I transitioned from a lifetime of nonstick to stainless last year, and did a ton of research before I shelled out for all-clad. The key is pre-heating. You want your pan so hot that a test drop of water stays one large bead that floats across the surface. If the bead shatters into tiny droplets that float, it's not hot enough. I preheat mine on just under medium heat for about 5-6 minutes on my electric stovetop. After it gets hot enough, you want to add more fat than you would on a nonstick. I do a full tablespoon of ghee (or butter) for my scrambled eggs, and I make sure that the whole bottom is coated before I add the eggs. When I do these two things, pre-heating and enough fat, my eggs slide off, just like on nonstick.

I admit that I screwed this up the first few times, and had to renew my skillet with barkeepers friend, but once I figured it out I haven't had any issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Scrub with steel wool

+2

+3

Stainless steel is the easiest and quickest type of pan to clean (as long as you use steel wool)

Anonymous wrote:What are you cooking in your pots and pans and at what heat? What you are describing sounds like burnt food. Are you cooking at very high temperatures? I've literally never cooked anything in a nonstick pan other than breakfast foods (eggs and pancakes mostly) and have never had the issue you describe.

I am puzzled too because I have several stainless steel and have never cooked in a non-stick pan in my life and have never had this problem OP is talking about. Is she burning her food? Sounds like she's only cooking at very high heat.

If she is cooking Indian, then perhaps stainless steel pans aren't suitable for a high heat, high oil cooking of the kind she does? Definitely possible.

We started using anvacado oil in our stairs less steel pans. Not sure that’s a necessary expense.

Anonymous wrote:1. heat first
2. use butter not olive oil - burns at a higher temp
3. soak
4. barkeepers friend
5. cheaper pans harder to clean. I splurged and bought demeyere and almost nothing sticks and so easy to clean

Do you mean clarified butter/ghee? Because regular butter burns at a lower temp than olive oil.

Anonymous wrote:Buy a can of the cheapest tomato sauce. Pour enough in the pan to cover the bottom. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a rolling simmer for a few minutes. Rinse in hot water then a couple drops of dish soap. Spotless pan.

Great idea. I'm going to try this next time I need to.

Heating until a drop of water dances before putting oil in changed my whole relationship with my SS pans. Game changer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Scrub with steel wool

Don't do this.

Why not?

Buy a can of the cheapest tomato sauce. Pour enough in the pan to cover the bottom. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a rolling simmer for a few minutes. Rinse in hot water then a couple drops of dish soap. Spotless pan.

My All-clad is almost like a nonstick. I use barkeeper's friend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad you asked this question, OP. I have some lovely All Clads that I rarely use because everything sticks to it, even when I heat it first and then oil it.

Never had this problem. What are you cooking?

Indian food. Mostly vegetables. The only way to get it to not stick is to use A LOT of oil, and cook on low. Which doesn’t work for everything.

You don’t have to use a LOT of oil and cool on low, which is probably making your food greasier than you like.

I posted above about using a hot pan and adding oil and the leidenfrost effect. Watch this video at 3:24 for more info, or the entire thing. He explains the concept of the stainless steel pores in more detail

https://youtu.be/p5XcN3AyITY?si=dtw_6yObgrrxwv3m

1. heat first
2. use butter not olive oil - burns at a higher temp
3. soak
4. barkeepers friend
5. cheaper pans harder to clean. I splurged and bought demeyere and almost nothing sticks and so easy to clean

Use baking soda, with just a little bit of dish soap and a little bit of hot water and scrub with a plastic scrubbing brush.

PP right above these are the best things ever:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scotch-Brite-Dobie-Pads-Cleaning-Pads-2-Dobie-Pads/20585639?athbdg=L1200

Use that and green apple dawn

Anonymous wrote:Trying to finally move away from nonstick but I 100% do not understand. The very first time I used it, the inside is all browned and stained. I tried soaking in dish detergent (which the box it came in said would totally clean it) and nothing. Used barkeepers friend and nothing. I don't get it. Please help?

Soak in with very hot water and dawn dish soap then use a dobie sponge on it.