My opinion on the Carbone Plus iron paella pan from Buyer

I think that having a quality paella pan, with good heat distribution, is appreciated above all when it has been tried. I am very grateful that today Beatriz, author of To Be Gourmet , talks to us about her experience with the Carbone Plus de Buyer Paella Pan , a better paella pan, like the ones we have always had and that will be in our kitchen for a lifetime; and it is a joy to see the ideas she gives us to get the most out of it, beyond preparing the typical paella in it.

I still like going to my mother's house for dinner and having her prepare my favourite dishes. Letting myself be loved and pampered as long as I can, especially at the table, is one of the pleasures I am still lucky enough to enjoy. On other occasions, I am the one who invites my parents to eat at home, which makes me happy and makes them even more excited.

I have inherited my mother's talent for cooking and she is certainly proud of it, especially in these times when the rush and the dynamics of current life mean that many people have to give up the pleasure of cooking.

When I showed up at the table with a delicious vegetable rice in the Carbone plus de Buyer iron Paella pan , you should have seen her face of astonishment. “But it’s one of those old-fashioned ones! Where did it come from?” The astonishment immediately gave way to a smile and then she began to tell me how I should use it, how to store it, taking advantage of the opportunity to give me lessons that, as a good mother, she still likes…

Indeed, this paella pan from Buyer is one of those grandmother's kitchen utensils that are no longer so common in our homes and that are true treasures.

Recipe for Fideuà with shrimp and mushrooms , in the Carbone Plue de Buyer paella pan

It is handcrafted from natural iron without coatings. I would highlight above all its robustness: it is a paella pan with a significant thickness of walls, nothing like the majority of iron paella pans (and also those that are not...) that are on the market, which gives it a very good heat distribution and a very high resistance to deformation.

This type of paella pan, and other mineral iron items such as those made by De Buyer, are used by professionals and haute cuisine restaurants around the world and it is a real luxury to have one in our home. That is why I did not hesitate to get one. It is wonderful to see the chup chup and the bubbles between the rice when it is being cooked and then take it to the table and serve each diner their portion there, as they do in good paella restaurants, it is a plus that is always highly applauded by the guests.

We can choose from various sizes depending on our needs. From 50cm in diameter with a capacity for 12 portions, which would be the largest, to the 24cm one, which is for two. For me, the ideal is to have the 8-portion one, for rice or fideuás, which has a diameter of 40 but 30 at the base, which allows us, given its excellent heat conduction, to use it in a kitchen with a burner or hob of a somewhat smaller diameter, without needing the typical paella rings with a gas cylinder. They can also be used if you have an induction.

Let me just say that the small two-serving size is adorable, and it is very versatile because it can be used for rice for two people; a soupy rice dish with lobster for a romantic dinner… Or it can be used to prepare a risotto for four, which is more substantial and requires less quantity on each plate.

In addition, this vintage-style paella pan is ideal for serving many other things. Garlic prawns, mushrooms, or roasted Piquillo peppers. I have also used it to fry potatoes. These iron containers withstand very high temperatures, which is how I like to finish cooking them. I first cook them at a lower temperature and then give them a blast of heat, with the heat very high, so that they are crispy on the outside.

But what it has been a real discovery for this summer is to prepare “piparras” or chillies , very typical since late spring in the Basque Country and whose frying is an art and the key to getting them just right, neither too raw nor burnt, green but soft and not oily.
In this case, the Buyer iron paella pan , or a frying pan from the same company, are the ideal instrument to obtain the desired result. A medium heat of constant intensity is required, which is very easy to control with these containers.

Once the skin starts to brown slightly on some of them, I take them out with a skimmer , place them temporarily on a plate and after removing the oil from the pan and wiping it with a paper towel to dry it, I put the chillies back in and add salt flakes. They look great presented like this, and they also keep their temperature better while they are being eaten, placed in the centre of the table. Because this paella pan is not to be left in the kitchen, on the contrary, it is to be kept in sight and also enjoyed while eating.

Care and maintenance

Before using it for the first time, it must be “cured”, that is, prepared for its first use. In the case of Carbone Plus, which does not have a natural layer of beeswax, the curing process must follow two very simple steps: the first is to provide it with this natural protection, which you will achieve by putting a generous amount of potato peeling in the paella pan, covering it with water and boiling for 15 minutes. After this time, remove the peeling and wipe with kitchen paper, and do the second step of curing: just put a drizzle of oil in the pan so that it covers its entire surface and heat it for a few minutes; let it cool and remove the oil with a little kitchen paper, and it is ready to be used.

I must say that doing the full curing is not essential, but it is recommended. Although there are many people who only do the second step of curing, which takes a few minutes, and the paella pan works great for them.

We must also take into account that if it were the Mineral B paella pan , it is not necessary to do the first part of the curing since the beeswax already provides the organic component that the potato peel would give it.

The Carbone plus iron paella pan from Buyer does not need any special maintenance to last so long that it can even be passed on to our children. All you need to do is wash it by hand with hot water and soap, as you would with any other pan or paella pan, and of course, since it is made of iron, dry it to prevent rust from appearing. In any case, if we are distracted and this happens, rubbing it again with a normal scouring pad is enough to remove it.

My mother immediately told me that she used to leave it covered with oil and a newspaper. I don't know about the second, but the first is convenient if it is not going to be used again for a long time. Then we remove the oil with a paper towel and that's it.

As a cooking vessel, it is one of my favourites, and I am sure that I will buy more Buyer iron pieces because, believe me, the taste of things is different, I cannot explain why. Its quality is indisputable; food does not stick, unlike other paella pans, it does not warp over time, and also by maintaining heat so efficiently, energy is saved; depending on the things I turn off the heat earlier and continue with the residual heat.

With use, the paella pan becomes darker, its tone changes and, in my opinion, it becomes more and more beautiful. More authentic. A jewel that I can only recommend.