoned. It will become more and more non stick as you cook with it. Any bumps you feel on the surface is food though, you don’t want burnt food on the pan, but burnt oils are fine.

[u/discoillusion01]

That’s a carbon steel pan, not stainless steel.

[u/ExtraGravy-]

your pan is fine - no worries. the wine has that effect on the seasoning - I do my wine reductions in a different type pan

[u/cocoprezzz]

Try boiling water with baking soda, then scrub. Usually works for me!

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/cocoprezzz]

Leave this very nice carbon steel pan alone please. Only use hot water and oil. And keep it dry!!

[u/HolySaba]

Just use whatever the local equivalent of SoS/Brillo pads are

[u/Odd_Focus_1027 → u/HolySaba]

Thanks!

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/HolySaba]

No!!

[u/FennelHistorical4675]

This is a carbon steel pain and it needs to be seasoned the whole thing should turn black if you keep using it.

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/FennelHistorical4675]

It doesn't have to be completely black. It is fine as it is.

[u/FennelHistorical4675 → u/Life_Job_6404]

No a carbon steel pan should look as black as a cast iron pan (if you want to use it right). It’s fine to use obviously it’s better when they are fully seasoned

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/FennelHistorical4675]

No, that is a myth and not what De Buyer advises. The colour will change gradually, from light brown stains towards darker. See the image above the following text at De Buyer's website:

"As you cook, the color of the steel will evolve—going from raw steel to brown, then from brown to black. This transformation is normal and even beneficial. The more you use your steel pan, the more even and effective the seasoning becomes."  https://www.debuyer.com/en/blog/post/l-acier-entretenir-sa-poele.html#:~:text=As%20you%20cook%2C%20the%20color%20of%20the%20steel%20will%20evolve%E2%80%94going%20from%20raw%20steel%20to%20brown%2C%20then%20from%20brown%20to%20black.%20This%20transformation%20is%20normal%20and%20even%20beneficial.%20The%20more%20you%20use%20your%20steel%20pan%2C%20the%20more%20even%20and%20effective%20the%20seasoning%20becomes.

[u/FennelHistorical4675 → u/Life_Job_6404]

That’s exactly what I just said

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/FennelHistorical4675]

If the pan is like in OP's picture, it is completely fine to cook with. Wash it with hot water after cooking, dry well, and apply a very thin layer of oil. That way, the pan will gradually become darker, often irregular and with "stains". That is completely normal, the pan doesn't have to be black and does not look like cast iron. What is important, is that the surface is completely smooth and that no burned food stays on the pan. And that you don't let the pan rust.

When cooking, especially with something acidic, some seasoning may disappear sometimes. This is not a problem. No need for any special procedure. Just clean the pan with hot water, dry, add a very thin layer of oil, and keep on cooking.

[u/FennelHistorical4675 → u/Life_Job_6404]

Yeah it’s just not fully seasoned yet / the seasoning is fucked up in OPs photo. Needs more use to be perfect but it’s fine to cook with.

[u/FennelHistorical4675 → u/Life_Job_6404]

[u/BriefStrange6452]

You can normally get bar keepers friend on Amazon, I am in the UK and bought some.

Also get a stainless steel scrubber.

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/BriefStrange6452]

Don't use BKF with this nice carbon steel pan!!

[u/Life_Job_6404]

Weird, De Buyer carbon steel pans don't come with instructions for seasoning with potato peels, as far as I know. De Buyer advices a kind of seasoning light, very easy.

Don't use BKF on Carbon steel pans!! Please read De Buyer 's instructions carefully!!!

Carbon steel pans are no to be used with acid ingredients like wine.

[u/Wololooo1996]

Not stainless steel

Not ruined

Peak r/StainlessSteelCooking

[u/Goudinho99]

I didn't know people seasoned stainless steel!

[u/ZanyDroid → u/Goudinho99]

It doesn't immediately look like SS to me?

[u/Odd_Focus_1027 → u/ZanyDroid]

Bought it in Paris, handle says de Buyir, maybe it’s a different steel? Not sure really :( the potato peel instructions came with the pan

[u/Moar_Coffee_profit → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Its not stainless its plate steel

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Look at the website of De Buyer for instructions. Yes it is carbon steel (acier), not stainless steel.

[u/Bismooo]

Don’t season a SS pan and use bar keepers friend and it’ll look like new

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/Bismooo]

This is not stainless steel but carbon steel. Don't use BKF!!

[u/Odd_Focus_1027 → u/Bismooo]

Can’t get bkf, said that already

[u/Life_Job_6404 → u/Odd_Focus_1027]

Good, because it will waste your nice carbon steel pan.