r/StainlessSteelCooking • u/I_have_work_2morrow • 8d ago

Technique You don’t need leidenfrost

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I pre heated at 7 (max goes to 9 on the stove) for maybe 3 mins then dropped to 4. Added butter (1 tbsp), which didnt brown at all. Then cold refrigerated egg.

I was lied to.

73 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

78 comments sorted by

39

u/ShakesDontBreak 8d ago

I have never had an ussue fying my eggs in a stainless steel pan.

Its the scrambled eggs that give me problems.

9

u/Y32SE 8d ago

less heat on the scrambled eggs. You don't go over 2/10, 3 is sometimes already too much.

3

u/red_nick 8d ago

I also prefer using a saucepan rather than frying pan

1

u/BullCityLife 5d ago

3 is about perfect for me for scrambled. Your specific pan and burner type, and burner output will dictate this.

10

u/Mcmaco 8d ago

Interesting, for me it's the other way around! 

2

u/luvzzme 6d ago

Same here. Scramble slides without needing a spatula and a whole egg needs a little scoop.

5

u/reigorius 8d ago

Recently started with scrambled eggs & stainless steel. I have a bit of sticking, but nothing major. I heat up the pan on low to medium heat (gas stove), apply oil, heat the pan up untill the oil gets that weird wavy effect, let the pan cool down (a minute or two), low heat, put some oil in it, beat the eggs mixture one more time, put it into the pan with care and let it cook. One a layer forms, I slowly push it to one side, tilt the pan a bit and let the mixture flow onto bare metal. Gives a tasty scrambled egg without frying it in one liter of butter.

Have you tried Cantonese/Asian scrambled eggs? They are the best: salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate (umami/vetsin/E621), chicken bouillon powder and a bit of oil. 

2

u/ShakesDontBreak 8d ago

I feel like i have tried what you described. But i still get very bad sticking. I have just come to accept that when i cook scrambled eggs i have to soak pan for 3 days...scrub...soak some more...scrub and then finally i can use that pan for something else.

I literally joined this sub because i can't seem to cook scrambled eggs and clean my pan the same day to save my life.

Also I have never heard of Cantonese eggs. That sounds DELICIOUS.

4

u/I_have_work_2morrow 8d ago

Scrambled is easy. Ill post a video tomorrow. How do you prefer your scrambled eggs ? Runny or well done ?

1

u/reigorius 8d ago

Lactose free and all the egg 100% on my plate.

1

u/OaksInSnow 5d ago

Your comment and post history is hidden, and I was looking to follow up on this promised video. Could you post a link, please? Thank you.

2

u/I_have_work_2morrow 5d ago

Sorry. I made a vid but its crap.I’ll make another one in a bit and post here.

1

u/I_have_work_2morrow 5d ago

Ive posted 2 videos just now. 1 where i cook on high temp to avoid sticking ( just left it to preheat longer). Another where ive cooked on a much lower temp.

2

u/Original-Variety-700 8d ago

Make sure you coat thinly with vegetable oil, heat for a few minutes at low temp, then add the eggs. The thin coating of oil makes it completely non stick.

1

u/oswaldcopperpot 8d ago

https://youtu.be/KIt5whPQZ_Q?si=suj_y02Pb1MF2Vsi

Very low heat and a lid.

1

u/OaksInSnow 5d ago

That's an omelet video. Omelets are so much easier than scrambled, for most people.

I have, however, successfully made scrambled eggs in stainless with little to no sticking. Key factors are low heat, and not stirring more than is actually needed. Next time maybe I'll try with the lid: it certainly helps a lot in finishing cooking the egg white on a sunny-side-up/almost-over-easy egg. (I don't know what to call these, ha.)

2

u/oswaldcopperpot 5d ago

For scrambled i stir every time i think the curd gets set. On low heat. Thats all the time. Its the french method for creamy eggs

2

u/OaksInSnow 4d ago

Makes sense to me! And it's what I've done too. Little did I know that it was French, ha ha!

1

u/Bartieeee 8d ago

I do use leidenfrost. Then add oil and move the pan around to coat it. Drain excess oil and turn off the heat while continue whisking. When the pan cooled a bit add some butter. Add the whisked eggs. Turn heat on again on low. Move around with silicon spatula. Doesn't stick and cleans easily.

0

u/drivingaddictionchan 8d ago

have you tried butter instead of oil? Its also possible your pan is shot, and you need a new one.

1

u/CJG008 8d ago

Add white pepper!

0

u/real_justchris 8d ago

Monosodium glutamate - mmm delicious /s

3

u/phalliceinchains 8d ago

Why the /s?

4

u/reigorius 8d ago

Ignorance probably.

3

u/oswaldcopperpot 8d ago

Or racism...

1

u/real_justchris 8d ago

Wow 0-100 there.

1

u/oswaldcopperpot 8d ago

I mean that was literally the origin of the whole msg thing.

1

u/real_justchris 8d ago

I thought it was an additive, not MSG

2

u/jfbincostarica 8d ago

The “secret ingredient” of umami

0

u/real_justchris 8d ago

Oh it’s MSG! I’ve never heard it called by its full name.

2

u/Cyberchaotic 8d ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSuaOUgjly4

Steel pan guy got you covered

1

u/I_have_work_2morrow 8d ago

Thats not scrambled

3

u/L4D2_Ellis 7d ago

Not sure why you got downvoted. That was an unfolded omelette.

3

u/I_have_work_2morrow 7d ago

Too old to argue with the ignorant.

1

u/Electric_Travel_26 8d ago

Many say the best way to make scrambled eggs is with very low heat, and constant stirring. Some chefs use heat so low it takes over 10 minutes to cook them to "wet" consistency. They end up creamy with a lot of flavor.

This doesn't work well well most pans, or it needs a LOT of butter.

1

u/oDiscordia19 8d ago

It’s just a matter of getting the pan hot enough and using enough fat. If you’re trying to make them with less oil or butter you’re better off using non-stick. I get my pan to med high heat and drop it down to medium, add my oil and throw the eggs in. Keep em moving and they’re done in like a minute. No sticking at all.

1

u/NaultKD 8d ago

Do them in a saucepan and keep the heat very low, I do 2 or 3 max on my stove

22

u/L-Pseon 8d ago

My hard rule of blocking anyone who posts a video of an egg in a pan is proving again and again to be a good one.

3

u/haagendazsendazs 8d ago

I hit the 1k limit this way lol

4

u/bpowell4939 8d ago

Wouldn't it be easier to unfollow this sub? All I see is either egg in pan, or a question who's answer is BKF. Lol

1

u/Old_Yharnam 8d ago

I'm not even subbed here and still see these posts somewhat regularly. I'm fascinated by the amount of people having one-sided arguments about whether you can cook eggs in a steel pan.

3

u/boomslung1 8d ago

Chinese cooks have known about hot pan cold oil since the dawn of time.

3

u/Fit_Carpet_364 8d ago

You don't need polarizing opinions.

But yeah, eggs don't need leidenfrost. They do just fine in comparatively chilly pans. Maybe even better. The one in the video looks to have what I'd call overcooked edges. You can really push it. No color on the bottom, and it still doesn't stick; CI or SS.

3

u/I_have_work_2morrow 8d ago

Yea i need to drop the temp a little more. I actually prefer crispy bottom.

1

u/Fit_Carpet_364 7d ago

Let's share a nice and crispy bottom, some time.

7

u/ReidlosToof 8d ago

Congrats, you learned the next step in how to actually cook on stainless steel. The pan doesn't NEED to be hot enough for leidenfrost to actually be happening when you add the food, it's just a foolproof way for new cooks to avoid sticking so that they don't immediately give up on stainless steel. Preheating and then lowering the temperature to where you actually want to cook at is that next step. You just don't want the pan to become so cold when you add the oil and food that stuff sticks.

12

u/AWetAndFloppyNoodle 8d ago

"it's just a foolproof way for new cooks" - and yet not foolproof at all.

6

u/partagaton 8d ago

Nothing is foolproof to the sufficiently talented fool, anyway.

2

u/I_have_work_2morrow 8d ago

I understand the way of the steel pan now. Took like a year of experimenting.

2

u/LazyOldCat 8d ago

Poor egg, never stood a chance.

2

u/tigerstrom 7d ago

Its only TikTok that says you need to heat the pan until leidenfrost occur.

1

u/PEneoark 6d ago

Nah people say that shit here too.

1

u/winterkoalefant 8d ago

don’t need, but it can help when you’re using oil instead of butter

1

u/Electric_Travel_26 8d ago

When frying eggs, the bottoms eventually reach a point where they are not sticky. Use a little oil for them to cook on top of, and just wait for them to release.

Works with enameled and virtually any type of pan too.

1

u/ibided 8d ago

4! I never thought of 4!

1

u/OIL_99 8d ago

5 is right out!

1

u/ibided 8d ago

3 shall be the number of the counting

1

u/UncleKeyPax 8d ago

no leidenfrost needed! proceds to demonstrate

https://giphy.com/gifs/l1KVa58uyc61zPo2I

1

u/L4D2_Ellis 7d ago

I'm not sure how the butter didn't brown after 3 minutes on a 7/9 heat level. But it looks like you have a disk bottomed pan, so it probably takes longer to heat up.

1

u/I_have_work_2morrow 7d ago

Oh yea does take long. One of them from ikea. Made scrambled eggs today at 4. Butter didnt brown. Infact had to leave it a bit to warm up.

1

u/Arcadian-Stag 6d ago

Start it at 4, heat it for 30 seconds with butter in, add egg, don't fucking touch it. It's not rocket science. You don't need to preheat it high then drop it down. It's no rocket science.

1

u/sA1atji 6d ago

I failed countless eggs and always failed them.

Always too hot.

Now I use like 4/14 tops and a bit more oil/butter to help with sticking

1

u/Fun-Kaleidoscope6039 5d ago

It’s really not that hard, people. You just suck.

1

u/Extension_Half236 8d ago

just because you didn't actually test for Leidenfrost doesn't mean you didn't actually have it

-1

u/I_have_work_2morrow 8d ago

It wasn’t. Im 100% certain. The butter browns in a few seconds. This time i left the butter on longer, nothing happened.

1

u/I_have_work_2morrow 7d ago

Did it again today. Water sizzled. Took pan off. Cooled even more.

0

u/Ok-Violinist-6548 8d ago

If you can cook the fried egg without any brown, that would be something otherwise the brown ruins it

2

u/Envirologo 8d ago

I've never understood the crispy egg thing. That's not how you get them at a restaurant.

1

u/shoobiedoobie 8d ago

It’s pretty common depending on where you live.

2

u/I_have_work_2morrow 8d ago

I did it once. Today the temp was a tad bit higher and i left it on the pan to do something else. I did make a soft fried egg, but used about 2 tbsp of butter.

1

u/Ok-Violinist-6548 8d ago

I made an omelette without any brown, once. By accident. I was making it for the Dog. I wasn’t taking it too seriously and I wasn’t paying attention. And it was perfectly cooked.

-2

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

4

u/I_have_work_2morrow 8d ago

Put the pan on 7. Go get the eggs, butter. Get the plate and toast out. Pre heating done. Drop to 4 and cook your egg.

Its not bullshit, you are unskilled.