[Stewey]

Alright...I went out and bought a small stainless steel pan to try and perfect fried eggs that would not stick. I have a large 10 inch pan that works great for all my other needs, but I have not worked with anything smaller.

Here is the problem...from the very first egg I tried to fry in that pan until the 15+ eggs since, each and everyone of them has stuck something awful to the pan!

I asked one of my instructors today about this. She explained that I need to heat the pan first. Once it is pretty hot, then I add my oil and let that heat pretty good. Then I add my egg. I tried that tonight with no success.

At one point I got an egg to mostly release from the pan with ease except for the dead center of the egg. I gently tried to get the spatula underneath...at which point the yoke broke.

I have experimented with cooler cooking temperatures for longer periods of times. I have tried higher temperatures for shorter time. I have tried thinner spatulas...thicker spatulas...wood spatulas...etc.

The closest I got to a non-stick fried egg was when I got the pan pretty hot, then added the oil; then before the oil got too hot, I added the egg and turned down the heat. (this was the egg that still stuck in the middle of the yoke). I understand that if the oil smokes, the food will stick. So I have been sure to not get the oil to that point. Still no success.

I know I am missing something simple. Ideas?

[K rock]

I've never heard smoke = stick (Which isn't true anyway) but you simply don't have enough heat. If your oil isn't smoking, it's "not" hot enough. Try not to over think things either. Good luck.

[Stewey]

LOL...its funny that you say that about not over thinking. When I first bought my 10 inch SS pan, I could do fried eggs with no problem. But now that I am trying to do exactly what our instructors say, now all of a sudden, I feel like I can't cook!

Thanks for the smoke point tip too. That was one thing I specifically stayed after class to ask our instructor about. She told me that once the oil hits the smoke point, then it looses all its non-stick properties and is no longer good. It didn't sound right to me either, but hey...i'm the student, right? LOL.

I will retry with hotter oil tomorrow and not overthink and post the results. thanks again!

[Psycho Chef]

The one variable you havn't mentioned is the amount of oil you are trying. The oil (when hot) is actually acting as a barrier between the egg and the pan, causing the water in the egg to vaporize. All those tiny bubbles of water vapor escaping the surface keeps the protiens from setting in those tiny grooves and pits in the pan. Conventional pans, while appearing nice and smooth to the naked eye, are actually quite rough on a microscopic level. The secret to non-stick pans is their super refined surface.

The reason the center of that egg you made stuck is because that was the coldest and heaviest part. It's gotta SIZZLE when it hits the pan.

Try a little more oil, and a little hotter.

Just my $.02

[adamm]

maybe get a small teflon coated pan, thats how i learned to do eggs in school, pretty much the only thing ill use a teflon pan for.

[Psycho Chef]

Yeah, the non-sticks pretty much came to market because people refused to use a tbl spoon butter to fry an egg. Most times you want the food to make a fond on the pan. I wish people would have switched to cast iron instead. dummies.

[phatch]

Originally Posted by Psycho Chef

The secret to non-stick pans is their super refined surface.

No. It's because teflon, in simple terms, repels water.

Technically it resists van der Waals forces, which is how water sticks together (surface tension). The food is unable to create those initial simple bonds to the pan surface that allow the really sticky protien and starch bonds that occur later.

Which is why teflon browns so poorly and doesn't generate fond.

Phil

[ajoe]

Removed reply once I realized this is a Pro Forum. Sorry.

[vjdonor]

tip that my intructor told us the first day of demo and never left my head.

"hot pan , hot oil"

he said this every hour....

[Mannlicher]

Buy a cheap non stick pan. Put some butter in it. Cook the eggs. Use that pan for only that. Use your Stainless pan for real cooking.
End of problem.

[K rock]

It's unfortunate, but some of your instructors aren't all knowing. Especially the younger ones & the assistants. Trust your instincts & use school as a guide. In 20+ years, not ONE person has asked me where I went to school... just where I've worked. Hang in there. Oh, & it looks like a few others are chiming in with some pretty good advice as well. Ciao!

[eloki]

Also, make sure your egg is at room temperature...

[lentil]

Originally Posted by eloki

Also, make sure your egg is at room temperature...

Which raises this question: the health inspector told us NOT to allow eggs to get to room temp. Why? Salmonella? We do it anyway for baking. I just nod when he's there. I didn't want him to know we use room temp eggs or that I didnt' know his reasoning. It's always better to simply smile and nod.

[the_seraphim]

i think if you ask the health inspector to repeat his statement you will find he said "do not STORE eggs at room temperature" letting them warm up just before use is fine... its like defrosting something... even though it says STORE below -18c you can still defrost before you cook...

[Blueicus]

There's one aspect of the "hot pan, hot oil" method I don't like, and that's the tendency for the egg whites to be overcooked, which results in a bottom that is overly crisp and egg whites that bubble around the yolk. Even when you take the pan immediately off the heat when the egg drops into the pan you still run into that problem.

Does anybody have an amendment to that technique or a different one that allows the cook to control the texture and consistency of the white?