Reviews for Vollrath 58920 French Style 11" Carbon Steel Fry Pan

I feel the bad reviews are due to user error. I literally use these same pans daily as a saute cook and I love them so much I bought a few for home. It’s the same brand as the restaurant. I season it good and it work really good for non stick, although I would not recommend it for eggs, I have another pan for that.

I purchased the 12 1/2 inch pan, seasoned it beautifully and it warped the first time I used it. I called customer service and, to its credit, Vollrath sent me a new pan. I seasoned it equally as beautiful and it also warped the first time I used it. I didn’t call customer service again because I was tired and annoyed of seasoning pans and having them warp.

Pan arrived rusty, just rattling around in a beat up cardboard box. Many manufacturers coat these pans in beeswax to protect against that, but it was clear that this pan was bare metal. As I soaked in vinegar and then scrubbed to remove the rust, I could see the metal rusting almost in real time, under the water. Webrestaurantstore’s return policy is also prohibitive. 20%+ restocking fee + pay my own shipping on garbage products? They say you get what you pay for, and that was the case here. I can’t recommend this pan. Buy something of higher quality from a store that offers better return policies.

Been using this pan for around 8 months now and its a great pan except that there's a ton of warping that occurs when it heats up. I can still cook on it, but it is far from ideal and seeing that other people are experiencing the same problem, couldn't say I recommend it at all. I'm going to be shopping around for an alternative.

Love this pan as well for smaller saute' pickups. We keep several in the kitchen at all times.

Quick preface, I'm an amateur cook with no professional kitchen experience. This pan has been great, high quality. Requires seasoning. I really like that it is rivet-less (makes for easy cleaning). I would highly caution against using these pans on an electric or induction stove, will cause them to warp unfortunately. Given that I don't have a gas range, I prefer using these pans in my oven to sear salmon / a small steak.

I have become a big fan of carbon steel. This has replaced cast iron for most tasks. They seasoned well. Love welded handle instead of riveted. Makes cleanup easier.

Initial take: The pan arrived well packaged. The handle (as other reviews point out) does seem too long, although I knew that going in and wouldn't detract for it. It was well oiled from the factory to prevent rust and zero rust was present. So far the pan felt like a great bargain for the price compared to some of the higher priced carbon steel brands. I washed the pan thoroughly and proceeded to season it per the instructions on the Vollrath website. After warming the pan and applying oil I slowly started raising the temp, however the pan almost instantly warped very badly. One side of the pan was almost 1" higher than the other. I turned off the heat and allowed the pan to cool. Some of the warping went away, however the pan is still nowhere near flat. Obviously, this resulted in the 1 star review. At this price, it is not worth the hassle to return it. It went in the trash before ever cooking anything.

Positives: Lighter weight/thinner gauge steel (better for tossing) and half the price compared to Matfer Bourgeat (also sold here) and the other brands that are made overseas. Also, my example has a flat bottom. It also fits on a large residential burner. Negatives: The handle had some rough and sharp edges along the sides of the grip that required smoothing out before seasoning (I used 400 grit sandpaper, but a green scotch-brite pad would work too). Also when you looked closely where the handle meets the pan, you could see the handle wasn't welded on perfectly straight, leaning ever so slightly (barely) towards the left, but without looking closely it isn't noticeable, and so far doesn't seem to affect the usage. Overall: It's a good budget alternative compared to the more expensive fancy brands, and better for tossing, but it lacks some of the quality.

I bought this pan and watched the video on how to season it which I did faithfully. It did not evenly become seasoned. I have done catering, so I know how to cook, but this pan has been a disappointment. I bought it to make omelets and they are sticking like mad. I'm tossing this pan in the trash!

Warped Bottom; Still a Favorite Pan... Love this pan. Perfect slope for tossing a saute. Large enough bottom for a couple steaks. Super hot fast for a great sear. Long handle stays cool so no pot holder required. Easy to season. Easy to clean. Perfect. Except the bottom warped during seasoning and subsequently worsened with use. Still a good pan, but not as stable on the range top as one would like. Please tell me I don't have to buy a pan the name of which I cannot pronounce in order to get a flat bottom....

Was a great fry pan for a while but began to pit and rust at the welds after 6 months. It was always wiped and dried but I guess the humidity got a hold of it.

I used this pan extensively over the past 3 years. #1. it wraps under high heat. Surprise because the main advantage of carbon steel pan is its ability to take high heat. I used gas range so it does not bother me. But now I use induction.... #2. It requires high maintenance and constant, repeated seasoning. Once seasoned it is a non-stick pan. But see #3. #3. heat distribution is not good at all, because the sheet metal is thin. Which creates trouble during cooking and repeated seasoning #4. it is pretty light.

I bought 3 different pans , the french style, the Matfer and the Vollrath. The Matfer is thicker and heavier than the others but I go to the Vollrath over the others. It seasoned better ( probably my inexperience ) the edge where the side meets the bottom is rounded and allows me to stir fry as well. I use it for everything I can. buying Vollrath sauce pans right now, can't say more than that I guess.

Need to season before use, its a good quality pan, heavy as expected, and i like the high sides. It will become non stick after seasoning

This vollrath carbon steel pan is awesome! It is super durable and easy to use. Make sure you season it properly so you don’t stick! Great pan!

I ordered the Vollrath Carbon steel pan not knowing how it would work out but I was really amazed. The pan is nice and sturdy. The handle is long and at a very high angle. Unlike other peoples review, the handle lenglt and weigh did not tip my pan over. It was well balanced.

This frying pan has quickly become my favorite pan. I have an induction stove and the pan is better than my 5 ply and even my cast iron pan. It seasoned easily and is the perfect in between size.

These vollrath carbon steel pans are great. With just a little work it can be made literally non stick. I checked the temperature with my laser gun and the temp is very evenly distributed. Food cooks much faster than on stainless steel pans.

Handle is at a high angle, and the edges are relatively unfinished and unpleasant to hold in the hand. Hit it with a sander to take the edges off. Comes completely unseasoned, so you have a bit of a task ahead of you before you can start cooking.

Very handy pan. I have used this every day since I recently bought it. It has the right size/balance and weight. The quality feels solid and it looks great once it cures.

The Vollrath 58900, 8.5 inch carbon steel french style fry pan is a must have in any kitchen. We have over 20 at work, and I have 2 at home, and they ALL get used and abused. Once you have seasoned them, they are perfect and durable. If you are using these for home use, I would season them a few times, just because they won't be getting as much action, and of course oil them at the end of the night, or the end of your dinner. (watch the videos about how to season them either on webstaurantstore or even youtube if you are unsure) I will more than likely order a couple more of these for home, just because of how much we use them. We also have the larger versions of these pans at work and I know they warp a little more than these do, just in case you're looking into both. This probably won't affect you unless you have an electric coil stove.

Similar to another review, the pan came warped in the center. It also has a large handle which adds weight to it. The weight seems to add to the problem of not sitting flat on the cooktop. Gas ranges would likely not matter but I’m using induction and of course, it must be flat. See photo.

Great pan. Very high quality for the price. You can't cook everything in it (no acidic foods) but is great for high fat searing and sauteing. I pick out recipes just so I can use this pan. Still building up the seasoning but its getting blacker and blacker. Still not sure about seasoning the bottom?

The Vollrath Carbon Steel Fry Pan 9 3/8”- French Style is well made and the handle is firmly attached. It heats evenly and is easy to clean. I would purchase this again.

This pan will last forever when maintained properly. Does NOT work well on glasstop stoves. May be a bit big for regular use. I get great wok-like results and beautiful pan seared meats. Really nice deal.

I use this at home but it is used at least twice a day. I can't believe I spent all the money on other pans. This carbon steel is fantastic. Yes it did take some work to season but now completely non-stick, great even heat distribution and at such a low cost.

Great medium size pan that will hold up to a gas range, have not used it on electric. Does just fine going in and out of ovens and cleans up really easy.

Every kitchen should have a few carbon steel pans. They are light weight, built to last,easy to clean and very affordable. I'll be buying more of f these

Good size, and weight. Took a couple of seasoning to get it ready for scramble eggs, but once it's season, it is awesome. Can't beat the price.

This is a great carbon steel frypan the 9 3/8 inches great I love these pains really wonderful to make right Eggs pans these is sweet

Getting to know you...Great pan for carbon steel neophytes. Perfectly level on a glass top burner. Light, easy to handle. It's building up a nice sheen as we learn to use it properly.

Nice pan, you can see and feel the quality. Worth the purchase for at home or restaurant. Great for steaks since it holds heat very well and transfers it evenly.

I really like this pan. Took awhile to season it and i wont be using flaxseed oil as ive seen on some videos..since this smelled up my house like fish. The pan is very strong and well built.

No household or restaurant should be without these pans, period. Once seasoned (an easy process) they can put a sear on anything unlike any pan you've ever used. Forget those non-stick jobbies these pans can remain nonstick at 700 degrees with almost anything you throw at it. And if the season fails for some reason, you can do it over again. Just don't let them sit in the water too long, they are mild steel and will rust.

I love French style fry pans. We have been using Vollrath line of cookware in our catering business for sometime now. It's a small expense for a quality pan

All carbon steel pans seem to have that “lifted” handle. My best guess is that it may help with heat dispersion. Today, I only cook with carbon steel and cast iron (my wife still likes the coated stuff). In a month, the folks where I live are gonna have a block type yard sale; I plan to get rid of a ton of All-Clad, Calphalon, etc. that I no longer use. Vollrath makes good products that are made to last a lifetime. FWIW, I think Vollrath is one of the very best I have used. TC

Nice size and all around useful pan. Material and construction quality are good. Heats fast and evenly. The handle is mounted securely to the pan and has no crevices for food or carbon buildup to acquire.

solid build. not as thick as some others but its a fraction of the price. I like the shape of the handle too.

These are really nicely made pans. Am very impressed. These do great under high heat. These are good pans and easy to season. I can definitely recommend.