# What's The Problem #4 - Stuck Eggs



## Michael in FtW (Jul 31, 2005)

I received the following PM a couple of days ago from a young lady who is, I assume, too shy to post on the open forums: 

"My grandma bought me some expensive pans for a house warming gift and when i fry eggs, they ALLWAYS stick!!! I have tryed non stick spray, butter, even vegetable oil. I try to fry eggs sunny side up or down and when they are redy to serve or flip, they are so stuck to the pan, i end up with scrambeled eggs........ Do I need to buy a special pan just for eggs????? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Based on that information ... can you guess the problem?


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## SierraCook (Jul 31, 2005)

My guess would be that the eggs are being cooked at too high of a temperature and/or the pan is not coated enough with oil or butter. I used to do the same thing with scrambled eggs.


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## Brianschef (Jul 31, 2005)

My guess is the pans need to be "seasoned".  I have a set of "PROFI WOLL GUSS" from Germany and they are supposed to be non-stick.  After a few tries I seasoned them just by using them to fry chicken tenders in about 1/2" of oil.  Then you only have to wipe them out, do not wash in hot soapy water or they will start to stick again.


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## Raven (Jul 31, 2005)

Well, since she say's "expensive pans" rather than "ironware" I'm assuming they're copper-bottomed or copper clad in some way.

I have problems with eggs in them too so I don't cook eggs in them at all anymore.  I have a Silverstone egg pan just for the purpose.

Other than that they're great for everything else.

~ Raven ~


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## GB (Jul 31, 2005)

I don't cook eggs (Can't stand them) so this is just a guess from the info I have read on these boards, but I would say that either the pan was not the right temp, either to cool or too hot, or the fat was not hot enough.


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## jkath (Jul 31, 2005)

I'm with Brianschef, thinking she needs to cook a few oily goodies in there first. However, could it be that she's not heating the oil long enough before she puts the eggs in?


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## Constance (Jul 31, 2005)

I suggest she get an inexpensive teflon skillet and use it just for eggs. That's what I did before I got my Calaphon, because they stuck to my magnalite and they stuck to my Le Creuset.


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## Michael in FtW (Jul 31, 2005)

Some good answers .... I'll tell you what I told her to do (that worked) tomorrow to give some others a chance to guess.


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## Rob Babcock (Aug 1, 2005)

Well, it's hard to tell without a bit more info, but it sounds like she's not heating the pan first of getting way too hot.  It could be the wrong type of pan, but if you use teflon and any lubricant at all, you almost have to try to get eggs to stick.

Use a clean nonstick pan, get it mildly hot and add a bit of butter and you're generally fine.  I'm curious to see what the problem was, too.


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## Rob Babcock (Aug 1, 2005)

BTW, I think it's an excellent idea to keep a pan just for eggs.  I always keep an omlett pan or two around that I don't use for anything but eggs.  That's great so long as I hide the darned things when I'm not using them.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 1, 2005)

I'm with Rob Babcock.  I'm assuming this is a SS fry pan, or SS saucier with sloping sides.  I read many moons ago that SS must be pre-heated, but not to the point of browning or burning butter.  The fat is added once the metal is hot and kept at a medium heat throughout the cooking process.  The eggs are dropped in and cooked as desired.

Of course to attain perfect sunny-side up, or what I like to call pink-eyed eggs, for the pink membrane that is achieved over the yolk, I don't flip them at all.  Rather, I place 2 tbs. of water into the pan after the whites are most of the way set, cover, and cook for about 20 to 30 more seconds.  The water also helps loosen the egg from the pan, but isn't necessary if the cooking technique is done properly.

Oh, and I am careful to salt only the egg, not the pan.  

What say you, Michael the Man?

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## luvs (Aug 1, 2005)

i deleted this. i missed a few lines out of the main post. sorry!


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## gwkr36a (Aug 1, 2005)

My guess is the pan is not hot enough when she adds the eggs to it.

Nick


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## kitchenelf (Aug 1, 2005)

I vote for using a non-stick pan for eggs - other than that I think maybe there was not enough butter/oil in the pan for it cook in.  I remember my mom using a pretty hefty amount of bacon grease/butter to fry eggs in.  

Hot pan, cold oil, foods don't stick (I still use non-stick for eggs though)


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## jennyema (Aug 1, 2005)

I'm with Rob, Goodweed and KElf.

I have a nonstick pan just for eggs.

I sometimes cook eggs in my SS but usually they do stick a bit.  The hot pan, cold oil rule works very well for most things, but not so well for eggs, I have found.  But maybe I dont use enough oil .

You dont need to season SS or nonstick, just CI and CI is not a very good choice for cooking eggs unless it is VERY well seasoned.

*Please relieve our suspense!!  *


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## Alix (Aug 1, 2005)

Um, think the eggs were too cold and the pan/fat not hot enough? I feel pretty shy about answering this. My usual solution when I am cooking eggs in a pan I know they will stick to is to put a couple tbsps of water in the pan with them and put a lid over the eggs. I like the top of my eggs cooked a bit and this works for me.

OK Michael, waiting for your answer here.


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## abjcooking (Aug 1, 2005)

When I got my pans some of the advise said to let meats come close to room temperature before putting into hot pan to help keep it from sticking, this does make a big difference.  Maybe it is the same with eggs.


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## Andy M. (Aug 1, 2005)

I have an 8" cheapo silverstone pan I use for eggs and omlets.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to experiment with my SS tri-ply and two eggs.  I heated the pan fully then added some butter.  When that was hot, I added the two eggs.  They cooked undisturbed for a bit.  When it was time to flip (I like them sunny side up) they were stuck at one small point.  A quick nudge with a spatula and they were free.  I flipped them and finished the second side.  They glided into my plate then down the hatch!

Back to the non-stick now.


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## jennyema (Aug 2, 2005)

tap tap tap tap .....

  Oh, Michael .....


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## kitchenelf (Aug 2, 2005)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> I have an 8" cheapo silverstone pan I use for eggs and omlets.
> 
> A couple of weeks ago, I decided to experiment with my SS tri-ply and two eggs. I heated the pan fully then added some butter. When that was hot, I added the two eggs. They cooked undisturbed for a bit. When it was time to flip (I like them sunny side up) they were stuck at one small point. A quick nudge with a spatula and they were free. I flipped them and finished the second side. They glided into my plate then down the hatch!
> 
> Back to the non-stick now.



so - it's looking like not enough fat in your pan - M I C H A E L!!!!!!!!  If I knew your middle name you'd really know you were in trouble


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## Michael in FtW (Aug 2, 2005)

I was watching a program several months ago with some heavy duty chefs that were talking about how the first thing thay did when auditioning a new cook (culinary school graduates) was to have them cook eggs - fried, scrambled, and a simple omlette. Can you imagine spending two years in school, getting a degree in culinary science, and then not getting a job because you couldn't cook an egg???? It happened on this show!

Okay - the answer is .... the amount of fat (oil/butter) needed depends on the cooking temperature and somewhat on the cooking surface. Basically, the lower the heat the less oil needed and the less likely to stick - the higher the temp the more oil needed. 

I remember watching my grandmothers fry eggs in a cast iron skillet, after they had fried a pound of bacon or sausage, and the eggs were literally floating on top of a sea of fat - the whites actually "fluttered" as they cooked. Cooked this way - the edges and bottom of the whites became brown and crispy.

Entering into the new era of thinking .... use as little fat as possible - that's fine, but someone forgot to mention you have to turn the heat way down, too. Otherwise, you wind up searing the eggs, and causing them to stick to the bottom of the pan, like when you sear a steak to develop the fond, or "crusty brown bits in the bottom of the pan".

It seems the hardest pan to cook eggs in is SS - which is what it turned out to be in this case - a brand I had never heard of before, with thick aluminum encapsulated bottoms. But, you can get eggs to stick in just about anything. The gang at America's Test Kitchen didn't have a problem getting eggs to stick in Calphalon's new Calphalon One nonstick .... 

What worked for her was the Shirley Corriher method, or some variation of it - she didn't say ....

1. Heat the empty pan over LOW heat.
2. Remove the pan and spritz with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Return the pan to the stove and add butter.
4. When the butter is melted, swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan.
5. Add eggs and cook over LOW heat.

I added the next part ...

6. After the whites have started to set up (2-3 minutes) run a spatula under the eggs to make sure they are not sticking to the pan and continue cooking.

Goodweed will be happy to know that Shirley also mentions adding a couple of tablespoons of water and slapping a lid on for a minute or two (when using a minimal amount of oil over low heat) as a way to cook the membrane over the yolk - if you want it a little thicker.


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## Sandyj (Aug 2, 2005)

Wow! I'll store this useful information away for sure. Thanks, Sandyj


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## Andy M. (Aug 2, 2005)

I remember visiting a Waffle House restaurant in the Tampa/St. Pete area a few years ago.  We sat at the counter and I was able to watch the cooks in action.

Just about every employee in the restaurant did some work at the griddle/stove at one point or another.  There was a stack of aluminum pans by the stove.  They all cooked eggs the same way - a ladle of butter (?) in the pan, swirl it around and pour off the excess.  Pan on the stove, add the eggs, cook and slide onto a plate.  Not one person had a sticking problem!


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