Cooking isn’t something I trifle with. And come to think of it, who doesn’t love putting together mouth-watering meals with the finest cookware?! No one, I’d say.
But to get the maximum amount of satisfaction, many a chef and home foodies alike swear by stainless steel being so efficient. I’m a believer too, and there’s a good reason for you to join the pack!
At first, it wasn’t all roses for me when cooking with stainless steel cookware, but I’ve got the hang of it and can’t seem to shut up about it! Here’s all you need on how to cook with stainless steel cookware;
Why’s Stainless Steel the Perfect Cookware?
Right before getting your cooking skills active, you’ve got to know why everyone’s head over heels for stainless cookware. It’ll help you appreciate your utensils more, and keep you better informed on the usefulness of such cookware.
Let’s see these reasons in detail;
Heat distribution is more even than ever
With a high alloy stainless steel cookware, you’ve assured the most top form of heat distribution in your kitchen.
Proper heat distribution around your pan makes it possible for your meals to get correctly cooked. Also, it’ll forestall the incidence of hot spots capable of ruining your meals worse than you’d expect.
When seasoned, there’s no chance of sticking
Stainless steel cookware could hold its own when you need it for a fry. But when it’s gone through seasoning, it’s the best thing to cook up your meals.
You won’t experience any leeching
Highly corrosive cookware such as copper and iron could easily leech into your meals, ruining their taste. It’s no doubt you’ve tasted food off some of these pans with a noticeable metallic lacing.
But it’s not the same with stainless steel cookware! What you put into your pan is precisely what you’ll get out, but much tastier, of course. Leeching could have effects on your palate in the long run. So it’s best to take a safe, stainless steel path for better-tasting meals.
It’s sturdier than you’d expect
Based on the numerous tasks you’ll be giving your stainless cookware over time, it’s got to be very strong. There’s a reason why many chefs make stainless steel their only choice – they’re as tough as cookware comes.
With durability in mind, there’s no doubt the stainless steel option will remain most appealing to a massive number of cooks.
And to make it more interesting, stainless steel ranks among the most affordable cookware to get in stores.
Before a Cook-Off, What’s the First Thing to Do?
Before using your cookware, there’re some things you need to do to cook with your utensils just right. Here’s the primary stuff you need to know and do;
Maintain the Temperature of Your Pan
It’s a delight to every food enthusiast when they finally get a hold of their choice of stainless steel cookware. It’s no doubt you’re ruminating over how to get those browned meats ready in no time with your new utensil.
It’s commendable. But be privy of this – with stainless steel cookware, the temperature has a lot of roles to play. Let’s see how to become a better cook with the stainless cookware of your choosing;
Inverse preheating is perfect for your steel pan
Most metals other than stainless steel get preheated for long periods and stay hot for an equally lengthy space of time. In stainless steel, this process is the exact opposite.
Stainless steel, particularly the variants with copper or aluminum bases, tends to get hot faster than other cookware. With such heating speed, it’s best to get all your ingredients ready before heating your pan.
For the perfect stir fry, make use of this info for your benefit.
Add oil right after preheating
For excellent results, it’s better to get your stainless steel cookware preheated. But it isn’t all. Knowing the right time to add your oils also helps you cook better.
You may not know this, but there’re some pores you can’t really see in your pan. These pores will soak up oil from your stainless cookware, making it easier for food to stick onto your pan’s bottom.
Follow this step in getting your cookware preheated the correct way;
- Get your stainless cookware on heat.
- Use water droplets to find out if the cookware’s heated enough
- When you notice the water droplet forming a round shape when you work your pan around, it’s appropriately heated.
- Add oils right after you’ve noticed the pan’s hot enough
Don’t overheat, no!
Just as stainless steel doesn’t take time to overheat, it’s the same story with overheating. An overheated pan will cheaply turn your favorite meals into scorched food.
Also, when your cookware overheats, it becomes trickier to get it clean when you’re through with cooking.
Cleaning Tips for Easier Cook
Just as it’s vital to cook with your stainless steel, you need the correct info to allow you to clean it properly. When your utensils are clean, it becomes effortless to get the right kind of meal readies quicker than a flash!
Avoid Scraping
Scraping, particularly with metals, can do a lot of harm than good to your cookware. To keep your pans from developing any holes in the long run, put scraping aside. Instead, use a nylon scrub, wooden utensil, or non-abrasive material in cleaning off the stain in your cookware.
Don’t change your cookware’s temperature all of a sudden
It’s no doubt you’re keen on getting your cookware cleaned as quickly as possible. But when it comes to stainless steel, please exercise some restraint.
Stainless steel could get bent easier than you’d expect when you get a cold dip after it’s just out of the fire. The best route to take when cleaning your stainless is to wait.
When you wait to allow your stainless steel to cool, there’ll be no rapid temperature changes, ensuring your cookware’s shape remains.
Maintenance Tips for the Best Stainless Cook
Cooking with stainless steel ranks among the best highs in your kitchen, but maintenance is a must for consistent results.
For better service from your stainless utensils, make use of the following tips when cooking your meals;
Don’t place food in a pan when it isn’t heated
When you’re intending to get stainless to work well for you, don’t put anything in a pan before preheating it. Non-heated stainless steel is a sucker for sticking food. And when food sticks to your pot, burns follow.
With your pan preheated, it becomes effortless to lift food off the cookware’s bottom once the meal is ready. Also, you’ll find it less tricky to wash and quickly re-use your pan.
Allow overheated pans to cool before use
Overheating has a lot of negatives when it comes to stainless steel, and could easily ruin your meals if you aren’t careful.
First off, get the overheated pans cool to the point where you can touch them without getting burned. Afterward, try all over again, and make sure you get it right for the best tasting meals from your kitchen.
Don’t add fat to superheated pans
An adequately heated pan will get your food, making a sizzling sound. But with superheated stainless cookware, what you’ll see is a puff of smoke in an instant!
It’s pure knowledge; don’t add cooking oils or fat to an overheated pan. You’re likely to blacken the stainless cookware or get it ruined altogether.
Use medium heat, and it’s the best
As a stainless steel chef, knowing the right heat to use is key in getting the best meals put together in your kitchen.
Medium heat is the best for getting the meals well prepared. It also keeps the cookware consistent in its performance.
When you’re fond of overheating your cookware, it’ll develop hot spots, limiting the chances of cooking tasty meals for you. If you’re not used to medium heat and want something lower, reduce the temperature further to cook or fry your meals slowly.
Do away with overheated oils and start all over again
It’s tempting to take up the oil you added to an overheated pan and use it. Don’t do it! Using such oil will affect the taste of your meals.
Overheating causes the oil’s flavor to become tainted, so make sure you drain it out and use a fresh oil supply.
Don’t ever add salt before the water boils
Adding salt to water in your stainless steel right before the water boils contributes to damaging your cookware’s bottom.
Salt will corrode the surface of your pan when repeatedly mixed with cold water. To avoid salt’s effect, ensure water in your cookware comes to a boil before adding any salt.
Use high magnetic stainless steel for better results
For more balanced results when using your stainless steel utensils, try to find out the alloy percentage mixed with the steel.
Regular stainless steel cookware comes with a minimum of 11 percent or so chromium, nickel, or other alloy content. But there’re notable advancements to the metallurgy involved in making stainless steel cookware.
Right now, there’s stainless steel cookware with excellent magnetic properties (18/10 alloys). With such stainless steel set in your kitchen, the heat around your pan will be well distributed. Also, your meals will be ready quicker than you’d fancy.
Employ anti-oil powered cleansers in a wash
When you need your stainless steel cookware squeaky-clean, your choice for a cleanser should be well thought out.
There’re cleansers with low potential to get oils off your stainless steel quickly. Make use of a high-powered anti-oil cleanser instead for the best cleaning results.
General Tips
Now with all the vital tips are at your fingertips, let’s see how to cook with stainless for top-notch results;
Boiling
- Get water into the pan after it’s gone through thorough cleaning.
- Wait for the water to boil before adding ingredients to prevent corrosion from crystalline condiments
- Add your ingredients
- Allow your food to boil to the required number of minutes
- Remove the food from your pan and allow the cookware to cool
- Wash with warm, soapy water after allowing cooling
- Clean with a dry cloth and store for future use
Sautéing
You can only sauté well when you use a frying pan. Let’s see how you can do it;
- Get the stainless steel pan heated up
- Add a dash of your preferred oil as quickly as possible. For oily meat such as pork, you may skip this step to avoid too much oil in your food.
- Reduce the heat to low or medium
- Stir the food on both sides over the low heat for a complete sauté.
- If you’re using a seasoned pan, allow to cool and clean off excess oils with a paper towel.
- With a non-seasoned pan, allow to cool and wash with warm, soapy water.
Frying
- Get your pan heated up
- Add your preferred oil
- If you’re getting vegetables stir-fried, add the harder ones first for better, more rounded results.
- Stir your food over the heat until you get it to your desired state.
- If you’ve added excess oils, drain the oil from your food and set it aside.
- Allow the pan to cool and wash with soapy water.
Slow cooking
- When you’ve got to cook really slowly, stainless steel can also do the trick. Here’s how;
- Add water to your stainless steel cookware, setting your cooker to low – medium heat.
- Place your ingredients into the pan, and allow it to cook for as long as you’d want
- Finally, get the water drained from your pan
- Allow the pan to cool before a wash
Summary
Stainless steel cookware remains the in-thing when it comes to getting those mouth-watering meals put together in your kitchen.
Without a doubt, you’re now privy to what to do in getting your cookware to prepare the right meals for you. I’ve got no doubt you’ll make good use of this info for your benefit.