Stainless Steel+Induction Confusion

[Krijishy]

So I got myself a set of Stainless Steel Pans... I watched all the videos and read all the guides.... And for the most part I can grasp the way to use them but the thing I am not getting is this mercury ball test to know when to add the oil.... I start heating it up and I put the water in and it does nothing so I wait... So then I put water in and it just sizzles and so I wait... So then I put water in and and it really pops and somewhat does the mercury ball thing... When I put the oil in at this point (EVOO)... It smokes really bad and seems way too hot... Is this something to do with using the pans on an induction cook top? Is there something I am missing (doesn't seem like there was something to miss)? I have tried this on different temperatures with the same result...

 

[JohnDB]

Yep...
EVOO is not really a good cooking/Sautee oil. The smoking point is too low for the pan you are using. You need to choose an oil that has a higher temperature smoking point.

 

[Andy M.]

You have to adjust the heat level based on what you are cooking. The key is to heat the pan to the appropriate temperature before adding the oil. Recipes will often say "...heat the pan over medium heat and sauté the onions." for example. That's what you use as a guide.

 

[Krijishy]

@JohnDB
Well, I will try it using my Grape Seed oil then... I've been cooking with EVOO for years with other pans so that was my go to...

@Andy M
Yep, this is the way I've always cooked until I bought these pans and everything I watched and read kept saying... "If the pans don't reach a certain temperature, before adding the oil even... You will get food sticking..."

I still feel as though the pan is getting hotter than it should before this "mercury ball effect" is actually occurring and I don't know if it is due to the induction cook top or what...

 

[dragnlaw]

Heat is heat whether or not you got there fast or slow. Water bounces at a certain temperature - not below. If pan is too hot the water will literally vapourize when it hits.

 

[Andy M.]

I still feel as though the pan is getting hotter than it should before this "mercury ball effect" is actually occurring and I don't know if it is due to the induction cook top or what...

You need to forget about the "mercury ball effect"! It's wrong more than it's right. Many foods are cooked properly at temperatures below that level. So follow recipe directions.

Preheat your pan to the temperature level called for in the recipe then proceed with adding oil and food.

 

[jennyema]

Extra Virgin olive oil is great for sautéing. Ive been using pretty much only evoo for 30 years quite successfully.

It’s smoke point is high enough. According to the North American Olive Oil Association, extra virgin olive oil's smoke point is 350 to 410 degrees.

IMO you are overheating your pan when you Pre-heat it. Ratchet it down and forget about the water test.

 

[Krijishy]

Ok, forgetting about it. I just don't want food to stick and then end up hating the pans but I am tired of buying non stick pans every year because their coating starts to degrade... Thank you all for the help.

 

[Andy M.]

Ok, forgetting about it. I just don't want food to stick and then end up hating the pans but I am tired of buying non stick pans every year because their coating starts to degrade... Thank you all for the help.

Foods will stick to the pan. HOWEVER, they will self-release given a few minutes. For example, you prepare your pan and add a piece of steak. It will be stuck to the pan. Don't force it to unstick. When the surface is cooked and browned, the meat will let go of the pan (or the pan will let go of the meat if you prefer) and you can flip it.

 

[obillo]

So I got myself a set of Stainless Steel Pans... I watched all the videos and read all the guides.... And for the most part I can grasp the way to use them but the thing I am not getting is this mercury ball test to know when to add the oil.... I start heating it up and I put the water in and it does nothing so I wait... So then I put water in and it just sizzles and so I wait... So then I put water in and and it really pops and somewhat does the mercury ball thing... When I put the oil in at this point (EVOO)... It smokes really bad and seems way too hot... Is this something to do with using the pans on an induction cook top? Is there something I am missing (doesn't seem like there was something to miss)? I have tried this on different temperatures with the same result...

For one thing, keep i mind that olive oil has a relatively low smoke point--375F. And frying with EVOO wastes the extra quality you pay for. Light or refined olive oil, which has had most of its flavor stripped out chemically, is OK up to 465F. This info is from Lodge cast iron.

 

[jennyema]

I use EVOO almost every time I sauté. It’s a myth that you shouldn’t use it. It’s smoke point may be lower than other oils but unless you are stir frying or using a screaming hot skillet, it wont smoke.

So obviously your pan is too hot.

I just put my pan on to medium heat and add oil. Then I add the food a minute later when the oil is hot.

 

[taxlady]

For one thing, keep i mind that olive oil has a relatively low smoke point--375F. And frying with EVOO wastes the extra quality you pay for. Light or refined olive oil, which has had most of its flavor stripped out chemically, is OK up to 465F. This info is from Lodge cast iron.

Isn't most cooking done at temperatures below 375°F? In any case, EVOO resists producing free radicals better than most oils. Sure, it smokes at around 375°F, but that does not mean that it is breaking down.

 

[Anitha Kishore]

So I got myself a set of Stainless Steel Pans... I watched all the videos and read all the guides.... And for the most part I can grasp the way to use them but the thing I am not getting is this mercury ball test to know when to add the oil.... I start heating it up and I put the water in and it does nothing so I wait... So then I put water in and it just sizzles and so I wait... So then I put water in and and it really pops and somewhat does the mercury ball thing... When I put the oil in at this point (EVOO)... It smokes really bad and seems way too hot... Is this something to do with using the pans on an induction cook top? Is there something I am missing (doesn't seem like there was something to miss)? I have tried this on different temperatures with the same result...

I always cook in induction because I travel a lot. The Induction cooktop tends to heat up faster than gas stoves, so follow the non-stick seasoning method that I use all the time to cook.

1. Wash the pan clean and dry it.
2. Then coat the pan with a layer of oil, it should be completely coated with oil.
3. Now heat the pan, low to medium heat until the pan smokes up.
4. After the pan smokes up, immediately turn off the heat and let the pan cool down.
5. Wipe off the oil after the pan cools down, now the stainless steel pan is seasoned.

This is the method I follow to cook chicken breast, omelets, fish, vegetables and the food doesn't stick 90% of the time.
I use stainless steel triply cookware from Avias and its quality is the best. Using it for more than 6 months and the pan looks as good as new.

AVIAS Riara premium stainless steel Triply Fry pan/ skillet | Cool touch handles | 2.5 mm Thick body | Induction friendly |1.25L/1.5L/1.75L

Best quality tri-ply stainless steel cookware: Inner layer- 304 Stainless steel, Middle layer- Aluminium & Outer layer- 430. Ideal for gifts, Steel cast cool handles, Compatible on all cooking ranges, 2.5 mm thick body with Induction base, and / Triply/ Skillet Pan comes in 3 sizes - 1.25L/1.5...

aviasworld.com

 

[jennyema]

5. Wipe off the oil after the pan cools down, now the stainless steel pan is seasoned.

One never needs to season a stainless steel pan

 

[dragnlaw]

Are people mixing up carbon steel and stainless steel?

 

[Anitha Kishore]

One never needs to season a stainless steel pan

You don't need to season a stainless steel pan unless you want to use the pan as a non-stick.

 

[jennyema]

You don't need to season a stainless steel pan unless you want to use the pan as a non-stick.

You never have to season a stainless steel pan for any use. Baking on oil will ruin it.

Are you confusing stainless steel with carbon steel?

 

[Anitha Kishore]

You never have to season a stainless steel pan for any use. Baking on oil will ruin it.

Are you confusing stainless steel with carbon steel?

No, but seasoning stainless steel is good for less oil usage rather than using more oil so the food won't stick.

 

[pictonguy]

I've never seen a chef season a SS pan and I don't as well. If a SS pan is used correctly then seasoning one is made redundant, which I'll explain why further down. I think most of the sticking issues with SS comes down to a couple of things. First a poor quality pan that doesn't have the proper layering of a material like aluminum or copper that distributes heat more evenly, basically a cheap thin bottomed SS pan is pretty much useless for it's intended purpose. Secondly if the pan is not preheated to the desired cooking temp before the food is applied the barrier that the fat should provide isn't at a temp that is efficient and sticking can and does happen.

Even though a SS pan may seem quite smooth to the eye it's still porous on a molecular level and when the pan is subjected to heat the metal expands exposing these crevasses and pours more so which allows the fat that is applied to a hot pan to be absorbed and brought up to cooking temp before a food is allied. Basically the heated fat acts as a cushion or barrier to the SS. Sauteing is a dry cooking method.

For the restaurant I have aluminum, stainless and carbon steel fry pans and the ones that don't get used are the aluminum and I generally never have problems with anything sticking to SS pans. For most prep I use stainless and for the line I use mostly carbon steel.

 

[rodentraiser]

I just got an enamel-over-cast-iron that was supposed to be non-stick (it's not). That was for scrambling eggs and I swear, I've never yet found a pan where the scrambled eggs didn't stick to the pan so bad it had to be soaked for a day and then scrubbed out with a Brillo pad. I've used vegetable oil, olive oil, butter - you name it, the eggs still stick. I'd have eggs stick to Teflon pans and forget stainless steel. Has anyone ever found a work around for that, because I love scrambled eggs and I'm thinking of doing them in the microwave from now on.

As to olive oil and high temps, I don't know what kind of olive oil Chef John uses, but in his recipe for garlic butter shrimp, he gets the pan smoking hot and then puts in olive oil. So that's what I've been doing, too. It doesn't seem to affect the flavor or anything.