Home Soups Why food sticks to the pan and how to avoid it. Why food burns and how to properly use a pan: cast iron, aluminum and non-stick

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Why food sticks to the pan and how to avoid it. Why food burns and how to properly use a pan: cast iron, aluminum and non-stick

As much as nutritionists and doctors can talk about the dangers of fried foods, but even people who are on a strict diet sometimes treat themselves to potatoes with delicious golden frying and onions. Unfortunately, the cooking process is often overshadowed by the burning of food to the bottom of the dishes, which becomes a real problem to wash. Modern cookware with non-stick coating, designed to facilitate the work of housewives and save them from this misfortune, does not always meet the requirements of the consumer. After all, dishes cooked in traditional aluminum and cast iron pans often seem to us much tastier and more aromatic.

Why does food burn on the pan?

It would seem that the ideal option in this case should be a pan with a non-stick coating. So it was when such a miracle only appeared on our market, and we could not get enough of the opportunity to cook dishes without oil and the ease of washing this kind of dishes. But it turns out that the shelf life of such pans is much lower than the usual cast iron and aluminum ones, and the food cooked in them is not so tasty.

Teflon-coated non-stick frying pans, as well as ceramic ones, should be bought only original ones from a well-known manufacturer, well-established brands. But even after 2-3 years of operation they will have to be changed, since scratches and microcracks appearing on the top layer will cause food to burn. In addition, a violation of the top layer makes the dishes unusable, since the food cooked in it is unhealthy. What to do - you have to change the dishes.

Microcracks and scratches appear during operation on aluminum and cast iron pans, which makes the cooking process not particularly comfortable, and washing dishes is completely painful.

What can be done so that food does not burn on the pan

During cooking, it is very important that the pan does not burn.

So what to do so that food does not stick to the surface during cooking, and the pan does not burn? Here are some practical tips that will help make cooking more enjoyable and cleaning the pan less difficult.

Cookware with non-stick coating

A non-stick frying pan requires special care to increase its service life.

Contact with the surface of metal objects such as knives and forks is undesirable. Use wooden or plastic spatulas to stir food while cooking.
Cleaning agents with abrasive particles are not suitable for the care of such dishes, they scratch the surface, causing scratches and microcracks.
Do not use metal washcloths to remove burnt food, especially scrape with a knife.
In order for the surface of the product to remain intact for as long as possible, and the pan to please its hostess, you should not leave empty dishes on the burner. Also, temperature changes are harmful to the coating, so cold water should not be poured into a hot pan.

Recipes for aluminum and cast iron cookware

There are several old, but quite effective and proven recipes that were used by our grandmothers, who had no idea about new technologies that make it possible to create non-stick cookware. And yet their simple cast iron and aluminum kitchen utensils were always in perfect condition, and the food did not burn and was amazingly tasty.

A dry frying pan must be heated over low heat and put 3-4 tablespoons of salt on a hot surface (it is better to take coarse table salt). Spread the salt evenly over the entire surface of the bottom and fry over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Leave the pan to cool, then remove the salt and wipe the surface with a dry cloth. As a result of this "grandmother's" recipe, you will get rid of food burning in the pan. It should be noted that this recipe is not suitable for Teflon and ceramic surfaces; it can only be used for traditional cast iron and aluminum pans.
Baking the pan with salt is a good thing to do before making pancakes. In this case, they turn out one to one and absolutely do not stick, even the very first pancake, which is traditionally supposed to be lumpy.
There is another no less interesting and unexpected way to save a pan in which food always burns. It is necessary to throw slices of bread cut into cubes on it and fry them without adding oil until tender on low heat. As a result, you will get delicious croutons and a frying pan that will not burn for the first course.

It is not clear why these recipes work, maybe someone will someday explain this phenomenon from a scientific point of view. In this case, the result is important for us, and, as they say, it is obvious, that is, in a pan in which you can now cook with pleasure.

Whatever food system we adhere to, it is unlikely that we can do without a frying pan in the kitchen. Tasty and healthy food is not only the basis of our life, but also a source of pleasure and even communication. Cookware, in which cooking brings real pleasure, deserves special praise. We are happy to share useful and practical tips, and if you have any special little-known recipes, we will be glad if you share them with us.

Benefits of stainless steel cookware:

does not interact with food, such as tomatoes and wine
in such dishes you can cook excellent sauces by dissolving products using caramelization

Disadvantages of stainless steel:

stainless steel heats up unevenly
it is very common for food to stick to the surface of stainless steel cookware if no precautions are taken

Why does food stick to stainless steel cookware?

Food burning is caused by chemical reactions that occur between the food and the metal the pan is made of. Protein-rich foods are especially prone to sticking, as proteins are able to form complexes with metal atoms, such as the iron in a frying pan.

What to do so that the pan does not burn - use hot oil

Since the heated oil is a liquid, it fills the depressions and small cracks on the surface of the pan. Although the pan appears flat and smooth, on a microscopic level, even the smoothest metal surface can be found with gouges and scratches. Hot oil is less viscous than cold oil, so it immediately fills all the recesses.

If you add a small amount of oil to a hot pan, it heats up very quickly, frying the outer layer of the food, and the water evaporates, forming a layer of steam that "lifts" the food above the oil film and prevents it from sticking to the hot surface. If the oil is not hot enough, there will be no steam effect and the food will stick to the pan.

Why does oil "hiss"?

Hissing sounds occur because water evaporates from the surface of the oil. When the hissing stops, the oil will heat up very quickly, so you need to make sure that the food does not burn.

Food is fried when the temperature of the oil rises to 100 degrees or more. The by-product of this process is water, and even when the food is fried, we will hear a hiss. Once the food is completely fried, the water will not evaporate and the hissing sounds will stop.

Make sure the surface of the pan is clean. Small stuck food particles can cause food to stick further to the surface of the pan.
Make sure the surface of the food you will be toasting is dry and not too cold. It is better to leave food from the refrigerator for a while at room temperature. Cold meat products easily stick to the surface of stainless steel pans when cooking. Remember that if there is water on the surface of the food, it can lower the temperature of the oil, which contributes to burning. You can either blot the surface of the food with a paper towel, or in the case of cooking fish with skin on, run the blade of a knife over the surface of the skin to remove excess moisture. This method will also help cook fish with a crispy crust. NOTE: Some cooks prefer to add a little oil to the surface of dry foods to prevent sticking to the pan.
Make sure the oil is hot. Either add cold oil to a hot frying pan, or start cooking by reheating a cold frying pan and cold oil. Both methods are equally good, but most prefer to add cold oil to a hot pan. The advantage of this method is that one and a half times less oil needs to be added to a hot pan than to a cold one, since the oil covers the surface better. Hot oil is less viscous and spreads immediately. You will also need less oil to fill the micro cracks in the surface and provide a kind of barrier between the food and the pan. In addition, this way the oil heats up faster and will not be used up quickly. NOTE: Some cooks still prefer to add cold butter to a cold pan because it will make it easier to tell when the pan is at the right temperature.

A few tips on how to determine if the pan is hot enough to prevent food from sticking to the surface.

The oil should “ripple” and spread fairly quickly over the surface. If the pan was hot enough, this process will only take a few seconds.
It is best to put food in the pan before the oil starts to burn. If you wait too long, the pan will become very hot, the oil will start to burn and darken, and may also damage the surface of the pan.
If you want to check if the pan is hot enough, you can drop a few drops of water, which should immediately evaporate, or a larger drop will sizzle and float on the surface due to its own steam.

With time and experience, you will learn when to put food into hot oil.

Don't put too much food in the pan as this will lower the temperature and more liquid will come out. If a lot of moisture gets into the oil, then it will not be able to heat up to the temperature necessary for caramelization. As a result, the food will be unevenly fried. It is best to cook food in small batches, heating the pan and adding oil if necessary after each batch. Also, unless otherwise indicated in the cooking technology, you do not need to cover the pan with a lid, as in this case the steam can soften the food. Ideally, fried food should have a crispy crust, although this is more dependent on food product (grilled steak, usually with a crispy crust, whereas fried carrots do not have it)
Don't turn food too quickly. Even if the food sticks to the pan a little, it is most likely not for long, so you should not worry. If you are using a stainless steel pan and the food is sticking to the surface, then lower the heat a bit and try turning the food again. The only exception can be chopped vegetables, which must be constantly stirred so that they do not burn. Remember to add oil to them so that they do not stick to the pan and fry evenly, and the pan must be very hot all the time.
Listen closely: you should hear a hiss in the pan, not a splatter. Hissing means that there is still water in the pan and the food will not burn. As soon as the hissing stops, it means that the food starts to burn. If the food is properly fried in a small amount of oil, then it will be crispy and soft on the inside. When the oil temperature is too low, the cooking process does not release enough steam, and the food absorbs a lot of oil and becomes very greasy. When food is fried in a small amount of oil, when heated, it brings the liquid inside the food to a boil, which then comes out as steam. The steam prevents the oil from getting inside the food and making it greasy, and then the food will be soft and juicy inside, but crispy on the outside.

Which frying pan is better to choose

If you want to fry food well, then you need to choose a quality frying pan. It is worth paying attention to a frying pan made from stainless steel and an aluminum plate. Such a pan will evenly distribute heat, while the food will not burn, since the heating and cooling of the surface occurs very quickly. A sufficiently heavy metal plate ensures that the bottom of the pan remains flat and does not deform during operation. After all, if the bottom is uneven, then the food will be fried unevenly. Some cooks prefer to use a cast iron skillet for sautéing, but this is not suitable for making sauces.

We hope our tips have helped you find out what to do so that the pan does not burn.

admin

Nagar, rust and old fat in a frying pan have always been a problem familiar to many housewives. And cast-iron cookware has always been considered the most durable. Surely, each of the housewives in the kitchen will have pans that they got as a dowry from their grandmothers. But do not be afraid of this blackness and soot, because such problems are easily removed on their own with the help of proven means. Here we will tell you how to clean a cast iron skillet from different types pollution.

Benefits of cast iron cookware

The advantages of cast iron cookware have made it truly popular. It has been used for many centuries, because characterized by increased strength, the ability to retain heat. Nagar, be that as it may, acts as a non-stick layer, as it appears due to oils and fats that are heated to a high temperature.

Cast iron cookware will last forever if taken care of properly. A frying pan that is passed from mouth to mouth may seem scary and uncleanable, but in fact, it requires special care.

Cast iron pans were used long before modern times. Their advantages have helped them become popular in the household.

The "old" frying pan prevents food from sticking. Naturally formed carbon deposits protect the pan from corrosion and liquid attack.

Cleaning an old cast iron skillet

So, you've decided to clean out your old cast-iron skillet that your grandmother gave you. Her appearance can be intimidating, but do not worry. To achieve the perfect look, there are several recipes:

boiling method;
mechanical cleaning.

For boiling, you will need laundry soap 72% (1 piece), silicate glue (or liquid glass) ½ cup and soda ash also ½ cup, a metallized sponge and a scraper or knife. Of course, it is difficult to get rid of ten-year-old soot, but then your dishes will please the eye with cleanliness and novelty.

First, draw water into a basin and send it to the fire to boil. At this point, rub the soap. After boiling the water, reduce the heat, pour the soap into the water and stir. Then add glue and soda. It is important to open the window and turn on the hood.

Now lower the pan into the solution, removing the handle from it. If it is not made of wood or plastic, then send it to the solution. Now wait a few hours, it depends on the level of pollution.

Add water from time to time and check the hardness of the carbon deposits. After you notice that it has softened and the water has become dark, then remove the dishes and start cleaning the pan with a scraper or knife.

Even if you have old soot, you can clean it with proven methods.

And to make the process go faster, after softening the soot, apply oven cleaner to the pan. Then put it in a bag for half an hour. Such manipulations will simplify the process of cleaning the pan.

Mechanical cleaning of a cast iron skillet

Mechanical cleaning of a cast iron pan is the most radical method. It will help eliminate rust, grease, soot quickly and effectively. But in order to use this method, you will need a special wire nozzle for a drill or grinder.

Remember to wear a respirator and special protective clothing. Remember that such cleaning requires care and caution.

Cleaning the frying pan. Effective Recipes

Often required. In this case, the latter is of varying degrees of complexity. Consider recipes for removing such a nuisance from your favorite dishes:

the first method will require a mixture of 9% vinegar, soda and water. The pan is put in the oven, 2 tablespoons of salt and vinegar are poured into it in order to cover the bottom. Let the liquid come to a boil, and then lower the heat and add ¼ cup of baking soda. Most will evaporate, after which the dishes are removed and washed from all sides. Similarly, grease and rust are cleaned. But be careful, because a lot of steam is formed in the process;
Do it yourself with activated charcoal. In order for the cleaning of the frying pan to become effective, about 10 tablets are required. Coal is crushed and poured into a frying pan moistened with warm water. After an hour ;
how to clean burnt food without damaging the bottom? This again requires boiling. But 3 presses of soda and detergent are added to the water for 3 liters of water. In this composition, lower the pan and boil for 30 minutes;
there is still a method based on borax and ammonia. This composition requires you to clean the pan from time to time. For 1 st. heated water is taken 10 g of borax and 1 drop of ammonia. The mixture is applied to dirty places with a sponge;

There are many folk recipes for cleaning cast iron pans. Each of them has been tested in practice.

another helper is lemon acid. 1 tsp the powder is diluted with 1 liter of water, then it is important to boil the composition and soak the pan in it for 60 minutes. If the dirt does not immediately leave, then the action is repeated;
to get rid of soot inside, you will need to make a gruel of vinegar and coarse salt. It is applied to a washcloth and the pan is thoroughly rubbed. Residues can be easily removed with a normal wash.

Frying the pan on charcoal will help eliminate soot. This is worth doing on the street. If this is not possible, then use the oven. The baking sheet is covered with foil, the dishes are laid upside down on it and sent to the cabinet. If there is a self-cleaning function, then turn it on, if not, then heat the cabinet to 250 degrees. And after 2 hours, look at how the dishes are doing. Get ready that everything will be filled with fumes and smoke, so do not forget about the hood and windows.

If this does not clear the soot, then let the pan cool. After that, send it to a solution of water and vinegar in equal proportions. Pour 2 tablespoons of detergent into this. Wash well after a couple of hours. hot water and scrub with a brush.

If the pan is cleaned after each use, then you can easily get rid of thin layers of dirt. In this case, you do not need radical methods. Thus, it is better to clean the pan immediately after cooking.

Food sticks to the pan. What to do?

So, we cleaned the dishes from soot, but what if food sticks to the pan? How to return that "non-stick" coating after such an intervention? In order to avoid burning and sticking of food, you need:

calcine the dishes on low heat for about a third of an hour, pour salt on the bottom;
when the salt starts to crackle, stir it, and touch the bottom with a spoon. This is required to be done within 20 minutes. After that, pour the salt and wait for the pan to cool. By the way, salt can be used again for similar procedures;
after cooling the dishes, it needs to be rinsed from salt and heated again;
when the pan warms up well, take any vegetable oil and grease the bottom with a spatula or brush;

If after cleaning the food began to stick to the pan - it does not matter. There is an effective method for restoring coverage.

when the oil starts to burn, gently wipe off the excess with a paper towel and then refill it. Then wipe again and pour a new layer. This procedure is repeated three times. As a result, you will get a shiny surface that needs to be protected. The bottom should not be rubbed when cleaning with chemicals. If necessary, these steps are repeated.

During the heating process, the pores of the cast iron expand, they are filled with oil. After lowering the temperature, the pores become narrow again, but the lubricant remains in them. It does not allow water and food particles to penetrate microscopic cracks, which cause the formation of rust and soot. Such protection does not like utensils, therefore wash such surfaces with ordinary warm water.

Also remember that a cast-iron pan cannot be washed in a dishwasher, otherwise rust appears on it and the layer with a “non-stick” coating is washed off.

Rust cleaning

The process of putting the pan in order involves not only removing carbon deposits, but also cleaning off rust. So the rules are:

first clean in the standard way, removing carbon deposits. This will help to detect rusty areas;
then dry and put in a preheated oven for 40 minutes;
now take it out and grease with oil, then send it to the oven now at a high temperature by 2 times. Leave there for an hour. Cover the bottom of the oven with foil;
take out the dishes and let cool, brush with oil.

Another method requires the use of vinegar. Mix the ingredients in equal proportions and soak the pan in the composition. After a couple of hours, rinse the dishes and remove plaque by using a gruel of vegetable oil and salt. But remember that a frying pan that is too old cannot be completely cleaned.

If the rust is severe, then you can try another method. First, rub the surface with a powdered soda product. After that, work hard with a metal brush. The rust removal process is completed by applying medium grit sandpaper. Another option is cleaning with a wire drill attachment. Then rinse the pan a simple means for dishes.

Rust is important to clean so that it does not continue to spoil the metal.

Remember that it is much easier to prevent new cookware from sticking by roasting. This will help in the future to use the pan without thinking about soot. To do this, the bottom of a new frying pan, which has not yet been used, is covered with salt and left on high heat. The salt is heated until dark brown. Then remove the dishes from the stove and clean with slightly cooled salt. Then grease with oil and send to the oven. The use of this method will eliminate the sticking of food and the burning of products.

Caring for a cast iron pan is not too difficult. For this reason, it is better to spend time washing after cooking than to put in remarkable efforts or use extreme measures later.

January 3, 2014, 12:10

Cleaning the kitchen is a process that many housewives take more than one hour a day. And if the pan is also burnt, then you have to spend quite a lot of time and effort to clean it. How to deal with the problem when the pan burns, what to do? Those who cook often and enjoy it know many different secrets and ways to spend less time cooking and cleaning the kitchen. Such secrets exist in the matter of using pans. We will talk about them in this article.

Why does food burn?

A frying pan is a dish to which food can easily stick. If you fry in oil, then excess fat remains on the surface of the pan, and fat with food residue can be very difficult to remove during the washing process.

When non-stick pans hit the market, it seemed like a solution had been found. Now you can cook meals without using oil and not worry about food remaining on the surface of the pan, making it difficult to wash. Such dishes are indispensable for those who are on a diet and have excluded fried foods from their diet. In addition, it is very convenient to fry pancakes on it, without the use of oil - this way they turn out low-fat and less high-calorie.

But sooner or later, even food residues begin to stick to such pans, which is facilitated by a number of reasons:

Poor quality dishes. Branded cookware, which has a non-stick coating, is suitable for use for only 2-3 years, and if you do not buy the original, then there is a high risk that after a month the pan will become completely useless in the household. To avoid such a result, when buying, focus on a ready-made one.
Mechanical damage to the surface. In the process of use and improper handling of dishes on Teflon, ceramic or other coatings, microcracks and scratches gradually appear. Here the issue is solved very simply: when purchasing a new dish, read the rules for caring for it. All useful information you will find in the article.
The expiration date has come to an end. If cast iron cookware can last for decades, then other materials cannot be used for so long.

Important! Thus, if the pan has lost its non-stick properties, then it will have to be disposed of. Dishes cooked on such utensils can be harmful to your health.

If a cast iron skillet burns

As everyone probably knows, the most delicious pancakes made in cast iron pans. But this is only possible if the dough does not stick to the bottom. Such dishes can be protected from burning as follows:

Rinse new dishes thoroughly in hot water and dry with a towel.
Cover the bottom with a centimeter layer edible salt and hold it on the stove or in the oven for 60 minutes, stirring the salt occasionally.
Then remove the salt and grease the inside of the bottom with any vegetable oil.

If aluminum cookware burns

If an aluminum pan burns, what should I do? Such a frying pan can be reanimated. To do this, proceed as follows:

Heat a clean dish over medium heat.
Cut some bread into cubes and evenly cover the bottom with them.
Fry the croutons for 5 minutes over low heat.

If enamelware burns

Enamelware needs delicate handling - it is absolutely impossible to ignite it, as this will completely ruin its coating. But if you started to notice that pancakes or any other food began to stick to the bottom, do not rush to send such a pan to the trash. Proceed as follows:

Clean the bottom thoroughly with detergent.
Dry the surface completely by removing moisture with a kitchen towel.
Rub the pan generously with a piece of lard or any fat.

Important! It is advisable to carry out this procedure every time before you start cooking on this dish. In this case, it is necessary to fry using a large amount of oil.

What can be done so that food does not burn on the pan?

What is needed to ensure that such dishes as a frying pan retain their non-stick properties for as long as possible, and you do not have to wash the bottom of burnt food all the time? With a few tricks, you can make your life a little easier.

When using dishes made of any material, some rules should be observed, namely:

Use fat or oil. Lubricate the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of oil and make sure that it is always present when frying. If the oil has been absorbed into the food, then add more and spread it again on the dishes.
Use Apple vinegar. It makes sense to do this if you have an aluminum pan or any other porous material. Vinegar should be added after the bottom has been oiled and heated. The vinegar should evaporate quickly if the cookware is kept on low heat. Only after its complete evaporation can you start cooking.
Add a small amount of salt. After the bottom of the dish is greased with vegetable oil, add a little salt and spread it over the entire surface of the bottom.

Important! You should take a moderate amount of salt, otherwise - its excess can harm palatability dishes. If you accidentally added too much salt, then you should remove the excess with a paper towel or napkin.

Do not use metal spatulas or spoons to stir food. This remark is especially relevant for dishes with Teflon and ceramic non-stick coatings. Use only plastic or wooden spatulas for them, as they do not leave scratches on the surface.
Never use hard metal sponges when washing. To extend the life of the dishes, you can use only soft sponges that cannot damage the coating and increase the porosity of the metal.
Try to keep pans dry. Make sure that no moisture remains on the dishes. Otherwise, mold may appear on it, which as a result will violate the non-stick properties.
Do not store pans in each other (especially Teflon products). So you can damage the coating due to careless contact with other objects. It is advisable to set such pans separately, and do not pile other dishes on top.

It's no secret that work the kitchen does not bring the most trouble, when it comes to cleaning and . Burnt frying pan can add tr at bottoms. Therefore, it will be useful for you to know what to do in order to food didn't burn!

We cook and clean the kitchen several times a day and it takes a lot of effort and time. Those who love to cook know dozens that make their lives much easier, but for others, as a rule, cooking causes a lot of stress.

For example, when you wash dishes, it is often difficult to remove grease and food residue from dishes. Agree, there is nothing worse than spending hours preparing a dish so that, in the end, it burns tightly to the bottom of the pan.

In order to help you avoid these problems, today we will tell you about 9 curious "tricks" to food didn't burn.

Record!

1. Use Olive Oil to Keep Food from Burning

A small amount of olive oil at the bottom of the pan - this is one of the most effective ways save food from burning. Just pour some oil on the pan and use a silicone brush spread it evenly to cover the entire bottom.

Before you start frying, you need to wait until the pan is hot (of course, the oil should not burn and smoke).

2. Add some salt

If the pan is made of aluminum, food will stick to it more easily. After all, it is a porous material.

To prevent burning, apply a thin layer to the bottom of the pan. sunflower oil and add some salt, evenly distributing it over the entire surface.

Try not to overdo it with salt, because it can worsen the taste of food. If you feel like you've added too much, remove the excess with a paper towel before the pan heats up.

3. Use apple cider vinegar

Aluminum and other porous materials must be securely "sealed" before you start cooking. This is necessary so that the food does not burn.

A good option is to pour in some oil and, after it is hot, add some vinegar. Wait until it has completely evaporated and you can start the cooking process.

4. Use Natural Butter

The natural oil contains the nutrients the body needs, and the oily compounds make the task of cooking easier.

Depending on the type, oil can be the source essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Use a teaspoon butter to grease the pan before cooking scrambled eggs, sausages or croquettes.

To prevent the oil from burning, do not overheat the pan and add a pinch of salt.

5. Avoid using metal spatulas and spoons

If you are cooking in a non-stick pan, you should not use metal spoons or spatulas because they can easily damage the finish.

Instead, you can buy wooden or plastic spatulas. They will not scratch the surface and therefore food will not stick.

6. Do not use metal sponges

Such wiry or simply hard sponges can enlarge the pores in aluminum pans and scratch the coating on non-stick ones. Instead, use soft sponges or brushes to keep your pans in good condition longer.

7. Don't store pans inside each other

Of course, this saves space, but it's better not to do this. Teflon very sensitive to any touch and can be easily damaged in such storage. You can use special protective pads.