The Matfer Black and the De Buyer Mineral B are top contenders in virtually everyone’s list of best carbon steel pans. I cook almost every day on my De Buyer Mineral B, and recently got a Matfer to try out as well.
I recommend both pans without hesitation, but found the Matfer just a bit more versatile.
Matfer Black vs De Buyer Mineral B – Side by Side Comparison
Top Pick
Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel
Our score:
93/100
Weight of 10.25” Fry Pan:
3.68 lb
Cooking Surface Diameter:
7.3”
Height of Sides:
1.78”
Handle:
8 ¼” flat oxidized black steel handle
Oven Safe?
Yes
Country of Origin:
🇫🇷 France
#2 Best Choice
De Buyer Mineral B Carbon Steel
Our score:
92/100
Weight of 10.25” Fry Pan:
4.2 pounds
Cooking Surface Diameter:
7.3”
Height of Sides:
1.78”
Handle:
Flat handle with light, nonslip epoxy coating
Oven Safe?
Only for flashes
Country of Origin:
🇫🇷 France
The Winner: Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel
The Matfer Bourgeat Black carbon steel frying pan may be difficult to season at first, but then it quickly becomes a cook’s favorite pan. It holds the seasoning well and heats very evenly on gas cooktops, while the handles stay relatively cool. It’s fully oven-safe.
Pros
Cons
The Runner Up: De Buyer Mineral B Carbon Steel
The De Buyer Mineral B Pan is a robust, well-balanced carbon steel pan with excellent heat retention and solid construction. Its design truly reflects French elegance and quality.
The de Buyer Mineral B Pan performed exceptionally well in my tests. If you want a pan that you can pass down to your grandchildren, then this is the pan for you.
Pros
Cons
De Buyer Mineral B vs Matfer Black Carbon Steel - Key Differences
Comparing These Top French-Made Carbon Steel Pans
I love my De Buyer Mineral B fry pan. Its every detail speaks of incredible craftsmanship, and it cooks like a dream. I didn’t think I’d find a pan I liked better – but with so many carbon steel fans raving about Matfer, I had to try one, too. My opinion? While the Matfer isn’t as pretty as a Mineral B, it has it beat on a few key points.
Why is Matfer Better?
The welded handle is the main reason people prefer Mafter over De Buyer. Riveted handles, like the one on the De Buyer Mineral B, are standard for European carbon steel. But rivets can trap grease and burnt food. They also get in the way when you’re swiping the pan for a French omelet.
The other big win for Matfer is that it’s fully oven-safe. The non-slip coating on the Mineral B handle restricts its use in the oven to 10 minutes at 400°F.
Smaller cooks like myself also prefer the slightly lower sides and lower angle of the handle on the Matfer.
Cooking Performance
Matfer and De Buyer Mineral B pans both cook wonderfully. They both sear incredible steaks and veggies. Once well-seasoned, they are nearly nonstick. But they perform slightly differently from each other.
The shape of the Matfer’s handle and sides make it easier to flip food in this pan. It is also more responsive to temperature changes.
The De Buyer is heavy and retains heat for a long time. It heats very evenly, but I can’t believe how hot the pan gets – it feels more like cooking on cast iron than carbon steel. Turns out I’m not the first one to make that observation, as you can see in the video review below from Tom’s Kitchen.
Build Quality
No complaints on the build quality of either of these beauties. Matfer’s welded handle looks like it could break off – but I only found one (very old) report of that happening among thousands of reviews online. On my pan, there’s absolutely no wobbling, and, in fact, a welded handle is less likely to loosen over time than one attached with rivets. There are no rough edges on either of these pans.
Both the De Buyer and the 2022 re-design of the Matfer have a slight upward bow in the bottom of the pan to reduce the risk of warping on induction. The older Matfer pans are flat across the bottom.
Design and Comfort
The two pans both have excellent functional design – but the De Buyer will win every beauty contest. Especially if you consider the De Buyer Mineral B Pro, which has a shiny and contoured stainless steel handle attached to the pan at a lower angle.
The flat handles of the original Mineral B and the Matfer are not very comfortable to grip. Both of them can get hot when cooking. When I chatted with restaurant chefs, they said they always use a towel or oven mitt when reaching for a carbon steel handle, no matter what the brand.
Versatility
The Matfer is more versatile than the De Buyer. The lack of rivets allows you to make crepes or omelets with a bit more dexterity. And of course, it can go stove-to-oven without any concerns.
As mentioned earlier, the steel handle of the De Buyer Mineral B is coated in resin that will degrade at high oven temps. (There are some stories of users removing the coating, but I wouldn’t recommend trying it.) If you want to use a De Buyer pan in the oven, try the Pro version with the stainless steel handle. Or, if you can find it, the Carbone line sold in Europe, with a wrought iron handle.
Although there’s only one line of Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel pans, they come in more sizes than the Mineral B. You can find eleven sizes from 8 ⅝” to 17 3/4" on Amazon, plus a blini pan. The Mineral B is available in more styles, including a crepe and an omelet pan.
Ease of Use and Maintenance
Prior to 2022, Matfer Bourgeat pans came from the factory with a waxy film that, by some reports, was actually plastic. By all accounts, it was extremely difficult to remove before the initial seasoning. So, until recently, I would have said the Matfer was a lot harder to season than the Mineral B.
The updated Matfer still comes with a slight coating that some users have trouble removing. But, in my experience, it didn’t take a lot more work to remove the wax coating off the newer Matfer than it did from the Mineral B. Once initially seasoned, both pans build seasoning very well. If you use the right oils and don’t soak your pan in water, you shouldn’t need to strip and re-season either of these pans.
Longevity and Warranty
Both Matfer and De Buyer pans are backed by lifetime warranties, and users report success with appealing to both companies’ customer service lines. The De Buyer warranty is limited to 10 years for commercial use.
The two things that can end the life of a carbon steel pan are severe rusting and warping. The thicker a carbon steel pan is, the less likely it is to warp. Matfer fry pans run just under 3mm thick. De Buyer Mineral B fry pans in sizes 9.5” and below are 2.5mm thick. Sizes 10.25” and above, as well as all the Pro pans, are 3mm thick. De Buyer Blue Access pans are only 2mm thick.
Price and Availability
Matfer used to run about $20 cheaper than the Mineral B – until America’s Test Kitchen named it the “Best Carbon Steel Pan” and it exploded in popularity. Now, there’s virtually no price difference between a Mineral B fry pan and a Matfer of the same size.
But I’ve seen prices fluctuate on Amazon, so keep an eye out for deals. De Buyer occasionally offers coupon codes on their website or through influencer partnerships. De Buyer has more local retailers in the US than Matfer.
Safety and Health Considerations
There are very few health concerns surrounding either of these pans. Carbon steel is an extremely simple cookware material, without polymer or enamel coatings. Naturally polymerized oil builds up over time, creating a nearly nonstick surface. These pans get smoking hot – so avoid burning yourself or your food or oils.
The safest carbon steel pan is one that doesn’t warp. I’m not keeping an exact tally, but based on Amazon and Reddit reviews, the larger Mineral B pans seemed less prone to warping than the original Matfer. With the higher sides, they have slightly more thermal mass, so that makes sense. However, the slightly convex cooking surface of the 2022 Matfer reduces warping.
Company and Environmental Impact
Here’s one perk of buying European-made carbon steel: it has an incredible history behind it. There are great artisan carbon steel manufacturers popping up across the US – but De Buyer and Matfer Bourgeat both have nearly 200 years of experience supplying French chefs with their cookware.
In 2022, the French standards body AFNOR called the De Buyer corporation exemplary in its commitment to corporate responsibility. Both companies manufacture and source their products in the EU, holding to strict EU standards. That said, both companies manufacture nonstick cookware with PFAS, known to have negative health and environmental effects. (You won’t find PFAS in their carbon steel pans, though!)
Conclusion
So which is better - Matfer or De Buyer? I give the slight edge to Matfer because it’s easier to flip food in and easier to clean thanks to its rivet-less handle.
But, at the risk of sounding like every other carbon steel fan on the internet – you can’t go wrong with either of these pans. They both have two centuries of French engineering behind them, and both could last another century if you treat them right.
The Matfer Bourgeat Black carbon steel frying pan may be difficult to season at first, but then it quickly becomes a cook’s favorite pan. It holds the seasoning well and heats very evenly on gas cooktops, while the handles stay relatively cool. It’s fully oven-safe.
The 3mm thick gauge on the Matfer and De Buyer makes them heavier than competitors, including the M’Steel pan by another French cookware giant, Mauviel. Thinner pans like the Mauviel are more responsive to temperature changes and may be better for cooks with limited arm strength. But thinner pans are also more likely to burn or have peeling seasoning, as Jed from Cooks Culture shows in the video below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is heavier - Matfer Bourgeat or De Buyer pans?
De Buyer carbon steel pans run heavier than Matfer Bourgeat pans of the same diameter. Although they both claim to be made with 3mm thick steel, Mineral B pans appear slightly thicker, adding to the weight. A 10.25” Matfer pan weighs 3 pounds, 11 ounces, and a 10.25” Mineral B weighs 4 pounds, 3 ounces. Smaller De Buyer pans are made of 2.5mm steel, so are lighter.
What’s the difference between blue carbon steel and black carbon steel?
Blue carbon steel has been heat-tempered to achieve a beautiful blue finish. “Black” carbon steel may refer to a black oxide finish, or the way a carbon steel turns black with use. “Blue” and “black” carbon steel are more often used as marketing terms than technical terms.
Are De Buyer pans dishwasher safe?
De Buyer carbon steel pans are not dishwasher safe. Carbon steel pans will rust in the dishwasher, even if they’re top brands like De Buyer, Mauviel, and Matfer Bourgeat. Carbon steel must be cleaned by hand. Sometimes you can skip the water altogether.
Is Mineral B the same as carbon steel?
Mineral B is a brand of carbon steel pans made by French company, De Buyer. Like other carbon steel cookware, Mineral B pans are made of 99% iron and 1% carbon. They are coated in a thin layer of oil and beeswax to prevent rust during sale and transit. The “B” in Mineral B refers to the beeswax.
