On Aug 8, 7:14*am, "Pete C." > wrote:
> Sky wrote:
>
> > Nancy2 wrote:
>
> > > On Aug 5, 9:56 am, "Pete C." > wrote:
> > > > Becca wrote:
>
> > > > > Here is a message from one of my friends. *Any advice?
>
> > > > > * * * **"I purchased a new stainless pan, made by calphalon, - the fish
> > > > > * * * and eggs stuck to it - what a mess, what did I do wrong? Do I have
> > > > > * * * to season a new stainless pan??"**
>
> > > > > Becca
>
> > > > Yes, got get a good pan instead. Stainless steel is good for counters
> > > > and mixing bowls, but lousy for a cooking surface. If they're expecting
> > > > a non-stick surface they need to get a non-stick pan and stainless in
> > > > not non-stick. If they want a low stick pan get a hard anodized aluminum
> > > > pan. If they're afraid of non-stick or aluminum pans due to discredited
> > > > rumors, they need to get a clue and a life.
>
> > > You couldn't be more wrong. *Good stainless is just as good if not
> > > better than non-stick. *My Emerilware (made by All-Clad) stainless
> > > never suffers from stuck food. *One just has to know how to cook. *My
> > > pans always just swish clean.
>
> > > N.
>
> > I agree, Nancy - I was thinking phooey, too <G>! *SS works very well,
> > and frankly, I try to get away from the non-stick stuff, although it
> > (the non-stick stuff) does have its uses. *And SS, when soaked with a
> > bit of water for a short bit after cooking cleans up wonderfully!
>
> You can think phooey all you want, but the fact remains that SS is a
> lousy cooking surface. It's not just a function of non-stick qualities,
> it's also a function of poor thermal qualities. There is a reason you
> see little SS cookware in a professional kitchen

Stainless steel is far superior to non-stick as a cooking surface.
You can't sear meat properly in non-stick because it won't safely get
and stay hot enough. You can't develop fond for enhancing the flavor
of sauces in nonstick. You can't make nonstick nearly as responsive
as stainless to moving the temp up and down as you progress from
sweating aromatics (med. low heat) to browning meat (high heat) to
simmering (low). For cooking, stainless is clearly better. Even
better if it's copper-bottomed, like mine.

If you just assemble ingredients in a pan, put it on medium and never
change it, you can get by with nonstick. Real cooking frequently
requires more than that. -aem