Question 1

What is seasoning?

Accepted Answer

Seasoning is the natural stick-resistant surface that builds up over time as you cook. It may be an unfamiliar process to anyone who has never cooked in cast iron or carbon steel. We want to be completely honest in the fact that seasoned cookware requires a tiny bit of learning, but rest assured, it's easier than you might think. We will provide an easy start guide as well as a detailed care guide to make the transition to seasoned cookware an easy one!

Here is a quick video that demonstrates seasoning build up over time!

Question 2

What is clad?

Accepted Answer

Clad or cladding refers to a process of bonding layers of different metals together, typically combining a core of heat-conductive aluminum or copper with outer layers of durable stainless steel. This construction ensures even heat distribution and combines the best properties of each metal for superior cooking performance and durability. In our case, we have a carbon steel cooking surface, aluminum inner core, and a stainless steel bottom layer.

Question 3

Does the clad design resist warping?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The aluminum core promotes even heat distribution, helping to prevent hotspots that can cause warping. The bottom of the pan is also designed with a very slight upward convex bow to help resist the worst kind of warping which is a downward bowl-shaped warp, often referred to as a "spinner".

That being said, our aluminum core is not a magic cure for warping and we do still have guidelines on proper use to prevent minor warping.

- Avoid heat above 600° F 
- Heat up slowly (especially on induction)
- Avoid high heat on empty pan 
- Allow the pan to cool before running under water or deglazing (warm/ low heat is ok!)
- Avoid sudden temperature changes
- For induction, it's important to closely match the coil size to the cooking surface size (cooking surface specs can be found on product pages).

Question 4

Can you wash the pan with soap?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Using soap is actually recommended to ensure no food residue is left behind (excess food residue may prevent building good seasoning layers over time). Any standard dish soap such as Dawn is safe to use.

The belief that soap damages seasoning is outdated, stemming from when soaps contained lye. Modern soaps don't contain lye, making them safe for cleaning our pans. However, be cautious with natural soaps that may contain vinegar, as those can affect the pan's seasoning.

Just a reminder, our pans are handwash only!

Question 5

What's up with acidic foods?

Accepted Answer

You can cook small amounts of acidic food for a short time. Extended cooking of acidic food can lead to degradation of the seasoning. The pan is not damaged if this does happen, it will simply need to be re-seasoned.

Question 6

Do the pans come pre-seasoned?

Accepted Answer

Currently our pans will not be pre-seasoned. We are thinking about it for the future but right now we have decided against it. We think there is true value in having someone season their own pan from the start. It's part of learning and understanding seasoning which is important for cooking well with CS. Being more aware of seasoning from the start can help reduce frustration later on.

Question 7

How thick is the pan?

Accepted Answer

The total thickness is 2.8 mm.

Question 8

Are these pans oven safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Up to 600° F.

Question 9

Do you ship internationally?

Accepted Answer

We do! We ship to many major countries around the world. If your country is supported, it will be listed in the drop-down menu during the checkout process. Please see our Shipping Policy for more details.

Question 10

Where are the pans made?

Accepted Answer

All of our design, prototyping, and testing is done here in our shop in Maryland, as well as final quality control and warehousing. Our production manufacturing is done by our partner company in Suzhou, China. We have a history and relationship with this manufacturer with previous products giving us more control over build quality as well as ethical labor practices.

Question 11

Do you have a patent?

Accepted Answer

Yes! As of October 14, 2025, we were officially granted U.S. Utility Patent No. 12,440,064. We also have additional patents currently pending.

This issued patent covers our Carbon Clad® Nitrided Wok and builds on ongoing innovations we’ve been developing since early 2024. We’ll be sharing more about it soon!

Question 12

What is nitriding?

Accepted Answer

Nitrided carbon steel is heat-treated with nitrogen to harden the surface, making it more durable, rust-resistant, and a little less sticky in the beginning compared to plain carbon steel. Nitriding is not a coating, it’s a transformation of the steel’s surface by diffusing nitrogen into the steel.

Just like traditional carbon steel, it will still build seasoning over time and become increasingly stick-resistant as you cook. Nitriding doesn’t make it “super nonstick” right out of the box, but it does make those first few cooks a little easier.

FAQ