Our Tefal non-stick frying pans are knackered so doubtless slowly killing us and all the baby robins so now feels like the time to experiment with stainless steel.
current non sticks are 6” and 12” and those sizes are about right for us
we already have a cast iron skillet and a carbon steel wok which are both perfectly seasoned and we get on well with, but stainless frying is new territory
budget wise - think Deore but we’ll pay XT money gladly if it’s worthwhile investment
what should we be looking at?
I'm in a similar situation, so watching with interest. I am quite "careful " with my money though
The new fangled ones with printed steel mesh over the non-stick coating work incredibly well, can’t speak for durability yet as ours are quite new but they look awesome and work well, and the whole point of the printed steel is to make the non-stick more durable. I get all my kitchen ware from TKMaxx / Homesense as so much cheaper there.
We have a similar sized pair that came in a Pro Cook full set. Seem absolutely fine and wash up well. Found a little bit of vinegar keeps them looking sparkling
My most used pan is a De Buyer Alchemy 5 ply stainless steel saute pan - it's used at least every other day. It's perfect for anything with a sauce.
What I don't use it for us stuff like fried chicken, eggs, etc.... those are the domain of my carbon steel frying pans.
Get a minimum of 3 ply, but preferably 5 ply for the better heat distribution.... They're spendy though.
I fully expect all my pans to easily outlast me.
I have various stainless frying pans or skillets. All perform very well and non-stick at right heat temperature. I am not those who use frying pans with care. My normal cooking is rather "robust" as I don't care if I scratch or burn them.
Mauviel 1830 (made in France, old stock bought cheap at TK Maxx a while back) - 3-ply, very good but Very expensive at normal price.
ibili Natural Cooking (from TK Maxx, made in China) - 3ply, 18/10, Alu and stainless steel. £25. Good and non-stick at right heat temp and reasonable priced.
Lux (from TK Maxx, made in China) - 3 & 5 ply. Reasonable price. Bought one as Xmas present for friends. Quality is fine and if they break is not a big issue but I doubt they can break easily. So far I have not got feedback from friends as I had not asked.
Steel Pan (made in Italy, TK Maxx) - Stainless steel without nickel. single ply. Cheap but will get uneven and better for gas hope. Average and non-stick at right temp. More for traditional gas stove and old Italian cookings.
Tramontina(made in Brazil and household name in Brazil). Good quality. 18/10, Alu and Stainless steel. I have their stainless steel wok (single ply with thick bottom) and it is my go to work. Non-stick at right temp. May still be available at Fenwick but if not order direct from the .co.uk website. I have seen them at Fenwick, good quality (3 ply) but at normal price. Currently on sale at their .co.uk website.
MADE IN (made in USA) Highly praised, good quality, 5-ply. Sales now on their .co.uk website. I am tempted to buy a set but not the right timing.
I would recommend ibili, Tramontina and MADE IN.
P.s. Stainless steel and carbon steel are all non-stick at right temperature. I never seasoned them but just used them immediately at right temp and they all performed very well by becoming non-stick.
I've got some pro cook stainless pans which Ive been using regularly over maybe 12 years, they're not overly spendy, still look like new and they've got a 25 year guarantee, god knows how many nonstick pans Ive bought and thrown out during the same period.
As someone who has just got two replacement stainless steel pans from Stellar under lifetime warranty, I would say Stellar. The handles were starting to wobble.
The pans were a wedding present. Nearly 32 years ago.
We've got one of the new 28cm Ceramic coated Tefals with a wooden handle. Tis ace, very non stick and even heat on induction. We have another similar 28cm ceramic coated pan but twice as deep, also ace but I can't find the brand on it.
Pro Cook
Good timing. I've recently purchased 2 stainless steel frying pans from Pro Cook. As others have said, they polish up a treat but I find that they are anything but non-stick! There is mention of "the right temperatures" above. Can anyone advise?
but I find that they are anything but non-stick!
Which is why I use them exclusively for making anything "wet" (curry, risotto, pasta dishes, anything acidic, etc) and use seasoned carbon steel for actual non-stick cooking requirements such as eggs, omelettes, pancakes, etc.
Accept that you have two pan types that cover all your cooking needs and those two* pans will last forever.
* 5 in my case - 3 x carbon steel, 2 x 5-ply stainless sauté 🫣
All different sizes and all bought used off eBay
Yet they still stick with "wet" dishes as you call them. What temperatures should I be using please?
Good timing. I've recently purchased 2 stainless steel frying pans from Pro Cook. As others have said, they polish up a treat but I find that they are anything but non-stick! There is mention of "the right temperatures" above. Can anyone advise?
Simple explanation here.
Yet they still stick with "wet" dishes as you call them.
.... if you use too much heat.
But you can scrape and scrub a stainless pan to your heart's content and not hurt it.
Simple explanation here.
That's a lot of oil [and hassle .... 30 mins?!!]
I'll stick with two different pan types 😉
That's a lot of oil [and hassle .... 30 mins?!!]
I'll stick with two different pan types
The guy just used too much oil with that big pan, which I guess is a 28cm pan. 24cm pan is enough for me.
Two different pan types are fine too. In fact I think that's better if you enjoy cooking, because you are able to cook with different steel materials.
I have 3 types of steel in rotation depending on my mood when cooking. I have carbon steel, heavy cast iron, light cast iron and stainless steel pans and wok. Sometimes I would cook everything with carbon steel for one week, then the following week cast iron etc. There is really no one steel that rules them all but Wok comes rather close.
We went the stainless route when we got an induction hob. The sauce pans are all great. The frying pan not so much. Fine if you're doing any process that will deglaze it within the cook but for actually frying stuff like eggs I reverted to having a nonstick pan as well. Much as I hate to say it, a nonstick pan costs less than a pair of brake pads so if it's done after a couple of years, so be it. Disposable culture. I know...
Non stick doesn't have to be Teflon. I'm surprised I'm the only one so far to mention the ceramic non-stick coatings that have been developed to replace forever chemical nasties. They work well IME though it's too soon to comment on durability. Less oil (if any) and easy clean:
https://www.tefal.fr/p/renew-on-poele-28-cm/2100128296
why is frying an egg in a stainless pan an issue ? *
*as a lifelong stainless / Cast pan user
Because the egg comes out plastered in oil. You pretty much have to float the egg on oil in stainless/cast whereas with a ceramic non stick a smear of oil is sufficient.
I got sick of non-stick pans last year and decided I needed to learn how to use the stainless pan to fry eggs properly. A bit of research and I learnt that you can season a stainless frying pan in the same way as carbon steel or cast iron, by getting it really hot and wiping a very thin layer of oil on it (careful - I set it alight the first time I did it, but don't panic and it's not a big deal). Then I threw out the non-stick pan and have happily been using only stainless pans since.
Bought a couple of Kuhn-Rikons on impulse in the sales. First egg fried was lovely and non-stick, unbelievably so in fact.
Subsequent eggs, not so much.
But that video explains it all! Very useful, thanks for sharing.
I recieved a new Ninja enamel coated non-stick for Christmas and so far very impressed with it. Feels like it's going to last a long time. Especially compared to the Neverstick one it's replacing which is just sold on a bed of lies.
For stainless steel I picked up a big saute pan in Aldi last year for about £13 so that I could give it a try without any great expense. It's great for doing stuff like steaks where you need a nice hot, flat base. Also great for other stuff but there is a knack to getting it non-stick.
Leave it to heat up for a while until water splashed on it beads up and dances around. If it steams and hisses then it's not hot enough. Then (and this is the bit that I didn't realise for a long time) you have to turn it down to a medium heat and let it cool back down a bit. I was chucking rapeseed oil in at full heat and it was just burning on to the pan. Turn it down for a minute then add the oil and food for a much less aggressive cook. And don't try and move the food around as soon as you've added it, you have to let it cook for a bit and it will release itself when it is ready to.
Because the egg comes out plastered in oil. You pretty much have to float the egg on oil in stainless/cast whereas with a ceramic non stick a smear of oil is sufficient.
need to have faith in the maillard reaction.
some interesting posts here thanks chaps. Since I really like my carbon steel wok which is beautifully seasoned and non-stick - I might change my mind an look at a carbon steel frying pan
I might change my mind an look at a carbon steel frying pan
Very good idea in my view - and, as you probably do with your wok, keep it solely for jobs that are not going to strip the seasoning (i.e. tomato sauce or anything acidic).
If it ever goes wrong you can simply strip it and re-season.
Nothing sticks to this:
https://ibb.co/93m6bWpN
some interesting posts here thanks chaps. Since I really like my carbon steel wok which is beautifully seasoned and non-stick - I might change my mind an look at a carbon steel frying pan
Get one each.
You might struggle to find a cheaper version of carbon steel but go with the branded ones as they have thicker steel. Once you have it, it is probably for life unless you use it for something else. Carbon steel is also very easy to take care and to cook with.
Stainless steel might need a bit of practice if you have not used it before, it's all about temperature. Just go to TK Maxx to buy some for £25 each (3-ply) to see if you like them.
John Lewis used to sell light cast iron pan and they are good. Behave like carbon steel and cast iron. I bought five (two for me and three for friends).
I had pan working well. Then found it in the dish washer, it's never recovered and now apparently we have to buy a new one.
Stainless or carbon steel?
Stainless doesn't mind going in the dishwasher but it will strip the seasoning off a carbon steel pan.
All that means , though, is that you re-season it.
That's the beauty of carbon steel, you can nuke it at any point and start from fresh - so they can last forever!
Yep stainless doesn't give a shit.
A revelation in our house has been stainless baking trays. Instead of the 1/2 quid non stick coated steel trays out the supermarket that get scratched go rusty and food sticks to them. Stainless baking trays as so much easier to live with and despite costing 10 times more ....seems to be holding up significantly better than even the posh Lakeland ones we tried.