Vollrath Carbon Steel 12 1/2" Fry Pan

The handle is a little long, probably to help with cooling, but it's a good thing to know before buying. Overall great pan!

Heats very unevenly and warps when warm so only one small part of the pan touches the glass stove top. Might be ok with gas but was horrible with glass.

The primary reason I purchased Vollarth 12.5" pan was its light weight. I am completely satisfied with my Lodge 10" cast iron pan and Matfer 12" carbon steel pan. Both are very durable, dependable, cook everything really well. The issue was they were heavy. Even the Matfer weighed almost 5 pounds. While this heavy weight comes with some obvious benefits, I also wanted a bit lighter carbon steel pan for heavy and large ingredients. I was ready to accept trade offs.This Vollarth 12.5" carbon steel pan checks every box. It is VERY light: only 3.2 pounds. You can dance with it even with full of food in it. The cooking surface area is generous 8.75". I have used this pan for more than a month, every day, and I am now sure this pan can take my abuse. The heat distribution could be better, but to me the pros of light weight outweigh cons. I don't think many will even notice the heat distribution issue unless they have to sear meat. If you have a cast iron pan already, you will not need a carbon steel pan to sear meat any way.Some reviewers pointed out that the handle was too long. It is indeed long, about 17.5 cm (slightly shorter than 7 inches). However, I found this long handle convenient. The handle stays cool throughout cooking times. I rarely needed gloves. This pan definitely fits in a standard kitchen oven.Overall, I am satisfied with this purchase. I meant this Vollarth to be a spare or secondary to Matfer, but now this has become my primary pan.

This is my first carbon steel pan, and in some ways I do like it but there are some flaws which will probably relegate this to a camping pan. On the positive, it is much lighter than a cast iron so tossing food is easy, it heats up (also cools down) much quicker than cast iron, and it's "non stick" properties seem to be pretty good.On the negative, the handle is ridiculously long. It might mention this in the description but I didn't see it, and I'm not sure of the reasoning other than maybe that is useful in the commercial kitchen setting (which is probably the market for this pan). My main problem is that the bottom isn't flat. I have a glass electric stovetop and have to tilt the pan in order for the top half to fully contact the heating element, and then let go of the handle for the bottom half to make contact. This causes very uneven heating and is just overall not pleasant to use.It might make for a good campfire pan to put directly on a fire but not worth the hassle to use at home.

My wife and I have become grossed out with peeling non-stick pans and tired of replacing them every year or two. I love iron frying pans (I buy antique ones on Ebay which are far better than any you can get new) but you can't saute or toss in a heavy iron pan. I bought this as an experiment gone well. The bottom is dead flat and the curved sides work well. It has seasoned nicely and is non-stick in the way a properly cared for iron pan is. I use it all the time. The handle is very long which is good for tossing and keeping your hand away from the hot part but the long handle makes it hard to fit in small storage areas. I expect it to last a lifetime just like the iron pans. I scrub it out with hot water and a plastic scrubber (no soap), dry it and keep a film of oil on it so it doesn't rust.

For anyone who's a fan of cast iron - please give a carbon steel pan a shot. Seasons up the same and performs better than non-stick at a fraction of the weight!! Long handle keeps it off the heat and slows transfer to your hand. Welded handle means no rivets on the inside of the pan to catch food or try and clean. 12.5" size is more than roomy enough to cook for a family of 4, it's oven safe, and dare I say it - this pan puts an even better crust on stove-top steaks than my Lodge cast iron can!

It has great potential had it been manufactured as a carbon steel product should.Took a whole of two short fries on medium high heat to warp, and hot spots are ridiculous; I own Villrath stainless cookware, and non stick, and I think that’s where they should stay...

The easiest pan to season I've ever had. After seasoning, this pan is totally non-stick. Surface stayed flat for me. The handle is long enough that it stays cool enough to hold when used on the stove top. I am so happy to get away from aluminum and non-stick coatings with their known and unknown health risks.I highly recommend using carbon steel and the Vollrath is the real bargain in the market.