Why are stainless steel pans so popular in professional kitchens?
5-ply stainless steel is the most versatile material for kitchen tools, as you can practically cook anything in it.
Moreover, stainless steel offers perfect heat distribution and temperature control - free from PFAS and other 'smart coatings'.
But why do so many home cooks still swear by nonstick coating?
Perhaps because they don't know how easy it is to cook in stainless steel.
If you follow these 7 simple tricks, you can easily fry everything from eggs to sticky fish - without it sticking.
1. Take the food out of the refrigerator in advance
When cooking in stainless steel, there are actually only two things you need to pay attention to: Temperature and timing!
Therefore, it is super important that you do not put an ice-cold steak on your hot pan - and there are two reasons for this.
Firstly, the pan's temperature will drop drastically, making your pan too cold to provide the proper non-stick effect.
Secondly, this drastic change in temperature can cause your new pan to warp, resulting in uneven heat distribution.
Therefore, take your food out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking so that it reaches as close to room temperature as possible.
2. Preheat your pan
As mentioned earlier, temperature and timing are crucial for frying in stainless steel. And therefore, it is incredibly important that you preheat your pan to the right temperature before adding your food.
First, your pan should be heated over low heat for a few minutes, after which you can raise the heat to medium heat - also for a few minutes.
But when is the pan at the right temperature?
You can find out by doing the 'water test'.
3. The Water Test
The water test is a method you can use to check if your pan has the right temperature.
Simply add a little water to your hot pan, and there are 3 possible scenarios that will tell you if the temperature needs to be adjusted:
1. Water evaporatesIf the water evaporates as soon as it hits the pan's surface, it means that the pan is not hot enough. Therefore, let the pan heat up for a few more minutes.
2. Water explodes into small droplets
If this happens, it means that your pan is a bit too hot. So turn down the heat slightly and wait a moment.
3. Water dances slowly on the surface
This is what we want to see! If the water remains in a large droplet and dances slowly across the surface of the pan, it means that the temperature is perfect!
And don't worry. Over time, you'll get better and better at heating your pan so you won't need to do the water test every time you cook.
4. Add oil
You need fat when cooking in stainless steel. It is necessary to create a barrier between the sticky proteins in your food and the pores in the steel surface.
It is important that the oil reaches the same temperature as the pan itself before adding the food.
When the oil has the right temperature, it will ripple across the surface.
5. Add food
Now it's time to add your (room temperature) food.
And remember, if you, for example, place a steak in the pan, always place it away from yourself. This way, you avoid getting hot oil on yourself.
6. Patience
Now for the (perhaps) most important point. Patience!
Although it may be incredibly tempting to check the delicious crust on your steak or check if your fried egg is ready, you need to have plenty of patience now!
Right now, the Maillard reaction is in full swing, giving your proteins the delicious crust - and as soon as this happens, your food will release from the pan by itself.
7. Is good taste going to waste?
If you have followed these tips so far, you will hopefully be left with perfectly cooked food that easily releases from the pan's surface.
However, there will still be places on the pan where protein is stuck.
This is what we call fond, and it can give you a lot of fantastic extra flavor.
So why not try making a delicious pan sauce with your fond while your meat is resting anyway?
Ready to get started?
