HOW TO KEEP FOOD FROM STICKING TO A (NOT-NONSTICK) PAN Published August 16, 2016 If you’re like a lot of our family and friends, you use nonstick pots and pans almost exclusively. We get it:

They’re easy to clean, and the performance of a cheaper nonstick pan is still pretty good compared with what a cheaper stainless steel pan can do. REASONS TO GO BEYOND NONSTICK Even the

best nonstick pans have disadvantages: * You can’t use them over especially high heat, or the coating deteriorates. * Metal utensils can damage the nonstick coating (which disqualifies our

favorite spatula). * They shouldn’t go into ovens set higher than 400 degrees. * Generally you need to throw them out every few years as the coating gets damaged. And there are _so many

* You can also move a lot of pans (including our pick) straight from the stove to a hot oven, a technique that works well for seared chicken thighs, which can’t cook through on the stove,

or thick pieces of fish. * Metal pans are fine to clean in the dishwasher, whereas nonstick pans aren’t. * Because the surfaces of most metal pans are lighter than dark nonstick coatings,

you can see your food better and know when it’s burning, or when it’s not yet brown enough. * You don’t have to break the bank to get a buy-it-for-life pan—our budget skillet pick costs

about $60 currently but will last at least three times as long (probably more) as our nonstick skillet pick. Here’s how to solve some of the most common complaints we've heard about

stainless steel and tri-ply pans. MY FOOD STICKS TO STAINLESS STEEL PANS. PREHEAT YOUR PAN:_ _This is probably the number one thing you can do to prevent sticking. Serious Eats explains,

“Even on a perfectly smooth, polished surface with no cracks/imperfections whatsoever, meat will _still_ stick as proteins form molecular bonds with the metal." Later, the article says

that "the goal is to get the meat to cook before it even comes into contact with the metal by heating oil hot enough that it can cook the meat in the time it takes for it to pass from

the air, through the film of oil, and into the pan.” PAT YOUR MEAT OR FISH DRY:_ _Same idea here—you want _the meat_ to cook as it hits the pan, rather than the moisture on the surface of

the meat. ADD YOUR OIL AFTER THE PAN IS HOT:_ _This keeps the oil from causing the smoke alarm to go off by the time you’re ready to cook. In The New York Times, Harold McGee says,

“Broken-down oil gets viscous and gummy, and even a slight degree of this can contribute to sticking and residues on the food.” FOR DAIRY, A THIN LAYER OF WATER PREVENTS SCALDING:_ _If

you’re heating milk in a saucepan for cocoa or custards, try this trick from Melissa Clark’s homemade yogurt recipe—rub the pot with an ice cube or rinse it with water before adding the 

milk. This step forms a layer of water that makes it harder for dairy proteins to form bonds with the metal of the pan. (We thought this was malarkey until we tried it—the trick really

works.) MY FOOD ALWAYS BURNS ON STAINLESS STEEL PANS. In this case you’re probably using too-thin stainless steel. Try switching to tri-ply, aluminum sandwiched between layers of stainless

steel. Thin, plain stainless steel gets hot spots and doesn’t heat as evenly as a pan that has an aluminum layer, but plain aluminum reacts with acidic foods and can make your tomato sauce

taste metallic. Our picks for the best saucepan and the best skillet are made with tri-ply, so they combine the nonreactive quality of stainless steel with the even heating of aluminum.

(Don’t be fooled by pans that have only an aluminum or copper core on the bottom. You want that triple layer up the sides, too, because food can still scorch there; look for fully clad

tri-ply.) Also, you want the pan to be hot hot hot to start, but you should turn the heat down once your meat goes in so that it doesn’t burn and smoke up the place. BAR KEEPERS FRIEND

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER AND POLISH THE BEST STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER This nonabrasive powder is your best bet for getting caked-on oil, scorch marks, and blackened food off stainless steel.

It'll also remove hard-water and lime deposits. OIL GETS BURNED ON, AND I CAN’T SCRUB IT OFF. For caked-on oil or burned foods, Bar Keepers Friend is cheap and works miracles. If you

don’t have any on hand, make a slurry of baking soda and water to scrub your pan clean. I GET WEIRD WHITE STAINS ON METAL PANS. Those are probably hard-water or lime deposits. The best way

to combat those is with an acid such as plain white vinegar or Bar Keepers Friend (which has a main ingredient of oxalic acid). I HATE SCRUBBING. For everything except caked-on grease, after

cooking you can fill the pan with water and put it on the stove until it boils, pour the water out, and clean. These steps should release most caked-on foods, making the pan just as easy to

swipe with a sponge as a nonstick one. Drying your stainless cookware with a dish towel, rather than letting it air dry, will keep it sparkling. UGH, EGGS. Okay, in that case, just use

nonstick. MENTIONED ABOVE * We’ve cooked mounds of eggs and more in 27 nonstick pans since 2016, and we recommend the slick and durable Tramontina 10-Inch Professional Restaurant Fry Pan.

The Best Nonstick Pan  * To find the best spatula for every scenario, we’ve tested spatulas of all types––from all-purpose fish spatulas to silicone scrapers. The Best Spatulas  * We’ve

completed more than 90 collective hours of research and testing since 2014. Here’s what we recommend as the best skillet for most cooks. The Best Skillets