How do I keep scrambled eggs from sticking to the pan?

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Are you heating your pan? Putting in enough butter and/or oil to coat the bottom? If you those things before you put your eggs in the pan, you should be fine.

As well, don't walk away from your pan while the eggs are cooking. That may seem obvious, but.... :ermm:

Give the eggs a few moments to "set," and then move them around in the pan so all the liquid hits the heat and coagulates into those luscious curds that are scrambled eggs! Don't forget the chopped herbs and salt and pepper! :cool:

(We need a "Yummy" emoticon!)
 
My question would be the same as Andy's, what type of pan are you using? If you use a non-stick pan it shouldn't stick. If your using cast iron, you need to reduce the heat to low, at least that is what I have found. Use a spatula, and let the egg set up a bit on the sides as chefJune pointed out.
 
I use a non-stick pan. And just for good measure I'll spray it with a non-stick cooking spray or coat the bottom with a little extra virgin olive oil.
 
Non-stick pans, butter or oil, and low heat should do the trick.

As for cooking sprays, such as Pam, Calphalon and other manufacturers now recommend against them because they tend to leave a gummy residue on the non-stick surfaces of pots and pans. Here's the advice from Calphalon's site:

I like to use spray oils for lowfat cooking. Can I use them in my Calphalon cookware?

For cooking, the answer is NO, we advise against using spray oils in our cookware for several reasons. For baking with our Professional Nonstick Bakeware, the answer is YES, you can use spray oils with no trouble.

Cooking: Spray oil instructions usually direct you to apply the spray to a cold pan, then add your food. This is because spray oils contain a lot of water. If you spray it into a hot pan, the water boils away immediately and leaves you with a gummy residue. (Calphalon cookware calls for preheating the pan before adding any oils to make sure you get the cooking performance you want.)

Baking: The nonstick material used for Calphalon Professional Nonstick Bakeware was developed especially for the sticking problems unique to baked goods. Things like pie drippings, jam, cookie runovers, and other baked-on disasters are no problem for this nonstick. When tested, we found that spray oils were no match for it. Any residue can be cleaned away easily with Soft Scrub® and hot water.
 
MERTON said:
???


that's my question... my message was too short.

Use butter to coat the bottom. Be sinful. The flavour is unbeatable!

However, my Italian brother-in-law has just introduced me to olive oil for coating the bottom. That's also sinful and the flavour is dee-vine!

Be generous with both, but avoid the spray!
 
Like Andy M. said - knowing what kind of cookware and what you are doing will give us something to work with. Generally, the problem is too little fat for the temp you are using, and usually that turns out to be too high of a temp.

Now - one word about the information FryBoy posted from the Calphalon site ... it's not exactly true regarding water as being a major part of nonstick cooking sprays (at least the ones I'm familiar with). What does evaporate quickly is the alcohol they use to thin the oil to make it sprayable - on the two cans I have it is the second ingredient listed - and not a drop of water listed (if they used any it would have to be listed). The reason you spray it on a cold pan is to keep from getting a flare-up when the alcohol hits a hot pan. The thing that makes nonstick cooking surfaces gummy is the thing that they use to give the spray it's nonstick quality - lecithin. Apparently, lecithin and something in the composition of many nonstick surfaces are chemical cousins that react with each other ... causing the lecithin to form a gummy polymer. But, IMHO - using nonstick sprays on a nonstick surface is a little redundant to begin with.

We've had a couple of discussions on this subject:

What's the Problem #4 - Stuck Eggs

How do you cook eggs with a stainless steel pan?
 
i use a sauce pan at medium heat. and i do use a good deal of butter.

what is cosidered low? 1/4 heat?
 
I assume your pan is NOT non-stick.

That being the case, you must start with a completely clean cooking surface. Any residue on the pan will create sticking.

The pan must be fully heated and what ever fat you use must also be heated. If you use butter, it should stop bubbling before you add the eggs.

Of course, the easiest thing to do is use a non-stick pan and butter.
 
Michael in FtW said:
Now - one word about the information FryBoy posted from the Calphalon site ... it's not exactly true regarding water as being a major part of nonstick cooking sprays (at least the ones I'm familiar with). What does evaporate quickly is the alcohol they use to thin the oil to make it sprayable - on the two cans I have it is the second ingredient listed - and not a drop of water listed (if they used any it would have to be listed). The reason you spray it on a cold pan is to keep from getting a flare-up when the alcohol hits a hot pan. The thing that makes nonstick cooking surfaces gummy is the thing that they use to give the spray it's nonstick quality - lecithin. Apparently, lecithin and something in the composition of many nonstick surfaces are chemical cousins that react with each other ... causing the lecithin to form a gummy polymer. But, IMHO - using nonstick sprays on a nonstick surface is a little redundant to begin with.

Michael,

Your information comports with what I've understood in the past -- I didn't pay much attention to the water comment on the Calphalon site. Like you, I've never seen water as a listed ingredient in cooking sprays. I HAVE, however, observed the gooey gunk left behind by the sprays on non-stick cooking surfaces.

One possible solution I haven't tired -- Williams-Sonoma sells pump spray bottles made especially for cooking oil. That would eliminate the lecithin and alcohol and any water, although I have to wonder about the shelf life of oil in such a gadget. Anyone have one?
 
FryBoy said:
Mi...I have to wonder about the shelf life of oil in such a gadget. Anyone have one?

I have one I bought at Walmart years ago. No problems with the oil. I keep it in a cabinet away from heat.
 
When I'm making eggs i melt a small amount of butter. Just enough to cover the pan. But don't leave it sitting there too long or the butter will burn and make your eggs brown. That doesn't look pleasant! :D
 
oh... and it's not non stick.

i tried cooking them on low... they just wouldn't scramble so i had to put them on medium again. and they stuck again
 
I was always afraid of cooking eggs on anything besides a non stick skillet, I was convinced everything would be stuck fast on the skillet otherwise... but the omelette we tasted in the alps were cooked in cast iron with plenty of butter, and that was like made in heaven, by far the best omelette I ever tasted.:-p
I definitely need to venture into cooking eggs in cast iron and master the art...
 
I have a Calphalon one pan that is just awsome, add a little oil, cook on low then just let it slid off !
 
MERTON said:
would they stick to a cast iron sauce pan?

Yes - they could. They could also stick to a nonstick skillet if you were trying to use too high heat or cook them too fast.

If you'll just answer the basic question ... what type of cookware are you using ... and describe what you are doing - we probably could help you! As long as you want to play 20-questions ...
 
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