| Author | |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 10:10am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
Silly question here - I'm switching over to stainless steel when I get new cookware and ditching my old non-stick stuff. How do I use the stainless steel skillet and not have everything stick? Isn't there a way to avoid the sticking of food if you heat the oil up first or something? I know, I know, dumb question. I'm just asking though because I just talked to my mom who has a new stainless pan and she was saying how hard it was to scrub it clean.
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CKwasniewski
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 31 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 601
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 10:55am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Butter or oil first.
Also, you'll find it helps a lot to soak steel pans before washing!
You're doing the smart thing!
ck
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Bridget
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2198
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 11:30am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Scrubbing them clean right away is much easier than if you wait and they sit. If there is cooked on food that is hard to get off, fill the pan with water and let in boil a little on the stove. It loosens the food up and makes it easy to clean.
__________________
God Bless,
Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
Our Magnum Opus
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 11:37am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks Bridget and CK!!
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
PDyer
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 25 2005
Location: Ohio
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1043
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 11:44am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Becky Parker wrote:
| How do I use the stainless steel skillet and not have everything stick? Isn't there a way to avoid the sticking of food if you heat the oil up first or something? |
|
|
I've heard heat the pan, then add the oil, to reduce sticking.
__________________
Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lara Sauer
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 15 2007
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 679
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 11:51am | IP Logged
|
|
|
When cooking on stainless steel, you need to have the pan at cooking temperature (this does not necessarily mean "BLAZING HOT!")before you put food in the pan. Items like eggs need to have a small amount of butter or oil in the pan or they will stick. Meat on the other hand has a "natural release point." When the meat is done, it will simply lift off the pan. If it is not thoroughly cooked and you try to turn it, it will stick. It is much easier to cook with stainless steel pans on a gas stove. Cooking on electric is harder because it is harder to regulate the temperature under the pan as quickly as you can with gas. I would recommend practicing with a couple of boneless chicken breast pieces. You can always use them in soup when you are done working with them.
Good luck! I almost envy your new pans!! This is a dream of mine. My mother-in-law has some amazing copper bottomed pans! They make the best sauces!
As an aside, scrambled eggs will always stick! The only way that you can minimize the loss is to cook smaller batches at one time!
__________________
You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but you can't take the Wisconsin out of the girl!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lisbet
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2006
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2706
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 12:19pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Definetly wash right away, using steel wool if you need to. I've also learned to be careful not to let things cook to hot or scorch the pan, even when you get the plan clean, it seems where it was scorched becomes a 'hot spot' next time you use it. weird.
__________________
Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mary theresa
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 08 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 766
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 1:59pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Those plastic scraper thingys are a must for getting off whatever does stick -- like scrambled eggs.
__________________
Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
organiclilac
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 30 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 640
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 2:06pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
If you are looking for a healthier non-stick option, you may want to try cast iron. I LOVE my cast iron pans - easy to cook in and clean, and they increase the iron content of your food.
__________________
Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Servant2theKing
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 13 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1505
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 3:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I second the choice of cast iron over stainless steel. Well-seasoned cast iron rarely sticks and has the benefit Tracy mentioned of increasing iron intake. We gently season with each cleaning by drying the pan on our gas stovetop, dabbing a little oil inside, rubbing it around with a napkin or cloth, and heating on the stovetop for a couple minutes. Cast iron makes the nicest fried eggs or eggs in a nest. We're just now taking cornbread, baked in a cast iron skillet, from the oven to go with chili. Focaccia bread bakes very nicely in cast iron as well.
__________________
All for Christ, our Saviour and King, servant
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mavmama
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 01 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 618
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 7:23pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Not to hijack, but I have a question about he cast iron vs. stainless. Can you use cast iron on the newer smooth top stoves? I'm looking to replace my "non-stick" sticky skillet soon.
__________________
Liz
Blessed by 4 wonders
dd11, dd911, ds9, ds8
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
SallyT
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 08 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2489
|
| Posted: Jan 15 2008 at 9:53pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Don't know about smooth-top stoves, but I love my cast-iron pan, too. I got it at a church rummage sale years ago for next to nothing, and I use it for EVERYTHING except soup or boiling pasta. It goes in the oven for cornbread; I've made cheese-strata-type things in it; baked beans . . . it's wonderful, my absolute most-used cookware.
Sally
__________________
Castle in the Sea
Abandon Hopefully
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 1:15am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Liz, some of them can and some can't.. you'll want to see what your manufacturer says.. some of them I think will void a warrenty if you use the cast iron (it's too heavy and less smooth than others)
For stainless.. use metal utensils, you'll get a cleaner scrape across the bottom (remember you're not going to mar it doing this  ).. don't poke at it before it's cooked.. let it get cooked on the bottom and then get under it.. poking it sooner tends to leave a layer that won't lift..
having the pan hot and the grease/oil hot before you put things in also helps.. and play with the temp.. somethings will do better with a lower heat and others with a higher heat.. and it won't necessarily be what you're used to with non-stick.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 6:08am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks so much everybody! This has been very helpful. In shopping for new pans, I have to admit, I got "sticker shock". I haven't had to buy new pans for years (except to replace those "wonderful" non-stick skillets and a saucepan! -  ). Anyway, I started off with a set of Revere Ware that was my mil's. She gave it to dh when he got his appartment, then when we got married I inherited it. It's been wonderful, but now that we have a flat top range it skitters around, and some of them are warped just enough that it takes forever to cook anything  . So, I had to replace it, and, as mentioned, the non-stick pans I had had to go too. Pans are so expensive!! I don't want to do ANYTHING to mess up these new pans, so all your comments are so helpful!
Liz, as far as cast iron goes, I do have a few wonderful cast iron pans that I put in our box of camping stuff when we got the new stove. The salesperson told me "absolutely no cast iron". However, I just talked to a friend that uses it successfully on her stove. She says she NEVER goes above the #4 for heat (just below Medium). She tries not to move the pan while she is cooking (to prevent scratching). For her, it works great. She just heats her pan, slowly, to start, and because cast iron heats so well, she has to continually watch and lower the heat when necessary. I'm tempted to get mine back out. I say all that with caution though because I wouldn't want to recommend somthing that could damage your stove - just sharing my friend's experience.
Thanks again everyone!
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mathmama
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 07 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 771
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 6:28am | IP Logged
|
|
|
When I switched to stainless steel I found a set at Sam's club for only $100. It came with a really large skillet, a normal size skillet, a little skillet that seems to have some coating on it (I only use it for toasting nuts), a smaller skillet that has higher curved sides, small, med and large saucepans, and a big pasta pot with a colander and steamer. Everything has tops and heavy bottoms. It isn't cheap feeling at all. It was a Wolfgang Puck set. For that many piece I thought it was really reasonable. I have been very happy with it, I have had it about 3 years.
I just checked on Sam's website and this is basically what I got. I didn't get those utensils, though. It is still $100. Even if you don't belong to Sam's you could join which would only make the set $135 or $140, which still seems reasonable for all those pieces. You could also see if you have a friend who has a membership, they would be allowed to bring you in as a guest or order it online for you.
Beth
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
8kids4me
Forum Pro
Joined: May 03 2006
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 328
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 7:46am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I found all of my stainless pans(Revere and Farberware) at Salvation Army, not all on one trip, over several.
__________________
Cindy B, mama to 8 great kids, and 5 grandbabies!
http://www.magnolialane.wordpress.com
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mackfam
Board Moderator
Non Nobis
Joined: April 24 2006
Location: Alabama
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 14656
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 10:53am | IP Logged
|
|
|
mavmama wrote:
| Not to hijack, but I have a question about he cast iron vs. stainless. Can you use cast iron on the newer smooth top stoves? I'm looking to replace my "non-stick" sticky skillet soon. |
|
|
Yes you can. You will need to turn the heat way up for a few minutes, and then adjust to a medium heat or everything will scorch. It takes a while to figure out how long it takes to heat the pan on the smooth cooktop, but once the pan is heated you're good to go. Cast iron holds its heat very well. As long as the skillet is flat on the bottom, you'll be ok. I am careful to only buy cast iron that is completely flat on the bottom. I hate my smooth cooktop. 
BTW, this is a trick my Granny taught me when cooking and things get stuck on the bottom of the pan - it also works when you're done cooking and right before you wash. Put the lid on the pan, and remove it from the heat. Make sure things are good and warm/hot first. After a few minutes everything will unstick from the bottom making stirring/cooking/clean-up much easier. If you're doing this for ease of clean-up, just remove the leftovers (if there are any) and add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, heat it, put the lid on, remove it from the heat. HTH! 
__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
marihalojen
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 12 2006
Location: Florida
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1883
|
| Posted: Jan 16 2008 at 11:56am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Bridget wrote:
| If there is cooked on food that is hard to get off, fill the pan with water and let in boil a little on the stove. It loosens the food up and makes it easy to clean. |
|
|
Try sprinkling a bit of Baking Soda in the water before boiling, that will get everything off pronto.
__________________
~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Stainless Steel cookware question
