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Cast Iron or Carbon Steel?

bicktrav
bicktrav Posts: 640
in EggHead Forum
I'm thinking of getting a new griddle. Lodge makes cast iron and carbon steel varieties. I have cast iron pans and love them, particularly because they are so well seasoned, but I don't have any carbon steel. The lighter weight, quicker warm-up appeals to me, but I love my cast iron, and there's a part of me that thinks if it isn't broke don't fix it. For those of you who have both, how do you like them? Are there noticeable differences or do they perform similarly? Can carbon steel achieve the same seasoned non-stick surface as cast iron? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Southern California
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Comments

  • GrateEggspectations
    GrateEggspectations Posts: 11,606
    edited February 2020
    I love both for slightly different applications. Keep in mind that because cast iron retains heat so well, food will continue to cook once you’ve extinguished the heat source, whereas carbon steel will cool down much more quickly. For this reason, I think I’d favour the latter for a griddle application. 
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  • Cornholio
    Cornholio Posts: 1,048
    ^This

    More info on their site:
    https://www.lodgemfg.com/cast-iron-vs-carbon-steel
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  • bicktrav
    bicktrav Posts: 640
    GrateEggspectations said:
    I love both for slightly different applications. Keep in mind that because cast iron retains heat so well, food will continue to cook once you’ve extinguished the heat source, whereas carbon steel will cool down much more quickly. For this reason, I think I’d favour the latter for a griddle application. 
    Good to know. Can carbon steel achieve the same nonstick surface as cast iron? Does it season the same way?
    Southern California
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  • GrateEggspectations
    GrateEggspectations Posts: 11,606
    bicktrav said:
    GrateEggspectations said:
    I love both for slightly different applications. Keep in mind that because cast iron retains heat so well, food will continue to cook once you’ve extinguished the heat source, whereas carbon steel will cool down much more quickly. For this reason, I think I’d favour the latter for a griddle application. 
    Good to know. Can carbon steel achieve the same nonstick surface as cast iron? Does it season the same way?
    The two surfaces appear very different and therefore show the layer of seasoning in a much different way - black-looking cast iron just gives you a wet shine look whereas the lighter grey of carbon steel allows you to see the layer of seasoning in a much more pronounced fashion. As long as you maintain the seasoning on both types of pans, I don’t think you will have any trouble with either. I routinely cook eggs on my cast iron and my carbon steel pans with no sticking.
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,176
    bicktrav said:
    GrateEggspectations said:
    I love both for slightly different applications. Keep in mind that because cast iron retains heat so well, food will continue to cook once you’ve extinguished the heat source, whereas carbon steel will cool down much more quickly. For this reason, I think I’d favour the latter for a griddle application. 
    Good to know. Can carbon steel achieve the same nonstick surface as cast iron? Does it season the same way?
    Google “seasoning a wok” 
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Both are cheap enough. Buy one of each and see what you like. Where I am, vintage CI (Griswold/Wagner) is dirt cheap in local antique shops. In Socal, prolly not, so Lodge is likely your best bet.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    I’ll just say carbon steel works fine. My ghetto griddle is just 3/8” steel. 

    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    maybe it’s just me, but my carbon steel pans, though well seasoned, still scratch fairly easy if I’m not careful. My cast iron seasoned surface is much tougher.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • 1911Man
    1911Man Posts: 366
    This reminds me that I have a large sheet of 1/2" AR400 steel in my garage/shop... If I don't use it as the base for a power hammer build once I've moved (hopefully end of this year or early next), I might just have to cut a piece of it to use as a griddle/plate on the BGE... 
    Large BGE with CGS Woo Ring, stone with stainless pan, Smokeware chimney cap, Kick Ash basket and Kick Ash can.
    Living free in the 603 (Pelham).
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  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,316
    edited February 2020
    For a griddle you can't beat Lodge's 14" Pizza "stone". It's so versatile I own 2. 

    If you're leaning towards Carbon Steel I would recommend sticking with the traditional French brands (de Buyer etc).  While I love Lodge's raw cast iron products, their Carbon Steel skillets that I've seen were pretty shoddy comparatively - rough surfaces, poor welds etc. One of the benefits of carbon steel is the mirror smooth surface achieved during the rolling process of sheet steel.  I don't know why, but Lodge somehow managed to give them a rough sandpaper surface similar to their cast iron. It's like they sprayed it with sand, then baked on their seasoning. 


    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
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