de Buyer Mineral B Pro Carbon Steel Fry Pan, 11 inch

1. Cooking surface 40% of the rating 5 of 5

   Carbon steel stated as 99% iron and 1% carbon, a stainless handle and a beeswax shipping coat you wash off. No coating, no PFAS. An independent XRF screen read the food surfaces of two de Buyer pans as about 99.6% iron.

2. Independent testing 20% of the rating 4 of 5

   Lead Safe Mama’s XRF screen of two de Buyer pans found no lead, cadmium, mercury or arsenic on the food surface. It is a screening of what the metal contains, it does not name the model, and de Buyer publishes no report of its own.

3. Durability 20% of the rating 4 of 5

   Lifetime warranty on the carbon steel line for as long as the original buyer owns the pan, with a 3 mm body and riveted handle. Rust, corrosion, heat damage and seasoning problems are not covered.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 4 of 5

   Names the material and says it is made in its own factory in the Vosges, France. No Prop 65 notice or CPSC recall found. We found no paid promoters named.

5. Value 10% of the rating 3 of 5

   About $145 for 11 in. Lodge’s carbon steel pan is $44.95 for 10 in; de Buyer costs more for a thicker, French-made pan.

The rating, 4.3 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank cookware and our standard.

• Sur La Table (opens in a new tab) approx. $135. Listed as the Mineral B Pro Carbon Steel Skillet, 11 in: $134.95, $10 under de Buyer’s price. Its item number ends in “ST” (5680.28ST).
• WebstaurantStore (opens in a new tab) approx. $145. Restaurant-supply store. Lists item 5680.28 and de Buyer’s UPC for the 11 in: $145.00. de Buyer’s warranty covers only authorized sellers, so ask first.

Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

1. Body: carbon steel, “Iron 99%, Carbon 1%”, 3 mm thick in the 11 in
2. Handle: cast stainless steel, riveted
3. Finish: a beeswax coat for transit, scrubbed off with hot water before first use
4. No factory seasoning: you season it with an oil of your choice

• Independent Lead Safe Mama (XRF screening; the site earns affiliate income) December 2023

  XRF readings on two de Buyer pans made in France, one older and one newer, sent in by a reader. Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic were not detected on either food surface, which read about 99.6% iron. Trace cadmium (19 to 21 ppm) and, in one reading, antimony (31 ppm) showed up only in the yellow silicone logo on the handles, which the tester calls not concerning. It screens what the metal contains, not what comes off into food, and the article does not name the model. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is the beeswax coat safe, and does it have to come off?

de Buyer ships the pan with a beeswax coat to stop rust in transit. Its product page (opens in a new tab) says to scrub it off with hot water and a brush before the first use, with no soap, then season the pan.

Does a carbon steel pan contain lead or other toxic metals?

Lead Safe Mama’s XRF screen (opens in a new tab) of two de Buyer pans found none of lead, cadmium, mercury or arsenic on the food surface. The pans were sent in by a reader and the model is not named. We found no California Prop 65 notice or CPSC recall for de Buyer.

Does it add iron to food, and is that a problem?

Probably, as any iron pan does, most with acidic or long-cooked food. A 1986 study (opens in a new tab) found 90% of 20 foods had significantly more iron after cooking in iron utensils. We found no iron-release test of carbon steel pans. Our cast iron article covers who should take care, such as people with hemochromatosis.

Have carbon steel pans been recalled for metal release?

One has. France’s recall portal (opens in a new tab) lists Matfer’s black steel pans (April 2024) for releasing iron, chromium and arsenic above EU food-contact limits. We found no metal-release recall for de Buyer; its only listing there, February 2025 (opens in a new tab), is for imported pots with handles that can detach.

Is it really made in France?

The product page says “MADE IN FRANCE”. de Buyer’s FAQ (opens in a new tab) says all but a few products are made in its own factory in the Vosges, where it has made cookware since 1830, and does not list the exceptions. We could not check the factory.

• The material is stated as a number: de Buyer lists the body as “Iron 99%, Carbon 1%”, with a cast stainless steel handle and “no artificial coatings”.
• Lead Safe Mama’s XRF screen found no lead, cadmium, mercury or arsenic on the food surface of two de Buyer pans made in France (December 2023).
• The only finish is a beeswax coat that protects the pan in transit. de Buyer tells you to scrub it off with hot water before the first use.
• Warranty: the carbon steel line carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, for as long as the original purchaser owns the pan.
• It is compatible with gas, electric, ceramic, induction and grill, and is oven safe.

• You build the non-stick surface yourself. de Buyer says to heat a thin layer of oil on it until it smokes lightly, and to avoid soap and the dishwasher afterward.
• The warranty does not cover rust or corrosion, heat damage or seasoning problems, and it applies only to purchases from de Buyer or an authorized seller in the US.
• The XRF screen does not name the model and shows what the metal contains, not what it releases. We found no iron-release test of the pan.
• No maximum oven temperature is on the page we read. At 4.6 lb the 11 in is not light, and carbon steel reacts with acidic food, so keep long tomato simmers for another pan.

1. de Buyer USA: Mineral B Pro Fry Pan product page. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. de Buyer USA warranty. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. de Buyer USA FAQ. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. Lead Safe Mama: XRF test results for two de Buyer pans, made in France. Test report. Independent XRF screening by Tamara Rubin, who earns affiliate income elsewhere on her site. This article is ad-free. XRF measures what the metal contains, not what it releases. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search. Certifier or regulator listing. Searched by alleged violator on 23 Oct 2026; no notice named de Buyer. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. CPSC recalls API. Certifier or regulator listing. Searched on 23 Oct 2026; no recall for de Buyer. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. RappelConso (French recall portal): Matfer black steel pan, 17 April 2024. Certifier or regulator listing. Release of iron, chromium and arsenic above EU limits. A different maker, shown for context. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. RappelConso (French recall portal): de Buyer Prim’Appety pots, 7 February 2025. Certifier or regulator listing. Handles can detach from imported pots. Not the Mineral B pans. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. PubMed: Iron content of food cooked in iron utensils (Brittin and Nossaman, 1986). Independent source. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Lodge Seasoned Carbon Steel Skillet Made in the USA, comes seasoned, and costs about $45 for 10 in. Seasoned with soybean oil, and no independent test of it.
• Field Company No. 8 Cast Iron Skillet Cast iron instead of carbon steel, about $165, with a published lifetime warranty.

• Safer Cookware Alternatives Article Cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic, carbon steel, and enameled options compared for safety and performance
• Cast Iron: Iron Intake, Seasoning, and Safety Article Cast iron adds iron to acidic food. What trials show for anemia, how seasoning changes metal release, and who should skip it.
• How to Reduce Your PFAS Exposure Article Practical steps to minimize PFAS exposure from cookware, food packaging, water, and consumer products