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Have you ever noticed that restaurants and celebrity chefs do most of their cooking with stainless steel? Due to the numerous benefits of cooking with stainless steel, it has long been the preferred cookware of foodies, professionals, and home cooks alike. If you haven’t made the upgrade yet yourself, what are you waiting for? There are many advantages of stainless-steel cookware, and today I’m sharing many of them, along with tips for cooking with stainless steel pots and pans to get you off cooking healthy meals confidently. These pots and pans can do it all when you’re prepared with some know-how, (like the helpful tips I am sharing below), as well as last a lifetime with proper care (but don’t worry- they’re pretty low-maintenance!). One of the most important stainless-steel cooking tips is to start with a high-quality set of pots and pans. I’ve personally found Black Cube Stainless cookware by Frieling to be the best all-around. I’ve got more details on why I prefer them throughout this article, but a huge selling point for me is how they’re built (ideal for cleaning and hygiene), how great they are for everyday use, and how sleek they look. This 3-ply, stainless-steel cookware has welded, ergonomic handles, eliminating the need for interior rivets, (say goodbye to gross grime buildup!). This allows for a completely smooth interior, which not only aids in cleaning (and is more hygienic), but it’s also much more aesthetically pleasing. Another huge benefit to Black Cube Stainless is that you get chef caliber and quality, and top workmanship at a very affordable price. Restaurant-quality cooking is within everyone’s reach!
Whether you are new to cooking on stainless steel pans or are still curious about why chefs prefer stainless steel, you’ll want to save this article. It’s your complete guide on how to cook with stainless steel pots and pans, including the benefits of cooking with stainless steel, the best things to cook in stainless steel, and key tips for how to properly cook using stainless steel cookware.
Advantages of stainless steel cookware and cooking with stainless steel
- They are incredibly durable. Why do chefs prefer stainless steel? This is one of the top reasons. These workhorses stand up to daily use and will last forever.
- They are lightweight. While I also enjoy cooking on cast iron, its weight can be a challenge. One of the advantages of stainless steel cookware is how accessible it is for everyone due to it’s lighter weight and less-bulky size.
- Stainless steel cookware is very versatile, not only for what you can prepare with them, but also where you can prepare it. Black Cube Stainless is approved for use on all cooktops, including induction, gas, glass cooktops, and the oven, (they are oven safe up to 600° F). For glass cooktops like mine, they are especially ideal since stainless steel is lighter and less likely to scratch the surface.
- They can handle the heat. To be more specific, this type of cookware provides even heat distribution and heats up very quickly, (which is another reason why chefs love them). Black Cube Stainless by Frieling provides fast, even heating with optimal weight distribution, and as I mentioned above, they are oven safe up to 600° F.
- High-quality, stainless steel cookware is non-porous. When cooking on stainless steel pans, you won’t have to worry about the cookware leaching flavors from one meal and transferring that to the next thing you cook. Similarly, they won’t hold onto soap residue from cleaning, and are easier to clean. (I include more cleaning tips below.)
- Stainless steel cookware is non-reactive, which makes it great for dishes using tomatoes, citrus, and vinegar, as the pots and pans won’t react to or change the food that’s being cooked in them in a negative way.
Best things to cook in stainless steel
As mentioned above, one of the advantages of stainless-steel cookware is its versatility. You can cook nearly anything in them, however a few types of dishes might be more prone to sticking. You should be careful with pancakes, lean meats, and delicate foods (like fish) that can stick more easily. Eggs turn out great if the pan is properly pre-heated and oiled, (see our tried-and-true tips for this below).
Though you can cook nearly anything in stainless steel pots and pans, stainless steel cooking is especially fabulous for searing meats, pan frying or stir frying, making soups, stews, and sauces, (especially tomato-based sauces and stews due to its non-reactive nature), and boiling pasta (due to the quick, even heating). I have found these to be the best items to cook in stainless steel.
Tips for how to cook with stainless steel pots and pans
- Properly preheat your stainless steel pans. Most recipes using stainless steel will recommend this, but even if not, you should familiarize yourself with this process and make it a practice when cooking with stainless steel. Black Cube Stainless by Frieling includes a handy card with their products highlighting user care and instructions that detail the ideal preheating process:
- To preheat, place the pan over medium heat. After 2 minutes, sprinkle with a few drops of water. If the water sizzles and forms tiny drops, the pan is ready for cooking. If the water evaporates immediately, turn the temperature down and allow it to cool slightly before cooking.
- NOTE: Excessive preheating of empty cookware may cause damage. It’s important to stay in the 2-minute range.
- Know how to use oil in your stainless steel pans.
- First, you should use oil with a high-smoke point when cooking with stainless steel. My favorite is corn oil for its mild, versatile flavor, but you can also use peanut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, or sesame oil, (which I prefer for Asian-inspired dishes).
- Second, add the oil after the preheat period, (as described in the tip above). Make sure to add enough oil that you can coat the entire bottom of the pan, as this is how you create a nonstick cooking surface for cooking with stainless steel pots and pans.
- Finally, allow the oil to heat before adding food. You will know it is at the right temperature when it shimmers and has gentle ripples. If the oil starts to smoke, it might be too hot.
- Pat meats dry before searing and remember meats at room temperature are best. Why is this? Cold foods and the wetness in moist foods can actually bring the temperature of the oil and pan down when the food is added. To get the perfect sear, you’ll want to maintain the oil and pan temperature, so dry, room temperature foods are best.
- Know when to flip your food. When searing, you might be worried that your food is sticking, but in reality, the meat will release naturally when it’s ready to flip. Just practice patience.
- Use a splatter guard. Since stainless-steel cookware is so good for searing and pan frying, you can minimize the mess of oil splatters on your cooktop (and prevent oil splatter burns and hazards) by using a stainless steel splatter screen.
- When boiling water, add salt after the water reaches a boil. This is a care and maintenance step for keeping your pots and pans in their best condition and to avoid pitting on the pans.
- Keep potholders or oven mitts handy. Though Black Cube Stainless cookware by Frieling has stay-cool handles as a benefit of their design, the other parts of the pot will get very hot (especially if used in the oven). Using potholders and oven mitts when handling the hot cookware will minimize the risk of burns.
- Know which utensils are best to use for cooking in stainless steel. While these pots are durable and can handle metal utensils, I recommend using wooden or silicone utensils to keep their appearance pristine.
- Tips for cleaning your stainless steel cookware.
- After cooking with stainless steel pans, allow them to cool before cleaning them. (This is so you don’t have drastic temperature changes by adding cold water to hot pans, which could cause warping of your cookware.)
- Black Cube Stainless cookware is dishwasher safe, which is another great benefit of the products! When hand-cleaning your cookware, avoid overly abrasive cleaners and scrubbers that could mar the finish. Believe it or not, this isn’t just for looks. Keeping your stainless steel cookware clean and looking nice will also preserve their cooking efficacy.
- Make sure to clean around handles and grooves. Another great benefit of Black Cube Stainless by Frieling are the welded, ergonomic handles that eliminate the need for interior rivets, which would otherwise collect grime and bacteria, preventing your cookware from getting completely clean.
- To prevent water spots after washing, rinse your cookware with hot water and wipe dry immediately.
Convinced yet? Be sure to upgrade to superior, 3-ply Black Cube Stainless cookware by Frieling ASAP and bookmark this article for tips on cooking with stainless steel. Happy cooking!
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