making a stainless steel pan non-stick
 

Someone mentioned earlier that they have made their steel pan non-stick, like a cast iron pan. Is this really possible?

I've got a lot of well-meaning relatives who buy me cooking gear because they know I like to cook. As a result, I have a number of steel pans which are thick and give a nice, even heat, but i have to put a thick layer of oil on it to fry anything, because everything seems to stick. can i season the pan like i would a cast-iron pan? will i get the same result?

Heat the pan before you put oil in it. Not just warm, but hot.

quote from the Frugal Gourmet: "Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick".

but what I would like to do is season the pan, using oil to cook every time and not washing with soap, so that the surface is the same as a cast iron pan. Is this possible?

Not that I know of, but hot stainless and oil creates non-stick more than cold stainless and oil

I don't think you can season a stainless pan like you can a cast iron. Stainless pans are very smooth while a cast pan is porous and rough. I guess you could season a cast stainless pan if there was such a thing.

Hot pan cold oil when the oil smokes (smoking point) your pan is none stick, at least for the moment. That is seasoning/curing your pan. unlike cast iron this is a one time deal. So no you can not permanently season a steel/aluminum pan.

I was just reading a book on cooking equipment from Alton Brown and he says that when the pan is heated first, microfissures and other tiny openings in the metal are closed as the metal expands. This leaves less for food to get a grip on.

Science! :)

You certainly won't be able to season it in the same way as cast iron; in a cast iron pan you get a reaction between the oil and the steel at high temperatures which gives you a layer of carbon bonded to the steel, and it's the carbon that makes it non-stick. Stainless steels won't react with the oil at any reasonable temperature because their high chromium content forms a chromium oxide layer on the surface of the steel that is amazingly non-reactive with most chemicals (even acids and strong oxidizers), so the carbon can't bond to the steel.

One thing about stainless steel is that you have to let the food release. That means it has to cook until it is done on that side on the outside. You can nudge it and it will pop free.

Also, stainless is good because it creates a hotter environment than regular non-stick; non stick create moisture and not as much heat. That results in darker sauces for SS.

One other thing.... SS should be deglazed after cooking, either with wine for a sauce or water to aid cleaing.

Some of the top site, like All-Clad, offer tips for cooking with different types.

i cant add anything here. but no, like everybody said, you cant season a SS pan. you can do the hot pan cold oil and smoke it, but its all depending on your preference, i use all-clad, its my preferred choice, and i dont ever get stickies, unless i am baking the pan and it dries the juices on.. even then i de-glaze and make a sauce off of that...

I also had a problem with sticking.

Tried the hot pan/cold oil method and it worked beautifully! Thanks for the advice.

I season my pans and don't wash them with soap. They seem to stay non stick :)

I don't know of any way to season a SS pan. However, I don't know of any way to get the searing advantage of SS and the resulting wonderful, dark sauces you can make. One of the tricks is to let the meat cook until it "releases" and is ready to be turned over. It does this when the side is done. You can actually feel it "let go."

u season pans with oil and salt, heat it. then wipe it away. i do that when i make crepes. "if it smells good eat it"

One of the oldest tricks in the cook book is simply this:

Hot pan + cold oil = food won't stick!

Try it. Heat the pan first. Add the oil or your non stick spay of choice and food simply won't stick.

If for example you are making hash browns then be patient and let them brown completely before turning them over. Same for other foods. Let the browning take place fully before turning. Enjoy! :)

A little late on my part, but...thanks, this is exactly what I was wanting to know!

if you want a good non-stick, just get a cast iron skillet. they're only 10-20 bucks. an absolute must-have for cooking proteins. for everything else, professional or home setting, I generally go with all-clad like others have mentioned.