Stainless Steel Pans: High Heat, No Problem

Stainless steel pans are popular among professional chefs because they heat more evenly, retain heat better, and can be heated to higher temperatures than non-stick pans. However, stainless steel is a porous material at the microscopic level, so food can get stuck in the pores and be difficult to clean. To avoid this, it is important to heat the pan before adding oil. The heat causes the pores to close, creating a smooth surface for the oil to slide on and preventing food from sticking. The ideal temperature for a stainless steel pan is around 225°F–235°F, which can be measured using an infrared thermometer or the water droplet test.

Preheat the pan

Preheating your stainless steel pan is essential to prevent food from sticking. The surface of stainless steel is porous, and when heated, the pan expands, causing the pores to shrink. Food can get stuck to the pan if it is pinched by pores that are still contracting.

To preheat your pan, place it on a burner at low to medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid preheating for too long, as this can cause discolouration. You can test if your pan is ready by doing the water droplet test. Drop a single drop of water into the pan, and if you hear a 'tsss' sound, or the water becomes a slippery bead that glides around, the pan is ready. You can then add oil and heat until it shimmers.

Some chefs recommend allowing food to come to room temperature before cooking, as adding cold food to a hot pan can cause the temperature of the pan to drop and increase the chances of food sticking.

Once you have mastered the technique of preheating your stainless steel pan, you will be able to enjoy beautiful crusts and crunchy skin on your meats.

Use the water test to check the temperature

Stainless steel pans are great for searing food, but they can be tricky to get right. The key is to let the pan get hot before adding oil, but how do you know when it's hot enough? You can buy an infrared thermometer, but there's also a very simple way to test the temperature of your pan using water. This is known as the "water test".

The water test relies on the "Leidenfrost effect", a "physical phenomenon in which a liquid, close to a mass that is significantly hotter than the liquid’s boiling point, produces an insulating vapour layer that keeps the liquid from boiling rapidly". In the case of water, this occurs at around 379°F. When water is poured onto a hot stainless steel pan, the Leidenfrost effect causes the water to form a single ball that rolls around the pan before evaporating. This indicates that the pan is hot enough to add oil.

To perform the water test, first, heat your pan over medium-high heat. Then, add a small amount of water—around one-eighth of a teaspoon—to the pan. Observe what happens. At first, the water will just sit in the bottom of the pan and eventually evaporate. Keep adding small amounts of water and heating the pan. Eventually, the water will start to bubble and then to disperse into tiny beads that roll around the bottom of the pan. Keep heating the pan until the water forms a single ball that rolls around the pan before evaporating. This is the Leidenfrost effect in action and indicates that your pan is hot enough. Now you can add oil, let it heat until it shimmers, and then add your food.

It's important to note that you should only perform the water test on a dry pan. Do not add water to a pan that already has oil in it. Also, be aware that you may need to turn the heat down slightly after adding oil to prevent the pan from overheating.

Add oil after preheating

When cooking with stainless steel pans, it is recommended to heat the pan before adding oil. This is because the metal of the pan expands slightly when heated, closing any minuscule fissures, pores, or gaps in the surface of the pan. This creates a smoother, tighter, sleeker surface for the oil to slide on, and prevents your food from getting stuck in those pores as they close when the pan heats up.

The typical rule of thumb is to heat dry stainless steel pans until you can feel the heat radiating from the surface when your hand is held about 6 inches above the bottom. At this point, you should add your oil. You'll need less oil because the same amount will spread across a greater surface area due to its decreased viscosity as it heats. Plus, your oil will heat up instantly, and when you add your food, it is less likely to stick.

If you are cooking over high heat, use oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed or sunflower. If you are only cooking over medium heat, olive oil works too. Avoid cooking sprays, which can cake onto the pan's surface.

You'll know you're ready to cook once the oil shimmers and ripples across the surface. If the oil starts to smoke, then your pan is too hot.

If you are cooking something more delicate, like fish or eggs, then adding a little more oil to the pan will help reduce sticking. But it really comes down to making sure your pan and oil are properly preheating, and letting your food cook long enough before stirring or flipping.

For skin-on fish, lay the fillet skin-side down, making sure it's flat against the skillet's surface. Let the fish cook until it easily releases when you slide a thin spatula underneath. If it's not releasing easily, then it needs to cook longer. Once flipped, cook to your desired degree of doneness.

For eggs, preheat your pan over medium-high heat, do the water test, add your oil, then cook in your preferred method. Keep in mind that the eggs will cook quickly since you're using medium-high heat. If you're making fried eggs, reduce the heat to medium-low after adding the eggs, then cook until the whites and yolks are as set as you'd like. Know that if you cook over higher heat, you'll get crispy whites with browned, lacy edges.

Heat oil until shimmering, but not smoking

When heating oil for cooking, it is important to get the temperature just right. The oil should be hot enough to cook your food effectively, but not so hot that it burns or smokes excessively. This is where the "shimmering" effect comes in.

Shimmering oil is a visual cue that indicates the oil is hot enough to start cooking. When the oil is shimmering, its surface will look slightly wavy and move around a little. This is a sign that the oil is close to its smoking point but has not quite reached it. The smoking point is when the oil begins to produce multiple wisps of smoke, and this is easier to spot.

Shimmering oil is usually around 275°F, while smoking oil is around 400°F. This temperature difference can significantly impact the outcome of your meal. For example, in a test, two steaks were cooked in identical pans with the same amount of oil. One steak was cooked in oil heated to the shimmering stage, while the other was cooked in oil heated to the smoking point. The steak cooked in the smoking oil took 6 minutes to brown, while the steak cooked in the shimmering oil took 10 minutes, resulting in a larger grey band of overcooked meat.

It is important to note that the shimmering effect can be harder to see in pans with dark bottoms, such as seasoned iron pans or PTFE-coated pans. In these cases, you may need to rely on other cues, such as the smell of hot oil or the sizzle of food added to the pan.

Additionally, different oils have different smoking points, so it is essential to choose an oil suitable for the temperature you need. Some heat-resistant oils include sunflower, canola, and clarified butter fat.

Let food come to room temperature before cooking

Stainless steel is a popular choice for cookware in restaurant kitchens. However, it has a reputation for being difficult to cook with because food often sticks to the pan. This happens when the microscopic pores on the surface of the pan expand with heat and then pinch the food as they contract.

To avoid this, it's best to let your food come to room temperature before cooking. A large temperature difference between the pan and the food will make it more likely to stick. For proteins, this means letting them sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes. For vegetables, leave them out a little longer.

Once your food is at room temperature, preheat your pan over low to medium heat. You can test if your pan is hot enough by doing the water droplet test. Sprinkle a small amount of water onto the dry pan. If the water sizzles, your pan is at a medium heat. If the water rolls around the pan, you're closer to medium-high or high heat.

After your pan has reached the desired temperature, add your cooking oil. Heat the oil until it shimmers, but be careful not to let it smoke. Then, add your food to the pan.

Frequently asked questions