How To Best Use Your Stainless Steel Pan

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People are often intimidated by stainless steel because it doesn't offer the same assurance that nonstick does. There is more room for error with nonstick. They were built to not stick. However that isn't always a good thing, and I would argue that a stainless steel pan used correctly can be just as nonstick while offering more versatility than a Teflon pan.

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[jamesleveille-bonner]

I always taught my customers about how to prevent food from sticking by referencing a visual we all have seen, frozen flag pole plus a hot tongue, and you get stuck. It the thermal shock of the two and it does the same with cold meat and a hot pan. So the next level of preventing sticking is letting your meat warn up a bit before placing it in the pan. Same goes for eggs, let your eggs come to room temp before putting in the pan.
When you put food in the pan, it should immediately stick, until it’s done and it will release on its own. If you are flipping and it sticks, you are flipping tooo soon.

[MasterofPlay]

heat it up until the oil starts to smoke then you put the food in, smoke means it forms a layer of polymer on top of the stainless steel and this is what creates the non stick property

[JakeShepherd]

Cameron excellent job explaining! Makes my stainless cooking life much easier.

[allthehui]

Great video, Cameron! I recently got my first stainless steel pan and I'm learning the ins and outs of how to use it. These tips were helpful!

[krusing]

water bead test is the best fool proof method to knowing when the stainless steal pan is ready to go :)

[AgustinD]

I watched your video as I'm fighting potatoes stuck to the pan... I should have watched your video first!!! Lol thank you!!

[meauxjeaux]

I thought I was the only one with black cabinetry. It was my sister's crazy idea, but i love them.

[ardoporkkropodra]

I picked up an nice heavy 18/10 pan for 4.99 at goodwill and love it

[seymourcross]

This was a really nice video. Love to see your comfortable smile, commentary, and easily-digestible pace. Keep it up!

[MNpicker]

I literally just found an 8" Calphalon pan just like that at a thrift store for $8.00.. pretty stocked 🤘🏻!! It was a little stained on the bottom. With a little Super Clean and baking soda.. and quick seasoning and it's good to go.. I'm gonna make a mushroom and gruyere omelette in the morning 😎👍🏻

[hi_huytran]

Great video explaining teaching and demonstrating, thank you!

[danieltruong]

Hey Cameron - it’s Dan Truong from Doma. Really cool and helpful videos. Just subscribed and wish you the best of luck in becoming a YouTuber!

[clintblew]

Seasoning stainless steel pans is time-consuming but effective for resisting sticking.

[itscharliebee]

This was randomly on my recommendations...for me personally I knew these tips and tricks, but the video was well made so I watched all the way through anyway. I think a lot of people would benefit from this video, stainless steel can be a bit intimidating. So here’s to you popping up on more people’s recommendations. Well done, hope your wife enjoyed her crispy hash brown.

[barelybarb]

I’d be very interested in seeing some scrambled eggs

[adelinenicholas]

I tried bacon in my Cuisinart frying pan this morning. Put the bacon in the pan THEN turned on the heat. Kept it at low heat the entire time and not once did it stick!!
And because of you I got myself a fish turner!!!!

[stauffap]

You really explained this well. A lot of people spread this myth that non-sticking comes from the Leidenfrost effect, but that simply can't be true. If it came from the Leidenfrost effect, then it would work without oil, which obviously it doesn't. So the non-stick properties must come from the oil and the high temperature.

What I've found is that it's really enough to get the pan and the oil hot enough once for the pan to be non-stick (i like to use a piece of fabric to coat the pan with oil everywhere). It's really enough to hit the smoke point and then take the pan off the heat again to cool off. You can then lower the temperature to whatever temperature you want and the food won't stick. It has nothing to do with the leidenfrost effect. I've read that it has to do with tiny cracks opening, when the pan is hot and closing when the pan cools down. The oil has to get hot enough to get into those cracks. Chemistry probably plays a role as well. But i've really not seen any decent science about it yet.

The cool thing obviously is that you don't need coated pan anymore. Everything can be cooked well and without sticking in a stainless steel pan with the technique mentioned above. Eggs (sunny side up) work, scrambled eggs work, pancakes work etc.

[LoveLikeaHurricane]

How do you cook a stir fry, like with rice on staineless? I think the rice ends up soaking up the oil and there will be bits that stick .

[captainduggo]

In your first example, did it scratch your stainless steel pan? Is it something it something I need to worry about? My pan is brand new...Thanks

[jndominica]

It's delicate non-stick pans that are scary. This one I can wash if I make a mistake and try again. I prefer to put lard or other solid fats on a cold or warm pan, and avoid the pan increasing the temperature while I scoop the fat and get it to melt off the spoon. I do like to use a lot of fat, and I get a problem if it splattering all around with most foods, except scrambled eggs.