Season a Stainless Steel Fry Pan?

No.

BDL

Sure if you want to ruin it.

I wash mine in-between uses. Does that count as "seasoning"? 

 

 

 

 

? What's w/ that "http" stuff? 

Edited by IceMan - 9/27/11 at 9:32pm

Curious Mac. !

Then why don't you get manufacturers recomendation ? as most of us would not use a S/S fry pan.

http = "by the way" and/or "for what it's worth," when you're distracted.

Not sure what Ed meant. Maybe the old, all stainless pans. Restaurants mostly buy and use aluminum for a lot of reasons. Most people who cook at home use at least some stainless, because it's non-reactive. The non-reactive alternatives, like enamel over cast iron can get pricy. Stainless lined multi-ply is good stuff to build your core set around -- it's not as responsive as aluminum and doesn't hold the heat as well as cast, nor is it as good at either as "carbon steel," but it's (repeat after me) non-reactive.

Our core set at home was mostly Calphalon Professional, which was a non-reactive aluminum line which Calphalon discontinued because... because... beats the heck out of me. But it all got old, dinged, and warped, so we replaced it and a lot of other stuff with stainless lined copper. FWIW (http?) it's just an incredibly expensive form of stainless lined multi-ply.

The best you can do in terms of diminishing stainless's "sticking" properties, is to preheat the dry pan sufficiently, add the right amount of oil, and allow the oil to come to temp before cooking. Don't overcrowd, don't use too much heat, don't use too little heat, and don't try to lift or turn food until it's ready to release. In other words, ordinary good technique.

Alas, there's nothing ordinary about good technique nor anything common about sense.

LSMFT,
BDL

I have always found stainless steel pans and pots form hot spots which means heat is not disbursed evenly.

It's hyper text transfer protocol....

Really?  The pans you see Chef Ramsey's cooks using are Carbon Steel not Stainless Steel. Yes, steel, but carbon is not the same as stainless. You use carbon steel because it browns better than non stick. Carbon steel can be made more nonstick with and Oil/Salt process and must be redone if it gets washed. but do not do ths to stainless, as said above, it will ruin it. Mainly that process is done so you can cook things like eggs in a carbon steel pan, no need to season ss, but don;t fry an egg in it. You can, with careful temp management of the oil/pan, but just use teflon for that.

Also re Hot spots: That is what that heavy disk on the bottom of MODERN ss pans is for. it has a copper disk in it to evenly ditribute the heat. It was a problem in the first generation of SS pans or cheaper ss pans. Also as said above, do not use aluminum pans for acids like tomatoes, as the aluminum will leech into the food, and there is debate if that is bad for you. ( I side with the leeching sounds bad, so avoid it)

Stainless Steel pots and pans seem to come a several classes these days; the thin skinned cheap junk that burns water and everything else, SS with a plate bottom, and fully clad, layered ss.  The last is the type most would associate with the highest end cookware available through Williams-Sonoma and other kitchen retailers, not to mention the home show waterless cookware, which is really heavy duty stuff (for home cooks).  While I own but one  All-Clad omelet pan, I have several fully clad, Tri clad pieces made by a Brazilian company(Tramontina) in China (yeah, it gets strange) and sold through, of all people, Walmart.  Sometimes dubbed "Wal-Clad" this stuff is super inexpensive and has gotten great ratings from Cook's Illustrated among other. This type of cookware is extraordinarily hard and non reactive and if handled correctly can be as nearly non-stick as coated pans. As to seasoning, no don;t do it.  I spray a frypan with cooking spray, warm it over medium heat, break in my eggs and let come to a sizzle.  The eggs almost always slide easily as I flipped the pan.  Then I put it in the dishwasher and go on my way.