GSI Outdoors GUIDECAST 12 Inch Frying Pan (60612)

Specifications:

• legit cast-iron construction, not stamped carbon steel
• 4 lbs. weight is lighter than a typical 12" carbon steel skillet and very much lighter than a typical 12" cast-iron skillet
• ultra-thin casting technology (similar to the casting technology of the Snow Peak Cast Iron Oven 26cm) with walls as thin as 3mm
• flat and smooth bottom that glides on oven racks and does not scratch induction burners or sinks
• ground and smooth cooking surface with no porosity
• 12" diameter and 8" flat cooking surface
• rounded bowl shape and raked handle to facilitate swirling and flipping
• shorter 6.5" handle that stores and transports more easily than the long handles found on carbon-steel skillets, but is still long enough to get two hands on when the skillet is filled to capacity with heavy food
• U-shaped cross-section of handle (similar in feel to the All-Clad handle) accepts utensils and is alluring to the thumb and more comfortable to hold than a typical cast-iron skillet or carbon-steel skillet handle
• no temperature limit, so it goes in the oven or on the campfire
• nitrided surface treatment to mitigate corrosion, reaction to tomato sauces, and scratches from cutting food still in the skillet
• carbon steel material that will stain and patina (and rust if not seasoned and cared for) and will only get better with age and use

Weight is a serious factor for skillets, even for fourwheelers who don't really have to haul around the weight like a bikepacker. Seriously heavy items like cast-iron skillets and dutch ovens are a pain to transport because they must be padded heavily to prevent them from bouncing around and damaging other items in the field kitchen. To offset the weight, many fourwheelers go with a smaller 10" or even an 8" skillet and give up cooking size. Others stay with a 12" skillet, but go with a carbon-steel skillet to save on weight. Carbon-steel skillets are lighter, but they tend to have long handles that make them cumbersome to transport. The GUIDECAST is a full-sized 12" skillet that is lighter than both the carbon-steel and cast-iron skillets and has a short handle to make it easier to transport.

The nitrided surface treatment is similar to the surface finishes found on many firearms that hardens the surface of the steel and makes it more resistant to corrosion, abrasion, and dents. Probably the most familiar names for a nitride finish are the "Tenifer" finish on Glock handguns and the "Melonite" finish on many different firearms. The nitrided steel resists corrosion, reaction with acidic foods like tomatoes, and resists scratches from cutting foods still in the skillet (like cornbread). The nitrided finish will not interfere with seasoning.

If you compare the GUIDECAST to a typical 12" cast-iron skillet, the GUIDECAST weighs less, has a more rounded bowl shape and raked handle to facilitate flipping of food, more comfortable handle shape, smooth bowl and bottom surfaces, and nitride surface finish. A great many cast-iron skillets like the Lodge cook all right, but their porous cooking surfaces suck (which is why many owners resort to sanding them). Other cast-iron skillets have smoother cooking surfaces than the Lodge, but their bowls are not polished like the GUIDECAST and their handles are typically cast together with the bowl and thus set at horizontal rather than raked. The heavier cast-iron skillet will generally sear better and cook some foods more evenly, but the GUIDECAST is better for general-purpose use and far easier to transport. The traditional cast-iron skillets often have the helper handle and pouring lips on the sides if they matter to you. Both skillet types cook very well, lack delicate coatings, have no temperature limits, will get only get better with age and use, and have that beautiful, rustic, and heirloom feel to them that suits field kitchens and camp foods so very well.

If you compare the GUIDECAST to a typical 12" carbon-steel skillet like the popular Matfer Bourgeat, the GUIDECAST weighs 3/4 lbs. less, has a slightly deeper bowl, a more rounded bowl shape, a 3" shorter handle for easier transport, more comfortable handle shape, and nitride surface finish. John was always happy with his Matfer Bourgeat (and still is), but has replaced it with the GUIDECAST (even for home use) because of the rounded bowl shape and far more comfortable handle. The only thing that John preferred about the Matfer Bourgeat was that the handle was spot-welded onto the bowl and thus there were no rivets inside the bowl. Both skillets have raked handles, but the GUIDECAST's handle sits lower than the Matfer Bourgeat's and thus the GUIDECAST can sit a little closer to the broiler. As with the comparison to cast iron, both the GUIDECAST and Matfer Bourgeat cook very well, are eminently suited for rustic camp cooking, and in the end are very similar skillets. Probably the biggest tie-breaker is the dramatic difference in handle comfort, where the GUIDECAST blows away the Matfer Bourgeat.

The skillet is the workhorse of your field kitchen. What other cooking vessel is so suitable for breakfast (eggs, bacon, hash browns, entire skillet scrambles), lunch (quesadillas), and dinner (steaks, potatoes, vegetables, spatchcock chicken, etc.), as well as those rustic, one-pot meals that present so beautifully in camp and stay hot for second servings even in cold and windy weather? Then add the fact that the skillet is far easier to transport than pots or grills with the skillet's relatively flat shape. It's all about the skillet. Just make sure your burner will handle the diameter of a 12" skillet. Many will not, but you do not need to go to some ginormous burner. The Snow Peak GigaPower LI Stove will handle the GUIDECAST very well.

GSI Outdoors Part Number -  60612
Universal Product Code -  090497606120