How to remove film from stainless steel pan

Question

I have an unsightly film around my stainless pan as shown here:

What is causing this to happen?

And how can I remove the film? I have soaked it in soapy water, scraped it with a plastic scraper, and run it in the dishwasher several times, but I can't seem to get rid of the film.

UPDATE: the pan is an All-Clad stainless, fully-clad frypan: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00005AL8C

Asked by Mike Eng

Answer

I concur with rumtscho in that scraping isn't going to get this off. Before you go the route of lye, I would try one of two things:

1- Pour can of diced tomatoes into pan. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes start to bubble, stirring occasionally. Stir heavily once bubbling, then discard tomatoes and wash pan.

2- Fill pot with a large amount of rhubarb and water. Boil for a long time, adding water as necessary. Discard and wash.

Answered by Jacob G

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Bundt Pan Substitution?

Question

I have a cake recipe that calls for baking in a bundt pan (it's a sweet potato spice cake). Can I use another kind of pan, or will it affect the quality of the cake?

Asked by SarahVV

Answer

The best substitution would be a a simple tube pan.

Besides the unique appearance, bundt and tube pans are used for particularly dense and moist batters. They might be used for a cake that might dry out on the outside before the center cooks through.

If you don't have a tube pan, then there are a couple alternatives. You can use two loaf pans, this should approximate the bundt pan. Another alternative is to use a deep circular cake pan with a ceramic ramekin in the center of it to create the hole. With either method you may need to adjust your cook time a bit depending on your results. (likely 25F lower and baked for a little longer) It also might simply just work without changes.

Answered by hobodave

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What should I look for in a cooking pan for Risotto?

Question

I just moved across country and basically sold everything I own including my cooking pans. I used to use a medium-high sided two handled pan that I cannot find an image for to show you. It worked for my purposes but I am generally cooking risotto for six and it never held enough and I would end up with some of my grains still on the crunchy side. I tried a larger around pan and it would not heat evenly enough on a conventional range. In a moment of desperation I tried using a wok, that was not a good idea. In any case I find myself on the hunt for a good pan to use that will handle six servings and heat evenly, I know I could cook in batches but I am generally just trying to get dinner on the table.

I am also aware that pans are subjective but with such a price range difference out there I don't have the money to experiment.

Asked by Varuuknahl

Answer

I suggest getting a quality stainless clad saute pan or saucier. For years I made risotto in the All-Clad 3 qt. saute pan shown here:

Unless you're serving huge portions this is plenty of room for 6 servings of risotto. There are larger options available though, including a mammoth 14" 6 quart one.

This pan easily does 90% of the work in my kitchen, so at any price it carries its weight in the kitchen.

That said, this past Christmas I got the All-Clad 3 qt. copper-core saucier shown here:

It's a very close matchup, but this pan is perfect for making risotto. The higher sides are a definite benefit, but you don't sacrifice much in flat surface area. The copper core is amazingly responsive, noticeably more so than aluminum. It's obviously rather expensive, so if you're uncomfortable spending that much on a pan I'd suggest getting one of their regular 3 qt sauciers -- you'll spend at least half as much.

If I only had one pan in my kitchen though, I think I'd still go back to the saute pan above. Its versatility is just unmatched.

---

Regarding your concerns that a wider pan won't heat as evenly, this is generally true for a cheaper pan. However, All-Clad pans use magic to bond a layer of aluminum (or copper) between a layer of magnetic stainless (exterior) and 18/10 stainless (interior). The end result is a very even heat which you can actually confirm with an infrared thermometer.

Answered by hobodave

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What is the most practical pan for a deep-dish pizza

Question

So over the weekend I wanted to make a deep-dish pizza and ended up with a thick crust as the pan I have is only about half as deep as I would need and two inches wider than the recipe called for. For deep-dish should I bother with spending forty dollars on a black steel 2-inch high 12" pan (that would only be used for pizza basically), or would I be better served to pay half as much for a two-inch high cast iron Lodge skillet (which would be much more versatile)?

I really like the crust you get from a heavy aluminum baking pan (thick-crust must be some kind of nostalgia thing), and already have a large stone (so good to go on thin crust), so I am looking to round out my options. Is there an alternate material or pan combination that works as well as cast-iron but might be lighter or even less expensive?

Am I traveling the total wrong route to a great deep-dish, or do I just need some fine adjustment?

Asked by mfg

Answer

A 2" or 3" deep round cake pan (i.e., fairly thin aluminum, but nowhere near as thin as the disposable things) actually works pretty well. These cost under $10 each. For example, Walmart sells one for $9

That's a 9" wide pan, but 12" cake pans are available too—and only a little more expensive. Maybe expect to pay $15 for one.

Answered by derobert

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Cooking juicy beef in a pan

Question

I recently cooked beef in a pan, and it came out pretty leathery. I came to cooking.SE to find some advice, and found this:

"The cut is important for both techniques. For sauteing, you need a lean cut - fillet, sirloin, or good rump steak. These should be cooked quickly over a high heat" from Cooking beef: how to make it tender? (most of the advice on the page seems to be "high-heat low-time")

My question is for a bit more follow-up on this. Most importantly, how will I know that the beef is cooked well enough to be safe, without it losing its tenderness? Also if it makes any difference, I'm using a non-stick pan (cooking it in olive oil is okay?)

Answer

The best way to test if it's done is to use an instant-read thermometer. Slide it into the thickest part, away from any bones. I like to lift up the meat with tongs and poke it into the edge, all the way to the center. You're looking for about 135-140F for medium rare; take it off a little early if anything because the temperature will go up a bit once it's off the heat. Let it rest for ten minutes or so before digging in to let the juices re-distribute.

I don't like using nonstick for steak, or olive oil. Neither does well at high heats, which is what you need to cook off moisture at the surface and get a nice browned outside before the inside gets overcooked. Cast iron and steel (stainless or carbon) both work very well in my experience. For fat, use a high smoke point oil like safflower oil, or clarified butter.

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Why does Angel Food Cake use a tube pan?

Question

I know from Can an Angel Food Cake recipe be converted to cupcakes that it is possible to make Angel Food Cake in a form other than a tube pan.

However, I'm wondering if there is a reason that Angel Food Cake is usually made in a tube pan. Is there an advantage to that shape? Other cakes are not usually made in a tube pan, so I'm wondering why that's the traditional shape for Angel Food Cake. Is there something about the nature of Angel Food Cake that requires the extra internal heat?

Answer

Structure is the main reason a tube pan is used for angel food cake. Angel food cake rises a lot, but does not have much of any gluten network or other means of supporting this structure. The egg whites can hold the air bubbles initially, but will lose them eventually. (Hence you should not delay baking after the batter is mixed, and you should treat the batter gently, spooning into the pan and taking care to not slam the pan around.) The tube pan helps because as the batter rises, it can "climb" the pan, sticking to the edges. This is also why angel food cake is left to cool upside-down in the pan for an unusually long time; it should not be removed from the pan until it is completely set. If it weren't for the tube, the center of the cake would not have anything strong to hold it up, so it would collapse. This is not an issue for cupcakes because they are so small.

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Dishwasher safe lids for copper cookware?

Question

I have a copper cookware set. I understand that the copper portion isn't dishwasher safe, but what about the lids? I assume since they have no copper on them, they are dishwasher safe.

My Cookware Set

Answer

Those lids appear to be stainless steel, and as such would be dishwasher safe.

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What can be cooked on a stovetop grill pan? [closed]

Question

I'm thinking of buying a stovetop grill pan similar to this one:

What can something like be used for? I.e, could it be used for grilling a chicken breast or vegetables like egg plant, and/or everything else that can be barbequed?

If so, what would be the method of cooking on this, i.e, would I need to oil the grill? How much would I have to heat it up? Would I marinate my chicken breast or can it be put on without any marination?

Answer

First off, even if you're not a cast iron fan - don't get a non-stick grill pan. They're not meant for high heat. The cast iron version is highly recommended.

The trick to using a grill pan on the stove is to realize how it relates to cooking on a real grill. Treat it as you would if you were grilling over direct coals with the lid open on a grill. If you would finish the meat strictly like that on the grill, then you could finish it fully on the stovetop. Think burgers, sausages, stuff like that.

If you would move it off to indirect heat on the grill to finish, then that's when you need to consider it moving it to the oven. Sear a chicken breast a couple of minutes per side and then put it in the oven to finish.

As far as what food, I can't imagine anything that you would normally cook on the grill that you couldn't fashion to fit on the grill pan. Obviously, food will lose that smokey flavor. Consider smoked paprika or liquid smoke to add a bit of that flavor back in your food.

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Nonstick cookware or not?

Question

I am looking to replace my >10 year old Calphalon nonstick cookware. I can see the nonstick surface coming off the pans, and am starting to worry about how much of that is getting into our food.

I love the ease of cleaning nonstick cookware, but am wary of buying it again. Should I opt for nonstick or not?

Answer

I'm with @Ward -- I like being able to scour my pans for those times when even deglazing doesn't work. (although, I've found that if you ever forget about the stock that you're trying to reduce ... burning chicken bones is a nasty smell and will stain even stainless steel).

I do have some non-stick, and even a non-stick flat-bottomed wok (from circulon, but then, I'm also using electric, so it's possible I don't get enough heat to ruin it; I also never pre-heat it without oil in it, as you should never heat a dry nonstick vessel).

I'd say to look at replacing your set bit by bit -- which items do you cook that really need non-stick, and what pan do you cook it in? Maybe replace your more beat-up items with something not non-stick, try cooking with it, and see how well you like cooking with them -- it's possible that you won't like it, and it'd be better to be out the cost of only a piece or two than a whole set. You could even try out a few different materials -- cast iron, stainless, anodized aluminum, etc.

It also might take a little time to get used to cooking with out the non-stick. One mistake I've seen people make is not giving their pans enough time to pre-heat. (I think it was the Frugal Gourmet who'd say "Hot pan, cold food, food won't stick" ... which isn't entirely true, but you'll have much less problems with a hot pan).

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Where can I buy a transparent frying pan?

Question

Where could I find a transparent frying pan?

 

Answer

Just search on www.ebay.com for "Pyrex Flameware" and you will find things like :

Vintage Pyrex Flameware Saucepan Skillet + Handle SET

Vintage Pyrex Glass Flameware Skillet w/ Handles

1930's Pyrex Flameware saute pan w/ detachable handle

It is highly unlikely that you will find a new one. The reason is that the formula r for Pyrex before 1940 was way more resistant to thermal shock , but also more expensive. The current formula is more resistant to mechanical shocks but can not take rapid cooling (like adding cold liquid in a hot pan when you are making a ragu) without shattering.

I have no info on the advantages of a glass pan except the "cool factor"

Hope this info helps.

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Can anyone tell me what this is?

Question

It looks to be a double boiler of some sort, but we're not sure what it is.

Answer

It's an egg poacher. Looks like this exact model.

Note that these don't really actually "poach" eggs, the result is more like a coddled egg. They do essentially work like double boilers.

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Pan-frying marinated meat without making a huge mess?

Question

I love marinated meat, I love the extra flavor that the marinade adds to it. However, I don't always have the option to BBQ it, so sometimes I have to use a frying pan.

However, this always creates a huge, huge mess. The oil in the pan seems to not like the marinade, it immediately starts to crackle and boil, spilling hot oil everywhere.

I thought that I didn't use enough oil, so today I used a bit more, but that made it even worse. Using less oil seems to make it hard to actually get good meat, that is meat that is NOT a lump of coal on the outside and raw inside.

So I thought I'd ask for advice here :)

Answer

As others have said, the issue is the hot oil and water interacting. You need to reduce or eliminate one in order to prevent the splatter or find a way to mitigate the damage.

Remember the basics - allow the meat to warm up to room temperature before cooking and pat it dry before you begin. That should allow you to use less oil without it turning into a charred lump with a raw center. You can use a lid or a screen to prevent splatter (you might need to adjust cooking time with a lid that will trap more heat).

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Anodized pans? Cleaning?

Question

Hoping SA would clear some controversy.

I was told that it's bad practice to put anodized non-stick pans in water immediately after cooking; as the water will cause it to degrade

I argue that it's harder to clean after the fat has solidified.

So does adding cold/hot water to hot non-stick anodized pan cause the surface to deteriorate and thus losing it's non-stick abilities?

Answer

Teflon-coated pans -- no, not a good idea, as the teflon and metal will contract differently when cooled, causing the layer to separate and flake off (eventually).

Hard-anodized aluminum: may cause warping if the pans aren't too thick, as aluminum isn't that mechanically strong, but the layer shouldn't separate, as it is strongly bonded to the aluminum, being produced from oxidation of the aluminum itself.

Pans that incorporate both teflon and hard-anodization: probably not a good idea to throw into water before cooling.

Indubitably, throwing a hot pan in water will deglaze the grease quite effectively, but if a teflon layer is involved, you are inviting trouble.

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How do I know if a frying pan is suitable for a glass ceramic cooker?

Question

I had a set of great looking frying pans with layered bottoms that I was unable to use on my glass ceramic cooker.

The problem was the bottom would bend when heated up and lose close contact with the cooker surface. Once that happened it would take an hour to boil the amount of water that is normally boiled within five minutes - heat would just not go into the pan, so using the pan was just a waste of energy and time.

I got rid of that pan and instead used the cheapest most basic pan with single layered bottom; it doesn't bend too much and maintains contact with the surface so it works alright.

However if I want a more advanced pan than the most basic one I use now (for example, with ceramic coating), the local retailers only offer pans with layered bottoms. And of course it'll be close to impossible to return a pan just because doesn't accept heat well on my stove - that hardly counts as manufacturing defect. I'd rather not risk buying a pan if there's reasonable chance that it bends while heating up, making it unusable to me.

Is there a way to be sure that a frying pan with layered bottom won't bend too much when heated and that it is suitable for use on a ceramic glass cooker?

Answer

From what I've seen, encapsulated-aluminum disk bottom pans and straight aluminum pans are simply prone to warping. The aluminum is just too soft and can't take the mechanical stress, and the disk-bottom pans have problems with dissimilar metals. Different metals expand at different rates, and thus will separate over time if heated and cooled repeated.

Now, it's possible to get a disk-bottom pan that won't warp or separate, but the outer jacket of stainless must be quite thick, at least 2 mm. The disk in the bottom also has to be completely covered by the steel -- if you can see a different looking metal peeping out, the pan is a no-starter for you. It'll probably be a heavier, thicker pan, with fairly thick walls as well.

The simplest solution is to use a pan that's cast-iron, all-stainless, or multi-ply AKA clad aluminum/copper. Cast-iron is too thick and rigid to warp, and is a homogeneous material, so it isn't prone to problems from dissimilar metals. All-stainless is stronger and more elastic, and again homogeneous. It has lousy heat conduction though.

Multi-ply pans avoid warping because they're better made and incorporate thicker outer layers of stainless, which hold the pan rigid against warping. I think the process by which the aluminum or copper is contained in the stainless is also more robust.

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What makes oil stick to the pan so bad that it is so difficult to wash out?

Question

My parents went out of town for a bit and so I had to fend for myself with cooking! I made some chicken and some quesadillas on a particular pan. However, my parents got back and my mom is astounded to find the pan all dirty with oil still sticking to the pan. I washed it with soap, so why is it still sticking??? It is like it is embedded into the pan. Not sure what happened! Anybody knows? I am also unsure about the type of pan it is. At this rate, I'll be buying new pans every so and so months if I lived alone. :( I wonder if it has anything to do with cooking food in a not so high temperature?

Answer

As I understand it, when you combine high heat and vegetable oil you get a fairly stable polymer (much like a plastic or resin). The polymer bonds with the surface (which is porous), and results in robust surface. This is what we use to season cast iron cookware, but it's less desirable on stainless and other lighter colour hardware.

You can prevent the coating from forming by never allowing he oil to maintain a high temperature for long periods by itself. Keeping food in contact with the pan will both help keep the temperature down, and reduce the chance of the oil bonding with the steel.

Cleaning the oil off once it's formed is usually pretty simple: add water (or soda water) and heat for 10-15 minutes. Often the oil will wipe out (or need mild scrubbing with an appropriate scrubbing pad). You should not have to use steel wool (or a caustic cleaner), both of which can damage the smooth surface of many pans.

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how can I tell if my pots and pans are ferrous?

Question

I am looking into replacing my hob with an quick, induction type electric hob, but they stipulate that the the cookware must be ferrous. I have decent cookware, but how do I know if it is correct?

Answer

If a magnet sticks to it, it's ferrous.

I'd like to give a more elaborate answer, but there isn't anything more to it.

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