Stainless Pots and Pans (food sticking)

[JckDanls 07]

OK.. I know the forums are for smoking but I have a problem with a new set of Cuisinart Stainless Steal Cookware.... We just bought the set and can't get use to them to save our lives... anything and almost everything sticks BAD...

Of coarse the question is... Does anybody use Stainless and how DaHell do ya use them without sticking ?

 

[eman]

stainless is going to stick w/o the use of some type of oil. May try lower heat range.

 I only use my stainless for frying in oil or cooking w/ plenty of liquid .

 

[linguica]

Hot pan, then cold oil. When frying i spray seasoned meat with a light coat of olive oil.

 

[bonnie b]

New to them myself, having just bought two saute pans. Ive learned this (plus instructions said):

1- no need to heat super hot...use medium to med/high...they are super conductive.

2- preheat before adding oil, even if only using Tbsp....then add oil and let heat until it is almost smoking..will look shimmery or wavy in the pan.

3-when doing meats, fish, or anything breaded...dont fiddle with it....leave alone and let it sear...carefully check underneath with spatula...when its ready to turn over, it will release itself and not stick..which means getting used to not cooking too hot and in turn having to keep flipping food over and over.

I dont typically cook with oil so messed up both fried & scrambled eggs by using too little (dribbled in pan & wiped out excess). But DID make stir fry with very little oil using leftover wild rice and was amazed that it didnt stick...pan acted like non-stick.

I think, for me at least, its a matter of getting used to cooking directly on hot steel vs nonstick and adjusting temps accordingly...AND....having to use more oil.

Good luck!!

PS - this may sound silly but I learn alot watching QVC & HSN when they're selling S/S cookware by Wolfgang Puck or EMerille

 

[venture]

Not my favorites for lots of reasons.

Linguica has you right on?

Treat them like a wok.  Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick.

Or it will stick less? 

I would add that even in a well seasoned cast iron pan?  Or the cast iron grates on a grill?  Trying to turn meat prematurely can result in sticking.  Gotta let it brown a little.  Get that Maillard reaction going before you tear up your meat.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[daveomak]

Try seasoning the inside with flax oil.....very thin layer and bake at 400 in the oven until the smoke stops..... flax oil will polymerize... it is a very low smoke point oil.... then do not was the pan... rinse only and wipe with paper towels...    Dave

 

[smokinhusker]

Try seasoning the inside with flax oil.....very thin layer and bake at 400 in the oven until the smoke stops..... flax oil will polymerize... it is a very low smoke point oil.... then do not was the pan... rinse only and wipe with paper towels...    Dave

X2 - this works spot on with cast iron except I do the heating on my gas grill and the flax oil works fantastic this way - my cast iron now has a wonderful shiny, smooth and slick finish. BF is making me a stainless steel griddle and pizza baking "stone". I intend to season both this way.

 

[bonnie b]

X2 - this works spot on with cast iron except I do the heating on my gas grill and the flax oil works fantastic this way - my cast iron now has a wonderful shiny, smooth and slick finish. BF is making me a stainless steel griddle and pizza baking "stone". I intend to season both this way.

Save me  a Google... is flax oil readily available...like at grocerymstores?

 

[linguica]

X2 - this works spot on with cast iron except I do the heating on my gas grill and the flax oil works fantastic this way - my cast iron now has a wonderful shiny, smooth and slick finish. BF is making me a stainless steel griddle and pizza baking "stone". I intend to season both this way.

Save me  a Google... is flax oil readily available...like at grocerymstores?

Health food stores would be my first guess or maybe GNC or Wallgreens.

 

[mdboatbum]

I gotta say, seasoning a stainless pan is a new one on me. Might be just crazy enough to work!!

We went through years of struggling with skillets. My wife likes nonstick, but can't get it through that pretty little head of hers that metal utensils and nonstick don't mix. I have this weird quirk of not liking flakes of nonstick in my food, so every few months I'd toss the scratched up skillet and she'd have a fit. Off I'd go to get a new one. I finally got a couple Lodge cast iron skillets, but she hated them. I told her how to clean them, but she decided it was too much of a hassle, so she'd just leave them in the sink for me to deal with. FULL OF WATER. Ended up getting a 12" stainless skillet. That was probably4 or 5 years ago now, and the thing still looks like new. We use it just about every day, and the only thing we do is use a little olive oil. I've never had a problem with food sticking to the point that I couldn't get it out. Keep with it and I think you'll grow to like it.

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Hot pan , cold Oil - food won't stick.

 

[jarjarchef]

I must say I have never seasoned a stainless steel pan before, lots of cast iron, but worth a shot......

As mentioned there is almost an art to cooking with it. Med Hot pan with cold oil, then I will slide the meat slightly when placing into the pan. I find it helps not stick, old school Chef showed me that. It is an art that is almost lost, but the more you use your pan and stove you will figure out the balance of heat, oil and time. For easy cleaning deglaze the pan with some wine and use as a base for your sauce.......

 

[pgsmoker64]

I have one stainless pan I use regularly and follow exactly what Jarjar said.

Saw it on Food Network!

Bill

 

[linguica]

One thing that wasn't mentioned is when frying meats, place the food into the hot oil and leave it there long enough to put a crust on the bottom. If you try to move it around like you do in a Teflon pan it will stick and make a mess.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Medium hot SS pan....oil the pan....then oil the food before placing it in the pan.....the food won't stick.



~Martin

 

[rhinoguy]

We have one non-stick pan that I use for eggs, but everything else is cooked on stainless.  You just have to add a little oil before adding anything to the stainless pans.  I keep 2 bottles near my stove that have olive oil and grapesead oil in them.  What are you having a hard time cooking in them? 

Once you get used to the stainless you will never want to go back. 

 

[linguica]

Once you get used to the stainless you will never want to go back.  Strike stainless and replace with cast iron. IMHO

Stainless for braising and Teflon for eggs.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

I agree on the cast iron.
I use cast iron about 90% of the time.
Stainless steel, 5% of the time.
Blue steel, 5% of the time.
No modern no-stick pans in this house. I refuse to use the carp.

I use cast iron or blue steel for eggs.



~Martin

 

[supercenterchef]

We have one non-stick pan that I use for eggs, but everything else is cooked on stainless.  You just have to add a little oil before adding anything to the stainless pans.  I keep 2 bottles near my stove that have olive oil and grapesead oil in them.  What are you having a hard time cooking in them? 

Once you get used to the stainless you will never want to go back. 

yup

When starting out, it can be difficult to determine when the pan has been heated properly and is ready for the cold oil.  I recommend the water bead test...just drop 1/8 tsp water on the pan--at proper temp it should remain as one, large drop hovering over the surface.  If it boils and explodes...not quite hot enough.  If it separates into many tiny drops...prolly a little too hot.

Hope this helps!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Once you get used to the stainless you will never want to go back.  Strike stainless and replace with cast iron. IMHO

Stainless for braising and Teflon for eggs.

x2!!!!