How to Cook on Stainless Steel

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2021 References Tested

For lovers of nonstick cookware, cooking with stainless steel can be daunting. You might have had nightmares about scraping off crusted food from dirty pans. Yet there are many advantages to stainless steel that make it superior to standard nonstick pans. It conducts, distributes, and retains heat super well and is incredibly durable.^{[1]
X
Research source} By carefully preheating, cooking on, and cleaning stainless steel, you can reap these benefits and get more than your money’s worth for it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:
Preheating Properly

1
Preheat your pan on medium-low heat for 1-3 minutes. After leaving the pan on medium-low heat for 1-3 minutes, touch the rim of the pan. It should still be safe to touch, but it should be hot. Preheating is an essential part of cooking with stainless steel. This is because stainless steel is porous when it’s cold, but preheating makes the steel expand and thus closes the pores to create a smooth cooking surface.^{[2]
X
Research source}
2
Use the water droplet test to tell if your pan is ready for oil. After your pan has been preheating for 1-3 minutes, add 4.93 mL (1.00 tsp) of water to its surface. If the water condenses into a single pearly droplet that darts smoothly around the pan, you know that it’s time to add oil.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If the water bubbles and evaporates quickly, you know that the pan is too cold. If you add your food at this point, it would probably stick a lot to the pan.
- If the water droplet breaks into smaller droplets that glide quickly around the pan, you know that the pan is too hot. It should form a single droplet.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
Advertisement
3
Wipe away the water and quickly add your oil. As soon as you pass the water droplet test, add 14.79 mL (1.000 US tbsp) of your oil of choice. Swirl it around by moving the whole pan in a circular motion or use a pastry brush to evenly coat the bottom and sides of the pan with the oil. In 3-5 seconds, the oil should start to slightly smoke, and that’s how you know it’s ready to cook.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- There are a variety of oils to choose from. Butter, olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, and ghee are a few.
Advertisement

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:
Adding Food to Your Pan

1
Let cold foods sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Dab their surfaces with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture.^{[6]
X
Research source} Then, place them on the pan. You don’t want to place cold foods from the refrigerator or freezer straight on your pan, as this can lead to stick.
2
Cook foods on medium heat. Keep your stove on medium heat throughout the entire cooking process. If you turn up the heat too high, this could cause food to stick.^{[7]
X
Research source} Stainless steel retains heat very well, so you don’t need to turn up your burner to the highest setting to ensure that your food is thoroughly cooked.
3
Don’t overcrowd your pan with food. Make sure that each food item has ample space to cook. You can designate a designate a separate section of the pan for each ingredient that you want to cook, and plan out your cooking so you have a maximum of 3 different ingredients in the pan at the same time.
- If a pan is overfilled, this makes it harder to achieve an even cook and can lead to sticking. This is because each piece of food will not have the same amount of surface area in contact with the bottom of the pan at the same time.
4
Let the pan release foods before you flip them. You know food is ready to flip on stainless steel cookware when it no longer sticks to the pan. If you have to shove your spatula under food and force it to flip, it’s not ready.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Meats in particular will develop a crust that the pores of the stainless steel pan can’t grab onto, making it easy to flip.
Advertisement

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:
Cleaning Your Pan

1
Opt to wipe your pan down instead of washing with soap and water. Wipe your pan down with a paper towel instead of cleaning with soap and water to extend the life of your pan’s seasoning.
- Using soap on your pan will get rid of the oil that has built up throughout your cooking process and created that nice nonstick surface. This oily residue can actually serve as seasoning for the next meal you cook in the pan.
2
Let the pan cool completely before washing. If you are going to wash your pan, let it cool on the stove for a bit before starting to clean. Don’t place your hot stainless steel pan in cold water right away, as this could lead to warping of the pan’s surface that you won’t be able to fix!^{[9]
X
Research source}
3
Soak your pan in warm soapy water for at least 1 hour. If you notice that your pan has crusted remnants of food, leave it to soak in the sink for at least an hour — even overnight is fine! This will soften the food and make it easier to remove from the surface of the pan when you go to scrub it.^{[10]
X
Research source}
4
Hand-wash your pan with warm soapy water and a non-abrasive sponge. After the pan has soaked, the food should smoothly come off with a soft sponge. Using coarse scrubbers or steel wool can easily scratch your stainless steel cookware.^{[11]
X
Research source}
5
Scrub away at tough stains using stainless steel cleaner or baking soda. For more difficult stains, mix 79 mL (0.33 c) of water with 29.57 mL (2.000 US tbsp) stainless steel cleaner or baking soda in the pan. Then, using a soft sponge or rag, scrub to remove dried-on stains or burn marks. Rinse out this mixture when finished.^{[12]
X
Research source}
6
Hand dry your pans with a clean towel. Once you’ve finished washing them, use a clean towel to wipe away the water. Air drying is not necessarily harmful, but unsightly water spots might form on your pan.

Advertisement

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:
Seasoning a Clean Pan

1
Heat your clean pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Properly seasoning your pan is an easy way to get the convenience of nonstick cookware with stainless steel. Start by letting the pan warm up for 2 minutes over medium heat.^{[13]
X
Research source}
2
Coat the bottom of the pan with oil. It’s important to use an oil with a high smoke point (the point at which oil starts to burn and smoke). Some good options are canola, sunflower, soybean, or peanut oil.^{[14]
X
Research source} Swirl the oil around to fully coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
3
Heat the oil on medium-high heat until it starts to smoke. Let the oil get warmer and warmer until you see wisps of smoke start to appear. This will typically take between 5-6 minutes.^{[15]
X
Research source}
4
Let the pan cool and pour out the oil. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool completely. Then, dump out the oil into the trash and use a paper towel to wipe up any excess oil left in the pan. Ideally, you’ll see a nice glossy sheen coating the bottom of the pan. This is your seasoning.
- Remember, if you wash a pan with soap and water, this removes the seasoning, so you’ll have to re-season after any washes. To get the most out of your seasoning, only fully wash the pan when the pan gets too dirty to use (meaning that the bottom, oiled part of the pan is discolored to the point that it’s a darker brown).^{[16]
  X
  Research source}
Advertisement

Warning

When preheating, your pan can quickly go from perfectly heated to overheated. Have your ingredients ready to go beforehand, so you can quickly add them when the pan is ready.^{[19]
X
Research source}
Don’t try to speed up the preheating process by using high levels of heat. Stainless steel is good at holding heat, so it might be hard to lower it to the right temperature if this happens.^{[20]
X
Research source}
Never spray non-stick sprays on stainless steel, as these sprays can actually leave residue on stainless steel that increases stick.