A full set of published measurements, including weight, is what separates these five.
By the Lush Editorial Team·Researched & Compared
Compared the dimension and weight figures each maker publishes for carbon steel frying pans, plus what each listing states about construction and care.
1.76 pounds and 8.07 by 15.24 inches, the only sub-2-pound pan here with a stated weight.
12.01 by 20.67 inches, 4.13 inches tall, 3.31 pounds, all published.
3-ply carbon steel with an aluminum core, 8.75 by 16.5 inches, 2.55 pounds.
Rated to 600 F, 5.02 by 8.17 inches, 4.25 pounds, the heaviest of the five.
Ships with a silicone handle sleeve, 10.0 by 14.0 inches, weight not published.
| Model | Brand | Size (capacity) | Weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merten & Storck 8" Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying ... | Merten & Storck | 8" Frying Pan Skillet | 1.76 lb | Best small pan with a published weight |
| Merten & Storck 12" Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying... | Merten & Storck | 12" Frying Pan Skillet | 3.31 lb | Best large pan with a full dimension set |
| STRATA 8.5" Carbon Steel Clad Classic Frying Pan - G... | STRATA | 8.5 Inch | 2.55 lb | Best for an aluminum core |
| STRATA 12.5" Carbon Clad® Classic - Carbon Steel Fry... | STRATA | 12.5 Inch | 4.25 lb | Best for a 600 F oven rating |
| OXO Obsidian 10" Carbon Steel Frying Pan | OXO | 10" Frying Pan Skillet | not published | Best for a removable silicone sleeve |
1.76 pounds and 8.07 by 15.24 inches, the only sub-2-pound pan here with a stated weight.
12.01 by 20.67 inches, 4.13 inches tall, 3.31 pounds, all published.
3-ply carbon steel with an aluminum core, 8.75 by 16.5 inches, 2.55 pounds.
Rated to 600 F, 5.02 by 8.17 inches, 4.25 pounds, the heaviest of the five.
Ships with a silicone handle sleeve, 10.0 by 14.0 inches, weight not published.
Clear product measurements change this choice because most carbon steel pans here list a width, a length and a height but no weight at all. Only two of the five publish a weight: Merten & Storck at 1.76 pounds for the 8 inch and STRATA at 4.25 pounds for the 12.5 inch. The 12 inch Merten & Storck publishes 12.01 by 20.67 inches and 4.13 inches tall at 3.31 pounds. The two STRATA pans publish 8.75 by 16.5 inches and 5.02 by 8.17 inches.
“Two of five makers publish a weight.”
Lush Editorial Team
Priorities, not a computed score. The inputs are published specifications, so we rank by what matters most and say how much.
Two of these five makers publish a weight, and that single fact reorganizes the shortlist. Merten & Storck gives 1.76 pounds for its 8 inch pan and 3.31 pounds for its 12 inch. STRATA gives 2.55 pounds for the 8.5 inch and 4.25 pounds for the 12.5 inch. The OXO Obsidian 10 inch publishes 10.0 by 14.0 inches and 2.0 inches tall, and no weight at all.
Widths run from 5.02 inches on the STRATA 12.5 inch to 12.01 inches on the Merten & Storck 12 inch. Heights run from 0.79 inches to 4.13 inches. Read those as overall figures, not cooking surface: the listing publishes a length, a width and a height without saying which is the depth of the pan and which is the height of the wall.
| Specification | Merten & Storck 8 in | Merten & Storck 12 in | STRATA 8.5 in | STRATA 12.5 in | OXO Obsidian 10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8.07 in | 12.01 in | 8.75 in | 5.02 in | 10.0 in |
| Length | 15.24 in | 20.67 in | 16.5 in | 8.17 in | 14.0 in |
| Height | 3.78 in | 4.13 in | 1.8 in | 0.79 in | 2.0 in |
| Weight | 1.76 lb | 3.31 lb | 2.55 lb | 4.25 lb | not published |
| Construction | Carbon steel | Carbon steel | 3-ply, aluminum core | 3-ply, aluminum core | Carbon steel |
| Seasoning on arrival | Pre-seasoned | Pre-seasoned | Unseasoned | Unseasoned | Pre-seasoned |
| Oven rating | not published | not published | 600 F | 600 F | 660 F |
| Handle | Triple-riveted steel | Triple-riveted steel | Cast stainless steel | Cast stainless steel | Removable silicone sleeve |
| Metal utensils | Stated safe | Stated safe | Stated safe | Stated safe | Stated safe |
What the table does not tell you is the cooking surface, the wall thickness in inches, or the handle length measured on its own. None of the five makers publishes those figures. It also cannot tell you how any pan feels in the hand, because nobody here has lifted one.
STRATA describes its pans as the lightest carbon steel pan and as half the weight of traditional carbon steel. Against the other four on this page, that holds only for the 8.5 inch at 2.55 pounds, which is heavier than the Merten & Storck 8 inch at 1.76 pounds. The 12.5 inch STRATA at 4.25 pounds is the heaviest pan here.
The Merten & Storck listings call both pans lightweight and give 1.76 and 3.31 pounds. Those numbers are consistent with the word for the smaller pan and less so for the larger. Neither listing repeats the weight in its own text, so the figure lives only in the specification table.
STRATA publishes 600 F and OXO publishes 660 F. Both are specific and checkable. The Merten & Storck listings state that the pans are oven safe and never attach a temperature, so the manufacturer does not publish that figure. A buyer who roasts at a set temperature has two makers to choose between on that basis alone.
Seasoning is the other place the words carry weight. STRATA states that its pans arrive unseasoned and that 10 to 30 cooks are typical before stick resistance is high. That is a published range, and it is the most concrete first-use statement on the sheet. The other three arrive pre-seasoned.
The 12 inch Merten & Storck publishes 12.01 inches of width against 20.67 inches of length. The gap is the handle and the rim, not extra flat area. The same pattern appears on the STRATA 8.5 inch at 8.75 by 16.5 inches. Buyers measuring a cabinet or a drawer should use the length figure; buyers measuring a burner should use the width.
The STRATA 12.5 inch is the exception that proves the rule: it publishes 5.02 by 8.17 inches, figures that do not scale with a 12.5 inch pan. Treat that listing’s dimensions as unreliable and its weight, 4.25 pounds, as the one figure worth trusting.
Heights here run from 0.79 inches on the STRATA 12.5 inch to 4.13 inches on the Merten & Storck 12 inch. The listing does not say whether that figure measures the wall of the pan or the top of the handle, so it is best used for storage clearance rather than for judging cooking depth.
No maker publishes the depth of the cooking vessel as a separate number. If pan depth is the deciding factor for a dish, none of these five listings will settle it, and the honest answer is to look for a maker that states interior depth directly.
Buyers who weigh everything. The Merten & Storck 8 inch at 1.76 pounds is the lightest pan here with a published weight, and the only one under two pounds. Its 8.07 by 15.24 inch footprint suits a small burner.
Buyers cooking for a family. The Merten & Storck 12 inch publishes 12.01 by 20.67 inches at 3.31 pounds, a full set of figures for the largest pan here by width.
Buyers who want an aluminum core. The STRATA 8.5 inch publishes 8.75 by 16.5 inches at 2.55 pounds and states a 3-ply build with an aluminum core, plus a 600 F oven rating.
Buyers who roast at high heat. The OXO Obsidian 10 inch states 660 F, the highest published oven figure here, and publishes 10.0 by 14.0 inches and 2.0 inches tall without a weight.
Buyers who want the heaviest pan. The STRATA 12.5 inch at 4.25 pounds is the heaviest of the five, though its published 5.02 by 8.17 inch dimensions do not match its stated size.
These are the figures we looked for and did not find on the listings.
Width tells you whether a pan fits a burner. Weight tells you whether you will reach for it. Three of these five publish no weight, so a buyer comparing on heft has only two makers to work with. The Merten & Storck 8 inch at 1.76 pounds and the STRATA 12.5 inch at 4.25 pounds bracket the range.
No. The length figure on these listings runs from the end of the handle to the far rim, so it describes the pan's overall footprint rather than the flat area inside. The 12 inch Merten & Storck publishes 20.67 inches of length against a 12.01 inch width, and the difference is largely handle.
The two Merten & Storck pans and the OXO Obsidian 10 inch arrive pre-seasoned. Both STRATA pans are unseasoned, and STRATA states that stick resistance typically takes 10 to 30 cooks to develop. That is a published figure, not an estimate, and it is the clearest statement of first-use effort on the sheet.
STRATA states 600 F for both of its pans. OXO states 660 F for the Obsidian. The Merten & Storck listings describe the pans as oven safe without giving a degree figure, so the manufacturer does not publish that number. If a specific roasting temperature matters, only two makers give you one.
It does not change what is published, but it does explain the weight spread. STRATA describes its pans as 3-ply with an aluminum core and as half the weight of traditional carbon steel, yet its 12.5 inch pan at 4.25 pounds is the heaviest of the five, while the 8.5 inch at 2.55 pounds sits mid-range.
The listings do not agree. STRATA states hand wash only, OXO states hand wash only, and the Merten & Storck listings do not address dishwasher use at all. None of the five publishes a dishwasher-safe claim, so treat hand washing as the stated care for every pan here.
Specifications come from the manufacturers' own published listings. Lush Food & Drink may earn a commission if you buy through a link on this page, at no extra cost to you. How we research.
