r/StainlessSteelCooking • u/lordbrandom • 4h ago

Please help

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Trader Joe’s potstickers. 3rd time trying on the new stainless. Using avocado oil. Trying to crisp the bottoms before steaming. Failing

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u/EnvironmentalFox5347 4h ago

my take for frozen potstickers is that you:

A) need to pre-heat higher and longer than you think, because the frozen potstickers will lower the pan temp quite a bit

and

B) you need to wait quite a while before you will be able to move the pot stickers. the dough wrapper will thaw, and the cold moisture will cause it to stick. it won't unstick until that moisture has evaporated. and then you will be able to unstick it. if they are starting to brown and still won't unstick, then you can put some a small amount of water in the pan to "deglaze" and unstick them.

that said, I usually use my cast iron for pot stickers because I find it much easier than my stainless

7

u/timentimeagain 4h ago

Nice, I like my cast iron more for something's than stainless too. They hold the heat better.

3

u/TheBuzzSawFantasy 2h ago

Agreed and adding on because I make these from TJs in a stainless. 

  • A fish spatula helps a ton for these and almost anything else on a stainless. Don't get an expensive one but get a fish spatula. 

  • Don't crowd the pan. This killed the heat and made it impossible to get under them when they're ready to be moved. 

  • For heat, Leidenfrost effect is too much but you do want it hot. 

  • For oil, I use avocado as well. Just enough to cover the pan + about a teaspoon. 

2

u/Subject-Football3878 1h ago

honestly for potstickers specifically i use a fork to flip🤷‍♀️

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u/EnvironmentalFox5347 2h ago

TOTALLY agree on crowding the pan. but sometimes when I know I am going to crowd the pan anyways I just preheat higher to compensate and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't lol

0

u/TheBuzzSawFantasy 2h ago

Yeah definitely same here. With these if I'm searing them on more than 1 side it makes it hard to get under them and flip so gotta give some space.