Thank you Tom, I finally bought myself a stainless steel pan for 2025. I have avoided SS for decades because I did not know how to use it and all my food stuck to the pan. I mentioned to my sister over Christmas that I needed new pots and pans as there were specks in my non-stick pots. She wisely advised me, that is not healthy when the coating is "wearing" away. It's a new way for me to learn how to cook with SS and I appreciate your videos very much, and will be brave enough to tackle my first meal in a SS pan. Thank you again and all the best for 2025.
I thought I could manage a stainless steel pan with only knowing the water drop trick. After almost ruining it after 3 uses I realised I needed to come here. Thank you!!
Managing heat was a lesson that took me far too long to learn. So, now I heat it up - leidenfrost test - then put my protiens in and turn it down a skosh. Works perfectly every time.
Great video. I got some ss pans (Heritage Steel) about a month ago and have been learning how to use them properly. Three things that you talk about I found to be most important: preheating; need more fat/oil than with nonstick; patience (don’t try to move the food too soon.) I’m still struggling with fried eggs. If I let them sit until they release, they are brown on the bottom, which I’m not crazy about. Scrambled eggs are much easier because you can keep them moving. And cleaning the pans is much easier than I thought it would be. Thanks for the vid.
He's right. I recently changed from a non-stick frypan to SS. Once I learned how to use it it became my favourite pan. Food browns up much better and the fond makes fabulous sauces. Fat, especially saturated animal fat is not the enemy to our health we have been told it is. I successfully use beef tallow, lard or butter in my pan.
I was cooking with cast iron mostly before switching to stainless steel. But before even getting that cast iron pan, i used a crappy teflon pan and had a thin stainless steel pan around. I hated the thin stainless steel pan. After swapping to the thicker cast iron pan, i realized how important thickness was. Nearly 4 years later I have 5 beautiful pieces of stainless steel cookware from Made-In, a beautiful carbon steel skillet from De Buyer, and a beautiful dutch oven from Le Creuset. I tried to use All-Clad D5 for a bit but i kept going back to Made-In for the modern design and much comfier handles. I agree with your points on pre heating so so much. Doesnt matter what youre cooking, you gotta make sure that the cooking vessel is thoroughly heated to the desired temperature for what you're cooking (NOT RIPPING HOT). I really hope more people realize how much of a joy it is to cook on well made cookware. Cooking doesn't have painful, it can be so so rewarding.
For those worried about the health issues of using cooking oils or fats, consider that a deep fat fryer is extremely healthy, just so long as the fat is hot enough that whatever your cooking will be releasing water vapour to stop any oils being absorbed into your food. Yes, deep fat frying is extremely healthy if you do it right.
I'd add use only healthy fat like Avocado oil for Frying, olive oil, and Coconut oil or clarified butter. All should be organic, from one known source not souced from differnt regions
Your previous "pan selection" video got me buying both a carbon steel and a stainless steel pan, as a replacement for my my teflon pans. Ended up with a Mineral B Pro and a Demeyere Proline stainless, as All-Clad just isn't available here. The Demeyere was a tad more expensive but caught it on a sale, but I just really prefer pans with that extra handle on the opposing side. For the majority of the things we cook we reach for the stainless steel, and hardly ever the teflons. The stainless is so easy to use and clean, and it's half the weight of the carbon steel which is great for my SO. We also end up combining the sauce and meat in the pan, and with it's more rounded edges it holds more and we don't have to think about acidity. Still working on that temp control, but unless it's fried eggs or fragile fish, I actually find it forgiving and relatively easy. It has certainly made a great improvement to the dishes thanks to better browning and the fond. Steaks and chicken breasts, especially with skin on, are on a whole other level compared to earlier. As for heating up, interestingly with an induction top it's a bit different in my experience. The carbon steel one heats up by far the fastest, and gets much hotter. I assume that's just due to more metal, given the weight difference. I have to turn it down 2 steps compared to the stainless steel, and 3 compared to the teflon pans I have. The stainless is 5 (or was it 7?) ply, but it still can't even out the induction coils entirely. So I'm mindful of that when cooking meats. Anyway, if I could have only one frying pan going forward, it would definitely be my stainless.
New to the channel..Just received my first SS set as a Christmas present and, considering I’ve only had cheap “non-stick” cookware from Walmart all my adult life, I definitely would’ve gotten pretty frustrated without your knowledge and insight! So Thank You & Merry Christmas!
Nice video. I use non-stick a lot but am now considering trying this pan. It may work out better than buying a new non-stick every couple of years. Thanks for the overview.
Great video and my evolution of pans is much like yours. Non stick to carbon steel and now to stainless steel. Although, still use CS about 40% of the time. Larger skillets are also great for vegetable roasting and baking meats in the oven. Great content and keep it up.
Just got my stainless steel all clad fry pan today and I was so scared to dial down the heat thinking I’m going to cook uneven or I might make the pan a “stick pan” as opposed to a non-stick pan. I didn’t put enough oil. I did the water test but I might’ve jumped the gun since there were water droplets instead of one mercury ball effect. I’m having fun learning though and thank you for the pointers!
Thank you for explaining all this! I really do a lot of this stuff and now I understand what I was doing wrong. Especially with letting the meat release. I am one of those people who has bad habits from non-stick. :)
Great information, thank you! I love my All Clad D5 but….kind of defeating the purpose of using stainless pans with Teflon utensils. The whole purpose of stainless is to get rid of PFOS, PFAS, BPA, BPS etc. along with the other toxic plastics. I’ve been using wood utensils. Have you tried any of them on the stainless pans?
As ma professional chef I choose my cooking vessel according to the food being cooked. SS is great for some things while a cast iron pan will outshine SS if used properly, and if you are cooking eggs nothing beats a non stick pan and for sauces a copper pan is unbeatable.
I bought a lower tier Cuisinart 3 ply set. I watched a lot of videos, yours included and haven't burned anything. lol They are my go to along with my Stargazer cast iron pan.
I am in industrial Sanitation and an expert on cleaning stainless steel. You want clean it add a little chlorine to your dish soap. This spur charges the detergent. Also, that blue tint on the pan is protein residue. That chlorine / soap mixture works great on that too.
"preheat your pan, and then lower the temperature before you drop in the eggs" - this relates to a question I've had about pre-heating. Is there a benefit to pre-heating the pan to a hot temperature when the temperature you are going to use it to cook is a bit lower (for fish, or say for eggs)? I've had some anecdotal evidence that this might help, but I'm not sure if there is anything behind it.
Yes, there’s several reasons for this. You want the cooking vessel to distribute heat and ideally evenly. More important, you want the pan to compensate for any heat transfer to the cold meat or item which will cause “bonding” or sticking if it is not hot enough. I think the misconception is people think they need to preheat their pan to scorching which is not true. Eggs are happiest at around 325-350F so preheating to 375-400F is just fine and then lowering the temps to maintain a happy environment. Hope that helps.
I was so used to searing with cast iron, I was taken aback by how hot the SS got very quickly. It ended up burning some of the steak and even seemingly the kosher salt (is that possible?)...left the pan ugly and brown, deeply stained. But subsequent cooks, I love how fast it is and the fond it leaves is priceless. Now I just need to clean off the brown stains and try not to do that again lol 😅
thanks for the tips. i'm just starting to cook with ss and while i had preheating figured out, the rest of the tips did not come to mind. it does give me some confidence, more to come with experience. i got a 3-ply tramontina pan, with an aluminium core, maybe it is on the cheap side but haven't tried it yet and i hope it performs well.
Amazing video. I almost exclusively cook with cast iron/carbon steel these last few years now but i am looking into a stainless steel because i am getting sick of reseasoning after making a sauce. I would love to see a video highlighting the differences between aluminum and copper core and your recommendations for different budgets!
I have a nice 5-ply SS pan & I heat it up well with the water test but still find my chicken thighs are sticking to the pan & won't naturally release for me. Then it becomes a sticky mess because I have to force the flip after 4-5 minutes. I use a high smoke point oil as well. Should I be turning the heat down possibly? I usually do medium to medium-high to let it warm up but then keep it at medium. I was thinking the chicken thighs wouldn't sear if I lowered the temperature
Heritage Steel pans are the best of the best! I find using lemon on the pan and then wiping it down with a soft cloth to remove hard water stains and it makes it shiny too!!!
When cooking eggs, do you recommend heating the SS pan on high, then lowering the temp to med/low once it's heated? Or do you pre-heat AND cook on med/low temp?
Hi There, I actually did a video experimenting exactly what you are mentioning. Preheat on medium, add eggs, and drop temps. Here's the video with the details: ua-cam.com/video/Gx-Ge2vnHX4/v-deo.html
Cream of Tartar is great for cleaning burnt messes. Put some in water and boil When you preheat, sneak up on it -- never turn up the heat past the temperature you expect to cook at. The lower you start and the longer you leave it heating, the more even the temperature of the pan will be. My stainless is old school Faberware -- the aluminum is visible on the bottom, it's not "wrapped". These pans will not work on induction. If I were buying new today, I'd make sure everything would indeed work on induction. Good video.
I wonder if you could please make a video explaining when and why you use each type of skillet: cast iron; carbon steel; stainless steel; and ceramic/nonstick. I’d appreciate it. Thanks!
Let me know if this video recently made answers your questions: A Beginner's Guide To Buying Your First Serious Frying Pan ua-cam.com/video/vvlVKt-YjtA/v-deo.html
@@tomwadek Thanks!... I suppose that was helpful. But I guess I was wondering about when and why YOU personally use each type of skillet. (The only thing I know for sure is that if you want a fond or if you need to cook anything acidic, stainless steel's the only option).
@@ogonzaleznycgotcha, I personally use cs most of the time unless I’m concerned with the seasoning getting damaged and I use ss when I want to make a pan sauce with the meal or if I’m cooking a lot of things and it needs to be done quick.
My husband and I spent some time watching this video before bed last night to figure out how to properly use our new AllClad D3 pans (as we definitely have bad habits from nonstick pans)! I’m a bit confused about one part of the preheating discussion - how does that work with heating up oil? Do we preheat the pan first, and then add the oil and let THAT also heat up, before we add in the food we’re cooking? Or can we put the oil on right away and bring both pan and oil up to heat together?
I needed this video, before I messed up my eggs yesterday and I think I cooked the eggs into the pan because it was too high and I left them in there too long ... HELP ... How can I save it with a recommended cleanup?
Just bought Cuisinart multiclad set and I have never fried with a stainless steel pan before but after watching this I made the best chicken breast and Brussels then a creamy sauce with the fond! I also made salmon but i burned the skin and top . Guess I cooked it too long. Now im watching to see how to clean it properly. It’s clean but I want it to look perfect again lol . I’m so surprised how well my chicken n veggies came out
that makes me absolutely happy! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm glad you are finding my videos helpful. Regarding cleaning, if its light "heat stains" or water stains, use some white distilled vinegar and gently scrub with the soft side of a dish sponge. If it's something heavier, Bar Keeper's Friends is magical.
@@tomwadekyes I didn’t know about bar keepers friend so I tried it on one of my old heavily heat burned pans that was black inside and it cleaned it right up!
Nice video but the most important part is not only the SS is cheaply made but also if contains metals like Nickel and chromium, in addition to the SS. All Clad never disclosed where the steel is sourced from and if the processes of rhe foundries at the source are safe or not
Received a Demeyere essential 5 on Christmas, reading on how to use properly before starting. Something that is unclear to me - i often use frozen food that either labels as shouldn't be thawed before or gets mushy if thawed, how do you handle Costco-like frozen food in SS pans?
Great question, the short answer is, the reverse sear method. Oven then seared on the SS pan. If it’s something like frozen burgers, then low temps on the pan until you get close to the internal temp you want and then seared at medium to medium high heat.
My biggest tip with gaining mastery of stainless steel is to get yourself a gas or an induction hob. Originally, I had an old fashioned electric hop. It lacked the finess of temperature control that's essential. Also, if you go for induction, be sure that it has a continuous adjustment of the temperature, so you can raise or lower the temperature by precise 1° increments. And, finally, do be aware that you must NEVER Aput an induction hob to maximum when you're bringing your pan up to cooking temperature, else you risk warping the pan due to too rapid heating of those 3-ply or 5-ply layers of different metals. Enjoy
Tom, I've noticed that when I use spray oil like Pam, or my usual from WinCo or CostCo, I can cook anything without having to preheat, or anything. Eggs, fish, whatever. With spray on oil, I can just crack the eggs into the pan cold and it still doesn't stick. With regular oil, I have to preheat the pan before PMI put oil in, or it sticks bad. What is in the spray stuff that makes it so stick resistant?
It’s always a good fundamental step to preheat which applies to pans, grills, oven, and really any cooking tool. The spray on stuff usually contains some synthetics or lecithin which is adding a layer between the pan and the food to allow it to be non stick. One side sticks to the pan and the other adapts to the fats and oils in the food to create that layer in between. It also atomizes the oil to get “better coverage”.
I honestly don't know why more people don't boil water in their pans after cooking. I do that no matter what pan I'm using (including my cast iron) and never have to scrub afterwards. It just makes sense to let the water and heat do the work for you.
You got me looking into stainless steel for the first time, friday I found a brand new still in-box hestan 5 piece probond set (none of the nonstick stuff), that retails for 430 on amazon, on fb marketplace for $250 (he said when he bought them a few years ago it was a misprice so he bought 3 sets, as much as he could afford and used one set, sat on the other two waiting to use as a gift but eventually decided to sell them) talked the guy down to $200 and he agreed since it was an 80 mile drive for me. Long story short, spent all of Saturday experimenting with the leidenfrost effect to see how the pan reacts, cooked 2 eggs and three meals since then and I absolutely love these pans. The learning curve was FAR less steep thanks to your videos!!!
You mantioned Allclad by nane as a quality but budget friendly brand. I also noticed a lot of your clips showed the Kirkland pans. What's your rating on those in the quality hierarchy?
Can you "reuse" fat that's left from previous cooking? How to know when to add food to the pan when you heat it up with fat already in it. For example when you have to stop frying and then start again, will food stick?
Thank you for this video! Right when I needed it, can’t believe you just posted this video. It was just for me🥹how do you fix a stainless steel pan that has a “permanent” brown surface in the skillet?? I didn’t really know how to use it at ALL when I first got it and now I feel like they are permanently messed up😅😅
You're so welcome! Here’s a video I did on cleaning SS. You may find one of these methods useful. I would recommend bar keepers friend. Different Ways To Clean A Stainless Steel Pan That Sticks! ua-cam.com/video/qNAqS9MP5OE/v-deo.html
Great video man. What are your thoughts on old stainless pans like Legion Utensils? I just acquired a copper / stainless 10” pan from my dad that was made in 1965. Just a beautiful piece.
Stainless Steel pans are the best and most versatile! No need for seasoning it, you can Cook everything in it (acidic sauces, searing meats, oven safe.....) and you dont need to baby it (the dishwasher is your friend ;o) I also have Cast Iron and Carbon Steel pans in my arsenal but Stainless is really what I use Most the time. 2 Stainless pans and a enameled dutch oven ist all i need, the rest ist nice to have but optional....
Fish will also naturally release. Stay tuned for a video I’m making where I will demonstrate these methods in a “real time recipe”. The exception are if your temps are too high and the food is burning/black smoke. The food will release but it will be burnt as a result.
Originally, I hated stainless steel. Now it's my favourite go-to frying pan. As you say, it's all about learning to use your tools correctly. Invest the time in learning the techniques in this video, and you'll never want a non-stick pan in your kitchen.
@@tomwadek Yeah I don't have a 3 ply construction model. The one they have one the website has 3 Ply Construction stamped into the pan's induction plate. Back to the store with both of these.
BARKEEPERS FRIEND, this is a mistake for stainless it will look like new. If you have a mirror finish it will last years but BK will make it satin over time.
Just sent a 12” Made In pan back. I was just intimidated by the whole idea. Gonna stick with cast iron skillets and teflon. Im not a chef! Is there a surface temp with infrared where water dances like mercury?
Meh, you only need the 3 C's for cooking: Carbon Steel, Cast Iron and Copper. The copper is optional if you're not needing accurate temperatures e.g. sugar art, sauces etc ... (admittedly copper often has a SS surface, unless you're going hardcore with tin ...)
Barkeepers friend, also works to clean rust off a knife if you get pitting. Around the handle you will need to use a small toothbrush depending on handle design. You should wash with soap when done other techniques are listed on the cleaner. Calphalon outlet turned me onto it. Vinegar can remove color staining if you have a rainbow or blue marks and that bothers you which is all superficial. Vinegar turns it bright.
I've had stainless pots for around 10 years and I swear to God they will survive a nuclear war, they are so resistant to me setting them on fire and all sorts. I got a Le Crueset stainless frying pan, had to return one as everything would stick no matter what, and the second one is starting to stick even though I follow every guideline. Really disappointed as all of their other products are top notch
I like the video but I am quite irritated when you said pan seasoning is removed after washing. Oil builds a chemical bond with the pores of the stainless steel pan and regular soap and dishwashing stuff isn't nearly caustic enough to penetrate that bond. A proper seasoning lasts you a decade.
Hi, thanks for commenting and sharing your perspective. That is incorrect, stainless steel is not as porous as cast iron for example. Seasoning is short lived and is easily washed away. You would need to season the pan everytime before use with little to no benefit. That time should be used to properly understand temperature control which would give you much better result with the pan. It’s also why almost all the major brands no longer recommend seasoning ss. If you are interested, I’ve don’t several videos on this subject. Long story, there are no “short cuts” with ss. ua-cam.com/video/qOSxRcUquKc/v-deo.htmlsi=bdOvcdVGwrtJLqM9
@@tomwadek Thank you for enlightening me! I thought the same rules as for cast iron apply to stainless steel. I always seasoned my new pans before first usage so it has kinda become a habit but as you have mentioned in the video, using enough fat and controling temperature is more then enough to prevent sticking. And even if some does stick, it makes for a good fond so whatever. :)
The only thing I don’t like from this video is that the outside of these pans and pots are coated with baked-on grease. This does nothing to improve their performance, and makes them look like sh*t. I value my equipment, and everything is clean on the outside.
The without question easiest and cheapest way to check if the stainless steel pan has reached a good temperature is to use... Drumroll... Water. Form your fingers as if you were to pinch some salt. Hold the fingers under running water from the tap. Drop the small amount of water from your fingers into the pan. If the water just fizzles and evaporates, not hot enough. If the water instead forms little balls that roll around in the pan, you are there. Mixing water and fat/oil is not a good idea so now tilt the pan so the water balls "slam" into the side of the pan and break. Once the water is evaporated, add the fat/oil. Wait until the fat/oil is hot as well and you are good to go. Fool proof method.
Thank you Tom, I finally bought myself a stainless steel pan for 2025. I have avoided SS for decades because I did not know how to use it and all my food stuck to the pan.
I mentioned to my sister over Christmas that I needed new pots and pans as there were specks in my non-stick pots. She wisely advised me, that is not healthy when the coating is "wearing" away.
It's a new way for me to learn how to cook with SS and I appreciate your videos very much, and will be brave enough to tackle my first meal in a SS pan. Thank you again and all the best for 2025.
Glad you're giving stainless steel a try! Thank you for the kind words. Wishing you a happy new year.
I have used your tip for cleaning burnt on food for years and it truely works, not only on Stainless but on enameled cast iron
Thanks for sharing, I’m glad to hear it works for you too! Cheers.
I thought I could manage a stainless steel pan with only knowing the water drop trick. After almost ruining it after 3 uses I realised I needed to come here. Thank you!!
You’re welcome. Keep at it and you won’t look back.
Hi,
I loved this video. Very clear and on point. Thank you.
I’m glad you found it helpful!
Managing heat was a lesson that took me far too long to learn. So, now I heat it up - leidenfrost test - then put my protiens in and turn it down a skosh. Works perfectly every time.
Glad to hear it, cheers!
I start using stainleess steel pan from the ikea. Work fine for me for now. Love it. Meby i gonne buy a high end one in the future to compare
Great video. I got some ss pans (Heritage Steel) about a month ago and have been learning how to use them properly. Three things that you talk about I found to be most important: preheating; need more fat/oil than with nonstick; patience (don’t try to move the food too soon.) I’m still struggling with fried eggs. If I let them sit until they release, they are brown on the bottom, which I’m not crazy about. Scrambled eggs are much easier because you can keep them moving. And cleaning the pans is much easier than I thought it would be. Thanks for the vid.
It takes practice but you’ll get there! Cheers!
I love my wolf gang puck stainless cookware. I’ve had them for over 10 years and they are as good as new.
He's right. I recently changed from a non-stick frypan to SS. Once I learned how to use it it became my favourite pan. Food browns up much better and the fond makes fabulous sauces. Fat, especially saturated animal fat is not the enemy to our health we have been told it is. I successfully use beef tallow, lard or butter in my pan.
Right on, thanks for sharing
I was cooking with cast iron mostly before switching to stainless steel. But before even getting that cast iron pan, i used a crappy teflon pan and had a thin stainless steel pan around. I hated the thin stainless steel pan. After swapping to the thicker cast iron pan, i realized how important thickness was.
Nearly 4 years later I have 5 beautiful pieces of stainless steel cookware from Made-In, a beautiful carbon steel skillet from De Buyer, and a beautiful dutch oven from Le Creuset.
I tried to use All-Clad D5 for a bit but i kept going back to Made-In for the modern design and much comfier handles.
I agree with your points on pre heating so so much. Doesnt matter what youre cooking, you gotta make sure that the cooking vessel is thoroughly heated to the desired temperature for what you're cooking (NOT RIPPING HOT).
I really hope more people realize how much of a joy it is to cook on well made cookware. Cooking doesn't have painful, it can be so so rewarding.
You are spot on with everything you said. Love hearing cooking journeys like this one. Keep it up and happy cooking.
Thank you so much for your good advice chef!😊
My pleasure 😊
For those worried about the health issues of using cooking oils or fats, consider that a deep fat fryer is extremely healthy, just so long as the fat is hot enough that whatever your cooking will be releasing water vapour to stop any oils being absorbed into your food. Yes, deep fat frying is extremely healthy if you do it right.
I'd add use only healthy fat like Avocado oil for Frying, olive oil, and Coconut oil or clarified butter. All should be organic, from one known source not souced from differnt regions
Your previous "pan selection" video got me buying both a carbon steel and a stainless steel pan, as a replacement for my my teflon pans. Ended up with a Mineral B Pro and a Demeyere Proline stainless, as All-Clad just isn't available here. The Demeyere was a tad more expensive but caught it on a sale, but I just really prefer pans with that extra handle on the opposing side.
For the majority of the things we cook we reach for the stainless steel, and hardly ever the teflons. The stainless is so easy to use and clean, and it's half the weight of the carbon steel which is great for my SO. We also end up combining the sauce and meat in the pan, and with it's more rounded edges it holds more and we don't have to think about acidity.
Still working on that temp control, but unless it's fried eggs or fragile fish, I actually find it forgiving and relatively easy. It has certainly made a great improvement to the dishes thanks to better browning and the fond. Steaks and chicken breasts, especially with skin on, are on a whole other level compared to earlier.
As for heating up, interestingly with an induction top it's a bit different in my experience. The carbon steel one heats up by far the fastest, and gets much hotter. I assume that's just due to more metal, given the weight difference. I have to turn it down 2 steps compared to the stainless steel, and 3 compared to the teflon pans I have. The stainless is 5 (or was it 7?) ply, but it still can't even out the induction coils entirely. So I'm mindful of that when cooking meats.
Anyway, if I could have only one frying pan going forward, it would definitely be my stainless.
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you are enjoying your ss and cs pans. Sounds like you are killing it in the kitchen. Cheers!
This video was so great, informative, very pedagogical, can’t believe why you don’t have even more subscribers!🔥
Glad you enjoyed it!
New to the channel..Just received my first SS set as a Christmas present and, considering I’ve only had cheap “non-stick” cookware from Walmart all my adult life, I definitely would’ve gotten pretty frustrated without your knowledge and insight! So Thank You & Merry Christmas!
Glad to be of help. Merry Christmas to you too!
Nice video. I use non-stick a lot but am now considering trying this pan. It may work out better than buying a new non-stick every couple of years. Thanks for the overview.
I’m glad I could help. Cheers!
What about water sauteing? Also, can you dry roast in these pans? I like to dry-roast quinoa before cooking it because it imparts a nutty flavor.
I don’t see why not as long as you don’t exceed the oven rated temps. For sautéing, I would consider a sauté pan for better results.
Great video and my evolution of pans is much like yours. Non stick to carbon steel and now to stainless steel. Although, still use CS about 40% of the time. Larger skillets are also great for vegetable roasting and baking meats in the oven. Great content and keep it up.
Thanks you for sharing your journey and I’m glad you enjoyed the video 🙏
Just got my stainless steel all clad fry pan today and I was so scared to dial down the heat thinking I’m going to cook uneven or I might make the pan a “stick pan” as opposed to a non-stick pan. I didn’t put enough oil. I did the water test but I might’ve jumped the gun since there were water droplets instead of one mercury ball effect. I’m having fun learning though and thank you for the pointers!
Good info, been interested in getting a ss pan for a while; this vid answered several questions
Wow! Great explanation and with such a nice voice :)
Thank you.
Thank you for explaining all this! I really do a lot of this stuff and now I understand what I was doing wrong. Especially with letting the meat release. I am one of those people who has bad habits from non-stick. :)
Glad it was helpful!
Very good informative/ instructional video.👍
I’m glad you found the video helpful
Great information, thank you! I love my All Clad D5 but….kind of defeating the purpose of using stainless pans with Teflon utensils. The whole purpose of stainless is to get rid of PFOS, PFAS, BPA, BPS etc. along with the other toxic plastics. I’ve been using wood utensils. Have you tried any of them on the stainless pans?
The doses of those toxins is not significant enough to warrant concern. Just cook with what you enjoy cooking with.
As ma professional chef I choose my cooking vessel according to the food being cooked. SS is great for some things while a cast iron pan will outshine SS if used properly, and if you are cooking eggs nothing beats a non stick pan and for sauces a copper pan is unbeatable.
Great tip! Different tools for the job. Cheers!
Carbon steel for eggs is pretty great
Amazing video
Glad you think so!
Yet another excellent video. Thank you sir!
Very welcome
I bought a lower tier Cuisinart 3 ply set. I watched a lot of videos, yours included and haven't burned anything. lol They are my go to along with my Stargazer cast iron pan.
That is awesome! Enjoy the great food! Cheers
I am in industrial Sanitation and an expert on cleaning stainless steel. You want clean it add a little chlorine to your dish soap. This spur charges the detergent.
Also, that blue tint on the pan is protein residue. That chlorine / soap mixture works great on that too.
I’ll have to try that out! Thanks for the tip.
Where do you get chlorine?
@@WingEatinMofo Grocery store- Clorox or any other bleach.
Use a baking soda paste. For water spots, a little vinegar.
"preheat your pan, and then lower the temperature before you drop in the eggs" - this relates to a question I've had about pre-heating. Is there a benefit to pre-heating the pan to a hot temperature when the temperature you are going to use it to cook is a bit lower (for fish, or say for eggs)? I've had some anecdotal evidence that this might help, but I'm not sure if there is anything behind it.
Yes, there’s several reasons for this. You want the cooking vessel to distribute heat and ideally evenly. More important, you want the pan to compensate for any heat transfer to the cold meat or item which will cause “bonding” or sticking if it is not hot enough. I think the misconception is people think they need to preheat their pan to scorching which is not true. Eggs are happiest at around 325-350F so preheating to 375-400F is just fine and then lowering the temps to maintain a happy environment. Hope that helps.
I was so used to searing with cast iron, I was taken aback by how hot the SS got very quickly. It ended up burning some of the steak and even seemingly the kosher salt (is that possible?)...left the pan ugly and brown, deeply stained. But subsequent cooks, I love how fast it is and the fond it leaves is priceless. Now I just need to clean off the brown stains and try not to do that again lol 😅
Haha, it can get away from you but you’ll get the hand of it soon enough. Keep up updated, cheers!
How did cleaning your SS pan go? What did you use?
Thanks bud, helps me a lot.
thanks for the tips. i'm just starting to cook with ss and while i had preheating figured out, the rest of the tips did not come to mind. it does give me some confidence, more to come with experience. i got a 3-ply tramontina pan, with an aluminium core, maybe it is on the cheap side but haven't tried it yet and i hope it performs well.
I've had good luck with my Tramontina
Amazing video. I almost exclusively cook with cast iron/carbon steel these last few years now but i am looking into a stainless steel because i am getting sick of reseasoning after making a sauce. I would love to see a video highlighting the differences between aluminum and copper core and your recommendations for different budgets!
Thank you for the suggestions, great ideas on future videos. Glad you liked this one. Cheers!
I have a nice 5-ply SS pan & I heat it up well with the water test but still find my chicken thighs are sticking to the pan & won't naturally release for me. Then it becomes a sticky mess because I have to force the flip after 4-5 minutes. I use a high smoke point oil as well. Should I be turning the heat down possibly? I usually do medium to medium-high to let it warm up but then keep it at medium. I was thinking the chicken thighs wouldn't sear if I lowered the temperature
Heritage Steel pans are the best of the best! I find using lemon on the pan and then wiping it down with a soft cloth to remove hard water stains and it makes it shiny too!!!
Great tip!
Hubby does all the dishes, I made him up a spray bottle of 50-50 vinegar water mix, quick spray, swipe and done.
How do you cook with SS pans when cooking multiple stakes.
When cooking eggs, do you recommend heating the SS pan on high, then lowering the temp to med/low once it's heated? Or do you pre-heat AND cook on med/low temp?
Hi There, I actually did a video experimenting exactly what you are mentioning. Preheat on medium, add eggs, and drop temps. Here's the video with the details: ua-cam.com/video/Gx-Ge2vnHX4/v-deo.html
@@tomwadek Thank you!!!
Very informative. Thanks! I am now a new subscriber.
Cream of Tartar is great for cleaning burnt messes. Put some in water and boil
When you preheat, sneak up on it -- never turn up the heat past the temperature you expect to cook at. The lower you start and the longer you leave it heating, the more even the temperature of the pan will be.
My stainless is old school Faberware -- the aluminum is visible on the bottom, it's not "wrapped". These pans will not work on induction. If I were buying new today, I'd make sure everything would indeed work on induction.
Good video.
Budget pans don't equal bad food. A good fundamental base in cooking is all you need
Absolutely but a cheap pan will cost you money in the long run if you are cooking as much as I do. Just avoid the cheap 3 for $20 deals at check out.
I wonder if you could please make a video explaining when and why you use each type of skillet: cast iron; carbon steel; stainless steel; and ceramic/nonstick. I’d appreciate it. Thanks!
Let me know if this video recently made answers your questions: A Beginner's Guide To Buying Your First Serious Frying Pan
ua-cam.com/video/vvlVKt-YjtA/v-deo.html
@@tomwadek Thanks!... I suppose that was helpful. But I guess I was wondering about when and why YOU personally use each type of skillet.
(The only thing I know for sure is that if you want a fond or if you need to cook anything acidic, stainless steel's the only option).
@@ogonzaleznycgotcha, I personally use cs most of the time unless I’m concerned with the seasoning getting damaged and I use ss when I want to make a pan sauce with the meal or if I’m cooking a lot of things and it needs to be done quick.
@@tomwadek Thanks so much. I really appreciate it.
Just asking will lowering the heat after preheating losses the benefits of leidenfrost effect/ non- stick effect? Thanks!
My husband and I spent some time watching this video before bed last night to figure out how to properly use our new AllClad D3 pans (as we definitely have bad habits from nonstick pans)! I’m a bit confused about one part of the preheating discussion - how does that work with heating up oil? Do we preheat the pan first, and then add the oil and let THAT also heat up, before we add in the food we’re cooking? Or can we put the oil on right away and bring both pan and oil up to heat together?
From what I’ve seen and experienced, get the pan up to temp and then add the oil or fat and spread it around the pan!
Excellent information i love my SS pan, ....BUT .....CAST IRON STILL RULES!!!!😊😊😊
😂 You can't go wrong with either!
I needed this video, before I messed up my eggs yesterday and I think I cooked the eggs into the pan because it was too high and I left them in there too long ... HELP ... How can I save it with a recommended cleanup?
Is cuisnarte a good started set?
Just bought Cuisinart multiclad set and I have never fried with a stainless steel pan before but after watching this I made the best chicken breast and Brussels then a creamy sauce with the fond! I also made salmon but i burned the skin and top . Guess I cooked it too long. Now im watching to see how to clean it properly. It’s clean but I want it to look perfect again lol . I’m so surprised how well my chicken n veggies came out
that makes me absolutely happy! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm glad you are finding my videos helpful. Regarding cleaning, if its light "heat stains" or water stains, use some white distilled vinegar and gently scrub with the soft side of a dish sponge. If it's something heavier, Bar Keeper's Friends is magical.
@@tomwadekyes I didn’t know about bar keepers friend so I tried it on one of my old heavily heat burned pans that was black inside and it cleaned it right up!
Any of the ikea SS pans any good? I would like to know if it’s worth it.
Do you recommend cleaning with Barkeepers Friend as others have?
1:31 I like seeing that you have cheaper pans also
I guess he has to have one for demo purposes lol..
Nice video but the most important part is not only the SS is cheaply made but also if contains metals like Nickel and chromium, in addition to the SS. All Clad never disclosed where the steel is sourced from and if the processes of rhe foundries at the source are safe or not
Received a Demeyere essential 5 on Christmas, reading on how to use properly before starting. Something that is unclear to me - i often use frozen food that either labels as shouldn't be thawed before or gets mushy if thawed, how do you handle Costco-like frozen food in SS pans?
Great question, the short answer is, the reverse sear method. Oven then seared on the SS pan. If it’s something like frozen burgers, then low temps on the pan until you get close to the internal temp you want and then seared at medium to medium high heat.
My biggest tip with gaining mastery of stainless steel is to get yourself a gas or an induction hob. Originally, I had an old fashioned electric hop. It lacked the finess of temperature control that's essential. Also, if you go for induction, be sure that it has a continuous adjustment of the temperature, so you can raise or lower the temperature by precise 1° increments. And, finally, do be aware that you must NEVER Aput an induction hob to maximum when you're bringing your pan up to cooking temperature, else you risk warping the pan due to too rapid heating of those 3-ply or 5-ply layers of different metals. Enjoy
Excellent tip! Thanks for sharing.
Tom, I've noticed that when I use spray oil like Pam, or my usual from WinCo or CostCo, I can cook anything without having to preheat, or anything. Eggs, fish, whatever. With spray on oil, I can just crack the eggs into the pan cold and it still doesn't stick.
With regular oil, I have to preheat the pan before PMI put oil in, or it sticks bad.
What is in the spray stuff that makes it so stick resistant?
It’s always a good fundamental step to preheat which applies to pans, grills, oven, and really any cooking tool. The spray on stuff usually contains some synthetics or lecithin which is adding a layer between the pan and the food to allow it to be non stick. One side sticks to the pan and the other adapts to the fats and oils in the food to create that layer in between. It also atomizes the oil to get “better coverage”.
Thanks for the explanation. That makes sense.
@@kensmith174ofcourse, anytime.
I honestly don't know why more people don't boil water in their pans after cooking. I do that no matter what pan I'm using (including my cast iron) and never have to scrub afterwards. It just makes sense to let the water and heat do the work for you.
easy clean up for sure!
You got me looking into stainless steel for the first time, friday I found a brand new still in-box hestan 5 piece probond set (none of the nonstick stuff), that retails for 430 on amazon, on fb marketplace for $250 (he said when he bought them a few years ago it was a misprice so he bought 3 sets, as much as he could afford and used one set, sat on the other two waiting to use as a gift but eventually decided to sell them) talked the guy down to $200 and he agreed since it was an 80 mile drive for me. Long story short, spent all of Saturday experimenting with the leidenfrost effect to see how the pan reacts, cooked 2 eggs and three meals since then and I absolutely love these pans. The learning curve was FAR less steep thanks to your videos!!!
Congrats! I’m glad my videos helped. Keep me update on your cooking journey. It sounds like you are off to a great start. Cheers!
Oil and fat is also a medium to allow even heat transfer for even browning.
absolutely! thanks for pointing that out.
I like a small amount of tallow and butter mix.
You mantioned Allclad by nane as a quality but budget friendly brand. I also noticed a lot of your clips showed the Kirkland pans. What's your rating on those in the quality hierarchy?
I absolutely loved them and raved about their 5 ply copper core set but sadly, they were discounted by Costco about 2 years ago
Can you "reuse" fat that's left from previous cooking? How to know when to add food to the pan when you heat it up with fat already in it. For example when you have to stop frying and then start again, will food stick?
Is there A stainless steel WOK ? ? ?
Yes! All Clad has a wok. I love it! I use it all the time. And….great popcorn popper.
BIG LIKE !!!!
Big thanks, cheers
Thank you for this video! Right when I needed it, can’t believe you just posted this video. It was just for me🥹how do you fix a stainless steel pan that has a “permanent” brown surface in the skillet?? I didn’t really know how to use it at ALL when I first got it and now I feel like they are permanently messed up😅😅
You're so welcome! Here’s a video I did on cleaning SS. You may find one of these methods useful. I would recommend bar keepers friend.
Different Ways To Clean A Stainless Steel Pan That Sticks!
ua-cam.com/video/qNAqS9MP5OE/v-deo.html
@@tomwadek😭and you actually responded 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽thank you dude!
Great video man.
What are your thoughts on old stainless pans like Legion Utensils?
I just acquired a copper / stainless 10” pan from my dad that was made in 1965.
Just a beautiful piece.
Love it, hand on to it and pass it down to your loved ones.
I looked for the link on cleaning stainless steel in your description and didn't see it ☹️
Sorry about that. Here you go Different Ways To Clean A Stainless Steel Pan That Sticks!
ua-cam.com/video/qNAqS9MP5OE/v-deo.html
If I have stainless steel saucepans and the manufacturer says to season them should I?
If I’m just using them to boil veggies does this matter?
Stainless Steel pans are the best and most versatile!
No need for seasoning it, you can Cook everything in it (acidic sauces, searing meats, oven safe.....) and you dont need to baby it (the dishwasher is your friend ;o)
I also have Cast Iron and Carbon Steel pans in my arsenal but Stainless is really what I use Most the time.
2 Stainless pans and a enameled dutch oven ist all i need, the rest ist nice to have but optional....
Totally agree!
What is the exception with the food release? Is it fish?
Fish will also naturally release. Stay tuned for a video I’m making where I will demonstrate these methods in a “real time recipe”. The exception are if your temps are too high and the food is burning/black smoke. The food will release but it will be burnt as a result.
Thank you, very new to this, great tips🙏
Glad it was helpful!
I'm burning onions and garlic because I have to get it hot enough not to stick. How do I stop this?
Preheating the pan is something that I have to work on😂
Cast iron, carbon steel and stainless is all I use
I found the EASIEST way to clean a really dirty pan, is a couple of squirts of dish soap, fill the pan with water, and let it sit overnight. Easy.
Originally, I hated stainless steel. Now it's my favourite go-to frying pan. As you say, it's all about learning to use your tools correctly. Invest the time in learning the techniques in this video, and you'll never want a non-stick pan in your kitchen.
Right on
I bought a T-Fal Stainless Steel pan - cost me 30$ Canadian. Is that one of those countertop cheap models you're warning against in your video?
I’ve never heard of them but if it’s 3 ply and you are happy with it, enjoy it
@@tomwadek Their website says they manufacture 3 ply stainless steel. I'm trying to figure out if mine is (the packaging doesn't say).
@@tomwadek Yeah I don't have a 3 ply construction model. The one they have one the website has 3 Ply Construction stamped into the pan's induction plate.
Back to the store with both of these.
BARKEEPERS FRIEND, this is a mistake for stainless it will look like new. If you have a mirror finish it will last years but BK will make it satin over time.
Just sent a 12” Made In pan back. I was just intimidated by the whole idea. Gonna stick with cast iron skillets and teflon. Im not a chef! Is there a surface temp with infrared where water dances like mercury?
3 minutes! 😮
This new electric induction electric stove feels so hard for me. I wish I had a fire stove.
Induction can be tricky, but with practice you'll get the hang of it.
@@tomwadek thanks
Meh, you only need the 3 C's for cooking: Carbon Steel, Cast Iron and Copper. The copper is optional if you're not needing accurate temperatures e.g. sugar art, sauces etc ... (admittedly copper often has a SS surface, unless you're going hardcore with tin ...)
I burnt my first stainless steel pans and was frustrated I couldn't get the black off. It was a gift so might have been lower quality.
Barkeepers friend. You can't burn stainless steel, but you can burn things onto it. A little bit of abrasion is gonna get it off.
Burned oil removal????
Barkeepers friend, also works to clean rust off a knife if you get pitting. Around the handle you will need to use a small toothbrush depending on handle design. You should wash with soap when done other techniques are listed on the cleaner. Calphalon outlet turned me onto it. Vinegar can remove color staining if you have a rainbow or blue marks and that bothers you which is all superficial. Vinegar turns it bright.
Good oil/fat increases health!
I've had stainless pots for around 10 years and I swear to God they will survive a nuclear war, they are so resistant to me setting them on fire and all sorts.
I got a Le Crueset stainless frying pan, had to return one as everything would stick no matter what, and the second one is starting to stick even though I follow every guideline. Really disappointed as all of their other products are top notch
Thank you I wish I saw this years age
Not a ton of seasoning in these videos...
I like the video but I am quite irritated when you said pan seasoning is removed after washing. Oil builds a chemical bond with the pores of the stainless steel pan and regular soap and dishwashing stuff isn't nearly caustic enough to penetrate that bond. A proper seasoning lasts you a decade.
Hi, thanks for commenting and sharing your perspective. That is incorrect, stainless steel is not as porous as cast iron for example. Seasoning is short lived and is easily washed away. You would need to season the pan everytime before use with little to no benefit. That time should be used to properly understand temperature control which would give you much better result with the pan. It’s also why almost all the major brands no longer recommend seasoning ss. If you are interested, I’ve don’t several videos on this subject. Long story, there are no “short cuts” with ss. ua-cam.com/video/qOSxRcUquKc/v-deo.htmlsi=bdOvcdVGwrtJLqM9
@@tomwadek Thank you for enlightening me! I thought the same rules as for cast iron apply to stainless steel. I always seasoned my new pans before first usage so it has kinda become a habit but as you have mentioned in the video, using enough fat and controling temperature is more then enough to prevent sticking. And even if some does stick, it makes for a good fond so whatever. :)
No problem. I was the same until a chef proved to me otherwise. Happy new year!
The only thing I don’t like from this video is that the outside of these pans and pots are coated with baked-on grease. This does nothing to improve their performance, and makes them look like sh*t. I value my equipment, and everything is clean on the outside.
Meh
I need induction ok.
Why doesn't someone just invent a temp gauge for the handle
Ah, stainless steel is induction friendly.
1st mistake is that you bought one. Use seasoned carbon steel and forget about problems.
The without question easiest and cheapest way to check if the stainless steel pan has reached a good temperature is to use...
Drumroll...
Water.
Form your fingers as if you were to pinch some salt.
Hold the fingers under running water from the tap.
Drop the small amount of water from your fingers into the pan.
If the water just fizzles and evaporates, not hot enough.
If the water instead forms little balls that roll around in the pan, you are there.
Mixing water and fat/oil is not a good idea so now tilt the pan so the water balls "slam" into the side of the pan and break.
Once the water is evaporated, add the fat/oil.
Wait until the fat/oil is hot as well and you are good to go.
Fool proof method.