# I spent all this money on Martha Stewart's stainless steel frying pan and.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 25, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702 "2005-11-25T17:47:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Canadiangirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Canadiangirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadiangirl)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/1 "2005-11-25T17:47:23Z")
I can’t get the damned food to stop sticking to the bottom…I have now got my frying pan STILL sitting in the sink, waiting for it to let the fried eggs loose enough to scrape. Anyone got any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/2 "2005-11-25T18:15:14Z")
Stainless steel pans were the rage in the sixties, they didn’t rust. Everything you cooked had to float in butter or grease. You had to use steel wool on every pan, every time you washed. Throw the stinking thing out or wack Martha in the head with it for endorsing it. ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/3 "2005-11-25T18:16:44Z")
> [@Canadiangirl](#): > > I can’t get the damned food to stop sticking to the bottom…I have now got my frying pan STILL sitting in the sink, waiting for it to let the fried eggs loose enough to scrape. > > Anyone got any suggestions? Use butter or oil first? Sorry, in my experience eggs have always stuck to stainless steel unless I add some kind of grease first. If you want to make eggs without any added fat the only thing I can think of is to use a non-stick pan. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/4 "2005-11-25T18:18:46Z")
Stainless steel is a pain in the ass, as you’ve discovered. Give me a coated pan or cast iron any time. Sorry, no suggestions for you, other than to toss the damn thing. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/5 "2005-11-25T18:32:53Z")
Can anybody else give a vote for throw it out. We than have a three strikes your out ruling, and can table the request. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/6 "2005-11-25T18:34:53Z")
My stainless steel electric skillet just died! Wahhh!!! I _loved_ my SS skillet. I’m getting a new one. Nothing wrong with using a bit of olive oil. And sometimes you want the crusty bits that form on the bottom when frying - like for gravy. Soak it and use an SOS pad or similar on it. ---
**Author:** ![Canadiangirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Canadiangirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadiangirl)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/7 "2005-11-25T20:38:41Z")
I used oil on the bottom before I put the eggs in…but they still stuck. I always thought stainless steel was the ultimate…apparently wrong! Well, since they’re practically new and I paid good money for the set, I’ll keep it and just cook my eggs in the old, non-stock frying pan. thank you for all your thoughts…next time, cast iron is for me! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/8 "2005-11-25T20:46:37Z")
Or cook a couple strips of bacon first, then add the eggs. Oh, wait. You’re in Canada. Cook some back bacon first, then add the eggs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/9 "2005-11-25T21:17:27Z")
Stainless steel frying pans just suck. Everything sticks and no amount of oil or Crisco seems to help. I bought a set a few years ago and have the frying pans in the furtherest dark corner of my kichen. The pots, though, are OK. As long as you soak them after use. Next time I buy, I’m going to buy non-stick all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/10 "2005-11-25T22:19:48Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > Stainless steel frying pans just suck. Everything sticks and no amount of oil or Crisco seems to help. The only thing I use our stainless steel deep pan for is making roux. It’s perfect for that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/11 "2005-11-25T22:43:35Z")
> [@Canadiangirl](#): > > I used oil on the bottom before I put the eggs in…but they still stuck. I always thought stainless steel was the ultimate…apparently wrong! I have stainless and copper pans, and the thing that I learned first off is that the temp you cook stuff at has to be WAAAAY lower. Like WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY lower. If you used to turn the burner to 6 in your nonstick pan, try about 2 or 3 with your stainless steel pan and you’ll probably do much better. If you don’t I would send it back to Martha and get your $$ back. Stainless really is a great way to cook, if you get the hang of it. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/12 "2005-11-25T23:24:45Z")
Yah, I cook Eggbeaters Scrambled Eggs in my stainless steel frying pan all the time, and the secret is to use a bit of spray, let it heat up a bit before you pour the eggs in, and then LOW HEAT. Then afterwards the pan just needs a few minutes of soaking, and maybe just a _teensy_ bit of elbow grease on a few stubborn spots. And the scrubbing is good for your biceps. Teflon rocks. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/13 "2005-11-25T23:28:11Z")
My favorite skillet is the stainless steel one I got from my grandmother’s collection. I think this skillet is probably older than Martha Stewart and it still looks and works just great. I don’t have a lot of trouble with things sticking to it, but having things stick a little doesn’t bother me nearly as much as buying a new skillet every couple of years because the non-stick coating is coming off in chunks. OK, maybe not in chunks, but it’s gotten scratched up enough to no longer work properly and the pans themselves just aren’t that great without that one feature. **alice\_in\_wonderland’s** suggestion about lowering the heat is a very good one. Stainless steel will heat up more quickly than aluminum (because it’s thinner), so it is much easier to scorch things if you aren’t vigilant. Even then, it cleans up fairly easily with a little elbow grease and steel wool. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/14 "2005-11-25T23:58:40Z")
I have a tip to clean the pan. Put it back on the burner and fill past the burned parts with water and turn the heat up. Wait until the water starts boiling and start scraping the stuck on bits with a spatula. Everything should come off; if not keep the water boiling. I’ve cut pan washing down to a few minutes with this tip. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/15 "2005-11-26T00:15:24Z")
Note to all the people using oil/grease/butter but still getting sticking. This is generally (if using oil) caused by the heat being too high or too low. Stainless steel has (in my experience) a narrower non-stick temperature range and less forgiveness for out of bound oil temps than cast iron or thick anodized aluminum pans. Why I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/16 "2005-11-26T00:59:30Z")
To echo what everyone else has said stainless steel really is pretty good you just have to know how to put it to proper use. And currently there’s been a lot of scaremongering in the media indicating that non-stick pans are dangerous health-wise. Personally I’ve not been interested enough to look in to it myself, but it might or might not be credible. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/17 "2005-11-26T03:59:12Z")
Stainless steel is _awesome!_ Don’t listen to the people who say throw it out - it’s the only thing that will do for a pan sauce that you make after you fry something up and then you make your sauce as you deglaze the pan. No mess, tasty sauce. But you don’t make _eggs_ in it, you get a cheapie nonstick pan for that. Your stainless is for other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/18 "2005-11-26T15:19:52Z")
I bought a set of expensive Calphalon stainless steel pans a few years ago and experienced the same thing you did with the sticking. I spoke with someone online who was a pretty experienced chef and he said the temperature was really important, too high and it sticks, too low and it sticks. It does take some practice to figure out the best temp. I used to buy inexpensive non-stick pans and I also got sick of the coating coming off after a couple years, so I still prefer my nice pans. I have one nice Calphalon non-stick flat skillet that I use for eggs, pancakes and quesadillas and I use the SS pans for everything else. As for cleaning, I believe steel wool is not recommended. Get a stainless steel cleaner (I use something called “Bar-keepers freind”) and use a scrubbing cloth, like the dobie pads. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/19 "2005-11-26T15:57:19Z")
I’ll echo the Frugal Gourmet: “Hot pan, cold oil, foods won’t stick”. Okay, not necessarily hot, but warmed to the temperature you’ll be cooking. We have anodized aluminum Calphalon. Love. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702/20 "2005-11-26T16:21:57Z")
Exactly, **Ginger**. Start with a hot pan. This allows the pores in the steel to open and let the cooking fat in. You can turn any “sticky” pan into a non-stick pan this way. And it works. I haven’t had a problem with changing the temps I cook at. Stainless steel rocks if you know how to use it. I hate non-stick and use it only for a few things. Hubby uses it for eggs because he can’t be bothered with anything else. I can see how that would make sense. Non-stick for eggs if you must. Stainless for all your “real” cooking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-spent-all-this-money-on-martha-stewarts-stainless-steel-frying-pan-and/332702.md?page=2)