I don’t it is impossible, but it is tougher to cook on stainless steel especially like eggs, you were talking about. I think the window is much narrower. Whereas you get incredible wide range on a Teflon nonstick pan. You can use high heat, low heat, more oil, less oil, and the eggs simply do not stick to a Teflon pan.
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I use stainless for most tasks but don’t get why anyone would make cooking eggs for more difficult for themselves when cast iron, carbon steel, and nonstick options are all readily available and super affordable?
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I suppose so, but SS is less porous than other metals so it would take more work. Plus, I use stainless for those ingredients that destroy seasoning (acids) so I wouldn’t season my SS.
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I’ve fooled with “seasoning” SS quite a bit, and IMO, it only really pays for pans that the cook reserves for eggs and maybe fish. If you’re searing a lot or deglazing, you’d be reseasoning constantly, and it might not be worth it. Also, the method requires that you not scour between uses.
I struggle with stainless lines pans for eggs unless there’s so much fat that I can float them. I suspect there’s a Goldilocks zone for temperature that I haven’t mastered. Still, I use tin lined copper or steel lined copper for eggs since we no longer participate in non-stick cookware consumption.
I scramble my eggs in a SS pan all the time. With butter. Very little stickage, cleans up easily. I pour some boiling water from my electric kettle right into the pan that’s still on the stove. And let it soak until the pan cools. Like deglazing, sort of. Everything cleans up with dish soap.
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Yes. Needs patience to get it to hot enough, but then it’s virtually nonstick. Heat the pan until a drop of water balls up instead of evaporating. Then turn down the heat slightly, add your fat of choice, and continue.
May take a little practice at the outset, but it’s not hard other than waiting for the pan to heat up properly.
I tested the hot pan/cold oil or fat theory with my scrambled eggs this morning. Usually I heat the pan, then add the butter - today I started with a cold SS pan and butter, and waited for the butter to melt/foam before I added the eggs. There was a considerable film stickage (not hard to clean, but it was there). The other way - heating the pan first - I get no sticking. So the theory works. BTW I suspect those of us of a certain age “learned” to start with a cold pan -hence the embracing of Teflon. Heat the pan first; it works!
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This is precisely what makes me go for a ceramic/non stick pan instead of carbon steel and PLY pans, when making eggs and other delicate things.
I have to take several precautions, that I don’t need with a ceramic/non stick.
There’s only one precaution with ceramic/non stick - never heat it on more than medium.
Other than that, I feel I can do what ever I want, when using a ceramic/non stick and I don’t need to preheat it or look for a certain thing the fat/butter has to do before or wait for the leidenfrost.
I think it’s a bridge too far to think “If only I can master the SS technique, nothing will stick.”
The “seasoning”, hot empty pan, Leidenfrost test, cold fat, etc., all help, and mastery may approach the stickiness of seasoned carbon or CI, but IMO it’s not quite there.
Scrambled eggs that don’t stick at all in SS is a very tall order.
I never said they didn’t stick at all. Some people may not wish to use Teflon and do not have a seasoned CS or CI pan. Dancing with the one what brung ya.
Totally agree. I’ve adjusted my expectations to avoid nonstick.
What I’d add to helpful hints for scrambled eggs not sticking are: starting with room temperature or above eggs; plenty of butter; and the–key–a vicious little shake to break loose the mix before it sticks for good.
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Plenty of butter … I see no downside!!
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I scramble eggs on a thin carbon steel crepe pan. I pour a very small bit of oil in the middle, turn the heat on low, and spread the oil all over the pan with the spatula. I pour off any excess, pour the eggs on the pan, and get after them. Sometimes I do a rolled omelette, sometimes a French omelette, and sometimes a fried egg. I started this mode without any initial seasoning of the pan. I wash it with hot water and a fiber pad. I have yet to encounter any sticking, even if I toss cheese in and some gets crisped on the pan.
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I think even for a seasoned carbon steel, preheating is still very important to avoid sticking of the egg. The effect of the season layer still cannot compare to non stick pan, you can start cooking egg from a cold non stick pan to make it soft and fluffy. Even I can fry the eggs in stainless steel, carbon steel, I cant replicate the low temp frying result i get from non stick pan.
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Exactly my opinion.
I can make omelettes and fried egg just fine in my well seasoned carbon steel pans, but I can’t start in a cold pan with very little fat/butter the way I can in my ceramic non stick pans.
I find the eggs I make in my ceramic non stick pans are superior to the results I get when making eggs in carbon steel pans and PLY pans. The eggs are more fluffy and delicious when made in ceramic non stick pans, just as you say.
I perfectly understand why some people avoid non stick pans for environmental and health reasons.
I’m just not one of them. I’m not so sure several times high heat polymerised oil in a carbon steel pan is much more healthy to digest than small non stick particles, but I haven’t found a study about that. A seared steak is delicious with its charred crust, but not exactly healthy to digest.
Then how about charred polymerised oil particles from a carbon steel seasoning, digested in tiny particles each time you cook in carbon steel pans ?
Who thinks the seasoning in a carbon steel pan is in a constant stationary stare, that don’t enter into the food you cook in carbon steel pans ? I don’t.
Who thinks this is more healthy than risking cooking in non stick pans ? I don’t.
I think you have to specify the size of the oven.
- 12” Lodge Cast Iron Skillet: Steak, bacon, eggs, hash browns, fried chicken…
- 6qt Lodge Enameled Dutch oven: Tomato sauces, pot roast, jambalaya, gumbo, bread…
- 14” Round Bottom Carbon Steel Wok: Stir fry, fried rice, sautéed vegetables…
*Honorable mention: Franklin Machine 11” x 23” x 1” Carbon Steel Griddle…. never leaves my stovetop
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Very pragmatic and comprehensive. I am trying to think of what dishes I would struggle cooking with these three tools and I’m not sure I can think of many: Crepes, maybe some Sauces, and I struggle with rice in ECI.
I’d be reticent to only have three pans, as I’m not sure I could execute the foods I want to cook well with just three pans. But if I had to choose (knowing that I might have to limit the foods I cooked):
- A 20cm frying pan for cooking eggs and most smaller, single-serve dishes.
- A 24cm (~3 liter) sauté pan (or rondeau). Not always ideal, but I can make most stovetop and oven dishes with this if necessary.
- A ~6 liter Dutch oven (or pot-au-feu) for making pasta, yogurt, etc. and for larger items in the oven.
If talking about materials, I’d probably pick Falk Copper Coeur or similar for all three of those, unless I was on a foot caravan or something where the weight of the latter two would become a concern. Stainless steel interior would be a must for me.
BTW, when cooking eggs I put about a teaspoon of oil (usually sunflower or grapeseed) in the pan and then rub it around with a paper towel to lightly coat the pan. A lot of the oil comes off in the paper towel as well. I often don’t preheat the pans. I typically cook eggs at around 78C/172F, far below the temperatures required for frying and the Leidenfrost point–but sometimes I use a different strategy (for other egg styles).
I tried seasoning the stainless-steel interiors of my pans for a while, but I like soap and clean-looking pans too much. Cleanup after cooking eggs ranges from “mostly just rinse” to “scrape eggs off with a plastic scraper, then scrub a little to get off the remaining bits.” It depends on how I’m preparing the eggs (omelet vs over-easy vs scrambled), how much I jostle the food about, the temperature I use, etc.
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