Kitchen Tip: Cooking with Stainless Steel Cookware

Want to take your cooking to the next level? Here is one way to do that: use stainless steel cookware. Occasionally I use a non-stick pan but my go-to kitchen pans are all stainless steel.

First, pick a good pan. A good pan will be HEAVY. Specifically, the bottom of the pan should be heavy. A heavy pan gives you more even heat over the cooking surface. A good pan will probably also be pricey. When it comes to cookware, usually you get what you pay for.

I use Calphalon pans and they are wonderful. But. one day, I will treat myself to the true Champions of the Kitchen: All-Clad. If you can't buy a whole set, just buy the pan you would use most. For me, that's my 12-inch fry pan.

Second, a few general guidelines about cooking with stainless. Unless you are boiling, keep the heat medium to low. A quality pan will heat enough and keep the heat for cooking at lower temps. Know how to read the oil you put in your pan for the correct temperature.

If you were sautéing veggies, the oil would need to just be shimmering. If you were browning something or cooking a fast-cooking meat like steak, the oil will be hot enough when it is just starting to smoke. Practice will make perfect here.

Third, sticking. There is bad sticking {burned, melted on, ruined food} and good sticking. Good sticking happens with stainless when you cook correctly. If you are making a sauce to accompany a meat dish, stainless is a must!

As you cook the meat, it will stick less the more browned it gets {to a point, of course}. So, when it is sufficiently browned it will be easy to flip or remove from the pan. After your meat is cooked, there will be little bits from the meat and cooking oil in the bottom of the pan. This is where all the magical sauce flavors come from!

To release, you would "deglaze" your pan by adding a liquid to the still-hot pan {wine, broth, water}. Add the liquid and scrape the bottom of the pan clean and then reduce the liquid. The result is a magical sauce and a pan that will be a cinch to clean.

Fourth, cleaning. I rarely use words like "always" or "never" but I'm going to throw one out here. NEVER put your nice pans in the dishwasher. Wash them by hand and they will last longer. A properly cleaned pan will make sticking minimal.

Also, try to avoid using abrasive scrubbers on your pan. This will mar the smooth surface and also make sticking happen more easily. Now, I know that if you have a family sometimes these things happen. Andy's favorite way to clean my pans is with an SOS pad.

And sometimes, that's just how things go down when it's crazy over here and washing the pans myself isn't high on my priority list. I prefer to use good ol' elbow grease and an abrasive material in conjunction with a dishcloth like a mild powder cleanser or even corse salt.

Don't be afraid of stainless! Your meals will go from average to awesome just like that.