Pan Secrets Chefs Don’t Tell You
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Pan Secrets Chefs Don’t Tell You
Why All My Pans Preheat Differently
Smoke points of various fats (scroll down on this page for a handy table)
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Many people asked what I think about preheating cast iron in the oven. Yes, that works great and if I plan to use my pan to cook in the oven, I put it in at the same time that I turn on my oven. BUT if you plan to sear a steak, chicken, fish, etc on the stove top, turning on the oven for 30 min and remembering to do that seems completely impractical for me (especially if I need it for something else at a different temp). The reason I am guessing that many people find cast iron so superior and are willing to jump through all the hoops in order to use it is that their stovetops kind of suck. On a gas burner with good output, stainless performs great. But here are some situations where stainless might perform a lot worse than cast iron:
1) wimpy gas burners
2) electric or induction flat top burners and slightly warped pans that don't make perfect contact with the burner
This happens to me in vacation rentals all the time ;) In those cases, using a cast iron pan and preheating it in the oven for 30 min would be worth the trouble.
Nice presentation!
My method for preheating a cast iron skillet on a gas stove (doesn't work so well with carbon steel due to the angled handle) is to set it upside down over the flame at medium heat for 5 minutes. The stovetop grate gives the flame breathing room. The sides of the pan contain more of the heat, transferring it to the skillet, not the kitchen. This method saves tremendously on gas and time compared to 30 minutes in the oven. After this treatment the skillet is ready to sear meat, and I have a cooler handle.
Lp
so glad to see your comment on cast iron. I don't have the patience to jump through all those cast iron hoops either. My Missen stainless works perfectly fine.
Just use a carbon steel pan like they use in professional European kitchens and Chinese woks.
I think the trouble so many people have with cast iron is that their pans simply aren't old and/or well used enough. I use the pans I got from my grandmother, which she got from her grandmother. They are like sheets of black glass. Completely nonstick. For some things, I don't even need to add butter or oil to the pan at all. And they clean up with a swipe of a paper towel. They are perfect for high heat cooking AND low heat cooking.
There's no need to preheat an iron pan in the oven. Just start it on the stove top on low heat, and let it get hot that way, until the handle is too hot to touch without a potholder. You don't need to turn up the heat until just before cooking.
People debate a lot about whether or not to wash cast iron. It's a moot point, because there's rarely a need. If you have anything stuck to the surface of the pan, scrape it thoroughly with a metal spatula over low heat, until the fond is released and suspended in the fats in the pan. You're done when the spatula slides easily over the entire surface of the pan with no resistance. Over time, scraping also smooths the surface of the pan, eventually making the pan completely smooth and nonstick. Cast iron pans love to be scraped. Scrape, scrape, scrape. With all the material from whatever you were cooking suspended in the oils, you can now just wipe it out. If the oil looks dark, wipe the pan again with a slightly damp paper towel, removing any residue that might leave off flavors. If you really need to wash it, just go ahead and wash it. A well tended pan can tolerate the occasional washing. But NOT in the dishwasher.
If you've just bought a new pan, it might take years before they really serve you well. It might be worth your while to see which of your relatives are hoarding the older pans, and negotiate something, lol.
Thanks once again for having actual captions for the Deaf. I discovered for channel owners you can see how many viewers watch with captions on,
While I hear adequately, many times I cannot understand a word because of the pronunciation. I, also, appreciate the closed captions.
@@nealgrey6485 I suppose this is an example of universal design--something that is intended for people with particular needs ends up benefiting people who are not considered to be in the same group, like a wheelchair ramp at a transit station turning out to be useful for people pulling luggage with wheels.
How about the Riverside California School for the Deaf football team this year? What a ride!
I recently started going deaf and found out how annoying it is if there's no CC. I don't understand why it's not automatic on youtube, why creators have to turn it on is kind of perplexing. Many similar venues like rumble don't have it at all, so it's nice to have.
@@cukka99 yes and one can search the transcript or re-read missed parts too.
I use cast iron quite a bit on a gas range and keep a copper heat diffuser under the cast iron for this exact reason. Copper being one of the best conductors of heat (aside from pure silver but so expensive), it gets the heat distributed evenly on the cast iron pan and helps mitigate those “hot spots” cast iron is notorious for, especially with gas cooktops.
Another great benefit is that it helps achieve a much lower simmer. I have an older gas range that doesn’t have a very good simmer/low flame so the copper plate helps me get a super low and gentle simmer when I need it.
This information is so useful! These are the kind of videos I keep looking for online and don’t find. Thanks Helen.
Thanks for the video Helen! I only use cast iron and have several pans. I bought the infrared thermometer a couple of years ago and use it every time I cook. First time I used it on my favourite pan I found the middle was 100F hotter than the right edge! Turns out it's the burner b/c every pan is the same. Now when I preheat I know the burner setting to get the right temperature and I just rotate the pan a couple of times. Not perfect but it works well enough for me. Get the infrared and you won't regret it. You can also use it to check your internal oven temperature, the temperature of fat being rendered when you want to go low and slow, the temp of your dehydrator etc. etc. That and a digital meat thermometer are priceless!
I loved this video. Even though I knew most of these details before, how you connected and explained them sort of connected all the dots for me,
Helen, I haven't watched one of your video's in ages. To be honest I totally forgot about your soothing voice and great food inspriation! I have subscribed to too many channels I don't watch so I have to edit the great channels to keep like your!!! This pan video was REALLY good!!!
First time I’ve watched this lady and she had me at Wonder Bread being the chef’s equivalent of fruit flies for biologists. Hilarious. 👍🏻
She is obviously a very well informed person.
I agree… “wonder bread”
They called their bread wonder…🤔💭
I wonder why😆
@@mollysimmons2960 Because it will be used by wonder woman. No wonder.
That she knows about our fruit flies is a good omen... xD
Brilliant, actually.
Really good information. It's pretty important to bring cast iron up to temp over lower heat. Enameled ware in particular isn't really meant to be preheated dry. I've seen the enamel crack and flake off. The only thing I've really browned in my dutch oven is a pot roast. Most of the times I use it for soups, stews and braising where the low and slow heat retention works best. It's all about the right tool for the job.
Very good information Helen. This week we’re switching our worn out … used way too long … non-stick skillets. This video was very helpful, thanks!
Same! The perfect timing :) such a pleasure to renew cooking pans!
Woww... I felt like I just attended a class.... Such wonderful information and all in such short time.
So many great explained concepts and tips here. You're a great teacher!
thank you for the tutorial mam, it is very useful, good luck and always healthy
One thing I never see people talk about is the thing that Cast Iron is really truly good for.
Heat Emissivity. As in it is very, very good, at _giving off_ heat. Once properly pre-heated, it is fantastic at just dumping the heat off into the food or oil.
IIRC Serious Eats did a great workup on it.
Because it is so heat-radiative, it also cooks food more evenly than an aluminium. It emits so much heat that the heat reaches the centre of the food faster than in a less radiative pan.
So making stews, steaks etc. in a cast iron pan is faster, but it's less suitable for something which is thinner, like omelettes or pancakes. Stir frying is more suited to cast iron generally (this is up for debate but I prefer cast iron) as I find it heats the food more evenly.
@@Blobbyo25 No, it absolutely does not heat evenly. It heats less evenly than any other pan.
@@aolson1111 Read what I wrote.
"heats the food more evenly" is not the same as "heats more evenly".
The pan itself heats unevenly, but due to its radiative properties, it cooks the food faster - heating the food more evenly.
I love how it's all in how you read the title "pan secrets chefs don't tell you." Like at first I was wondering who these secret chefs are and what's so special about this pan they don't want others to know it exists? Then I realized of, it's pan secrets that regular chefs don't want us to know.
Fantastic video. Would you please suggest some gauges to measure how good or bad we're doing?
Helen, you’re awesome. So straightforward, scientific and pretty.
Wow what a informative approach! I love the scientific-ish explanation, easy to digest for a rookie. Thank you so much ❤
Fascinating information. Thanks for sharing 👩🏻🍳
Your hair looks great in this one! Thank you!
You broke me me at drosophila melanogaster. My father was a linguist and he translated that as a black bellied $h!t eater which made high school biology a little bit challenging because it's never proper to laugh at your teacher. He also called Wonder bread "whipped air and nylon" which I suspect aligns with your view. He certainly would have been delighted by your use of Wonder bread as a scientific measuring device.
As a math and chemistry undergrad who ended up turning to the dark side as a lawyer, I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed and do enjoy your channel.
With the nonsense we've been surviving for the past year and a half I think you should expect that there's a life or two you have changed or saved by doing what you do. It certainly has helped me out of the depression doldrums regularly. I am very grateful. Your family is lucky to have you. I'm guessing you're lucky to have your family as well, but I don't know them. ❤️🙏
This is an awesome video as are all your videos. Thanks! You’re making me a better cook. 👍
I love my cast Iron, but today you taught me that I'm using it upside down. I have been placing meat in the pan with the thickest part in the center, thinking that would be the hottest spot, and now I know it's the coolest! I am going to go cook a chicken breast now, armed with this new knowledge. I'll beat that pan yet!
Maybe not - the center is the coolest on Helen's gas stove. On yours? Get a loaf of Wonder...
That was amazing! You answered so many questions and explained things so well. Thank you!
Елена спасибо!
Have you ever tried wrought-iron pans? They heat very fast and if seasoned right nothing sticks and you can't destroy them by scratching or overheating
The laser thermometer would work much better on stainless if you lightly season the pan. The thermometer is measuring the emissivity and seasoning has high emissivity. The pan also works better, so it's well worth doing it.
Interesting idea.
Wow you quoted the very first episode of Seinfeld. The one that started it all. The pilot was also this episode but with different parents.
The more I watch the more I like!
Terrific video, thank you very much!
infrared thermometers dont work on reflective surfaces. both shiny metal and oil will, to my knowledge, reflect the environment and have a flawed reading. Its best to use a thermometer.
I found if you add little bit liquid oil(any) to butter it won't really splatter
Wow! Thank you for the content you do. I’ve learned SO MUCH from you. ☺️
Helen, I love your methodical testing (very J Kenji of you) and your openness for debate. I agree with just about every conclusion here, but I'd like to offer one counterpoint about preheating with the oil in the pan. DETAILED COMMENT ALERT. But hey, I know you're an obsessive person like me, so hopefully your kind of brain appreciates this detailed analysis about our shared hobby.
Let me just preface with saying this: the situation I am specifically discussing is one where we are trying to get very even browning and searing in a higher heat scenario. Other gentle sautés and sweats aren't as crucial. That being said, I would argue that it is still best to preheat in a dry pan, even stainless steel. The reason is actually one point that you brought up: the oil will smoke before the pan is FULLY preheated. You posit that this issue only affects things like cast iron because of how poorly they conduct heat, but I would suggest that the issue exists in most cookware and is only more PRONOUNCED in cast iron. In your aluminum-core stainless pan, by the time the oil smokes, the bottom of your pan may very well be EVENLY heated, but at that point your pan still isn't FULLY heated. The sides have not yet been allowed to get the full heat that they need to aid the pan in retention and recovery once you add your ingredients.
The whole point of fully preheating the pan in its entirety is that, once you add food to the bottom and its temperature drops, there is now a REVERSAL in temperature flow from the sides. Now, instead of the burner providing heat to the base and the base flowing the heat to the sides, the sides have become warmer than the base, so the base is receiving heat from the burner below and also back from the sides, which helps the bottom of the pan maintain a steadier temperature as it recovers from the temperature loss. Now imagine what inversely is happening in a poorly preheated pan. The edges were already at a deficit when the food was added, so now both the edges of the pan and the food are pulling heat away from the cooking surface, and heat-recovery is fighting a losing battle. This is why most people also end up applying too much heat during the recovery stage because their pans weren't fully ready for "the drop," and they get hotspots. And this effect is felt even more when you "overcrowd" the pan. Yes, overcrowding can have its issues, but sometimes overcrowding's effects can be lessened by a properly preheated pan, because people won't be blasting the pan with so much burner strength.
I believe that the vast majority of home cooks do not fully preheat their pans properly in large because of this very method of waiting for the oil to smoke. People figure that if the bottom of the pan is smoking the oil, then it has preheated, and meanwhile the rest of the pan never got its chance. For example, you know how most people say that the first pancake is always a bad one? It isn't any magical reason, their griddle just wasn't done preheating. It merely got hot enough to start cooking a pancake in the center, but once the ingredients were added, the heat quickly retreated into an uneven and insufficient mess, and the pancake came out unevenly cooked. But if the outer most edges were allowed to fully charge up, they help support the center of the pan to maintain and recover heat when ingredients are added. I'll admit that I have even fallen prey to this myself. I have a large electric aluminum-core non-stick griddle that I used for pancakes, and when I THOUGHT it was preheated, it made ok pancakes (5 at a time), but by the end of my batch, my pancakes were easier to cook/brown evenly, and by the time I was done, I suddenly realized just how much more heat was radiating at me from the machine. It really is a night/day difference in radiation when the whole surface is properly heated.
This is why it is SO important to preheat on a low heat, like even lower than medium. So as a result, here is my preferred method: I will start preheating my aluminum or copper core stainless steel 5-ply pans on a medium+ heat for just a minute or so, because I am impatient, but then I turn it down to a little below medium so as to really let those sides and even the bottom of the handle get fully heated. Then once it is truly properly heated, I'll crank up the heat to whatever setting I will need to commence with the browning and THEN I'll add the oil and swirl it quickly to evenly cool the base of the pan, and start cooking. And if for some reason before adding the oil, I fear I have slightly over-preheated the center of the pan, I'll just take it off of the heat for 20-30 seconds to let things even out, before returning to the heat and commencing with oiling and cooking.
Now obviously there are other points to consider that may exempt some people from my theory, such as someone having an all copper pan where the issue is negligible, or super powerful industrial burners. Or maybe you have a very wide burner that really licks the sides of your pan more than it should, but that's a whole other issue right there, since I also believe that most people use too large of burners for the size of their cookware, but for the average home cook with typical appliances and cookware, I think these points could help them.
Anyway, if you read all of this, thank you and I hope it maybe offered some insight into this whole topic. And if you have any thoughts to offer, I always do enjoy them. I love you and your stuff and please keep it up!
P.S. I can't wait to make your "most detailed Brioche on the internet" again. The first time I did it it was almost perfect, and I am craving homemade french toast again!
I have infrared camera camera. I used it for DIY and my insulation jobs in the house and other stuff. it is also really handy as a substitute for, your wonder bread ;). You can easily see what happens with a pan when cold oil is poured in it, when it heats up and where the pan isn't heating up that much.
This is genius; reminds me Ruhlman's trick with flour in the oven.
Verry good idea
Good info. Sadly all my aluminium pans bend out of shape, badly, they can't stand heat. Some bend concave, some convex. I can't use alu pans. :(
I came from the "meme" video but the rest of your channel is quality content.
My preheating technique involves flowers, chocolate, and a gentle ramp up of physical contact.
The “hand method” was being discussed in video exactly while I was reading your comment (the part about physical contact!) ….thought I’d share the strange coincidence with you
Well done.
Commercial kitchens have different types of burners, and pans specifically to be used on that type of burner. The everyday kitchen is nowhere near the same in any way. A residential home with a gas stove has nowhere near the BTU output.
Very helpful 💗
I loved the Seinfeld reference. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The big advantage of cast iron, not mentioned here, is its ability to store heat (reach a very high temperature), and to conduct that stored heat rapidly to the item in the pan .. which makes it perfect for rapid, high heat searing .. Made better when the size of the item matches the size of the pan., whereby the sides of the pan also deliver cooking heat .. Another factor not mentioned is cost .. Plain/unfinished black cast iron pans are a fraction of the cost of many "professional grade" triply-ply steel//aluminum pans .. It's just a matter of knowing how to use cast iron .. Which brings me to the question of carbon steel .. Which delivers the same heat storage and delivery capabilities of case iron, with the same pre-heat speed of steel pans (albeit slightly heavier, although not unwieldy) .. Overall, I would suggest the main point that should have been made is: every type of skillet pan construction offers a different combination strengths and weaknesses .. It comes down to a matter of what your cooking style and needs are, and knowing how to get the best out of your pan for the purpose required ..
PS .. Infrared thermometers are inexpensive and an invaluable tool for this application, and many others (inside and outside the kitchen) .. Searing meat is just one cooking application where reliable temperature control is necessary .. The Wonderbread experiment was a fun visual display of how different pans have different thermodynamic characteristics, but when it comes down to cooking time, cooks needs something more accurate for knowing when a pan is at the required temperature ..
0:55 - some might say wonderbread is rather high-tech
Cook with cast-iron all the time have a ceramic cooker top my cast-iron heats the same heat across as put on the widest burner it heats the same all across the pan and i use a good quality olive oil and i put the oil in before i turn on the cooker neve heat a cast iron up with out putting oil or lard suit or what ever you cook with in when the pan is just starting to heat up. If you look at cast iron through a microscope it is like a firtree cone when it dry's so if you heat the cast iron up before you put oil or what ever you use you will destroy the seasoning as the oil that season it will burn and over time will be no good then you will have to season the pan again cast iron is all that i use as my mother before me and i still love my cast iron pans and i take good care of them
Some people will add a little oil to a pan with butter. Butter for flavor, oil to keep the butter from burning.
great video
If your oil is smoking, then maybe you should let it finish so it doesn't get grumpy 😅❤
Hi Helen, I don’t comment on RUclips much but I needed to defend the water test, which I am a big fan of. Your pan may have actually been overheated by 2 minutes in. At the just right temperature, you’ll get a single ball of water (sometimes with one smaller ball breaking off) rather than many small balls of water. I don’t see this “mercury ball” level of heat discussed much, but this is the video I learned it from many years ago.
ruclips.net/video/CB-SCA1reqE/видео.html
I keep a squeeze bottle of water by my stove. It’s easy to let a big drop out by using my finger over the nozzle. The water is also handy when you actually want to quickly add a bit of water, usually a teaspoon or two, to steam something in a pan (usually means you’re using the lid in conjunction with the pan to make a tiny steam oven and probably doing something closer to “reheating” than “cooking”). I learned the squeeze bottle + lid trick from watching cafeteria workers cook on big griddle tops where they’d use it for things like getting a slice of cheese to melt over a burger.
What about carbon steel pans?
Good stuff, as always.
4:00 There is a way you can tell the temperature of a surface fairly accurately using your hand, or if you prefer (and I think you will prefer, believe me) use the hand of a friend. But you will need a lot of friends to use this method.
The time it takes to produce a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burn at a given temperature when human skin is in direct contact with a hot surface is quite well understood, and I think now you can see why using the hands of your friends is better for doing it this way. Charts with this information can be found on-line.
How these charts were created, I don't know. I suspect it was done by some very lonely engineers.
However, after using your friends for this sort of testing, they tend to not ever answer your dinner invitations again, no master how good your cooking is.
So really, it is probably better to use Wonder Bread. There is a lot less screaming and punching and police involved if you use Wonder Bread.
Seems like the first thing everybody wants to do when testing new pans is cook eggs 😂😂😂 oh my.
They say you don't need a dedicated egg pan but if you do then you don't have to worry about it being contaminated or scratched or abused by anything else if just eggs you're closer to perfection every time with a dedicated pan.
Worked in a breakfast restaurant for years stainless steel aluminum pans you can quickly touch up a pan with a little bit of oil salt and paper towel and then get back the cooking but once you wash ( soap water) the pan you've got needs to be reseason, yes season Aluminum and Stainless Steel... but not like cast or carbon..
Cooking eggs however you got it set up first after wash (put on heat with oil and go to at least smoke point maybe a touch over then discard oil) cool pan down under smoke point add oil then your run two test eggs ( expect them to possibly stick somewhere to pinpoint areas needing adjusting) consider the first two eggs unusable that will set your pan up and you can find detail what you need to do and then from there on out you don't have the sticking problems and you can continue to do this until you wash it again. 😊
Hi Helen, my inner engineer says you need an infrared camera :). Bit overkill though.
I have an electric stove. and I still can use stainless wok. or a ceramic like a granite stone. I use the water method and I do have a infra red thermometer. Which is convenient . Love your videos. thought that when the stainless steel pan smokes with oil its being seasoned. How do you season a stainless steel pan ?
So, chefs have an agreement to not tell non-chefs about things they can do with pans?
Surely I'm not the only who finds her voice and accent intoxicating
can we get a video how to clean each pan and seasone ?
These are old, but all the material is still valid:
ruclips.net/video/UBCX29eo9Zc/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/DyZrNAWa6Ds/видео.html
This wonder bread test is freaking genius! Genius!!! Thanks, Helen... thanks!
It’s like you’re a spy in the culinary world to help the home cooks find this I credible information
My wife tried to make a type of Russian cheese pancake with little success; it failed twice until she asked Helen for additional specifics about the recipe. Next time, Helen answered in a recipe that was quite delicious. Subtle techniques can produce big differences. Helen is the real deal. We are thinking about some classes with her. Take it up a notch in our cooking skills.
I am a seasoned cook (50 yrs.) and I learn so much from your videos. I especially like that you demonstrate the "art" with the "science.' Thank you.
i am baffled that a seasoned cook find so much in this video since i am a amateur, with no cooking school or course behind and find nothing new. In most of her video i find what i already knew or is misleading.
@@scasny Whatever!
The last message of this video was so helpful, I've spent most of my cooking learning trying to emulate "high heat" or "medium high heat", where getting to know the cooking burners and how my pans reacted to them is so much more important than thinking about knob position. For me one of the most complicated parts of cooking is mastering heat control, and I'll remember your last words here forever, thank you!
Never look at the knob on a gas stove. Look at the flame. It will tell you exactly where the heat is going and how much is going there.
I've been cooking for myself and my family for most of my life, and Helen still teaches me something every video! That wonderbread trick is so clever! Thank you so much
Helen is the only maker of real cooking tutorials. she alone actually gives all the information you would need in order that a complete novice can replicate her dish in laboratory conditions
My grandmother used to put her cast iron pan in the cold oven before she cooked with it and set it to 350 (general medium to medium high) after it was to temp shed let it sit there for about 5-10 minutes. During this preheat she could prep or cook other things. Hope this helps someone
That's an excellent tip. You should avoid placing cast or sheet iron pans on high heat without preheating.
Personally, I place my pans on medium heat for about five minutes before cranking up the heat.
One benefit is that, on medium, your pan won't get too hot.
I do most of my cooking with cast iron. I never just put a pan on high heat to start with. I start it on low. I heat it low and slow for several minutes, until the handle is hot. I move the oils in the pan around as it's heating, to be sure it heats evenly. If I'm cooking at a higher heat, I wait until shortly before cooking to increase the heat.
EDIT: Oh, and if in doubt about how hot the oil/butter is in a pan, try tossing in a breadcrumb. You want to see it sizzle immediately, but not smoke and burn.
Very nice demonstration. Have never seen anyone do that with the bread before. I've always cooked on electric stoves, but those don't always heat evenly, either.
The explanation regarding the different cooking fats was very useful. I've been doing things similarly from years of experience, but it's nice, to get your technique confirmed by a pro 😉
"Also the Wonder Bread is a much cheaper than even renting a thermal camera and most people don't even know where to get one if they wanted to reproduce vaht I am doing."
All my skillets are cast iron. I cook eggs and fish all the time: preheat at med-low for 10+ minutes until about 300F. Add butter JUST before the eggs or fish and they won't stick.
Good Lord! That is a long time to wait to cook eggs.
@@anti-ethniccleansing465 I cook bacon first, then add it to my eggs, so no waiting at all.
@@frizzen
I don’t understand… Are you cooking the bacon in the same pan? Are you preheating it before you cook your bacon? Or is cooking the bacon your way of preheating it?
@@anti-ethniccleansing465 separate pans, the eggs will stick otherwise.
Nothing beats a well maintained cast iron skillet.
Very interesting :-) After about 10 years I finally figured out my Cast Iron fry pan... Sheesh! I have an electric stove and it takes about 15 minutes to heat the pan, depending on what I'm cooking... and the stove's temperature setting... Then, for some foods I use EV Olive Oil, Avocado, Bacon Fat and/or a bunch of other oils... I have never used Ghee, but plan to, as meany of my recipes (East Indian) call for it... To me, cooking is as much an Art as a Science... Great video, thanks :-)
A++ super good content. Thorough, practical, well-explained, no fluff. Great video!
This is really interesting. I guess I’ve never thought about the “science” of preheating a pan. I cook with cast iron a lot and I have definitely noticed the spotty preheating. On my stove, the center stays much cooler and needs more time to preheat than the outer edges. I think I will try the Wonder Bread technique to see if I can more accurately time the even preheating of the entire pan surface.
Why did you use quotes around science? It's literally observable, repeatable, and useful to make predictions, the exact definiton of science.
I preheat cast iron in the oven so it is more even.
@@therandomstranger3951 This! The best way to evenly preheat cast iron is in the oven. Just be aware to not burn your hands.
I use electric stoves (that's what I grew up with) and I set it on a 2 setting for a few minutes (3-5) to get it started. Then up to a higher setting to sauté or even higher to sear and wait 2-3 minutes or more. I use warm-up for prep. I have cast iron pans that my great grandmother used that will never die. Faster is not always better. I love this channel.
@@kiltedcripple He’s not using quotes to say “like science but exactly science,” he’s using it for emphasis.
Thank you for doing these super instructive videos. I have 11 kids and I am a decent cook, but mine has been survival cooking. Now that my youngest is 14 I am enjoying learning what what I do works or doesn't :). I love your recipes too. You are excellent at tips and instruction and good food! And your accent is the bomb.
Wow 11 kids! That's awesome. Good for you and God bless you and your family
@@myahgormley9788 He has :). Lots of work, but I'd do it all again.
Foster parent?
Helen I took a Chinese cooking class. Our instructor’s proverb, “Hot wok, Cold oil” works. The ‘secret’ is to preheat the cast iron wok on a gas burner until a slight wisp of smoke rises from the pan. Yes, it does take a long time. Then add the room temperature sesame oil. Result; no sticking.
The hot wok cold oil in chinese cooking - they change the oil, as in the cold oil thats first pour onto the wok is not meant for cooking, its just to oil the wok. After the first oil is dumped into a bowl, pour in the new cooking oil. Sesame oil isn't for cooking as constant high heat can destroy the flavor, its usually added at the end...
Teflon has historically been VERY toxic and frequently has fluoride in it. Fluoride does get into food from there and is extremely neurotoxic. And yes - fluoride in dental applications is very bad and causes multiple serious issues like hardened bones which are very brittle and prone to fracture, just! like fluoridosis tooth damages.
If my cast iron skillet is the Titanic, then my cooking is the iceberg. Sounds about right!
Just a PSA to avoid using coated pans like teflon. They're disposable, and are a contributor to microplastics in the ocean which then end up in our fish and wildlife.
So helpful. I never used to preheat my stainless pans before adding oil then after watching all these You Tube videos that promised that by doing so I could avoid sticking I started to preheat. Often with disastrous results. Thanks Helen. I am going back to starting to heat pan and oil simultaneously.
In my experience cast iron is fully preheated when the handle gets hot.
😃 Love my cast iron.
What a very informative and thorough discussion of preheating pans. I love your Wonder bread technique. One thing you missed however, was that many recommend preheating cast iron in the oven where the heat is much more even. This works particularly well for getting a high heat to sear meat. Place the pan in the cold oven, preheat the oven to 500, and when the oven reaches the temp the pan will be evenly preheated. But remember, that handle will be hot!
@ 8:00 I didn't know that " Safflower Oil " Broke-Down ( i.e. Smoked ) @ 510' Deg.
Feh., " Peanut Oil " is in the 500' Deg., range But it leaves a Peanut Flavor when used.
And I read [ or heard ] that " Grapeseed Oil " was in the 500' Deg., range !
( I'll have to do more research ) .
I think a good sign when cast iron is heated through, is when the handle gets hot.
From a scientific perspective, aluminum has a much, much lower "heat capacitance" than iron. That means aluminum can't hold as much heat as iron and therefore heats up faster and transmits it faster, making the aluminum pan heat up more quickly and more evenly, but the iron pan doesn't cool as much when food is put in it, and once hot is much less subject to forming cool spots.
Thank you for your channel. My personal experience has shown that the water test in a hot pan is a very bad idea. Even pre heating can cause dangerous oil splashes. but room temperature oil into a cold pan which is then heated is best, it takes longer, but it's worth the wait, it's safer and then you can take a toothpick or chop stick to see if little bubbles form on it, that usually means it's at the right temperature.
Completely agree! Happy New Year 2022 :)
Today is the first time I've seen her. This my 5th straight video watching her. She is very informative. Mainly I'm watching because I can't believe how attractive she is. Just watching her makes me feel like I'm cheating on my wife!
I hadn't tuned into your channel for a while. Its okay to be wrong. And damn was i wrong in doing that. Well done.
Ahh, that’s it! That’s why my cooking comes out differently (for me, better) on cast iron. The pan’s temp drops less when food is added! It makes so much sense.
If you're in a country with a lot of lime in the water - don't throw it in your frying pan, it will leave lime residue and foods like fish or eggs will be likely to stick and burn.
Well thought out and useful explanation, subscribed.
Would have loved to see how evenly a copper skillet heated. Perhaps the best way to see how all parts of a pan are heating is a FLIR camera if you have access to one.
Hunters use a ATN 4k night scope, but they're about $2,500 and up...ask my son-in-law.
Personally I've got the Autel Evo Robotics drone and opted for the 8k camera rather than the dual FLIR one used to find lost kids/people in the forest.
Love your content Helen! Thanks for teaching me so much, in a simple and easy-to-understand way. If I could I'd subscribe 100k more time! And I love the advice to preheat. I always give it 2 minutes on my non-stick and stainless. Good to know about cast iron, I just leave it going on until I realize I forgot it was pre-heating. I think 6 minutes is a good amount.
I have one Teflon pan, it’s only used for French omelets, I put a 1/8” of water in the bottom of the pan, when the whole surface is bubbling, I pour it out then add butter, once it melts and bubbles, I add my beaten eggs. Makes for the perfect temp for French omelets every time.
I have a new Le Creuset style enamelled cast iron skillet with the rough black interior cooking surface. Thus far the browning I’m getting on steaks etc is underwhelming. I’m dry brining and patting the surface dry of moisture so I doubt that is the problem. Any thoughts on increasing browning? Maybe Im being too timid with the heat or need to use more oil/ butter?
you are probably not preheating long enough
Helen, you are so impressive! Your analysis is so nuanced!
Wonderful content as always!
Very very good video, thanks!!!
Slightly different learning process for me (intuitive), was using popcorn. The objective was to pop every kernel without burning or smoking the oil. I learned to regulate the heat by moving the pan and the popcorn, while hearing the popping sound.
My favourite pan is a 40cm rusty carbon steel thing I cant even pick up
The rust dissolves sometimes and keeps the blood rich and teeth sharp
I lost my sense of taste because of the coronavirus so I don’t mind if the food is burnt or rusty and my life has never been easier
Bacon grease is best cos it’s already got sodium for extra cooking
Thanks Helen
This is amazing! You're amazing! Your unique, straightforward, and graceful explanations are a delight to watch, thank you.