Cooking with stainless steel cookware...?

Question

I love my stainless steel cookware set. It heats up well and stands up to everything I throw at it...

EXCEPT, cooking certain things, especially in the skillets, can definitely be a pain. I noticed that with eggs, meats, and sauteing anything, it's really hard to prevent sticking. One time I made an omelet with a little bit of butter or spray, it stuck horribly... so the next time, I used more spray, but then it cooked awfully on the bottom, and it left this gross looking and tasting burnt layer across the eggs. I always have a problem trying to flip things because they will so often stick.

BUT, whenever I try to use oil, I have to use A LOT to keep things from sticking. However, using a lot of oil can obviously be unhealthy at times, but more importantly a lot of oil is more prone to pop and make cooking less pleasurable. Plus, who wants really oily food?

Is there any way around this? Am I doing something wrong? It doesn't matter what heat I'm on, things are bound to stick or burn.

It is high-end tri-ply cookware, and at $300 something, it's definitely not any crappy walmart stuff! I bought it six months ago, so it's not very old.

Thanks everyone! I think my #1 problem is with eggs, so I will probably just buy a separate skillet for eggs. I have actually been kind of interested in getting at least one cast-iron bad boy, so maybe I will for that job. ;)

In general, I try to cook at a medium heat or lower, and I do all of the things said below for meat. I think I was mostly just complaining about the "fond." I didn't know that was normal!

Answer 1

It sounds like a temperature control/application problem. To be honest, eggs are best cooked in a non-stick skillet. They can be done in stainless, but you have to be more judicious in your use of fat to do so.

That being said, the problems you describe sound like you are doing 2 things. With the eggs, the burnt layer makes it seem that you are cooking them at way too high of a temperature. Butter in particular has a fairly low smoke point, due to the amount of solid material in the butter, and it sounds as though that solid particulate is burning and sticking to your eggs. Lower the temp, and that should stop.

With meats in stainless, sticking can occur if the heat is too high, or oddly, if the meat is added to the pan before the pan has reached temperature. The ideal way to sear meats in stainless is to add about 2 tbs of oil to a 12" skillet, heat over medium high/high heat until oil is shimmering and you see the first wisp of smoke, and then add your meat. It is important to note that you should dry your meat with a paper towel before adding it to the pan. If you dont, the water will cause the oil to pop as you describe, and create an unpleasant cooking experience.

If you wait for the pan to get to temp, you won't have oily food as you describe. A delicious crust will form on the meat, and the water hissing out at the surface of the product will keep the oil out of whatever you are cooking. However, if the pan is not hot enough to keep whatever you are cooking sizzling, oil can permeate the surface of whatever it is you're cooking, leading to oily food. That is why overcrowding the pan is a bad idea (it drops the temperature of the pan below a point that can keep the water hissing out of your product) and why adding food to a pan that hasn't heated to temp is a bad idea.

In addition, one of the joys of cooking with stainless is the production of fond on the bottom of the pan. These little brown bits are the base of most every gravy/pan sauce, and cannot be obtained when you cook with non-stick.

In summation, cook your eggs over low heat, and preferably in a little non-stick skillet kept specifically for that purpose. For meats/sauteing, bring the oil and pan up to temperature before adding the product to create a delicious crust, and prevent sticking and oily food.

Edit in response to edit: You don't want to use a cast iron skillet for eggs. Cast iron is a very pourous surface, and your eggs will stick like crazy. In addition, because cast iron is so frigging dense, it holds heat like crazy, and won't adjust temperature quickly as a result. General rule of thumb, the more delicate the food, the more delicate the pan. Buy a little 8" teflon coated crepe pan or skillet for your eggs, and treat it nice. Buy a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet, and cook your steaks in style!

Answer 2

I represent a line of cookware -Saladmaster- that has the highest grade of Surgical stainless steel in the industry. If you need to use spray I would recommend it only if your cookware is not made with 304 or t-316L surgical stainless steel. Most cookware is made with 18/10 stainless steel and is inferior, has copper and aluminum that will leach into your foods as you cook on higher tempertures. If you are cooking with higher quality stainless steel, you can cook at a lower temperature and still have your foods be done in a shorter amount of time. You can use cooking spray, and technically if you look on the label it contains no fat. Stay away from ANY coated non stick pans.

Answer 3

You will need a couple nonstick frypans for eggs and starches. Choose a nonstick skillet that is heavy, and try looking for a nonstick that is NOT teflon, which wears too quickly. DO NOT use cooking spray on nonstick pans, because the alcohol will dry out and crack the surface.

To keep meats from sticking as much in your stainless steel, let your chicken or steak come to room temperature before it hits the hot pan. Don't move it around in the pan...let it stick a little so it can sear properly.

And when you want to use butter, toss in some oil as well to raise the smoke point.

Answer 4

I too have a rather new stainless steel set.
Love it.
I like the way it develops fond when cooking/browning meats.
I'll deglaze this with wine or water to make a sauce -- good stuff.
I also like the fact that it's non-reactive -- can cook acidic sauces without worry of a metallic taste.

However, I have a new appreciation for cast iron.
I had a cast iron pan that followed me for years -- I decided to clean it well, and season (keep it seasoned) it.
It's my magical breakfast pan -- eggs and potatoes >> no sticking.

Funny, I one time almost tossed it out when I went Teflon many years ago.

Love my stainless steel, love my now cherished cast iron -- my Teflon, no longer very non-stick (not used often any longer).

I've included a link that might interest you related to varying pans/skillets. Hope it's useful


btw: Professionals suggest to avoid unnecessary sticking:
-Meats/fish should be at room temperature
-Don't too quickly turn the food (They say too many homecooks are guilty of this -- I used to be one of them.

Fond is normal, fond is good -- try to find ways of using it -- it has a lot of flavor.
However, if you decide not to use it, still deglaze as if you were, then dump what remains -- this helps clean the pan.

Answer 5

Rather than buying pot/pan sets, I'm a big believer in buying pieces perfect for the job you are doing. In this case, cooking eggs calls for a nonstick pan. And I'd still spray it w/ a little cooking spray! No, it won't match your whole set. Altho you can probably find a SS skillet w/ a nonstick interior if you look.

As far as meats in your SS skillet, most times you would probably want a bit of glaze to stick to the pan... this is what you de-glaze by adding stock, wine, or water to so that you can make a pan gravy/sauce.

In the case of veggies (stir fry) in your SS skillet, use a screaming high heat and keep it moving.

Answer 6

Stainless steel cookware possesses uniform strength that is highly resistant to surface scratches and rim dents. Stainless steel remains one of the safest forms of cookware because it does not require a high heat level during cooking. Because stainless steel heats more efficiently than other varieties of cookware, you do not need to turn the heat higher than required. Also safe for broiling, stainless steel pans can be used in ovens up to 500 degrees. Stainless steel cookware does not get treated by chemicals, so it is considered a healthy choice for cooking meals in. you can remove burned parts by filling it with equal parts vinegar and water. Place the lid on the pot and bring the solution to a boil. Reduce heat and let the solution simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool, leaving the solution to set in the pan overnight. Your pot should come clean with some gentle scrubbing the next morning.

Answer 7

That seems to be typical of stainless steel. I do like the positive things about mine, but I have purchased a single non-stick pan just for my eggs. Nothing expensive, just cooks eggs so much better. Otherwise, my stainless steel gets used for all else. I have waterless, bought back in the 70's and it's held up great!

Answer 8

That used to happen to me.
It's probably the cookware you're using. No offense (just stating the truth here) but some cookware is really crappy, and no matter how you try, it always sticks. The best thing is to let them go and buy new ones, as hard as it seems. I was very mad that everything stuck, and when I got new ones I was very very very satisfied. You should buy Calphalon because it is the best. That's what I use, and it works great.

If that's what you're using, maybe they're old...


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EDITED:

Sorry I didn't mean to offend you; that's why I said "No Offense.."
I didn't know it cost that much.. that's pretty good stuff then.. Hmm... It probably is the heat.

Answer 9

step 1 hot pan cool oil
step 2 add food immediately after oiling or buttering the pan (after it has been spread out of course)
step 3 do not allow it to heat up to the point where it smokes
step 4 manipulate your food less in the pan, let it cook until it is ready to turn or remove
step 5 do not scrape or use abrasives in your pans a scratched surfaces allow more surface area for food to adhere to, and provide imperfections for food to lock on to.

Answer 10

pre heat the pan, I have AllClad and it will stick if I dont pre heat it first. Same as when I worked in a deli, they would pre heat also.

Check out cooksillustrated.com the "Consumer Report" of cooking, they explained the science behind pre heating.