Merten & Storck 10″ Skillets – Review

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- AmmoLand introduced me to marketing guru Razonia a few years so when she called and asked me to test out a skillet for a company that she’s marketing for I said sure. She always works with good companies. I’m by no means a good cook but I like to cook. My brother is a good cook and does his own cooking YouTubes and does wild game cooking YouTubes for RonSpomerOutdoors and I think Texas Outdoor Journal may have him do some cooking articles for them. But me, I like to cook wild game and am more of what I’d call a camp cook, not a gourmet chef. (Although I do have an Article titled Cooking Deer Meat).

If you’ve read any of my “Cooking” articles, then you know that I like to use black iron skillets and Dutch ovens. Who knows how many I have? When I first received the Merten & Storck pre-seasoned carbon steel 10” skillet I wasn’t familiar with the term pre-seasoned carbon steel. In the Press Release pics that I’d seen of the Merten & Storck skillets, I thought that they were run of the mill thin-walled, lightweight skillets. Not so. I don’t have a small enough scale to weigh them but my 10” cast iron skillet is not that much heavier than my new 10” Merten & Storck skillet. So, it is a stout skillet that will hold up to the rough life that a camping skillet encounters.

I’ve used it to cook some chicken fried steak off the axis deer that I shot with the Umarex .50 cal. Hammer a few weeks ago on the hunt with AMR Properties as well as some squash and just finished cooking some fish tacos. Of course, it heats up a little faster than a thick cast iron skillet, but it is also not quite as heavy and bulky though.

I like that it has a long handle which makes it a viable skillet for cooking over an open flame (campfire) and for using on your camp stove. I just measured. My cast iron skillet only has a 4” handle whereas the Merten & Storck skillet has a 9” handle. That’s a big deal when you’re trying to cook over an open flame where flames flare up throughout the cooking process.

It comes pre-seasoned which saves you from having to perform the seasoning step as is the case on most cast iron skillets. No huge deal but it does save you a couple of hours. They also talked about the “patina” in the press release. I wasn’t familiar with this term before but after researching it I think in this case that they’re mainly using it to describe the natural color change that it’ll go through when you cook on an open flame and the overall aging process.

It is advertised as non-sticking, so I thought I’d fry up an omelet to check it out. It worked great for cooking and flipping omelets and sure enough, it was stick free. I found it easy to slide and flip my omelet. It did stick slightly when cooking my chicken fried steak but I dipped the steak in milk/egg batter and rolled in flour so you would somewhat expect that result.

But it did easily come loose with a spatula when barely scraped which brings up another attribute of the skillet that I like. As stated, I favor cast iron skillets but now and then do like non-stick pans for making omelets so it doesn’t stick to the pan. The bad deal about Teflon coated pans though is that the surface becomes chipped up. And where do you think all of those missing pieces of Teflon are ending up? In our food of course. That is a benefit of the Merten & Storck skillet that I like. It is non-stick but I can scrape it with a metal spatula while cooking (which is what I cook with) and it has no ill effect on the skillet.

So as we wrap up, I think the Merten & Storck 10” Skillet will be a great skillet for all of my camp cooking needs… if I’m able to steal it out of my wife’s kitchen now that she has seen it.

The MSRP on the 8” is $19.99, the 10” is $29.99 and the 12” is $39.99 and as is usual, we will close with the company’s specs.

• It can be used on campfire and over an open flame in addition to inside
• Much lighter than cast iron so easily transported and used on the go
• Builds a patina over time with use
• Pre-seasoned
• Stovetop, grill, and oven safe

Merten & Storck has engineered cookware with exacting precision since 1873. Our collections are shaped by tradition, providing incredible craftsmanship and unparalleled performance. Much of our cookware is still handcrafted in Drensteinfurt, Germany using custom tooling we design and manufacture in-house. Our carbon steel products use the same raw material as cast iron but are pressed instead of cast, which makes it lighter, more powerful, and more durable final product. After almost 150 years, Merten & Storck is still dedicated to creating incredible products for meticulous home cooks.

From chefs in starred kitchens to ready-to-eat street food, carbon steel is a staple of global food culture. It’s easy to see why—it heats ultra-fast, is half as heavy as cast iron, and it’s just as durable. Ideal for paellas, crêpes, stir-fry, and the perfect sear—Carbon speaks the international language of food. The black color of Carbon is from the use of hot-rolled black carbon steel, which is stronger and more durable than aluminum. Safe for metal utensils and extreme temperatures, this unyielding material is 3 times denser than aluminum, more durable, and better for long-term use. Tinting and staining is also limited by the dark layer. Pre-seasoned to get you started right away, Carbon develops a naturally nonstick patina layer that’s ideal for frying delicate fish, crafting an omelet, or getting a perfect sear on pork chops.

Whether you’re heading out on a hike, camping with friends, or just need a pan for the backyard fire pit, Carbon will travel wherever you need it.• Lighter than cast iron alternatives—easier to carry on a trip• Pre-seasoned and ready to go—there’s no laborious seasoning process with this pan• Becomes naturally nonstick over time – creates a natural nonstick patina, so it’s perfect for freshly caught fish• Made to perform on all heat source

Carbon is crafted with black carbon steel, a stronger, more durable material than is used in most cookware. Black carbon steel is hot rolled to make it extra tough. Safe for metal utensils and extreme temperatures, this unyielding material is 3 times denser than aluminum, more durable, and better for long-term use

About Tom Claycomb

Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”