How to Turn Your Stainless Steel Pan into Nonstick Cookware

Are you worried about the danger that may be lurking in your pots and pans? Many people are concerned about the possible toxic effects of the nonstick coating used on some cookware (such as the name brand Teflon). And although the FDA considers these pots and pans to be fine for home use, recent news reports suggest that it may be time to reexamine the safety of this cookware.

According to an AScribe news article linked here, the California Assembly voted to ban a toxic Teflon chemical from food packaging. Another news article, printed at Natural News here, reported on a study that found the same chemicals used in Teflon in breast milk.

But what are your alternatives to nonstick cookware?

Many people turn to cast iron, which can be a great choice. Unfortunately, it’s not the best for making sauce and stews, especially acidic dishes (such as those containing tomatoes).

Another option is stainless steel. However, many cooks find their foods–especially things like eggs–tend to stick the pan.

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to make your stainless steel pots, pans and skillets actually cook as if they had a nonstick coating.

Step 1: Heat the pan. Choose a medium-high heat setting. The pan or skillet should be completely empty. Heat on the burner until you can place a hand above the pan and feel the heat rising off the surface.

Step 2: Add oil. The oil should be room temperature, not warm! Good choices for cooking in stainless include olive oil and canola oil, although butter and margarine will work, too.

Step 3: Heat the oil. The oil needs to warm in the pan before you begin cooking. You don’t want to burn the oil, but a tiny bit of smoke coming off the oil will let you know the pan is ready.

Step 4: Turn down heat. At this point, your skillet and oil is super hot! In most cases, you’ll want to turn down the heat just a bit before adding your food (unless you’re searing meat).

Step 5: Cook your food. Your pan should have a nice coating of oil that helps create a nonstick-like surface.

You may think this technique requires too much oil, especially if you’re dieting or trying to eat healthy. Surprisingly, you need very little oil to create this type of “nonstick” surface (try an aerosol spray can of oil to control the amount of fat you’re adding to the pain). Always opt for healthier oils like canola or olive oil to give yourself a healthy fat boost.

For a stainless steel pan that cooks like a nonstick skillet, remember this rule from the Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith: “Hot pan, cold oil, food won’t stick.”