Stainless steel pots have become a darling for many chefs and cooks, be it at home or in restaurants. As a matter of fact, most people heavily rely on stainless steel pots and pans for their cooking. The material is great for experimenting on different types of cooking styles and rarely will you go wrong when you have one.
That being said, there are those moments when you feel you would like to do a little bit more and try different recipes especially deep frying. However, questions have been posed as to whether stainless steel is ideal for deep frying and most likely you have had them too.
As you seek to do it right when dealing with a recipe that requires deep frying, it’ll be important to answer this question and settle your mind. So, we will seek to answer this question, “can you deep fry in stainless steel?” read on so we can learn together…
Is Stainless Steel Pan Good For Deep Frying?
The answer to this question is an absolute yes. However, it’s good to understand that stainless steel pans and pots come in varying qualities. As such, assessing the quality of your pot or pan is essential, especially when it comes to the gauge or heaviness of the material used.
Basically, the best pans used for deep frying are heavy thus allowing for quality heat retention for a perfect cooking experience even as food is removed and added into the hot oil.
One of the biggest advantages of using stainless steel for deep frying is that the material heats up quickly. This translates into fast and even heating of the oil which results in some amazing tone and textures for your food.
But just as with every other material, it’s good to control your cooking temperature for the best results. Using too high temperature could result in poorly cooked meals and even result in burnt food. Once the oil heats up excessively, the results won’t be the best.
It is also worth noting that tri-ply stainless steel pots and pans are better especially those that come with an inner layer of either copper or aluminum. This helps improve on heat conductivity despite the fact that such pots and pans are likely to be a little pricey.
As you buy your deep frying pan, a few features will be worth considering for the best results. First, always go for a pan or pot that’s a little deep, and 3 inches would be ideal. This helps prevent against splattering of oil during your cooking experience. Additionally, the deep pots and pans allow for sufficient room for your food to submerge in the oil while leaving enough room for safe frying.
Depending on the number of people you’re deep frying for or the amount of food you wish to prepare, a pan or pot with 4-6 quarts capacity is always ideal and safe for deep frying purposes.
Can You Deep Fry in a Ceramic Pan?
The answer to this question is a yes. As long as the non-stick pan is sturdy and you’re using a stove-top, deep frying is absolutely possible for you. It’s however important to make sure that your pan has the right gauge to facilitate proper heat distribution thus allowing your oil to heat slowly and evenly. The base of the ceramic pan should be heavy enough to allow your food to fry steadily.
As with every other deep frying pan, your ceramic pan should be at least 3-5 inches deep depending on the amount of cooking oil you’re using for your cooking. You will also need to regulate your temperature and using a thermometer is advisable for all your deep frying cooking.
One big advantage with ceramic pans is that they are scratch-resistant naturally especially if you are using a quality non-stick option. They are also non-reactive, meaning your food won’t come into contact with any chemical additives. As such, you can fully trust the pans even when deep frying your food.
On top of being an amazing deep frying option, the pans are also easy to clean with little effort required. With a bit of warm, soapy water, you can easily get rid of the oils and have your pot ready for storage. Just clean, rinse well and wipe with a clean napkin or paper towel and you’re set to go.
A word of advice worth noting is that when deep frying in a ceramic pan, your attention is required and your food should never be left unattended for long. You should also make sure that your pan has a lid which you should use to cover it in case it catches fire.
This should however not worry you much to a point of shunning the ceramic pans altogether. Just regulate your heat and monitor your food closely for the best results.
Can You Deep Fry in an Aluminum Pan?
As far as health is concerned, deep frying in an aluminum pan is perfectly in order and safe. There’s no health concern posed by the aluminum material and as such you shouldn’t be afraid of using the pans for your deep frying needs.
Aluminum pans are only unsuitable for cooking acidic food such as tomatoes as these can mess up both your cookware and the food.
Aluminum pans are known as ideal kitchen companions especially because they heat fast and this heat is perfectly distributed across the surface. As such, they use less energy and the results are superb.
The downside with aluminum pans however is that they are not good at heat retention and this may not be a very good thing when it comes to deep frying. Considering that you’re adding and removing your food after a few minutes, you may need to keep adjusting your time accordingly for quality results.
It’ll be better if you can avoid lightweight aluminum pans but instead go for the heavier alternatives as these are guaranteed to last longer and offer better cooking experience.
Are Stainless Steel Pans Better Than Non-stick?
The answer to this question is neither a straight no or yes. The answer to this question squarely lies on the kind of cooking you’re doing. At the end of the day, having both the non-stick and stainless steel pans is a big recommendation as each covers kitchen bases where the other won’t.
Non-stick pans are ideal for cooking more delicate foods such as pancakes, eggs, crepes and fish but these should be cooked on low and medium heat. The bottom line is that non-stick material works well with less heat and this means you cannot do things such as searing which requires high heat.
On the other hand, stainless steel pans can be used for cooking practically everything. The flipside however is that they are a little bit harder to clean especially if you use less cooking oil and low heat. Stainless steel pans are ideal for high heat and as such can be used on stoves and also in the oven.
Stainless steel pans are ideal for oven finish and high sears thus making them suitable for cooking pork, chicken, and steaks and braises. If you’re wondering which pans are better than the others, the answer is that you need both in your kitchen.
Note: – Always seek to understand how each of these two types of pans are supposed to be used for quality cooking results and stress-free cooking
Which Pan is Best For Deep Frying?
The best deep frying pan, as a matter of priority, should be deep enough to hold the right oil quantity that’ll fully submerge your foods. Cast iron is the best pan material for deep frying as it offers superior heat retention and it’s hard enough for durability.
However, stainless steel, aluminum and non-stick options are also ideal and excellent options especially if you’re looking for low-maintenance and lighter pans.
Although cast iron is generally a poor conductor of heat, its heat retention qualities are considered ideal for deep frying once the oil is fully heated. Aluminum, stainless steel and non-stick ceramic options are great especially as they heat fast and allow for the heat to distribute evenly.
Conclusion
Although deep frying is an amazing cooking method with great results, safety should be of great importance whenever you’re cooking. Oil temperatures normally rise up to 350ºF and as such, all safety aspects should be considered. Additionally, you should choose the right kind of pan and this includes choosing the right size and construction material to use.
Always keep the small children away from the kitchen and the hot oil in particular as oil could easily splash or spill by accident. Whichever type of pan you use, make sure to use a stove that’s compatible.
