How to Season an Inox Pan for Non-Stick Cooking

A non-stick pan can make cooking much easier, but most non-stick pans available in stores contain harmful chemicals, making them less than ideal for healthy cooking. The best, easiest, and healthiest solution for a non-stick pan is to season it with oil! Simply pour oil into a clean inox pan and heat it up to activate the seasoning process. Once done, your pan is ready to cook all kinds of delicious dishes for you and your family.

Wash the pan with soap and warm water. Scrub the pan using a dishwashing sponge or a soft scrubber. Be thorough in cleaning both the inside and outside of the pan, then rinse it with warm water and let it dry. A clean pan ensures better oil adherence during the seasoning process.

Select an oil with a high smoke point for seasoning the pan. Sesame oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil are all good choices for this. Oils with a high smoke point react better to heat when you start the seasoning process and will 'stick' better to the pan. This helps the oil layer adhere more effectively and last longer.

Pour enough oil into the pan to fully coat the bottom. Typically, you’ll need about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil. Tilt the pan to spread the oil along the sides as well. Aim to coat the entire surface of the pan evenly and thoroughly for the best results.

Heat the pan for 2 minutes over medium heat. Avoid turning the heat too high at the start of the seasoning process, as this could cause the pan to heat unevenly and burn the oil. A medium flame will not only be gentler on the pan and oil but also help the pan heat uniformly.

• You can also season the pan in the oven. Place the pan in the oven and set the temperature to 177°C. Leave the pan in the oven for about 1 hour.

Remove the pan from the heat when the oil begins to smoke. When you see a thin wisp of smoke rising from the pan, the oil has reached the right temperature. This process typically takes 3-5 minutes. At this point, take the pan off the heat.

Let the oil cool for at least 30 minutes. Allow the oil to cool to room temperature, or at least until it is no longer hot to the touch. The oil should be cool enough that you can safely touch it without burning yourself. This ensures safety during the next steps.

• Do not touch the oil to test if it has cooled.

Pour the oil from the pan into the kitchen's drainage pipe. There will likely be some oil left in the pan, but that's perfectly fine. You can absorb the remaining oil with a paper towel and dispose of it with the food waste if you don't want to pour it down the drain. Don't worry if there's still oil left clinging to the pan.

Use a paper towel to wipe the inside of the pan. Fold a sheet of paper towel and wipe the pan with a circular motion. This step will not only absorb any remaining oil but also help the pan shine. The shine indicates that the pan has been properly seasoned and is now non-stick!

Heat the pan before cooking. This step ensures that both the pan and ingredients heat evenly, reducing the risk of food burning. Typically, it takes about 10 minutes for the pan to reach the right level of heat.

Monitor the heat level of the stove while cooking. Avoid placing the pan on high heat, especially if it's a well-seasoned non-stick pan. The higher the temperature, the more likely food is to stick to the pan during cooking.

Thaw food to room temperature before frying. Cold food will stick to a hot pan, burn easily, and make the pan dirty. It is recommended to thaw food in the refrigerator, then leave it outside for 1-2 hours before cooking to reach room temperature.

• Do not leave raw food outside for more than 2 hours to prevent the risk of bacterial contamination and food poisoning!

Don’t overcrowd the pan with ingredients. If you overcrowd the bottom of the pan, the heat will not distribute evenly, causing the food to stick. If you want to cook multiple ingredients in the same pan, only add 2 or 3 items, and make sure each ingredient has enough space to spread out in the pan.

Cook acidic foods, watery items, and sauces in stainless steel pans. Fruits, vegetables, tomato sauce, meat juices, and broths are all ideal for cooking in a well-seasoned pan. Additionally, you can use the pan to fry eggs for breakfast or sear a piece of salmon for dinner. Stainless steel pans are the best choice for these types of dishes.

Place a few sheets of paper towels inside the pan before stacking cookware. Stacking pans is a common and convenient way to store kitchen items, but it can cause scratches and affect the non-stick properties of your pan. To protect your well-seasoned pan, place a few sheets of paper towels inside it before stacking.

Lau sạch chảo bằng khăn giấy sau khi nấu nướng xong. Nếu rửa chảo đã tôi dầu bằng xà phòng và nước sau mỗi lần nấu nướng, bạn sẽ làm trôi mất lớp dầu và sẽ phải tôi dầu lại. Lớp dầu bám trong chảo sẽ giúp chảo không bị dính thức ăn, và như vậy bạn không cần phải rửa chảo bằng xà phòng và nước nếu chảo không quá lem nhem.

Rửa sạch chảo bẩn bằng xà phòng và nước. Cuối cùng cũng sẽ đến lúc chiếc chảo đã tôi dầu của bạn bắt đầu dính dấu thức ăn. Bây giờ bạn có thể rửa sạch chảo. Dùng nước ấm và miếng bọt biển mềm hoặc mút rửa bát không nhám ráp để rửa.

• Đừng rửa khi chảo chưa nguội hẳn.
• Dùng khăn giấy lau khô chảo ngay sau khi rửa xong để tránh các vết nước đọng lốm đốm trong chảo.

Loại bỏ dấu thức ăn dính chặt bằng cách đun sôi nước trong chảo 5 phút. Nếu vẫn còn dấu tích thức ăn trong chảo, bạn hãy cho xà phòng rửa bát và đổ nước vào chảo. Đặt chảo lên bếp và vặn lửa to. Đun sôi trong 5 phút, sau đó đổ nước nóng ra. Phần còn lại trong chảo sễ dễ dàng bong ra!

Dùng dầu mới chống dính cho chảo sau khi rửa. Sau khi đã rửa chảo bằng xà phòng và nước thì chảo không còn lớp chống dính nữa. Để chiếc chảo vẫn tiếp tục chống dính tốt, bạn cần lặp lại quy trình tôi dầu cho chảo!

• Use salt and oil to clean a non-stick pan, removing any persistent residue.
• Avoid spraying non-stick cooking spray on a pan that's already seasoned with oil. This will only leave excess oil in the pan, making food more likely to stick.