Pan Temperature
Discussion
I love cooking. But one thing that's really getting on my tits is pan temperature.
I cant keep pans hot. For example today I was making a risotto, got the pan as hot as I could. Onion and mushrooms in, within a minute the temp is too low and they are stewing in water and not frying.
I have a gas hob. The pans are Prestige stainless steel, nothing special, but not total s
te.
I'm guessing I need better pans, or could the hob be faulty / in need of some attention?
What do I look for in a pan? Big heavy bottom. Copper would be nice, but expensive.
I know I could saute in batches but that's not always practical and sometimes I'm cooking for two and shouldn't need to.
I cant keep pans hot. For example today I was making a risotto, got the pan as hot as I could. Onion and mushrooms in, within a minute the temp is too low and they are stewing in water and not frying.
I have a gas hob. The pans are Prestige stainless steel, nothing special, but not total s
te.I'm guessing I need better pans, or could the hob be faulty / in need of some attention?
What do I look for in a pan? Big heavy bottom. Copper would be nice, but expensive.
I know I could saute in batches but that's not always practical and sometimes I'm cooking for two and shouldn't need to.
Far from an expert but have found that on a gas hob letting a pan "warm up" on a lower temp for a while before turning things up seems to work better than just a quick blast on a high heat.
My guess is that on high from the start you might get the bottom of the pan hot but the rest is cold (relatively) and when food is added there is nothing "in reserve" to compensate for the heat the cold food draws away from the metal and this causes a big drop in temperature which then leads to stuff boiling instead of frying until the pan has chance to regain heat.
Not explained very well but I reckon the bigger / heavier / thicker the the pan and what it's made from the more it would benefit from being on a low heat to build up a thermal reserve before its turned up to the desired cooking temperature.
My guess is that on high from the start you might get the bottom of the pan hot but the rest is cold (relatively) and when food is added there is nothing "in reserve" to compensate for the heat the cold food draws away from the metal and this causes a big drop in temperature which then leads to stuff boiling instead of frying until the pan has chance to regain heat.
Not explained very well but I reckon the bigger / heavier / thicker the the pan and what it's made from the more it would benefit from being on a low heat to build up a thermal reserve before its turned up to the desired cooking temperature.
As said, somethings not right here but I doubt its the pans or the hob (sorry OP!)
A heavy based pan helps to retain a consistent temperature which is good for some things but not everything and for a risotto you could literally start in a cold pan anyway, you should be sweating the onions not frying. And, not sure where the water is coming from? Sounds more problem with the technique.
A heavy based pan helps to retain a consistent temperature which is good for some things but not everything and for a risotto you could literally start in a cold pan anyway, you should be sweating the onions not frying. And, not sure where the water is coming from? Sounds more problem with the technique.
21TonyK said:
As said, somethings not right here but I doubt its the pans or the hob (sorry OP!)
Sounds more problem with the technique.
This^^^^Sounds more problem with the technique.
These kind of issues appear when you over load your pans.
The right size pans are very important. If the surface is to narrow for the amount of mushrooms your are putting in, you are just steaming the mushrooms which seats at the top of the others.
Low heat to sweat onions and garlic for 5-10mins, you don't want to colour them at all for a risotto.
It is possible for the jets in a gas hob to get partially blocked. It's happened to me. Do all the burners of the same size produce the same size of flame?
You can clean the jet - v carefully - with a sharpened matchstick.
It is possible for the jets in a gas hob to get partially blocked. It's happened to me. Do all the burners of the same size produce the same size of flame?
You can clean the jet - v carefully - with a sharpened matchstick.
Thanks peeps.
Understand what people are saying about putting too much in, thing I probably have done that occasionally but am aware of that and don't think it's the only problem.
Cooking steak for example, smoking pan, first side gets lovely and caramelised, but the second doesn't have the same heat. That's with just one steak.
Will try cleaning the nozzle and get some other pans. The worst is the wok which is really thin and cheap.
Will look out for some cast iron ones.
Understand what people are saying about putting too much in, thing I probably have done that occasionally but am aware of that and don't think it's the only problem.
Cooking steak for example, smoking pan, first side gets lovely and caramelised, but the second doesn't have the same heat. That's with just one steak.
Will try cleaning the nozzle and get some other pans. The worst is the wok which is really thin and cheap.
Will look out for some cast iron ones.
Scabutz said:
Thanks peeps.
Understand what people are saying about putting too much in, thing I probably have done that occasionally but am aware of that and don't think it's the only problem.
Cooking steak for example, smoking pan, first side gets lovely and caramelised, but the second doesn't have the same heat. That's with just one steak.
Will try cleaning the nozzle and get some other pans. The worst is the wok which is really thin and cheap.
Will look out for some cast iron ones.
Hold on a bit, a wok is supposed to be ultra thin, its heats and cools instantly which is what you want for something like a stir fry.Understand what people are saying about putting too much in, thing I probably have done that occasionally but am aware of that and don't think it's the only problem.
Cooking steak for example, smoking pan, first side gets lovely and caramelised, but the second doesn't have the same heat. That's with just one steak.
Will try cleaning the nozzle and get some other pans. The worst is the wok which is really thin and cheap.
Will look out for some cast iron ones.
Put up some pics of your pans. Mine are 27 years old on an £100 Chinese hob off ebay. And cast iron is not what you want for a multitude of things and reasons.
Scabutz said:
Thanks peeps.
Understand what people are saying about putting too much in, thing I probably have done that occasionally but am aware of that and don't think it's the only problem.
Cooking steak for example, smoking pan, first side gets lovely and caramelised, but the second doesn't have the same heat. That's with just one steak.
Will try cleaning the nozzle and get some other pans. The worst is the wok which is really thin and cheap.
Will look out for some cast iron ones.
I think it is a lack of understanding and the wrong pan. Definitely cast iron for steak.Understand what people are saying about putting too much in, thing I probably have done that occasionally but am aware of that and don't think it's the only problem.
Cooking steak for example, smoking pan, first side gets lovely and caramelised, but the second doesn't have the same heat. That's with just one steak.
Will try cleaning the nozzle and get some other pans. The worst is the wok which is really thin and cheap.
Will look out for some cast iron ones.
Woks are supposed to be thin and cheap, that's all the Chinese use. They only cook in small batches and at high heat, the thinness of the pan gives them very quick control of the heat.
I used to make the mistake of putting too much food in wok and it never worked out well.
Scabutz said:
I'm not cooking steak in a wok. Sorry I think its my style of writing as I think, and it's a bit all over the place.
I'm talking in general and specifics at the same time.
What I'm trying to convey is I have the same problem with different pans, cooking different things.
Stick up some pics of your pans and hob. This should be a simple problem to solve.I'm talking in general and specifics at the same time.
What I'm trying to convey is I have the same problem with different pans, cooking different things.
It's likely not your pans or gas hob, assuming you are using an appropriate burner.
You're either:
1) not really heating the pans appropriately and need to get more initial heat
2) you're using wet ingredients and seeing the water evaporate (mushrooms)
3) your meat is wet and not ready for searing
Mushroom will always extrude water when cooked, until the water evaporates and then they can be browned appropriate to the requirements. Meat should be taken out of the package and dried/patted off before being seasoned with salt (not pepper) prior to searing.
Are you using oil or trying to dry-fry things, too? people forget that the reason we use oil, generally, is for heat transference.
You're either:
1) not really heating the pans appropriately and need to get more initial heat
2) you're using wet ingredients and seeing the water evaporate (mushrooms)
3) your meat is wet and not ready for searing
Mushroom will always extrude water when cooked, until the water evaporates and then they can be browned appropriate to the requirements. Meat should be taken out of the package and dried/patted off before being seasoned with salt (not pepper) prior to searing.
Are you using oil or trying to dry-fry things, too? people forget that the reason we use oil, generally, is for heat transference.
Scabutz said:
Thanks peeps.
Understand what people are saying about putting too much in, thing I probably have done that occasionally but am aware of that and don't think it's the only problem.
Cooking steak for example, smoking pan, first side gets lovely and caramelised, but the second doesn't have the same heat. That's with just one steak.
Will try cleaning the nozzle and get some other pans. The worst is the wok which is really thin and cheap.
Will look out for some cast iron ones.
I actually find a similar issue with cooking steaks......interestingly I was watching a Jamie Oliver thing yesterday and he was searing a big slab of meat, he seared one side then lifted it with tongs and even said "hold for 30 seconds, get back up to heat" before putting the other side down. So, I'll give this a go next time, give the pan a chance to get hot again once you've had the steak in there. Understand what people are saying about putting too much in, thing I probably have done that occasionally but am aware of that and don't think it's the only problem.
Cooking steak for example, smoking pan, first side gets lovely and caramelised, but the second doesn't have the same heat. That's with just one steak.
Will try cleaning the nozzle and get some other pans. The worst is the wok which is really thin and cheap.
Will look out for some cast iron ones.
I do think I also need a thicker/heavier cast iron pan to hold the heat better than the one I have currently.
For steak I'll use my thickest heaviest pan.
For risotto I'll use my paper thin £8 disposable pseudo-wok pan. Gas hob easily keeps it to temp, coldest ingredient going in being a generous glug of white wine before starting to add the (hot) stock.
Risotto doesn't need that high a heat, at any stage...
For risotto I'll use my paper thin £8 disposable pseudo-wok pan. Gas hob easily keeps it to temp, coldest ingredient going in being a generous glug of white wine before starting to add the (hot) stock.
Risotto doesn't need that high a heat, at any stage...
Bacon Is Proof said:
For steak I'll use my thickest heaviest pan.
For risotto I'll use my paper thin £8 disposable pseudo-wok pan. Gas hob easily keeps it to temp, coldest ingredient going in being a generous glug of white wine before starting to add the (hot) stock.
Risotto doesn't need that high a heat, at any stage...
Hoping for one of these for Christmas: https://www.johnlewis.com/le-creuset-cast-iron-26c...For risotto I'll use my paper thin £8 disposable pseudo-wok pan. Gas hob easily keeps it to temp, coldest ingredient going in being a generous glug of white wine before starting to add the (hot) stock.
Risotto doesn't need that high a heat, at any stage...
Bacon Is Proof said:
I just threw one of those out!
Used it once, crock o' ste.
Took six weeks to heat up most unevenly and weighed more than my bicycle.
Also, if you're going to make a pan with an unusable handle, make it bigger.
Oh, I best hope no one is buying it for me then. Used it once, crock o' s
te.Took six weeks to heat up most unevenly and weighed more than my bicycle.
Also, if you're going to make a pan with an unusable handle, make it bigger.
Although, I think I might have asked for this instead now I think about it: https://www.lecreuset.co.uk/en_GB/p/cast-iron-rect...
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