I have in recent years become more and more obsessed with carbon (black) steel pans. I wanted to get away from Teflon and other synthetic non-stick surfaces, with their questionable health effects, but cast iron just makes for a terminally heavy pan, especially in the larger sizes. Carbon steel seemed like the answer, but I have run into some trouble getting them to be truly non-stick. The secret to a truly non-stick carbon steel pan is two part: (a) start with a pan made by the right manufacturer, and (b) prepare to invest some time in the seasoning process.