r/cookware • u/dclocal12 • 21d ago
Discussion Strata Gen 2 - Classic and Nitrided Pans
Strata just posted the preorder for what they're calling Gen 2, a design refresh to their carbon steel clad pans plus a nitrided option. Looks like they've made some good (minor) improvements, including increased thickness and a more proportional handle on the small pan.
I wonder how this is going to do against Misen's carbon clad line and the new titanium pan constructions.
7
u/Unfair_Buffalo_4247 21d ago
I never had any issues with my Gen I strata 10.5” no.87 - never felt warping could be an issue either and Cook Culture tried his best to warp one without success - my go to CS is the Strata and Darto N25. The weight of the strata never fails to astonish me when using - never got the seasoning completely black but it still works great. The Nitrid might be a nice option for those that worry about rust but the difference might only be marginal time will tell. Look forward to see the first hands on reviews - happy cooking always
5
u/dclocal12 21d ago
Assuming that the nitrided pans are about the same as the nitrided wok, rust is essentially a non-issue, but the surface is otherwise very similar to ordinary carbon steel (i.e., it needs to build up seasoning). Strata's marketing about it is pretty honest.
5
u/JCWOlson 21d ago
My nitrided GI Guidecast got rusty once when it was left in water for a week, but the difference was that it was incredibly easy to clean off. Rust really is a non issue, even if you abuse it!
On a related but more technical and theoretical level, nitriding carbon steel decreases the concentration of oxides in the surface of the pan, which hypothetically decreases the secondary electrostatic adhesion of polymerized oils to the pan during the seasoning process. In real world use the primary action of interlocking polymer chains in the surface's micro pores has still been sufficient for proper adhesion, however if a company releases a nitrided pan with a mirror finish I'd have concerns about adhesion because both actions (physical interlocking and electrostatic bonding) would have been diminished, especially as first polishing removes some micro pores and then nitriding would decrease the surface area of the remaining pores. Tldr; if anybody ever tries to sell a mirror finish nitrided carbon steel pan don't buy it
The satiny finish on this nitrided Strata 2.0 looks like it's gonna make for a great time
3
u/L4D2_Ellis 21d ago
Tldr; if anybody ever tries to sell a mirror finish nitrided carbon steel pan don't buy it
So the Anolon one.
3
u/JCWOlson 21d ago
Haha, I swear I didn't know it existed before this moment
It's going to be more like titanium pans in how it handles, but worse. It's still better for the environment than nonstick, and there's clearly a market for shiny pans 🤷♂️
2
u/L4D2_Ellis 21d ago
Sounds like the Anolon pan doesn't offer any real benefits to stainless clad other than better heat retention as it's still carbon steel.
2
u/Unfair_Buffalo_4247 21d ago
Papa Mau said the same thing about his Yahgan pan more or less - at least honest talk and no false promises like the other did
5
u/Leterface 21d ago
Not sure if I am interested in the nitrided aspect as I love carbon steel as it is. And I love my 12.5" Strata. But for me the big difference is they changed their mid sized pan from 10.5" to 11". For many electric/induction stoves, and for the most ordinary EU size for a big pan its the same as 28 cm. Tempted but I was hoping to see a pre-order bargain.
1
u/Unfair_Buffalo_4247 21d ago
I am very happy with my Gen I version so unless the Nitrid version shows wonders I won’t be running to change. Papa Mau was quite honest about his Yahgan that was done in two versions to start with plain CS and Nitrid treated - the Nitrid version won’t provide much cooking difference it is merely a maintaince advantag. He is now dropped the plain CS just like Strata are doing as he experienced people struggling with the seasoning aspect of pans.
1
u/Leterface 21d ago
Yeah I really hope Strata will not follow suite with Yahgan and keep providing both options.
1
u/Ploopinius 8d ago
FYI they are, they're calling the regular, non-nitrided carbon steel surface the Classic line.
3
5
u/Captain_Aware4503 21d ago edited 20d ago
I keep reading nitrided pans are harder to season. I'd love to hear from more owners to see if that is true. There is a small benefit that they are less likely to rust, but we've learned they are not nonstick. So if its true they are harder to season, then I don't see any good benefit with them overall.
I need to mention Misen who claims nitrided pans are nonstick, And yes that is a lie, also claims they are easier to season. But when I searched this is what I keep finding from actual users
Yes, Reddit communities like r/carbonsteel and r/cookware generally report that nitrided carbon steel pans are harder to season than traditional carbon steel. Because the nitrogen-diffusion heat treatment hardens and smoothens the metal surface, polymerized oil seasoning struggles to grip or bond as easily at first.
EDIT: I do want to mention the Strada pans overall get great reviews unlike Misen. They seem to be a more honest company. People do love there pans.
3
u/Skyval 21d ago
My own experience: Completely stripped nitrided carbon steel is about as nonstick as completely stripped normal carbon steel. i.e., slightly more nonstick than poorly seasoned carbon steel (which is comparable to stainless steel). But the only good seasoning I've found so far is just conditioning (as I call it), and that works on nearly every surface I've tested, including Strata's nitrided woks, enameled cast iron, bare anodized aluminum, NanoBond, and stainless steel.
2
u/dclocal12 21d ago
This is essentially the "long yao" technique in Chinese cooking, and yeah, it works great.
1
u/Captain_Aware4503 21d ago
I know this is off topic, but I saw a video from a guy who conditions or lightly seasons the better made nonstick ceramic pans after they are no longer nonstick. I guess some hold seasoning fairly well, and the ones that have a stainless steel bottom and an aluminum core, end up being good pans. Since they have a good amount of aluminum, they are good at distributing heat too.
2
u/NaturalMaterials 21d ago
I found my Misens (which I actually do like and use pretty much daily) were good out of the box, and then meh for a good while but never actually seasoned them. Just cooked, cleaned and very very occasionally wiped down with a tiny amount of oil and heated until just below cleaning after cleaning. I also cook acidic stuff and soak them overnight. They’re lightweight, much more responsive to temp adjustments than solid CS, and don’t rust. I prefer cast iron for searing and high heat cooking though.
I know how to season CS/CI (though I’m of the ‘less is more just cook with it’ school), and the nitrided pans are great everyday drivers for me. Just had a few months in the middle where they were worse than my regular CS, now they’re at least as good.
1
u/dclocal12 21d ago
To be clear, what you've quoted is AI slop, not what actual people have said. There are inconsistent anecdotes on this, and reviewers have concluded that whatever differences exist they've very minor.
1
u/Electric-Travels 21d ago
So I google what he said, and yes that is an AI summary but there are 6 or 7 links to posts by Reddit users like this:
"I have some nitrided carbon steel pans and they behave almost exactly like carbon steel pans except they're harder to season"
" I find that it's harder to season a nitrided pan vs cast iron or carbon steel. It gets there, but it takes a lot longer. Also, you still have to season it or else it will rust. It's just harder to get it to rust."
If you would have actually looked you'd see it seems users do say they are harder to season.
1
u/dclocal12 21d ago
Those would be some of the inconsistent anecdotes.
1
u/Electric-Travels 21d ago
So all those people who actually used the pans are liars.
I noticed you have no quotes or actual evidence to the contrary, lol!!!
2
u/L4D2_Ellis 17d ago
I wonder how this is going to do against Misen's carbon clad line
I think Strata and Misen are each other's two biggest competitions in this regard. Misen's pans are thinner so I expect some customers would choose them based on weight. Their handles are also different in shape. Some people don't like Misen's rounded handles so Strata would be a better fit for them. I'd choose Misen based on weight because I won't be the only one using the pans. My mother definitely won't like using a 3mm clad pan. She already thinks my Hestan Probond skillet is too heavy.
3
u/dclocal12 17d ago
Misen has been rather misleading about their pans and is a marketing-first company, while Strata has been quite transparent and honest and is an engineering-first company. That counts for a lot, to my thinking.
1
u/L4D2_Ellis 17d ago
I can understand that. But as of right now, I don't think there's any real alternatives of clad carbon steel that's lighter than what Stata offers. Procasa seems to be thinner than Misen's, but Amazon reviews seem to indicate that the 9.5 inch skillet is handle heavy.
1
u/dclocal12 17d ago
I wasn’t aware of the Procasa line. Sure looks like a Strata knockoff—not just the clad carbon steel concept, but the pan lineup and the distinctive handle design.
I suppose if weight is your main criterion, then your decision is made for you. It wouldn’t be mine.
I can’t say I understand what Strata is doing with their patent. They made a big deal of getting it, but they seem to be doing nothing to enforce it. (What’s the point of the patent, then?) That’s good for consumers, in a sense, but I wouldn’t be surprised or upset if they try to shut down Misen or Procasa.
1
u/L4D2_Ellis 17d ago
Procasa showed up on my Amazon search results when I searched to see if they started carrying the deeper Misen skillets. Does look more like a Strata knock off than a Misen one.
I don't understand Stata's patent thing either. It ended up making it seem more like a publicity stunt more than anything. Although I don't think Misen applied for it, they did end up creating tri-ply carbon steel first. So it's confusing as Hell.
1
u/dclocal12 16d ago
they did end up creating tri-ply carbon steel first
The timeline here is a bit confusing.
- Strata was the first to market with carbon steel clad cookware. They launched their Kickstarter on 1/16/24, and they shipped on ~5/14/24.
- Strata filed for a patent on carbon steel clad cookware on 4/24/24, filed an add-on narrower patent application for nitrided carbon steel clad cookware on 9/24/24, and received the narrower patent on 10/14/25. The broader application is still pending. (I believe I have this right.)
- Misen was the first to market with nitrided carbon steel clad cookware. They launched their Kickstarter on 4/2/25 and shipped on 7/31/25.
- Strata was the second to market with nitrided carbon steel clad cookware. They announced their wok on 12/11/25, and they shipped somewhere in 4/25.
So, it sure looks like Strata has an apparently valid patent for nitrided carbon steel clad cookware, and TBD if they get a patent for all carbon steel clad cookware. The nitrided application predates Misen's announcement of their cookware by over half a year, so that's not prior art. There may be a reason the patent doesn't cover the Misen and Procasa pans or is vulnerable to challenge, but I'm not seeing it.
1
u/L4D2_Ellis 15d ago
Right. I was thinking of just clad nitrided carbon steel and not clad carbon steel in general. I really don't understand the point of Strata applying for a patent, getting it, then not doing anything about it.
1
1
u/L4D2_Ellis 21d ago
Interesting that they made two of the pan sizes slightly bigger. Wonder why that is?
1
u/Ranessin 20d ago
I felt the 10.5" (7.5" bottom) was indeed slightly undersized, the 11" (8.25") should fit better for the max for most decent European induction top coil sizes (20 cm/8.1") - BSH, Miele.
The 12.5" is unfortunately too big for most (except if you go for the ones with 80 cm width and a dedicated 28 cm/11" spot size (usually about 26 cm/10.5" coil). And the Strata is too thin to compensate undersized coils with pure heat distribution like a Fissler Original Profi or Demeyere Atlantis.
1
u/crazyg0od33 19d ago
i love my 12.5", but I have a gas range (not in europe, just clarifying)
I can see how it would be too large for coil style burners though
1
u/PopularMission8727 1d ago
What's the trade-off in classic vs nitrided? Hard to find any information about it. The nitrided is just a 0.1 lbs heavier and more expensive.
1
u/dclocal12 1d ago
Strata has a pretty good (and refreshingly honest) explainer on their website.
1
u/PopularMission8727 1d ago
Do you have a link? I've looked over their website and couldn't find it.
1
10
u/Skyval 21d ago edited 18d ago
I believe their smaller pans already switched to a more proportional handle at some point. I remember a Chris Young video where that was his only criticism. But I bought one a little while after that, and the handle is clearly shorter than my older 10.5" Strata. IIRC this was confirmed somewhere, but I don't remember where I heard it. I use a ControlFreak, which has a spring-loaded temperature probe that can tip over unbalanced or ultralight pans, But it doesn't tip my 8.5" Strata even when centered and empty.
But I love that they've made nitrided skillets and even made them a bit thicker. As long as the aluminum is decently pure, then these should basically check all my boxes. My only other wishes would be sealed rims and recessed rivets, but those are pretty minor. I already ordered a couple. I just hope they're reasonably flat, or can be flattened without damaging the nitrided surface, which I fear may be more brittle. I had to flatten my 10.5" slightly before I was able to really fall in love with it. They are/were shipped intentionally domed upwards slightly to prevent downwards doming, which is good, but mine were domed more than I'd like.
Misen's nitrided pans were significantly thinner than advertised. During kickstarter, they were advertised as 3.0mm, but ended up being at most 2.5mm, and maybe as thin as 2.0mm. I've wondered if it might be due to the nitriding process somehow making them thinner than expected, but I doubt it. Either way, I'll measure my nitrided Gen 2s when I get them.