HappyLady Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I went from non-stick to stainless about a year ago and I'm ready to throw it out. Everything sticks! Even if I use a lot of oil (which I don't want to do) everything still sticks. Some things, like grilled sandwiches, are ok. But forget about French toast, pancakes, or fried potatoes of any kind. I've tried adjusting the temperature and that hasn't helped. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make foods not stick or suggestions for safe cookware? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Per the late Jeff Smith (aka The Frugal Gourmet): "hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick" Stainless gets heated before you put the oil in. It does work better that way, though it doesn't release as well as non-stick (which is why non-stick is so popular, right?). A good, well seasoned, cast iron skillet works better for the items you mentioned, too. Those are the difficult ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I second cast iron. If seasoned properly, food will slide right off cast iron. I scrounge yard sales for it. It is fairly easy to recondition old pieces. I have a stainless skillet that I hardly use any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Per the late Jeff Smith (aka The Frugal Gourmet): "hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick" Stainless gets heated before you put the oil in. It does work better that way, though it doesn't release as well as non-stick (which is why non-stick is so popular, right?). A good, well seasoned, cast iron skillet works better for the items you mentioned, too. Those are the difficult ones. That is what I do, although it drives dh crazy for some reason ( I just remind him I'm the head chef). I use cast iron as well. I cook pancakes and french toast in my stainless (all-clad) pan just fine, I usually cook those with coconut oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skirch Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 You can watch a free lesson on pan frying here: Clicky I've gotten much better results with my stainless once I started getting my pans hot enough. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 We have stainless and 2 cast iron skillets. That combo has been great for everything. Old fashioned cast iron is pretty cheap on amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I love my stainless but it took time to learn how to cook with them. I found low temperature is a must. Rather than starting high and turning down I start low and turn up only when it's clear I need to. I have gas stove. I will say when I had a flat top stove I struggled more to get the temperature right. It was often too hot. I also found some things do better with NO oil. Corn tortillas for example. And I found butter burned so I rarely use it....only at the end of a grilled cheese for example. But once I started cooking on low heat and turning up after it was started did I have success. But some things don't cook well....like dumplings. They just stick. No matter how I cook them! :tongue_smilie: what specifically isn't working food wise and perhaps we can offer specific help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 cast iron skillet!!! properly cared for it works as well as non stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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