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I bought a De Buyer 14" Mineral B Round carbon steel fry pan approximately five years ago. I've used it a fair bit, but recently I think I warped it in the oven when I put it under a broiler for a bit. Now it wobbles when I put it down on a flat surface.

Is there any remedy for this? Or should I recycle it?

dimitriy
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  • @rumtscho I thought carbon steel and stainless are different beasts. My stainless pans are much thicker and have layers on their thick bottoms, so some of the suggestions seemed inappropriate for carbon steel, which is much thinner. My question does not seem like a duplicate to me, but I defer to your seasoned judgement here. – dimitriy Apr 16 '20 at 03:56
  • There is a difference between the materials, it just doesn't matter in the things you can try. Basically, you can expose your pan to different kinds of stress, and it either improves, gets damaged, or stays the same. It is up to you what risk you want to take. Thinness is not even a problem here - I would say that the more extreme methods are more dangerous for sandwich bottom steel than for a relatively plastic thin carbon steel. In the end, all you can do is be violent and hope for the best :) – rumtscho Apr 16 '20 at 08:12

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I found this suggestion. Let us know if this works for you.

cut yourself a piece of 2x4 about 1/2" shorter than diameter of the pan's bottom, i.e., just short en ough to fit flat in the pan if the bottom weren't warped.

Heat the pan.

Set the pan on a flat piece of concrete (a thick steel plate would be better, but how many people have those sitting around?).

Put the 2-by in the pan and start whacking the heck out of it with a hammer. Turn the board so every part of the pan gets flattened, but concentrate in the center.

Let the pan cool, reheat and repeat.

If the crown is on the bottom, you have to find something big enough to support the pan's rim, but which allows the handle to extend beyond the surface -- so the pan sits flat; and of course, you'll want a 2-by a few inches longer than the pan is wide.

If you're very thorough, you'll flatten both sides each time you flatten.

myklbykl
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  • I will give this a whirl when the quarantine is over and everyone is at work and let you know how it turns out. – dimitriy Apr 16 '20 at 00:22