In the past few years, I replaced all my non-stick coated pans with either cast iron or stainless steel pots and pans.
The only problem with that is the food kept sticking to the pans. I couldn’t fry anything without part of the food coming off.
So after some research and practice I figured out the simple 4 step solution to cooking with stainless steel without the food sticking.
Heat up the pan first.
Before adding any oil, butter, or food, you must heat your stainless steel pan. Set your stove top to medium heat.
Let the pan heat up for 3-5 minutes. This will cause the heat to warm up the whole pan evenly.
Test your pan next.
Drop a couple of droplets of water on your pan. If it fizzles out, your pan is not hot enough.
The water droplets should sit on the top of your pan.
The water droplet will remain a droplet bubble, almost a gel looking water bubble. The water bubble will “dance” around the pan instead of fizzing out.
Add a fat.
Now that your pan is properly heated, you must add a fat before cooking your food.
My go-to fats are butter and olive oil. But you can use any fat you enjoy cooking with: coconut oil, ghee, tallow, ect.
Add your fat to the pan. Give it a little time to heat up and swirl the fat around the pan to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
Allow food to crisp.
Now you’re ready to add your food. Whether you are cooking scrambled eggs or frying meat or vegetables.
Allow the food to sit for awhile. It should turn brown and crisp up a bit. Once it is crisped, you should be able to flip it easily.
Your pan will be clean. It should not leave any pieces of food behind.
Really, this totally works. Give it a try!
If you’ve been frustrated by cooking with your stainless steel pans, you will love how easy this method is.