I have just bought some stainless cookware and anything I cook in the fry pans stick to the bottom and is very hard to clean. Is there sometning needed to prepare the cookware before cooking the first time? Also, how do I remove the burnt stains from the bottom of the pan.
Are you used to using non-stick? If so, you're never going to get the stainless to equal it. But stainless is healthier to cook with, so you take the good with the bad. Make sure you're using oil, and enough of it. And get the pan and oil nice and hot before you put any food in it. Once the food is in, let it stay in one place for a while. Most people move their food around too much. You shouldn't flip food more than once (burgers, fish, pancakes, etc), cook halfway through on one side and than flip. The first side usually takes 2x as long as the second.
Beyond that, I have no advice, unless you have questions about cooking a specific food.
If you are using electric (pertains more) the heat will be retained for a long time, so check the food and when you have just a few minutes left, SHUT OFF THE HEAT! Aluminum core stainless steel (they are made in layers) are quite efficient in disbursing energy.
Sorry, Barkeeper's friend or Shaklee's at-ease will break down caked on/nasty messes! Barkeeper's friend is next to Comet/Bon Ami. Shaklee is through their website, www.shaklee.com
I always use olive oil in ANYTHING I am cooking in my stainless steel cookware. And I have always used Cameo cleanser(white container), which is near Comet at my grocery store. My mother swears by the stuff, and I use it now too. It is GREAT!!!
The trick to keep food from sticking is to heat the pan first, then put in the oil.
Try oven cleaner and/or steel wool to clean the burnt stains.
That is precisely why I don't use stainless cookware any longer.....I'll take my chances with the nonstick....I love my T-Fal!
The professional chefs seem to use a lot of stainless and I notice that they first heat the pan.
I don't know if a magic eraser would work to get off the burnt on food. I used it on a pyrex loaf pan and it worked like magic so I suppose you could try it.
I use SOS pads on the stains and they work great. Be sure to spray the pans well with Pam or non-stick spray and use a small amount oil so food doesn't stick.
If you've removed all the burnt food, and only a dark stain remains, alum (from the spice section at the grocery store) will take it off. (Ask me how I know!)
You have a lot of good suggestions here. I just thought of a couple more;
1. For stuck on food, try adding a couple cups of hot water with a drop of dishsoap, cover and boil for about 5 minutes. Really loosens things up!!!
2. If you use steel wool/SOS pads, do so lightly, taking off a small layer at a time, so that you do not scratch the surface, which will make even more things stick. I do this often, esp. on the bottoms.
I have stainless steel cookware and I find you have to cook stuff on half the heat you normally would or it gets too hot and everything sticks. Also, I think you have to have something in the pan before turning the burner on. I usually use non-stick spray if needed.
I have stainless steel it does heat faster so I had to learn to half the heat and stay close. I love my
stainless steel now but the other night I made a mess. I heated up canned beans and wienes and
I use Barkeeper's Friend on my stainless steel pans (and lots of other things.) This is a very old product that is like a mildly abrasive scouring cleanser- works great!
This trick works for burnt on food and the stain. I take a little bleach...just enough to cover the bottom of the pan...and boil it in the pan...BUT don't breathe in the steam of course...just a few minutes of this will loosen the stuck on food and you should get it off easily. You want to stay by the stove so you don't forget about it and burn the food on worse though.
I have read that if you boil vinegar in a pan/pot that is not a non-stick one for 15 minutes it will make it non stick...I haven't tried it but it might work.
I thought I'd find help here...So, if anyone can help me I'd sure be grateful. I have just used my new paderno stainless steel Wok for the first time. My husband said the heat had to be on high for a wok and turned the dial on the stove up to high. I added some olive oil and turned away to salt my chicken. When I turned back to the Wok the olive oil had burned into the wok and left a black sleek film (almost like a glossy paint) which I could not wipe out. I had to finish supper so I turned the heat down a little and I added more olive oil and made my stir fry. Now I have to clean the Wok and need advice on how to get the black film (it's like paint) off the bottom of my Wok. Can anyone help me?????
baking soda makes a great scrub for burnt on stuff. I have polished stainless and metal polish for discoloration. I hear vinegar works and not to use bleach, but i haven't tried those.
I heat the wok and add olive oil but everything sticks so bad. I try to fry chicken or beef but its impossible to turn the meat as it is stuck so bad. Is there any way to season the wok so it doesn`t stick? Thank you
You can get some good information Caring for your Stainless Steel Cookware at: www.bdmarketing.com/
I was cooking pancakes and let my pan get too
hot (I have a smooth top stove, which takes longer to heat than regular stoves) and the color on the botton of the pan is tan, instead of the stainless color, how do I clean the bottom??. Also there are a few burned on spots on the inside of the pan that I just cannot get out. I have tried everything, vinegar, comet, dawn, with no good result. I will buy a griddle for my pancakes next time. Please help.
I still found no result to how to clean a burned stainless still saucepan.
When it comes to stainless steel wok, my mom used to tell me to season it with lard eventhough alot of people say s/s wok need not be seasoned before using the first time. Everytime you cook, heat oil up properly before you put in any food especially when it comes to frying eggs.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
What is the method for making an ordinary pan, non-stick using vinegar?
By carol shea from Rochester, NY
I googled this and found out the answer is right here on TFC!!
Here it is..
RE: In Praise of Vinegar
By Anonymous (148) Blog! Contact
vinegar can be used for so many things it's unbelievable!! I have a little book I bought at the grocery store, "108 ways to use vinegar". I use it in many things and on many things. One of the things I do is pour white vinegar in the rinse reservoir of my dishwasher and my dishes come out really shiny and the glasses are sparkling.
I run a short cycle of vinegar in my dishwasher and washing machine to give them a good cleaning and make them smell good. The vinegar also dislodges any 'crud' build-up. The very best thing I have found so far is making a frying pan a non-stick pan. I paid $25.00 for a nice, heavy frying pan that is actually coated with a non-stick material but the food always sticks. I boiled two cups of white vinegar in the pan for ten minutes and now I can cook anything and nothing sticks! Apparently this will work with any type of pan. Vinegar is inexpensive and non-caustic. I love it!
Posted on 01/24/2006
I had high hopes, but this did not work for me. My eggs still stuck onto the pan after the whole process.
A few years ago I purchased a Kitchen Aid refrigerator and received a small rebate plus a frying pan. This question is about the pan (just letting you know why I have it). The pan feels solid, hefty, made of stainless steel. Every time I use it, food sticks.
I have one stainless fry pan and I don't turn it really high. The premise behind stainless cookware is that it gets hotter than other metals and doesn't need to be turned up high. The blessing is that when something does stick you can clean it without ruining it, not like the teflon type.
i use a small amount of real butter or any fat - nothing sticks! I also use a non-stick pan for anything that i need to "crisp" like pancakes, bread ect.. I use my stainless steel pans for any type of coking that contains more moisture and does not need to be "crispy". But if you like to just use the stainless make sure you have some real butter on hand or some pork fat or lard, in small amount only to coat the pan it works great. I recomend the fat over the butter from experience, add butter for flavor.
Stainless cookware is great for browning meats and making sauces! The trick is to know what cookware to use depending on what you are making. (Use your non-stick for foods like egg dishes and such). For your meats, heat your pan on medium to medium-high. Add some oil, just to coat the bottom. Let the oil heat then add your meat. Don't touch it!! The meat is ready to turn when it doesn't stick anymore! That's the secret! When the meat is done cooking on both sides, take it out and deglaze the pan with some liquid (wine, broth, etc) and scrape the bottom of the pan for all the yummy stuff that did stick. You can reduce it down for a sauce, add cream, starch, etc. Hope this helps in some way! I love my stainless cookware, maybe now you will too!
If you want to convert it to a non stick surface you can buy a non-stick re-usable layer. In Australia they are around $20.
It is pretty much a teflon sheet that you can put on a BBQ plate or in the oven, they might make them for frypans aswell. My parents-in law have one on their BBQ and its awesome.
I found an Aussie site that sells them for $14.00 here are its FAQs- (www.bdmtrading.com.au/
Non Stick FAQ's
Are they safe to use?
There has been a lot in the news about the safety of Teflon coated cookware. The chemical in question is PFOA or C8. NBE Non Stick Liner products do not contain PFOA (C8).
Can I use my metal implements?
Metal is fine but your sheet will last longer if you use plastic.
Can I put my BBQ Liner on the grill side of my BBQ?
No, Non Stick Liner sheets should not come in contact wtih open flames or in direct contact with elements.
Can I use my Non Stick Liner sheet in my George Foreman Grill?
Yes, they are great in any style of grill or sandwich maker.
Can I cut my sheet?
You can cut your sheet to any size or shape you like. You shouldn't use your Non Stick Liner as a cutting surface.
Do I have to use bread in my Toasty bag?
You can use tortilla's or wraps, you can even use your bag to heat hash browns, fish fingers or chicken nuggets. I know of one teen who likes to reheat left over pizza in his Toasty bag. Toasty Bags are also good for Coeliacs as they cut down on cross contamination.
Could I use it to iron over transfers?
Non Stick Liners are great for ironing any delicate material. They are also great for pressing seams when making quilt blocks.
How do I clean it?
Non Stick Liners are excellent for people with limited water. Wipe it over with paper towel, if it has a greasy residue wipe with a warm soapy cloth. You can even pop it in the dishwasher.
Great for vegetarians and people with food allergies!
If you know of someone who has a severe allergy, often peanut or shellfish, NBE Non Stick Liner sheets are must for them. No chance of cross contamination. Vegetarians with their own Non Stick Liner never have to worry about meat or animal fat coming in contact with their food.
www.bdmtrading.com.au/
www.jeanskitchen.co.nz/
For one thing teflon is not good for you at all. When i cook i heat the pan up just a little & put salt in the bottom. That is all i use & my food does not stick. Your steaks & burger are more jusicer.
I absolutely loathe stainless steel for cooking. I don't care what you do it develops hot spots (this is a proper term for it, look it up) and food will stick every time you use it. I had some really expensive stainless pots, and a stainless electric skillet, and they all went to the thrift store as no matter what I cooked nor how I cooked it, it ALWAYS stuck. Cooking was so much less a chore with a good set of heavy aluminum cookware. Don't let that skillet cause anymore grief and trouble........get rid of it and get some heavy aluminum cookware! It's not worth a second's worth of trouble.
Susan in Omaha
I always had trouble with food sticking to a frying pan until I tried cast iron. I have two cast iron frying pans and wouldn't trade them for the world. I admit they are getting heavy for me as I mature, but I tell myself it beats lifting weights. (rofl)
My daughter has T-fal which has a red dot in the middle that makes the heat distribute evenly throughout the pan.
I also have cast aluminum cookware as was mentioned above. I no longer have the frying pan. Maybe one didn't come with my set. There is much controversy over using aluminum for cooking so I try not to use it much. My mother had the heavy Club Aluminum cookware like I have and we always had good luck with it.
Sorry there is no hope for the pan you asked about. Throw it in the trash or donate it.
How familiar this sounds! In the end I tossed mine and am slowly building up a set of LE CREUSET pans. They are brilliant but expensive. I've only got 2 saucepans, a big pot with lid and a big fry pan. I seem to cook everything in them. We are a family of three. I'm saving for a wok in their range next. Can't fault them.
I have the same problem with my iron skillets. I do what I've always been told....that is clean them (no water) grease them and let them sit in the oven. I clean them with salt before I grease them and put them in the oven. I tried all that and food still sticks. Don't know what I'm doing wrong but food sticks in all my skillets no matter what kind I use.
My stainless steel cookware specifically states not to cook on high heat or it will burn. Try using only medium heat.
I used Green pans set brought on QVC or HSN in 2007, these are great, no sticking, no burning, I been cooking for 30 years. You must season you pans before using. Soapy water, rinse, and dry wipe with a vegetable oil before using any new pot. There is some kind of thin film if you do not wash off it make your pans stick.
Keep it simple use a reusable Teflon frying pan liner, they will cut any size that you want at NonStickKitchen.com great customer service.
I would not cook in teflon or aluminum for all the tea in China. It's bad for you!
