# How do you cook eggs with a stainless steel pan?



## Nocturnal

I have an 8" SS All-Clad pan and people say to heat it up and then put the oil in then the egg.  However SOMETIMES it won't stick but more times than not it STICKS!  Please help!


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## chiffonade

We have ONE non-stick pan that we use solely for eggs and hence its name:  The Egg Pan.

Without inordinate amounts of fat to lube things up, I have not had much luck cooking eggs in a SS pan.


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## scott123

Chiffonade is right.  SS needs obscene amounts of fat to release eggs.

Not being a huge fan of non stick pans, I have found other materials that work well with eggs, though.  Ceramic coated iron works great as does well seasoned cast iron.


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## Barbara L

chiffonade said:
			
		

> We have ONE non-stick pan that we use solely for eggs and hence its name:  The Egg Pan.
> 
> Without inordinate amounts of fat to lube things up, I have not had much luck cooking eggs in a SS pan.


My mom had what we called the egg pan too.  Hers was a cast iron pan.  We didn't dare touch that pan for anything other than eggs!

 Barbara


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## chiffonade

> We have ONE non-stick pan that we use solely for eggs and hence its name:  The Egg Pan.
> 
> My mom had what we called the egg pan too.  Hers was a cast iron pan.  We didn't dare touch that pan for anything other than eggs!
> 
> Barbara



Your mother probably worked very hard to season that pan just right.  It was probably ten bucks pre-seasoned but in my opinion, it's got to be worth $10K now!  I'm always scouting yard sales for old cast iron.  I used to find a lot of it in Colorado but no one seems to use it here in FL.  Maybe it's because _plastic_ rusts here  :roll: .


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## Otter

For eggs, omelets, pancakes and creamy sauces, it's just a whole lot easier with non-stick than ss.


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## Michael in FtW

The only way I have found to do it is to use a lower (somewhere between low to medium) heat, swirl the oil around to make sure the bottom of the pan is completely coated before adding the eggs, and don't let the eggs sit in one spot for more than about 10-15 seconds. It's not foolproof, but I had less problems that way.

I must admit that I , too, have a non-stick pan for eggs - it's just so much easier and requires less oil.


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## VegasDramaQueen

chiffonade said:
			
		

> We have ONE non-stick pan that we use solely for eggs and hence its name:  The Egg Pan.
> 
> My mom had what we called the egg pan too.  Hers was a cast iron pan.  We didn't dare touch that pan for anything other than eggs!
> 
> Barbara
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Your mother probably worked very hard to season that pan just right.  It was probably ten bucks pre-seasoned but in my opinion, it's got to be worth $10K now!  I'm always scouting yard sales for old cast iron.  I used to find a lot of it in Colorado but no one seems to use it here in FL.  Maybe it's because _plastic_ rusts here  :roll: .
Click to expand...


Seasoning a cast iron pan is one of the easiest things to do.  You rub the pan inside and out with Crisco, lay it upside down in your oven and heat the pan at 350 for one hour.  Bingo!!!  Seasoned.  You can't wash the pan with soap, just very hot water and a stiff brush.  Nothing could be easier and eggs don't stick once the pan has been used about a dozen times.


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## Cupcake

*Re: How in God's name do you cook eggs with a SS pan?*



			
				Nocturnal said:
			
		

> ...SOMETIMES it won't stick but more times than not it STICKS!  Please help!



Funny!  I was just thinking about my SS skillet that is soaking in the sink right at this very moment due to freak incident with some turkey sausage.  So very true.  SOMETIMES it sticks, some times it doesn't.  WHY is that?  LOL!


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## Michael in FtW

Simple cupcake - turkey sausage doesn't have enough fat to cook in a stainless steel pan without adding extra oil - even if you cook it at VERY low temp you have to add some oil.  The only "no-oil" alternatives would be to poach it, bake it, or broil it.


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## chiffonade

VegasDramaQueen said:
			
		

> Seasoning a cast iron pan is one of the easiest things to do.  You rub the pan inside and out with Crisco, lay it upside down in your oven and heat the pan at 350 for one hour.  Bingo!!!  Seasoned.  You can't wash the pan with soap, just very hot water and a stiff brush.  Nothing could be easier and eggs don't stick once the pan has been used about a dozen times.



Yes, that gets it started but after years of use, the interior of a frequently used cast iron pan is like teflon!


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## Juliev

Hey chiffonade... goood to see you.. bege was asking about you a couple days ago


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## Psiguyy

I answered this in another similar thread.  I think it was on this board.  Might have been on FN's board.  

When I fry eggs in stainless steel, the most immediate requirement is that the pan be absolutely clean.  It must be polished smooth.  If there are any mineral, food, or baked on oil deposits in the pan, the eggs will stick.  So, clean the pan with a stainless steel cleaner such as Bar Keeper's Friend or my favorite, Cameo (I like this brand because it comes in a rust proof all plastic shaker).  

Once you have a clean pan, heat it slowly.  No higher than medium heat.  When the pan is hot, add enough oil to generously coat the pan.  Fry the eggs.  If the eggs still stick, lower the heat even more for the next batch of eggs.


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## Ekim

I use a non-stick for my eggs too.  But I used to cook my scrambled eggs in a stainless pan by dropping one pat of butter in, then heating it until it turned
 brown.  Then I'd drop my eggs in and let it sit for a little bit, setting on the bottom.  Then I'd cook til done.  Most of the time I had no sticking at all and the pan could be cleaned with just one clean paper towel.  My folks always wondered why I was the only one that could do that!

You might try polishing the pans too.


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## Constance

I use non-stick Calaphon skillets all the time. Life is to short to spend scrubbing pots and pans.
In a former life, my ex-MIL gave me a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that I used to make eggs for her baby boy. I fried bacon in it too...still didn't stick. All I did was wipe it out after use. I left it there when I left him, but I don't know why. He didn't even know how to turn on the stove.


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## BigDog

Short answer: Don't. Use non-stick as forementioned by many.

Long answer: Already been given, so I won't bother!


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## Constance

Big Dog, I assume you are referring to health risks caused by the teflon. I've been using it for 40 years, and so far, so good. If it kills me in the next 20 years, well...we've all gotta go sometime. As a smoker, I'm already a risk-taker.


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## thumpershere2

you can walk across the road and get hit by a mac truck too. lol. We also have a nonstick pan for eggs, saves alot of grief.


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## Dove

Seasoning a cast iron pan is one of the easiest things to do. You rub the pan inside and out with Crisco, lay it upside down in your oven and heat the pan at 350 for one hour. Bingo!!! Seasoned. You can't wash the pan with soap, just very hot water and a stiff brush. Nothing could be easier and eggs don't stick once the pan has been used about a dozen times.
***************************************************************
My SIL just gave me two cast iron pans..one is a 3 1/2 " and the other is an 8".. are you saying I should never use soap?? I remember my parents had them (wish I had them now) but I think we did use soap..
I have a dutch oven I never use because the lid always rusted when the droplets od water formed on the inside of the lid. 
Dove


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

As was mentioned, stainless has to be very, very clean.  I heat mine dry and then add oil or butter to it.  I let the egg cook over a medium heat until the white is set.  Rarely does the egg stick.  I can usually use the wrist flip method in both of my stainless pans as the eggs just slide around on the cooking surface.

I love my cast-iron.  It is as slippery as the best teflon.  But it doesn't lend itself to wrist-fliping anything.  It's too heavy for that and the sides rise at too sharp of an angle from the flat bottom, where my stainless has sides that rise in a gentel crurve from the bottom.

To season the cast-iron, I don't want to wait for 12 uses before they work properly.  So I accelerate the process.  I brush with oil and throw on a very hot charcoal grill and let bake until it quits smoking.  I then rub in more oil while the pan is still hot and bake again.  After about three to four coats, she's ready for cooking.  

I have used this method both in the oven and on the stove top.  In the oven, I bake it at 450 and on the stove top, I use the highest heat setting on my gas stove.  But when doing this in the house, I have to be alone as the windows all have to be wide open, with a fan assisting air transfer out of the house.  The pans generate considerable smoke.  I also have to cover the smoke alarms.  But then, I can be an extreme kind of guy when I want to accomplish something.  I recomend you use the outdoor method, or use the 350 degree oven method and twelve or so cooking sesions before expecting you cast iron to work well.

Alternately, use the 350 degree oven method, and then deep fry something in the pan.  This will quickly season it as well.  And I agree that you don't use soap to wash cast iron.  Just hot water and a stiff brush will clean it up with minimum fuss and effort.  And never put it in the dishwasher!

seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## BigDog

Constance said:
			
		

> Big Dog, I assume you are referring to health risks caused by the teflon. I've been using it for 40 years, and so far, so good. If it kills me in the next 20 years, well...we've all gotta go sometime. As a smoker, I'm already a risk-taker.


 
No no, I am for non stick to a certain extent. Regarding eggs, I'm all for non-stick pan usage. Frankly I use other non-stick pans as well, but it drives me nuts having limited tools available to use without destroying them. I do plan on getting a SS set iof cookware, but eggs will remain done on non-stick cookware.


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## Constance

Big Dog, that can be a problem at first. But nowadays, one kind find very nice black silicone cookware at discount stores. There are also cheap white silicone cooking spoons, just like wooden ones, but much more sanitary...and silicone flexible spatulas (you know...the old "rubber spatulas") that can go into a hot pan. 
You could probably go to Walmart and get everything you need for around thirty bucks. 

I have had some experience with stainless steel cookware...I have some of my mom's old Reverware, with the copper bottoms. They stick something awful. 
So did my Le Creuset, so I gave it to our grown son, who needed pots and pans, and he was grateful to get them. 

On the other hand, I will never get rid of my extensive collection of cast iron. Even though it's too heavy for me to use, it's wonderful to have. I used to do a lot of camping, sometimes in a very primitive style. I could have made you bacon, eggs, hash browns, bisquits and gravy over a good fire. I even did brownies once...they were edible, but nothing to brag about. 

I still wish I'd taken that 10" seasoned skillet with me.


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## BigDog

Constance said:
			
		

> On the other hand, I will never get rid of my extensive collection of cast iron. Even though it's too heavy for me to use, it's wonderful to have. I used to do a lot of camping, sometimes in a very primitive style. I could have made you bacon, eggs, hash browns, bisquits and gravy over a good fire. I even did brownies once...they were edible, but nothing to brag about.
> 
> I still wish I'd taken that 10" seasoned skillet with me.


 
Reminds me of a story Dad tells. He and Mom were camping, and from their camp site they saw a bear starting to go into someone's RV trailer. Dad knew the lady was in there and he was ready to go over and help however he could. Next thing he knew he heard a scream, then a "roar" (or whatever you call the noises a bear makes) then a dull gong. He sees the bear start backing out of the RV and then staggers off into the woods. The lady had whalloped the bear with the casst iron pan she had in the RV! She must have been swinging for the fences for sure, as those things are heavy and also she hit the bear with enough force to cause it to radically change his behavior!


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## cartwheelmac

We use a cast iron skillet for just about anything that you can fry [including fried eggs.] 

Grace


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## Constance

LOL Big Dog! That was a mighty fiesty lady!
I know someone who whomped her husband in the head with one, but he deserved it.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Constance said:
			
		

> LOL Big Dog! That was a mighty fiesty lady!
> I know someone who whomped her husband in the head with one, but he deserved it.



Beware gentlemen; Clobered with cast-iron.  Kind of makes you think, doesn't it.

I know that I have too much cast-iron around my house to misbehave.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Barbara L

Goodweed of the North said:
			
		

> I know that I have too much cast-iron around my house to misbehave.


That should be painted on a plaque or done in needlework and hung on the kitchen wall!

 Barbara


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Back to the original question; I made a frittata in my 9-inch stainless steel pan yesterday. I brought the pan up to medium heat and turned off the fire. I sprayed the pan lightly with cooking spray and returned to medium heat. I immediately poured the egg/milk mixture, and other ingredients into the pan, and let cook over medium low heat until the egg was partially set. I easily slid the egg onto a plate and flipped it back into the pan to complete the frittata. I then flipped it back onto the plate. At no time did the egg stick. I believe that this was because I didn't oil the pan until it was already hot, and I cooked over a relatively low temperature.

Use your stainless pan to make basted eggs, or fried eggs using minimal fat and a low temperature. It will make great scrambled eggs as well, either dry or moist as you prefer. It will give good service with frittatas and omelettes. You just have too cook them more slowly.

If you want eggs with a crispy edge, use well seasoned cast-iron. If you want to brown, or caramelize foods, use cast iron, or enamled cast-iron. Although, browning meats in stainless will give you lots of "brown bits" that will flavor sauces and gravies.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Background Noise

Responding to the original question.  You don't.


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## jpmcgrew

Im a bit nervous about non stick but it works soo good .I think a non stick pan is nice for eggs and pancakes.
Also to minimize the risk of whatever, with these pans is what Ive said all along.Absolutley do not use metal utensils on theses pans they scratch and chip then lining which in turn can get into your food.Wood utensils are good but the silicone are best to maintain a scratch free surface.I think a little care in storing pans is also good as to not scratch pans.


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## Claire

I never fry, scramble, fritatta, or omlette without a nonstick skillet.  BTW, I bought a few of those little egg poacher "spoons"  (a slotted egg shaped bowl with a long handle) from W-S and used them for the first time.  Hubby has more of a tendency to want kitchen gadgetry than I.  But I have to say, this made egg poaching quite easy and fun.  I don't know if this is something we really need to make room for in our kitchen, but what the heck.  But as far as I'm concerned, for any egg-meets-skillet preparation it is nonstick all the way.


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