Stainless Steel Pans: Avoid Burning

Stainless steel pans are a great kitchen tool, but they can be a little tricky to use. The main culprit for food sticking to stainless steel pans is heat—either too much or too little. When oil is added to a hot stainless steel pan, it creates a protective barrier between the food and the pan, preventing sticking. However, if the pan is too cold when food is added, it will stick. Similarly, if the heat is too high, food will burn and stick to the pan. To avoid these issues, it's important to preheat your stainless steel pan before adding oil and food. Additionally, choosing the right type of food to cook in a stainless steel pan is important, as some foods, like eggs, tend to stick more than others.

Preheat the pan before adding oil

Heating a stainless steel pan before adding oil is a crucial step in cooking as it ensures that your food doesn't stick to the pan and also prevents the oil from burning.

Firstly, heating the pan first gives you more control over the cooking temperature. If you heat the oil and the pan together, you risk the oil getting too hot and smoking or burning before you've even started cooking. By heating the pan first, you can control the temperature and ensure that it's hot enough to cook with before adding the oil. This is especially important if you're using a powerful stove, as the pan can heat up very quickly and reach temperatures that are too high for cooking.

Secondly, heating the pan dry helps to evaporate any water that may be in the pan, especially if you've just washed it. If you add oil to a wet pan, it can cause the water to rapidly evaporate and spit, which can be dangerous. It also helps to open up the microscopic pores in the metal surface. If you add oil to a cold pan, it can pool in these pores, and when you add food, it will stick to the pan. By heating the pan first, the pores open up, and the oil can settle into them, creating a smoother surface that food is less likely to stick to.

Finally, heating the pan first can help prevent the oil from breaking down and forming a sticky, gummy substance on the pan, which can be difficult to clean off. This is because the oil has less time to break down and combine to form these polymers when added to a hot pan.

So, to ensure your food doesn't stick and to keep your pan in good condition, always remember to heat your stainless steel pan before adding oil!

Test the pan's readiness with a morsel of food or a drop of water

To test if your pan is ready, drop a morsel of food or a single drop of water into the pan. If you hear a "tss" sound, your pan is ready. It's always a good idea to start your pan at medium heat and make adjustments from there. If the water splatters and evaporates, the pan is not ready. If the water beads up and runs freely around the pan, the pan is ready for oil or fat.

Water combats the heat by bringing the temperature of the oil down. If you are cooking with vegetables, make sure they are dry. Also, pat down meat with a paper towel to remove any surface moisture.

If your pan is too cold when you add food to it, you will not hear a sizzle. No sizzle means the food has not lifted away from the pan and will stick. If your heat is too high, food has a tendency to burn, and burnt food will also stick to the pan. This burnt flavour will also transmit to the rest of your food.

Avoid using high heat

Stainless steel pans are a great addition to your kitchen, but they can be tricky to get used to. One of the most important things to remember when cooking with stainless steel is to avoid using high heat.

Firstly, it's important to understand that different types of metals conduct heat differently. Stainless steel, for example, is a poor conductor of heat compared to aluminium, which heats up very quickly. Cast iron, on the other hand, is a poor conductor of heat and takes longer to heat up but retains heat for a long time. Understanding these differences is key to avoiding burning your stainless steel pans.

When cooking with stainless steel, always start with a lower heat setting than you think you need. Stainless steel pans are designed to efficiently conduct heat, so you won't need as much heat as you would with other types of pans. Starting with a lower heat setting will give you more control over the cooking process and prevent burning.

Another tip is to preheat your pan before adding any oil or fat. This will help create a non-stick surface. Hold your hand above the pan, and when you feel the heat radiating from it, you'll know it's ready. Then, add your oil or fat, and it should quickly spread across the pan and start to shimmer. This will help prevent food from sticking and burning.

If you're searing meat, it's important to resist the urge to move it around in the pan until it's thoroughly browned. As the proteins constrict, they will release their grip on the pan, and you'll be able to flip them with minimal sticking. If you try to move the meat too soon, it's more likely to stick and burn.

Finally, remember that all pans have hot and cold spots, which can cause food to burn in some areas and remain undercooked in others. To find the hot and cold spots on your pan, fill it with a few inches of water and bring it to a boil. The hot spots will be where you see rapid bubbling, and the cold spots will have few or no bubbles. Once you know where these spots are, you can adjust your cooking technique accordingly, such as by stirring or moving the food around to ensure even cooking.

Dry food before placing it in the pan

To prevent burning your stainless steel pan, it is important to dry food before placing it in the pan. This is because water can create steam, which can cause food to stick to the pan and burn. For example, when cooking chicken, blot the chicken dry before placing it in the pan. This will prevent the water from aerosolising in the fat from the oil, which can cause flames.

Similarly, when cooking refrigerated foods such as meats, it is important to bring them to room temperature before placing them in the pan. Cold food is more likely to stick to the pan, so it is best to let it warm up first.

Additionally, when cooking foods that contain a lot of water, such as vegetables, it is a good idea to cook them at a lower temperature. This will prevent the water from evaporating too quickly and causing steam, which can lead to sticking and burning.

By taking these simple steps, you can help prevent your food from burning and sticking to your stainless steel pan.

Clean the pan while it's still warm

To avoid burning your stainless steel pan, it is important to clean it while it is still warm. This is because, over time, placing a hot pan under cold water can ruin your cookware. "Thermal shock" may occur when a hot pan is placed under cold water, causing warping, shattering, chipping, or cracking. This is due to the different metals and materials in the pan expanding and contracting at different temperatures.

To clean your stainless steel pan, first, allow it to cool gradually for a few minutes. You can place the pan on a trivet or a heat-proof surface. Make sure to wipe off the surface and ensure there is no water underneath the pan. Then, fill your sink with warm, soapy water and let the pan soak. After a few minutes, use a soapy sponge to wipe the pan clean. For tougher stains and burned-on food, use a stainless steel cleaner or a paste made from baking soda and water. Apply the paste to the surface of the pan and place it on the stove. Use a wooden spoon to scrape and loosen the burned areas, then wipe them away. Finally, dry the pan with a soft cloth.

It is important to note that you should never put your stainless steel pan in the dishwasher, as this can damage the finish. Always hand-wash your pan using a soft sponge or cloth and avoid using abrasive cleaning pads or sponges.

Frequently asked questions