How To Keep Food From Sticking To Stainless Steel
When it comes to issues with stainless steel pans, sticking food is one of the most common complaints. Some even avoid them altogether because they think everything sticks to them. (Granted, delicate foods like eggs and fish do have a tendency to fall apart in stainless steel cookware without a generous amount of butter or oil present.)
But stainless steel pans have too many advantages to be written off completely — they’re incredibly durable and versatile, and they retain and distribute heat evenly. Luckily, you can use a stainless steel pan without giving up the convenience of a nonstick pan, and I’ll be sharing the secret that keeps food from sticking to stainless steel with you in this post!
Related: This Is The Most Important Thing To Know About Cast Iron
Using just a bit of coconut oil and salt, you can actually season stainless steel pans to prevent food from sticking and make them even more versatile. And since the “nonstick” surface you’re creating is all-natural, it won’t have any of the drawbacks of traditional nonstick finishes.
How To Season Stainless Steel Pans To Make Them Nonstick
You’ll need:
Directions:
Place the pan you want to season on your stovetop over medium-high heat. Put 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan and allow it to melt.
Swirl the oil around the surface of the pan, then pour out any excess oil so that only a thin, even layer of oil remains.
3. Sprinkle a layer of table salt into the pan, enough to cover the bottom.
4. Grab a paper towel and use it to rub the oil and salt around, polishing the pan. Make sure to get the sides of the pan too! Use a clean paper towel to wipe out any excess oil and salt, and your pan is ready to go.
Potential Drawbacks Of Seasoning Stainless Steel
While this method’s advantages make it a worthwhile option (at least in my opinion), there are a couple of minor drawbacks to doing so that are worth mentioning. The first is that the nonstick effect won’t be permanent, meaning you’ll need to repeat the seasoning process when you notice food starting to stick again. (But as you’ve seen, it doesn’t take much time or effort to do, so that may or may not matter to you.)
The second drawback is that, in some situations, you’ll still need to add a bit of oil or butter to prevent your stainless steel pan from sticking. If you’re cooking eggs, fish, or other delicate foods, the thin seasoned layer may not be enough to prevent sticking entirely. With that being said, I don’t consider these two drawbacks to be deal-breakers in the slightest.
Related: 3 Easy And Effective Ways To Remove Burnt Messes From Cookware
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What type of cooking pan do you use most frequently at home?
Thanks Jillee! This tip might even work for my semi-retired husband who’s just started trying his hand at cooking! Thus far, I’ve been unable to convince him to even heat a pan before putting food in it! I’ve gotten him his own non-stick Misen skillet for that reason, but it’s only a matter of time before he grabs a stainless pan and makes an unholy mess of it!!! This tip might prevent the worst!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have several stainless steel pans, so I love the suggestion so that I can use them again.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can I use any other oil besides coconut oil to season my stainless pans? I would love to know if olive oil or other vegetable oil, such as Wesson, would work as well.
Thank you, in advance, for your answer. I would love to be using these pans that we received for our 50th anniversary, twelve years ago.
Wolfgang puck says the trick to these pans is to get it really hot then add oil( it should look like it floats and runs across the pan when hot enough) this is how you make it nonstick. He says that people just don’t know how to use them right so I tried it with his stainless steel pan I had and it worked perfectly, try it and you will love your pans after that
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Has anyone tried this on AllClad? According to the instructions, you’re not suppose to put salt in them because it could cause pitting. I want to try this, but I’m worried about it making white spots.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m wondering the same thing. We have allclad stainless steel and everything stick to them horribly.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’d think this would cause pitting in any stainless steel pan.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have all clad 10 inch frying pan. Before I cook I heat the pan very hot, drop a bit of water in it. The water should bounce around. Never had a problem with food sticking. Check out you tube.
I make my own yogurt in stainless steel pot to heat the re-constituted non-fat dry milk for 30 min at approx 200F. Pan is in boiling water bath. I did try this seasoning method and it was MUCH easier to clean the pot. Still soaked it overnight, but this is a welcome improvement. Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For those people who need to restrict salt in their diet does any of the salt get into the food the first time you used the season and pans ?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Nope! :-) Just be sure to wipe out the salt.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can this method be used on cast iron cook ware
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When cooking with stainless steel, pan should be hot, hot, hot, them add oil, or butter & things should not stick. Cooking school 101
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can you use other types of salt or just iodized?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It should be fine grain table salt of some sort :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just did this, Jillie, and it worked like a charm. Not only is it now non-stick…it made my pan look brand new. Thank you for a great tip.
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