# Seasoning of Stainless Steel fry pan



## kate kelley

Is there something you must do to prepare a brand new stainless steel/copper fry pan for cooking?


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## cape chef

Of course you want to wash it 

If you want to season your pan, cover the bottom of the pan with salt and about an half inch of a high burning point oil. Heat your pan until it smokes, turn off the heat and let is sit until it is safe to discard the oil and salt.Then with a clean cloth wipe out the remaining salt and oil. This process seals the pores of the pan and will prevent foods from sticking. If you wash your pan you will need to re-season it.


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## amy

if you season it with salt and oil won't this season it for the life of the pan, what do you mean you'll have re season after it's been washed, confused by your response...


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## chefmikesworld

Amy,

Because the stainless steel is such a porus metal, when you bring the face of the metal in contact with hot water it opens up the pores in the pan and will extract the oils that you used to season it with....

This method is to protect it from sticking, if you are using the pan for general saute etc. this method really is not necessary, but I usually do it when I first purchase a saute pan.

Good question...

Cheffy


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## chefmikesworld

I should have added that that is the purpose of the salt, the salt aids in the opening of the pores of the pan to allow the salt/oil mixture seep into its pores...

Cheffy


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## phatch

Can you point to some sources to verify the function of salt in this process? The reasoning sounds suspect to me. Salt doesn't dissolve in oil so you won't get any of salt's fun ionic functions and the chemistry of the stainless steel and salt doesn't fit what I know of chemistry.

Phil


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## chefmikesworld

Hey Phil,

This is a good point, and I will see what I can find, but you make sense, this is just what I have been taught and never questioned it...

Will do some looking around and see what I find...

Thanks for provoking thought...

Cheffy


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## chefmikesworld

OK...who wants to pick this one up...

I called Chef Roy yesterday after getting the original reply from Philip, he told me that my substance abuse in those days factored into my memory loss, that he never taught me that...LOL...

OK...sooooooooooooo....I did some looking around in my library, stashed away in an ancient volume of Gastrominique I found instructions to a saute pan I bought eons ago, and it said the same thing that me and Cape said originally (more in the line of what Cape said, not me)...

Soooooooooooo........scientifically it does not make sense to me now that I think about it for several reasons...as Philip so happily pointed out...

Salt does not disolve in oil...salt can contribute nothing to the metal other than being an abrasive when cleaning out the pan of the oil (now that I think about it)...

So now I am lost and confused...I have been using this method for close to twenty years now and never questioned it before because it has always worked...now I want to know *why* it works...

Who's next???????????


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## phatch

I know a few people who do this with cleaning cast iron to preserve the seasoning and it may carry over from that many many years ago.

Stainless steel resists the carbon patination that carbon steel, such a wok, develops and as cast iron develops. 

I can see that wiping out the hot pan with the salt and oil solution would help scour out the pores of any stuck micro bits and leave a sheen of oil behind for good performance for the next use. 

That's about as far as I can take it with my knowledge and resources.

phil


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## afina

Hi there,

The other day I was looking for some answers on how to season my frying pan and came across this thread.
Thank you very much for a suggestion and I'll definetely try the method in the nearest future!

At the same time I saw you guys were questioning salt role in the frying pan seasoning. Yes, salt does not react with oil, BUT) salt causes the oil droplets to clump together and finally form an oil layer. So it's just helping to evenly spread the oil through the whole frying pan.
Hope this is a good explanation on why we need salt there.
Kind regards,
Afina


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## lance folicle

From everything I've read, the seasoning technique described above for SS is useless. This is a technique that's been used for cast iron and carbon steel pans, however.

I prep my new SS pots and pans with a thorough washing in hot water using a good dishwashing detergent - Dawn is a good one - and rinse the pan well. Next comes an application of Barkeeper's Friend, another good rinse, and another, lighter wash with detergent (to get rid of any risidual BKF) and that's all that's needed. BKF is used regularly after that. Very little sticks, and anything that does is easily soaked off with detergent and hot water.

Lance


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## ed buchanan

Years ago good breakfast cooks in the hotel locked up their pans when they went home. Aftrer reading all of the above questions and answers I believe things got a bit crossed. Their pans were all steel ar heavyweight aluminum. If purchased new they were washed in soap and water ,dried and filled with salt. 
They were then put on a burner till salt turned a slight grey color then it was thrown out. The pan was now rubbed with salad oil and hidden till needed. Eggs never would stick, and we did not know from teflon. 
The main thing the pan never saw water again, the eggs slid out to the plate the pan then wiped and re oiled. This process was only done for 8.9.or 10 inch saute pans for eggs., any other pans didn't matter. When new the labels were taken off and the pot washer scrubbed them and hung them to dry. The only stainless steel pans we used were double boilers, as ss pans form hot spots and uneven cooking.:lips:


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## dc sunshine

Hmmm - all is as clear as mud  I'm only home cooking, so cannot attest to the use of any highly used pan. 

I recently bought one (hey the budget was good that week). Just washed it out with hottish water and a good detergent, dried it thoroughly. Left it till I used it. Does fine for anything I've thrown at it. Steaks, eggs, sauces, breaded cuts, onions...the list goes on. Then just clean it the same way. Even let it drip dry when time is short.

I'm sure the pans prob react differently after high volume use. This is just me relating what happens in a home environment for those who are interested.

DC


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## chrislehrer

To my mind, the whole question is really why you want to season a pan in the first place. I thought the point was to produce carbon patination and make the pan essentially nonstick. The down side being that you can't ever wash the pan again. But with SS such a mediocre conductor I can't see why you'd want to go to all this trouble, especially as you'd end up losing the one thing SS really has going for it: dishwasher safety.

If you want a perfectly-seasoned egg pan, then you use things like rolled carbon steel, which you do season, and then you have to use it constantly to keep that patina. Same goes for a wok. Cast iron does better with this, I find, but you'd still never wash it.


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## chrislehrer

I'm with you, DC, but let me see if I can explain. Do you know the classic French _fines herbes_ omelet? The thing that's perfectly moist in the center, never ever browned, and smooth as silk?

Okay, so here's how you make it, in short. You put your pan over high heat, add butter, and whisk up some eggs with some minced herbs. Just before the butter starts to toast, you add all the eggs and start stirring very fast all over the pan with the bottom (the bowl part) of a fork, at the same time shaking the pan back and forth rapidly, so everything is constantly in motion. In about 30 seconds, if that, you stop for 2 seconds, then tip up the pan, fold the back edge into a crescent-moon shape, bang the end of the pan to bring up the far lip, flip it over the omelet, and then roll it right out the end of the pan onto a plate. The whole thing takes less than 1 minute.

Ready? Now try it on your nice stainless. Use 3 eggs and about 2 Tb butter. You know what will happen? It'll stick like (insert expletive of choice).

Try it on a nonstick pan: it'll work, if you do it right, but there are two problems. First, they didn't have that back in the day, and second, you're going to scratch up the teflon coating doing this. So if you make omelets like this all through a breakfast service, every day, you need a pan that conducts heat very well, with a nonstick surface that will not break up.

The way to get that surface is to season the pan with the oil and salt thing. (Yes, I've also been told about the salt as gospel, for what it's worth.) And then use that pan constantly, like 20+ times a day, and there will be no pan to beat it.

Jacques Pepin is very funny about this. He says (insert accent and manner): "I have a pan like this that I don't use. Why don't I use it? Because it sticks. Why does it stick? Because I don't use it."


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## dc sunshine

Good explanation - thanks Chris. It doesn't get used very often, as I said, I'm only a home cook. Now I understand the reasons behind the seasoning debate. Makes sense.

Good thing I don't make omelettes 

But I did season my SS wok and never put soap near it. It's lovely and black on the inside and does a good job. Have had it about 5 years (again, just home use few times a week) and it hasn't stuck.

Got a little cast iron griddle pan which I seasoned, and its never been near soap either. Its my favorite kitchen toy. We moved recently and I couldn't find it - when I did, it was like greeting an old friend. The things that make us happy.....!


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## boar_d_laze

Not exactly patination. The "season" gets into the pan's micropores and forms a very smooth layer of well-cooked, very hard carbon. 

You can wash them, gently -- although a rinse and wipe is preferable. What you cannot do is scour them. The older and harder the carbon in the pan, the better it will withstand cleaning.

Minor quibble here. Frequently "stainless" cookware is multi-layer or sintered to a high-conduction bottom. The "one thing SS really has going for it" is non-reactivity. It's safe with acids. 

It's not a great idea to put stainless cookware in the dishwasher. Dishwasher detergent moves around pretty fast in there and can cause pitting. If you must, try and use something with a LOT of chrome in it. 

Well, seldom. Cast is great, but carbon steel is preferable when weight and responsivie are in issue. Carbon steel skillets are the best pans for toss turning, and my favorite general use pans when things like wine and tomatoes aren't big issues. Cast's non-stick performance is similar, but where it shines is with heat retention.

BDL


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## hitormisscook

'Tried this oil and salt seasoning tip on my stainless steel skillet. Fabulous. My pancakes floated onto my plate this morning...

Thank you.


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## natesgirl

wow I feel lame, DH got me the huge set of all clad copper core and i've just used them all these years...:lol: no seasoning at all should I bother?


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## prothero

Hi, all. I found this thread in searching for a way to season a steel pan. It started life as a teflon pan - nice heavy base, outstanding handle, etc, with predictable results. Over the years, the teflon got scratched up and even formed some flakes that I did not want to come off in food. Rather than throwing it away, I paid a local shop $20 to sand blast the ruined teflon away, leaving a slightly rough surface. I coated that with oil and tried to season it on the stovetop without any salt. The oil pooled, then got thick and nasty (think BP tarballs), so I started searching for the "right" way to do it. The salt evidently keeps the oil liquid. Don't ask me for the chemistry behind it, because I don't have a clue - but it works!

Cheers!

- Charlie


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## sstclair

I've seen a lot of skepticism in the replies below about the simple process of seasoning a stainless steel saute pan before use.

I was a chef with The Mad Batter, a 4-star French restaurant in Cape May, NJ. We used the process as described above and it worked perfectly.

Not seeing this one other point anywhere else, I wanted to add just one more tip - We ONLY washed a saute pan if it was truly filthy. To clean, we would add a good bit of salt to the pan, then get a paper towel and grind the salt around in the pan. This got everything loose. We dumped the salt and any dirt into the trash, wiped it again with a clean paper towel and it was good to go. We rarely used washing to get them clean.

Steve


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## dlea

Back in the mid 60s, I worked at the Pitt Grill in Athens, TX. We seasoned our egg skillets by pouring a teaspoon of salt in then and scouring with a paper towel. We would then fill the skillet with oil almost to the top and turn on the heat until the oil just began to smoke. We would let it cool, pour out the oil and lightly scour with salt again. We only used these skillets for frying eggs. We had to flip the eggs and never used turners, forks or anything in the skillet. We added a bit of oil and rocked the skillet to completely coat the inside and have some left on the bottom, added the eggs and cooked over a gas flame. when the eggs were done on the bottom we "flipped" the eggs and after a brief time, turned them out on the plate. We would then dab up any excess oil with a paper napkin and serve a "perfect" pair of over-easy eggs. We would always re-scour with a bit of salt and paper towel if the skillet showed any sign of sticking.

The oil we used was a butter flavored oil and made a tasty egg, I wish I could remember the name of the oil.

David


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## cheryldean

DEAR CHEF,I WAS LOOKING FOR INFO ON HOW TO SEASON MY GRIDDLE ON MY MONOGRAM RANGE. THE DIRECTIONS IN THE MANUAL DON'T WORK. FOOD STICKS! THE GRIDDLE IS NOT REMOVEABLE. I WONDERED IF I COULD POUR SALT ON IT AND OIL,HEAT,THEN BRUSH IT OFF,IF THIS WOULD HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS A SKILLET. I KNOW THE WAFFLE HOUSE USES SALT IN THEIR SKILLETS AND THEY ARE SMOOTH AS SILK. THANKS


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## bobinnh

Some of these replies/explanations make me laugh- well intentioned but very funny.

1)salt will not open the pores of steeel or iron. Metal does not have PORES. Metal has surface microfractures. Salt will not open them up. If you looked very, very closely (with a microscope i mean), your skillet would look like a mountain range- alot of peaks and valleys, with some flat prairies inbetween.

2)The oil is used, and heated, so the other elements/other organic matter burns off, leaving pure (more or less) CARBON (all organic matter has Carbon,Hydrogen,Oxygen,Nitrogen) as a fill inthe gap material, making the surface more microscopically smooth. Carbon is graphite, diaminds, nanotubes, and, as seen here,  the stuff that makes iron skillets non-stick.

3)SALT can be used to scrape a skillet clean (just neutral crystals in this application) instead of soap or a scraper.


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## phatch

What salt does is accelerrate the break down of the oil, essentially freeing up the carbon more quickly and readily.


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## chefedb

Stainless steel pans can't realy be made non stick .This burning of salt process applied to steel pans before the advent of teflon. Any breakfast cook years ago hid his steel seasoned pans after his shift.

 Ater the salt turns grey dump it and wipe pan out with oil . If water hits the pan you must start all over again.This works on steel pans only and was the original(before  Teflon or Ironstone non stick pans)   Some tIme an aluminum skillet will work depending on the gauge. WHEN YOU DO PANS LIKE THIS, THEY ARE STRICTLY USED FOR EGG COOKERY.


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## bobinnh

1) Why do you need to speed up what is only a two to four hour process?

2)salt does not break down (NaCl stays NaCl) nor is it a catalyst, it just becomes another impurity mucking up a nice carbon layer.


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## bobinnh

agree- the salt acted as a sponge and scouring agent.


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## hotstuff

I came across this method via proffesional chefs specifying to use iodized salt as it contains SILICON!! I believe it is the "silicon" that is the active ingredient and solve to your ponderings.


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## recky

Season SS pans???? This is a completely new one on me. Cast or rolled iron, of course, but SS???


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## french fries

Recky said:


> Season SS pans???? This is a completely new one on me. Cast or rolled iron, of course, but SS???


Yes, some people like to season stainless steel. Personally I don't. I only season my carbon steel.


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## harlan

Hi, first reply, long time lurker. I spent 5 years as a professional brewer and caring for and cleaning the stainless steel tanks was a big part of the job, so I know a fair bit about SS.

Adding salt directly to a stainless pan is a bad idea--it will cause pitting. The chloride attacks the passivation layer which is what keeps SS from rusting. Bleach will do the same thing. The other big no-no are steel-wool pads--they cause tiny particles of steel to become embedded in the SS which creates a nucleation point for the formation of rust.

According to All-Clad's FAQ http://www.all-clad.com/Pages/Customer Service/faqs.aspx "For daily cleaning, warm, soapy water is sufficient. Clean your All-Clad thoroughly after each use. Food films left on the pan may cause discoloration and sticking... To get rid of stuck-on food or discolouration, and stains from using too high a heat, we recommend cleaning your All-Clad with a specialist stainless steel cleaning product called 'Bar Keeper's Friend'."

To prevent sticking: "A preheated pan and lower flames are the key to stick-free stainless steel cooking. Preheat your pan on low or medium heat for one to two minutes. Tap the upper edge of your pan to test the heat. (If it is too hot, remove from the burner for a couple of minutes.) Pour 2-3 teaspoons of cold oil in your preheated pan-or enough to cover the bottom of the cooking surface. Add food, making sure that there is an even sizzling sound when your food touches the pan. This indicates that your food is cooking on contact and creating a natural barrier to prevent sticking. Allow food to cook without disturbing it until the correct doneness is achieved. The natural sugars in your food caramelize on the cooked surface, developing great flavours and lifting your food off of the cooking surface naturally. If the sound that food makes on initial contact with the pan is more of a crackle than a sizzle, your heat is too high and sticking may occur. All-Clad recommends low to medium heat for frying, braising, sauteing and simmering because All-Clad is ideally crafted to hold heat. " IOW, unlike carbon steel pans, SS does not appear to require seasoning...

harlan.


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## french fries

harlan said:


> IOW, unlike carbon steel pans, SS does not appear to require seasoning...


Correct, SS does not *require* seasoning. That doesn't mean you can't season them if you want to. Some chefs like to season theirs to create a non-stick surface.


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## davidhead

Being the cook in our home and trying to learn all things culinary, it sounds like carbon steel and cast iron are the best there is for a serious cook.  I have three questions, first where do I go to get very good carbon steel cookware, second, would sandblasting my cast iron cookware and starting over with a proper seasoning technique help even out hot spots, and lastly will a ceramic chefs knife keep an edge better and Damascus steel.


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## veggie

This thread is why I joined ChefTalk. After I bought my first set of SS cookware (yes, a set) I managed to stick and destroy just about everything I put in a skillet and was losing hope that I would ever be able to fry another egg again. I knew it could be done because I've seen other people do it. I cam across instructions on how to season a SS pan and gave it a try. No salt involved. Worked like a charm. But one of the reasons I switched over to SS was that I like that gleaming cleanliness look it has so it just didn't sit well leaving it oily and kind of sticky feeling so I washed off the seasoning. Maybe if I ever get another pan that I can reserve just for eggs I will do it again because it really did work well. Now I just let the pan get hot, add oil and let it get hot, then add the eggs. Works well enough if you have the time to let the pan get to the right temps before adding the oil and then again before adding the eggs. It would be a time saver to have a pre-seasoned pan reserved just for eggs.


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## chicagoterry

Or, do what a lot of people do and keep one non-stick pan just for eggs. Use your stainless for everything else.


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## boar_d_laze

hotstuff said:


> I came across this method via proffesional chefs specifying to use iodized salt as it contains SILICON!! I believe it is the "silicon" that is the active ingredient and solve to your ponderings.


Your professional chefs were full of crap. Iodized salt is salt (sodium-chloride) and iodine. There is no silicon involved. Furthermore, silicon is not non-stick. I fear your professional chefs confused it with silicone.

Those of you pondering, may continue to do so with ponderings unsolved.

BDL


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## boar_d_laze

Veggie said:


> Maybe if I ever get another pan that I can reserve just for eggs I will do it again because it really did work well. Now I just let the pan get hot, add oil and let it get hot, then add the eggs. Works well enough if you have the time to let the pan get to the right temps before adding the oil and then again before adding the eggs. It would be a time saver to have a pre-seasoned pan reserved just for eggs.


If you ever do get another pan which you can reserve just for eggs, you're still going to have to preheat it; so no time savings. You'll have to continue to set your alarm clock two minutes earlier than you otherwise might.

Alas! You're still going to need to add at least some butter or oil if you want the eggs to taste good.

BDL


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## veggie

ChicagoTerry said:


> Or, do what a lot of people do and keep one non-stick pan just for eggs. Use your stainless for everything else.


The other reason I switched to SS is that I don't like non-stick. Had a set of anodized non-stick and got tired of having to baby it. Not to mention the issues with chemicals and flaking. I have a tendency to turn up the heat too high. If other people want that I don't mind but this girl already has an autoimmune disease that is affecting my liver. I'm opting not to expose myself to any chemicals in my food I can avoid, no matter how minute the risk. The upside to that is that it has forced me to use real whole foods and I really cook more than I ever did before. I've been taken out of my comfort zone and am learning a lot of new stuff, like how to cook in SS pans.


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## veggie

boar_d_laze said:


> If you ever do get another pan which you can reserve just for eggs, you're still going to have to preheat it; so no time savings. You'll have to continue to set your alarm clock two minutes earlier than you otherwise might.
> 
> Alas! You're still going to need to add at least some butter or oil if you want the eggs to taste good.
> 
> BDL


Of course, you're right, the pan still has to heat up but the seasoning did take a little of the guess work out of when was the right time to add the egg. Being that it was essentially non-stick putting the eggs in a bit early didn't mean certain disaster. I'm still having some trouble with the timing. Probably because it seems to take forever to heat up and I get impatient. The multiple layers on the bottom of my pans are probably to blame for that. I do manage to pull it off occasionally though.


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## furkin

Hi,

As a first time writer, I apologise to jump in here _(Mods: please feel free to move)_

Until I get a new hob, I am using an electric aluminium frying pan.

I don't like sanitising frying pans, or Tea pots come to that.

This pan is used for multi cooking. Many years ago I read about 'cooking' salt in frying pans, to help to seal/season them, which helps towards a non-stick surface. I used it a few times, but I really don't know if it helped or not.

Reluctantly, I had to wash / scour this pan yesterday & was about to use the salt routine, again to help the 'non stick' idea.

I thought I'd look on the 'net for others opinions & came across this great debate.

As above - my pan is alloy, so may need a different system - any advice on this please ?

Also:

My new hob will be Induction.

I am looking into the Stonewall / Ceramicore frying pans. Their blurb says that even though they are based on aluminium they _are _suitable for Induction hobs.

I've been in touch with the manufacturers _(a few times - as their initial replies were "yes - they are o.k for Induction" but didn't offer more details until pressed.) _ Apparently, there is 12% s.steel in the base.

Has anyone used these pans on Induction hobs please ?

Thanks for a great site & 'grater' help & advice.

F


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## tumacookery

I'm a retailer of kitchen goods, and a fan of induction, though I have heard stories of electronic problems. A few years ago I tested Viking 7 ply against Chantal Copper Fusion on a single burner induction hob.

The Chantal has an iron plate as part of the pan bottom, while the Viking is the typical clad SS exterior and interior over aluminum. Since induction requires iron to create heat, the induction plates in "true" induction ready pans will perform better. I found the Chantal heated faster, and to much higher temperatures than the Viking. So, for lower temp. cooking stainless may be fine, but for fast response and higher temps seek out a pan with more iron. Try cast iron, carbon steel, or pans with an induction plate as part of the bottom.

I have wondered if the low iron content in SS pans may contribute to electronic problems with induction. Any insight out there?

Video on seasoning stainless steel






Video on seasoning carbon steel:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoIO8YOpyN4


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## sargentchef

"Seasoning your Stainless Steel"

This is the way we are trained today.  Take 2 tablespoons of salt and place it in the bottom of your Stainless Steel egg pan. Rub the salt into the pan with a papertowell or napkin in a clockwise, or counter clockwise motion for a couple of minutes.  "This actually acts like an abrassive on the metal and makes it prepares the metal for seasoning".  

Next wipe out the salt with a clean napkin or paper towell and discard the salt.

Fill the pan about 1" deep with some buttery oil mixture into the pan and heat the pan on a low to medium heat for about 15 to 30 minutes.  You do not want the heat to get so hot that it is burning.  Just keep it below that level.

For best results do not wash this pan in soapy water, or a dish washer especially.  Continue to wipe the pan out after use with a clean cotton cloth.

After you begin using your pan, At some point you will need to start this process over because egg will begin to cook to long in your pan, or the pan will begin to have a carbon build up.  

If you are just using the pan for home use, you won't have to start over that often.  In a restaurant atmosphere, you might have to season the pans every day.


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## mhpr262

Seasoning isn't carbon. It is polymerized unsaturated fatty acids. The stuff that has the most unsaturated fatty acids and is best suited for seasoning is flaxseed oil. our grandparents used to do it with lard, but back then pigs were fed on a different diet, nowadays there are almost no unsaturated fatty acids in lard.

For the perfect seasoning you wipe down a clean cast iron or forged/rolled steel skillet with a very thin layer of flaxseed oil, wipe it "off" again with a clean kitchen tissue (there will still be layer of oil there don't worry. If you leave out this step your seasoning will be splotchy and ugly) and stick it in the oven for an hour at 200°Celsius. Do that five times and your seasoning is a good as it will ever get.

Stainless steel cannot be really seasoned but can also be made almost non stick with the proper procedure. You heat the dry, empty pan until some sprinkled in water droplets float like quicksilver instead of evaporating, then you pour in some oil, coat the pan with it and bring it to its smoking point. Hold it there for a minute or three, then pour out the excess oil and wipe it clean with a kitchen tissue. Now the pan is ready. For best results always let the pan get hot enough that food "hisses" as soon as it touches the pan. That sound means that the moisture in the food imediately forms a layer of steam between the food and the pan and it doesn't really get the chance to stick. Stainless doesn't take a permanent seasoning like the other stuff so the process with the smoking oil must be reapeated each time you clean it with dishwascher fluid.


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## sargentchef

This is the way we learned at the WAFFLE HOUSE;

We use only Stainless Steel.

The reason we SEASON OUR EGG PANS:  For the important non-stick property.

1.  First we take about 2 tablespoons of salt and pour into the bottom of the pan.

2.  Next we take an unused napkin or paper towell and use it to rub the salt in either a clockwise, or counter clockwise circular movement for a couple of minutes using as much force as you can. ( In theory we are using the salt to hone down the rough edges of the pan, and making the pan have a polished effect. (Non-stick surface)

3.  Dump the salt in the waste can and wipe it clean in the same circular motion as you were previously.

4.  Once the surface of the pan is clean and salt free and the gray substance is wiped out of the pan, your pan will shine brighter than before.

5.  Now take some of your preferred oil, (At WAFFLE HOUSE we use a butter-shortening pre-mixed bottled oil).  Poor about an inch deep of oil in the pan and let it heat for about an hour in the pan.

6.  Just prior to you using the pan to cook your eggs pour the oil out except for enough to coat the bottom and walls of the pan.

7.  Now you can cook a great order of over medium eggs.

8.  Once you have cooked this order of eggs, you should take a clean cotton cloth and just give the pan a quick clockwise wipe and it will be clean enough for repeated use.

9. add a few ounces of oil back to the pan and set it on a low heat awaiting it's next order of over mediums.

Remember that once you either hit the bottom of your pan with your cooking utensils, overheat, or wash with soap and water, the pan will need to be prepared all over again.

Note: The purpose of the salt is that it works as a sanitary abrasive so you may use your product to cook food and serve it without contamination.

S

SargentChef


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## kokopuffs

My aluminum fry pan is dedicated to eggs and I use butter for the cooking medium.  When finished cooking eggs, I simply rinse with hot water and a plastic scouring pad.  And the pan is good to go for the next round of cooking eggs.


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## doug b

Here is what I know I wish I would of looked at this thread first crap I have some scrubbing to do


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## john milner

As a PhD Chemist, the salt in the seasoning of SS pans has 2 roles:-

   1.  It acts as a dehydrating agent, removing any water from the oil, and from the surface of the pan.

   2.  It is an effective scouring agent, helping to remove any dirt from the open pores of the steel when it is hot (metal pres are open when hot

On cooling, the pores take on a monolayer of oil/ carbon, creating the non-stick surface.

This precess is one of the few things you can do to prevent old SS pans from sticking.  You might need to repeat several times, avoiding washing in between.  Each time the pan will become more and more 'non-stick'.


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## vanessal

I season my pans and after a few uses I have to reseason them? Can you please tell me what I'm doing wrong I only wash with hot water.


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## michaelga

All the above crap about salt, dehydration and carbon is just that... crap.

No offense to a PhD Chemist (what ever the hell that is) I also know several Civil Engineers that can't properly hammer a nail or drive a screw.

Here is the best written guide - that uses commons sense and 'gasp' science to explain how to season cast iron and/or carbon steel pans.

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

Read it and follow it to the letter - lots of people skip the step that says "Now rub it all off".

The entire key is held in this single factual sentence:

*The seasoning on cast iron is formed by fat polymerization, fat polymerization is maximized with a drying oil, and flaxseed oil is the only drying oil that's edible. *

For emphasis the pan on the left is poorly seasoned. The pan on the right is properly seasoned. It is the same pan in each photo!










Read the article. Do it!


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## dillbert

not to be too upset, Recky.

there are people who still believe the earth is flat.


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## french fries

MichaelGA said:


> For emphasis the pan on the left is poorly seasoned. The pan on the right is properly seasoned. It is the same pan in each photo!


Wow. A picture is worth a thousand words! I can only dream of having my carbon steel pan seasoned so beautifully. Even the pic on the left would be an improvement for me. I read the article, now I need to find the time to do it. Thanks!


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## michaelga

Carbon steel will be a bit more grey and not so black but it will be smooth and non-stick as any cast-iron.

I spent the entire weekend Sat&Sun a few years back Cooking all my pans properly.  

A thousand curses from the wife and way too much smoke but boy are they nice to cook in!  (even on my supremely crappy ceramic top stove... gah!)


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## french fries

MichaelGA said:


> Carbon steel will be a bit more grey and not so black but it will be smooth and non-stick as any cast-iron.
> 
> I spent the entire weekend Sat&Sun a few years back Cooking all my pans properly.
> 
> A thousand curses from the wife and way too much smoke but boy are they nice to cook in! (even on my supremely crappy ceramic top stove... gah!)


Oh those pics were cast iron? Didn't realize that. Thanks for the precisions. Yeah that's my issue I don't think the wife and kids would be too happy about all the smoke so I'm going to figure out some time when they're away, or maybe use the outdoor gas grill?


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## ordo

Have to try the salt trick on my SS pans.

At this very moment i'm seasoning a new carbon steel paella. Wish i had some flaxseed oil but i dont.


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## michaelga

ordo said:


> Have to try the salt trick on my SS pans.
> 
> At this very moment i'm seasoning a new carbon steel paella. Wish i had some flaxseed oil but i dont.


Save your salt... it doesn't do anything.


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## michaelga

French Fries said:


> Oh those pics were cast iron? Didn't realize that. Thanks for the precisions. Yeah that's my issue I don't think the wife and kids would be too happy about all the smoke so I'm going to figure out some time when they're away, or maybe use the outdoor gas grill?


If you can keep your grill evenly hot it should work. Maybe throw a pizza steel or baking steel underneath to keep the heat even.

The final temp isn't really that important it just has to polymerize (burn) the oil.

hmm... wish I would have thought of that earlier.


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