Drawing on over 22,000 combined customer reviews and YouTube reviewer coverage consolidated in each pan's individual review, here's how the two compare across the dimensions that actually matter.
| Made In Carbon Steel | Matfer Bourgeat | |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |
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| Customer rating | 4.5 ★ (14,480) | 4.2 ★ (8,193) |
| Confidence | 100/100 | 88/100 |
| Price | ~$99–$129 | ~$60–$90 |
| Buy | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
What Owners Say About the Made In 12-Inch Carbon Steel Pan
4.5★ across 14,480 customer reviews · Confidence: 100/100 · ~$99–$129
The Made In pan's defining characteristic — "Seasoned" appears in the official product name — is what owners cite most in positive reviews: the pan is ready to cook on from day one, without the multi-step initial seasoning process that traditional carbon steel requires. According to the 14,480 customer reviews on Amazon, owners praise the convenience of that head start, and many note a lighter-than-expected feel for a carbon steel pan — the individual review headline, "A Lighter Workhorse That Earns the Burner," reflects a pattern that appears repeatedly in the owner feedback. At 4.5 stars across nearly 14,500 reviews, this is one of the highest-confidence ratings in the carbon steel category: a large review pool is harder to argue with than a small one.
The main caveat owners raise is price. At ~$99–$129, it sits at the higher end of the carbon steel market, and reviewers who have cooked on both pans frequently note that the performance difference over the Matfer is smaller than the price difference would suggest.
Read the full review → · Check price on Amazon →
What Owners Say About the Matfer Bourgeat 11-7/8" Carbon Steel Fry Pan
4.2★ across 8,193 customer reviews · Confidence: 88/100 · ~$60–$90
The Matfer Bourgeat's reputation is captured in the headline of its individual review: "The French Pan Chefs Won't Replace." Customer feedback skews toward experienced home cooks and culinary professionals, and the comments reflect that audience — owners praise the pan's long-term durability, its all-steel construction visible in product photos (a single-piece steel handle with no rivets or alternate materials to degrade over time), and the way the seasoning builds into the surface across years of regular use. At 4.2 stars across 8,193 reviews, the rating holds strong for a pan that demands more from the owner up front. The price point, ~$60–$90, represents roughly a $40 savings over the Made In across comparable windows.
The most consistent caveat in the review base is the initial seasoning requirement. Owners who arrive expecting to cook immediately frequently report frustration; those who know to season the pan before first use rate it considerably higher. This pattern appears in both the star-rating distribution and the text of the reviews themselves.
Read the full review → · Check price on Amazon →
Where They Differ
The sharpest functional difference owners discuss is the out-of-box experience. "Seasoned" is part of the Made In pan's official name, and the customer review base confirms: owners cook on it from the first session. Matfer reviewers, by contrast, more often describe an initial preparation phase as part of the purchase — a step that rewards patience but catches some buyers off guard. For a home cook who wants a carbon steel pan without a learning curve attached, this distinction matters more than any spec on paper.
Price separates them by a meaningful margin. At ~$60–$90 versus ~$99–$129, the Matfer saves buyers roughly $30–$50 depending on where each is purchased. Owners who mention both pans in the same review frequently conclude that the Made In's premium buys convenience — the pre-seasoning, the lighter build — rather than a measurable gap in cooking performance once both pans are broken in. Whether that convenience is worth the price difference is the core question readers are trying to answer.
Weight and handle construction surface as secondary differences in owner feedback. Made In reviewers frequently describe the pan as lighter than they expected from carbon steel, calling out easier tossing and maneuvering during stovetop cooking. Matfer reviewers more often highlight the all-steel handle as a durability asset — no concern about rivets loosening or handle material degrading — though some note that a handle cover becomes useful for extended cook sessions.
Both pans draw consistent praise for searing performance and heat retention, which is the fundamental promise of carbon steel. The owner feedback diverges on the path to getting there — whether you want to skip the ramp-up or earn the surface over time — not on what the pan can do once it's dialed in.
How We Compared
The Confidence score for each product combines its star rating with the size of the review pool behind it: a 4.5-star rating from 14,000 reviewers carries more weight than the same rating from 500. The top scorer is rescaled to 100 so the two are easy to compare at a glance.
Well Seasoned's individual reviews consolidate Amazon customer feedback and YouTube reviewer coverage; this comparison aggregates those reviews. Prices and ratings reflect values recorded at the time of each individual review and may have changed.
When to Choose Which
| If you care most about… | Best choice — why |
|---|---|
| Highest customer rating | Made In Carbon Steel — 4.5★ vs 4.2★ |
| Largest body of customer feedback | Made In Carbon Steel — 14,480 vs 8,193 reviews |
| Lower upfront price | Matfer Bourgeat — ~$60–$90 vs ~$99–$129 |
| Premium pick (if budget isn't the constraint) | Made In Carbon Steel — higher confidence score (100 vs 88) and pre-seasoned out of the box per the product name |
| Ready to cook immediately (no initial seasoning needed) | Made In Carbon Steel — "Seasoned" is in the product name; Matfer owners consistently report a required prep phase before first use |
Pick the dimension that matches what you care about — neither is universally better.
