de Buyer vs Matfer Bourgeat: Which to Buy?
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de Buyer and Matfer Bourgeat are both French carbon steel pans of professional quality. The practical decision now turns on a safety finding: specific Matfer lots were recalled in France in 2024 over metal leaching, while de Buyer carries no such flag. On construction alone, Matfer offers a welded rivet-free handle; de Buyer offers a more comfortable cast stainless handle and a larger cooking surface.
Read this before comparing on features. French regulators recalled specific Matfer Bourgeat lots in April 2024 after arsenic, chromium and iron leached above EU limits in acid testing. There is no US recall and Matfer disputes it, but America’s Test Kitchen withdrew its recommendation. We earn commission on both pans. Full explanation here.
The two pans at a glance
| de Buyer MINERAL B Pro 11" | Matfer Bourgeat 11" | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | France | France |
| Cooking surface | 8.3 inches | 8 inches |
| Weight | 3.42 lbs | 4.3 lbs |
| Handle | Cast stainless steel | Welded, rivet-free steel |
| Rivets in cooking surface | Yes | None |
| Safety flag | None | 2024 French recall, certain lots |
| Price | $99.95 | $107.00 |
Construction, setting the recall aside
On build alone these pans make different choices.
Matfer welds its handle to the pan with no rivets, leaving a completely smooth interior. Nothing protrudes into the cooking surface, nothing traps oil, nothing works loose over decades. This is genuinely the better joint, and it is why the pan became a professional standard.
de Buyer rivets its handle but upgrades the Pro line to cast stainless steel, which stays cooler on the hob than the iron handles on the standard Mineral B. Its cooking surface is slightly larger at 8.3 inches, and the pan is nearly a pound lighter.
Rivet detail matters here. de Buyer’s rivets sit inside the cooking surface and collect a little oil around them. See riveted vs welded handles.
How they cook
Very similar, as you would expect from two French pans of the same class.
Both have smooth factory surfaces that season more slowly than textured pans, then hold an even patina once built. Both sear excellently. Both need the same care and both hate acid.
The de Buyer’s lighter weight makes it easier to toss and manoeuvre. The Matfer’s extra mass gives slightly steadier heat when cold food lands. Neither difference is large.
The recall changes the recommendation
On construction we would have leaned Matfer for the rivet-free handle. The 2024 recall changes that.
Specific Matfer lots leached arsenic and chromium above EU limits in French testing. There is no US recall, Matfer disputes the finding and argues the pans were tested unseasoned, and America’s Test Kitchen nonetheless withdrew its recommendation and moved to Mauviel.
If you cannot check the lot number, which most buyers cannot after the packaging is gone, you cannot know which batch you have. That uncertainty is the problem.
de Buyer carries none of this. Same country, same class, no open question.
Which should you buy?
Buy the de Buyer if you want a French professional pan without a safety asterisk. It is lighter, has a larger cooking surface, a cooler handle, and costs slightly less. For most buyers this is now the clear choice. See the de Buyer MINERAL B Pro.
Buy the Matfer only if the welded rivet-free interior specifically matters to you and you are satisfied by Matfer’s response to the recall. Check the lot number against our recall guide first. See the Matfer Bourgeat 11 inch.
If the recall has put you off both, the pan ATK moved to is the Mauviel M’Steel.
Frequently asked questions
Is de Buyer or Matfer Bourgeat better?
Are Matfer Bourgeat pans still safe to buy?
What is the difference between de Buyer and Matfer handles?
Which is lighter, de Buyer or Matfer?
Do professional chefs use de Buyer or Matfer?
Specifications from manufacturer listings. Recall details from America’s Test Kitchen and the DDPP of Isère. Last checked 22 July 2026.