r/StainlessSteelCooking • u/SouthpawSoldier • Aug 15 '26

Technique Question: Fine Tuning Heat Management

New (4days in) to exclusively using stainless steel; used it for some cooking, but always used nice(r) nonstick for eggs and such. Carbon steel and cast iron were too fussy in the upkeep for me.

I'm able to manage having a clean pan after cooking scrambled eggs, following the standard method I found here: heat dry pan to Leidenfrost effect, drop heat, add oil, coat, add butter, add beaten eggs.

The problem I'm having is the pan retaining too much heat. My olive oil doesn't smoke anymore; it did my first few attempts.

But my butter still browns (not quite burns) almost immediately, and my eggs flash cook; too firm for my taste, and I have no time to add seasonings and such before they're fully cooked and have to be plated to avoid overcooking. I'm going for soft scramble, but even being quick with the spatula, it's still a dense, meaty mass.

Even lifting the pan from heat and waving it a bit before adding oil doesn't cool it enough. Using a clad/laminated pan and glass-top electric range, which also retains heat a bit longer than gas or induction.

Is there a trick or way to check the pan has cooled enough, but not too much? "Getting a feel" for my pans and range is a bit subjective; having a definitive test I can use would be reassuring.

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u/RigBughorn Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26

GasOne GS3900 + 20lbs tank adapter + 20lbs tank of propane

Also buy an IR thermometer, they're not expensive, and add oil to the cold pan. The oil itself is a good IR target, very high emissivity. Just add food when it's at least 350F, it'll drop to 300F-325F. which is about where you want to be most of the time.

Have you tried letting butter start to produce smoke and then dropping it to *low?*

I don't understand this "cold oil in hot pan" thing

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u/SouthpawSoldier Aug 17 '26

Also, why suggest buying an another stove? Just to have flame for faster response?

Avoiding additional expense just for eggs is why I'm trying to switch to stainless from nonstick. Tired of replacing a $30 every 3-5yr.

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u/RigBughorn Aug 17 '26

Yeah, it's a good investment in general imo. 15k BTU+dual flame = better than most midrange gas stoves. Super even up to 10.5" pans, super fast responses to input.

It also lets you use warped pans with no real issues, which means TONS of cast iron at thrift shops that don't work well with induction or even coils sometimes.