Made In Carbon Steel Review: Three Things to Know Before You Buy

Stated plainly: affiliate links appear in this article and a purchase through one earns us a commission. We led with the complaints anyway, because that's the useful half.

A 4.7 star average across more than 11,000 reviews tells you this pan is good. It doesn't tell you what living with it is like.

So this Made In carbon steel review front-loads the three things that genuinely surprise buyers, then makes the case for buying it anyway. Because it is, on the cooking, excellent.

What It's Genuinely Brilliant At

1. Oven safe to 1200°F, which is not a typo
2. 2mm carbon steel, roughly half the weight of cast iron with comparable durability
3. Heats fast and evenly, closer to stainless than to cast iron
4. Pre-seasoned with shea nut and coconut oil, blue annealed to resist rust
5. Made in Sweden, with a lifetime warranty
6. 8 inch from $84.99, and induction, gas, electric and open flame all work

Independent testing backs the heat claims properly. Prudent Reviews put it through 550°F oven work and prolonged high stovetop heat with no warping, and found the searing capability genuinely excellent. This is a pan built for the kind of heat that destroys nonstick.

Warning One: The Handle Gets Hot

Made In markets a Stay Cool Handle across its range. On the carbon steel line, independent testing found it doesn't.

Prudent Reviews' tester was direct about it: “the handle gets hot, even while cooking on the stove.” The riveted carbon steel conducts heat in a way Made In's stainless cookware doesn't, and the recommendation was to keep heat-protective gloves nearby.

The same review found the flat handle shape uncomfortable to grip, and noted its upward curve eats extra oven rack space.

This is the single biggest mark against the pan. Not a dealbreaker if you cook with a towel to hand anyway, which most people who own carbon steel already do. But it's worth knowing that a headline feature doesn't fully apply here.

Warning Two: The Size on the Box Isn't the Cooking Surface

This one nobody quantifies, so let's do it properly.

Carbon steel pans have sloped sides, so the flat base you actually cook on is much smaller than the rim measurement. Made In publishes the numbers, and they're striking:

An 8 inch pan gives you 5.5 inches of flat cooking surface. Run that as area and you're working with 47% of what the size on the box implies. The 10 inch fares better at 7.5 inches usable, but that's still barely over half.

Sloped sides are normal on a frying pan and they're useful for tossing. The issue is expectation. If you're replacing a straight-sided 10 inch pan, this one will feel considerably smaller.

The practical advice writes itself. Buy one size up from what you think you need.

Warning Three: It's a Relationship, Not a Purchase

Carbon steel asks things of you that nonstick doesn't.

1. No dishwasher. Dishwashers strip the seasoning. Every wash is by hand.
2. No boiling. Boiling liquids removes the seasoning you've built up.
3. Eggs are unreliable. Even properly seasoned, testing found eggs still stuck occasionally. Keep a dedicated nonstick for those.
4. Ongoing upkeep. The blue finish fades into a patina, and you'll re-season periodically.

Cleaning is easiest immediately after cooking while the pan is still warm. Let it sit overnight and you've made work for yourself. Rust is manageable if it appears: scour, hot water, dry thoroughly, re-season.

None of this is unusual for carbon steel. It's the deal the entire material makes. But if you were hoping for the searing of cast iron with the convenience of nonstick, that pan doesn't exist.

Buy Now

How It Compares

Against cast iron, it heats significantly faster thanks to the thinner construction while matching the heat retention that makes cast iron worth owning. It's also half the weight, which matters more than people expect when you're moving a hot pan.

Cast iron does win on handle design, and that's not a small thing given warning one.

Within carbon steel, testers who dislike Made In's handle shape point to Misen as the alternative worth checking. Same material, different grip.

Who Should Buy It

Buy it if you sear proteins regularly, want something that laughs at high heat, and are happy to hand wash and maintain a seasoned surface. At $84.99 with a lifetime warranty behind it, the value is strong.

Skip it if you want low-maintenance cookware, if eggs are your main use case, or if a hot handle would genuinely bother you mid-cook.

Final Verdict

On cooking performance this pan is close to faultless. It sears beautifully, shrugs off temperatures that would ruin most cookware, and should outlive whoever buys it. What drags the score down is the handle and the upkeep, neither of which is hidden if you know to look. Anyone reading a Made In carbon steel review hoping for convenience is reading about the wrong material. Anyone who wants a searing pan for life is in exactly the right place.

FAQs

Where is Made In carbon steel made?

Sweden. Worth knowing, since the brand name leads people to assume otherwise.

Does Made In carbon steel need seasoning?

It arrives pre-seasoned with shea nut and coconut oil, but you'll re-season periodically as the finish develops a patina.

How hot can it go?

Oven safe to 1200°F. Testing at 550°F and prolonged high stovetop heat produced no warping.

Does the handle really get hot?

Yes, on the stovetop. Independent testing flagged it directly and recommended heat protection, despite the Stay Cool Handle branding.

Can you cook eggs in it?

Sometimes. Testers found eggs still stuck occasionally even with good seasoning, and suggested a dedicated nonstick instead.

Can it go in the dishwasher?

No. Dishwashers strip the seasoning, and so does boiling liquids in it.

Pricing and specifications were accurate at the time of writing. Made In discounts frequently, so check the current price before ordering.