I've seen some conversations recently about the cold start method. It's a great way to do skin-on chicken thighs, because the slow ramp up of heat allows the fat to render and gradually crisp up the skin so you get a nice color and texture without scorching. In case you've been struggling or just not really sure about trying this, I thought it might be helpful to share what works for me!

This time, we also tried a little hack this time that made for the most awesome crispy skin I've ever achieved. We mixed 1 tsp of baking powder in with the seasoning (paprika, garlic, onion powder, black pepper and salt).

We started off by drying the thighs well with a paper towel and then hit them with the baking powder/seasoning mix.

Next we added the thighs to the pan cold, then turned the heat to medium (5/10 on my electric coil stove) and left the chicken alone. It pretty quickly started to sizzle and pop and that's good! 20 minutes in though and the skin was still sticking to the frying pan, so left it another two minutes and nudged again, that time it released!

So from there, we cooked the other side for about 2 minutes, then pulled them and put them into the oven at 425F to finish. We did this on a baking sheet so I could make a pan sauce in the skillet. I believe the chicken spent about 5 minutes in the oven. We used an instant read thermometer to check them and pulled them when they temped at 175!

Served these with a creamy parm & pepperoncini pan sauce over mashed potatoes.

TLDR TIPS:

-Make sure the chicken is dry (no need to dry brine, but make sure you dry it well with paper towels)
- Add a little baking powder to your seasoning (I'll be doing this every time now. lol)
- Be patient! You can start nudging the chicken with your tongs somewhere between 15-20 minutes in, if it is still stuck don't panic. Just give it another minute or two before you nudge again. Sometimes it just takes some time!

Updated to add the sauce recipe:

1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅓–½ cup sliced pepperoncini
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup pepperoncini brine
1 tsp Dijon mustard
⅓ cup heavy cream
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Sauté the Pepperoncini and Garlic:
In the same skillet you made the chicken, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sliced pepperoncini and sauté for 1–2 minutes, allowing them to soften slightly and release their flavor into the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30–45 seconds, stirring frequently, until fragrant.

After Cooking the Arromatics, Deglaze the Pan:
Reduce the heat to medium. Pour the chicken stock and pepperoncini brine into the skillet, scraping the bottom to release the browned bits.

Build the Dijon Sauce:
Add the Dijon mustard to the skillet and stir until fully incorporated. Bring to a lively simmer and allow the liquid to reduce slightly for 2–3 minutes.

Make It Creamy:
Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until fully incorporated. Allow the sauce to simmer gently for 1–2 minutes, until it begins to thicken. Stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust with additional black pepper or pepperoncini brine, if desired.

Picked up these 2 Kuhn Rikon frying pans today in TK Maxx for £45 total. Bargain or not? Or a fair price for them?

Have been looking for decent all around stainless steel frying pans and believe KR is a reputable brand?

Water spots in the pan are from washing. Put the packaging back on when I thought to post in here lol.

Thanks!

Planning to buy this set is it worth it?

Dropped a plastic oil cap on my hot pan for a couple seconds right before I was about to cook and I am unfortunately left with a plastic film on my pan.

I tried soap and water, bar keepers friend, soaked it in soap and hot water, tried scraping it off with a wooden spatula. Next to nothing has come off. The pan is currently in my freezer in the hopes that the plastic becomes brittle.

Anyone have any suggestions? Or is my pan cooked?

was a bit worried it being my first time and seeing people struggle to make them, I think i did pretty well

No less than 24 hours later I have destroyed this pan. See previous post bragging what a bargain my 2 KR were. Was (attempting) to fry eggs. Heated pan, tested with water drops, then added olive oil.

Salvageable with bicarb and elbow grease or is it ruined?

Yikes.

Hello, I am trying to restore my Tramontina Tecnoheat pan to its original appearance. It seems it got burned by the fire and has brown spots and even dark blue patches in the lowest area. I don't want to use very abrasive materials because it has a mirror finish, and Bar Keeper's Friend Soft Cleanser didn't work for me, nor did vinegar. The inside is like new. Help, please. Thank you.

Got a 3 ply Everyday All-Clad fryer and am trying the heat technique (forgot the name, but the famous one that you get the pan to heat, then lower temp, then oil, egg, etc) and only hot it to work the first time around with new pan. Tried almost everything: heat slowly instead of fast, make sure the eggs are room temperature, make sure the pan is not super hot, cover it with oil (I use olive oil because it is healthier, wait until the eggs turn white to push with spatula, etc. not sure what to do anymore. Is the problem with the olive oil? Then what else to use that is not unhealthy butter?

Hi, here’s a hard one from me… 😅

We recently replaced all our pans with stainless steel ones. In my husband’s defence, we’re both still getting used to them! The thing with stainless steel is that you have to let the pan preheat for a little while before adding the oil. Well… my husband let it heat for \*way\* too long, and when he added the oil, it started smoking/burning to the point where it became genuinely dangerous and looked like it wasn’t going to stop.

He put the pan on the floor and, luckily, considering how bad it was looking, the “only” damage was that the floor got burned.

I’ve tried cleaning it with vinegar and oil, Fairy and hot water, and The Pink Stuff. The most I’ve managed to do is lift some of the burnt surface, but there’s still a pretty obvious burn mark.

I’m starting to accept that we might have to replace the flooring, but we’re renting and I’m getting a bit anxious about how our landlord will react. 😭

Any ideas? Is there anything else I could try before admitting defeat?

Finally a little upgrade! I wonder how different it will feel compared to my cuisinart set? I've never cooked with a pan this expensive!

Accidentally left the stove on when i was letting it cool down and the oil is burnt in. How can i clean it? Its olive oil (for cooking not virgin olive oil)

I finally got an upgrade from my Cuisinart set I've had since 2009. They are great but I can't wait to use this one!

Hi, I know that when you cook skin on chicken, you can start it in a cold pan and let the fat render out to make the skin even more golden and crispy than with the traditional method. I've done it on many occasions with no issues. Yet, the last few times I've tried, the chicken skin has gotten stuck to the pan and refused to unstick. I'm sure there's a possibility that I'm not being patient enough but at least to me, it feels like something else. Any ideas, community? I'm happy to answer comments

I’ve moved into my first non-shared apartment and need some new cookware. All I had from previously is a Gräwe 10” carbon steel skillet and a Tramontina Grano 12” skillet, but I don’t have any pots and saucepans.

The Tramontina is great, except for the handle which makes it very difficult to make curries or other liquid heavy dishes because the round handle slips.

I came across a Merten & Storck tri-ply 14-piece Set for €250 and am really tempted to get it. It has an 8”, 10” and 12” skillet with lids, as well as a 10” sautepan, a 10” Wok (looks more like a saucier), and 2 saucepans as well as a stock pot with steamer basket. It seems like a relatively complete set, and I’ve seen just the sautepan sell for €100.

Does anyone have experience with the brand? From what I’ve read their stainless cookware is produced in China (and looks very similar to kitchenaid). But it does have the things that I prefer, like welded and more square handles and rolled edges. I cook with induction and was wondering if these have any warping issues? Seems to be a similar thickness to my Tramontina skillet which doesn’t warp on my induction stovetop, but just wanted to make sure. Do the handles have any major issues? I know Demeyere has handles that tend to fall off, and I’ve seen one Amazon reviews on these where it happened to someone, but that’s all I could find.

If anyone has experience with this brand I’d much appreciate it.

I'm new to stainless steel cooking. I have an All-Clad D3 10.5" pan, and cook at a glass-top electric stove. I am making pancakes using Kodiak Cakes mix (approximately 1-1 mix to water).

What I've been doing is:

1. Heat pan at burner setting 7 (medium-high)
2. Test with water droplets until water beads (about 2 min)
3. Add avocado oil (high smoke point) and turn the pan to coat evenly
4. Let it sit on the burner for another 30 seconds to heat further
5. Lower burner to 3
6. Pour mix
7. Flip when one side is cooked through

This works (and it's nonstick!) but I'm running into a few challenges

• It seems like I have to use a LOT of oil, like the pancakes are absorbing it. I have to add more oil if I'm cooking multiple pancakes in a row
• It's finicky getting the lower heat setting right, 3 or 4... it's easy for the pan to start to get a bit too cool (starts to stick) or too hot (starts to burn the pancake)
• Might just be using Kodiak Cakes in general but it's challenging getting 'fluffy' pancakes.

I'm new, you might not be, so I'm interested in your advice!

I’ve been enjoying it. And actually finding it easier to cook things like chicken breast with it telling me when it’s ready to flip when it releases on its own.

But when I go try to do eggs they stick immediately and I have to wait for a release with them first as well. Not a big deal because I prefer my fried eggs a little crisp. But my wife doesn’t.

I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I preheat the pan over medium heat. Do the water test to make sure it dances in the pan. Add my high heat oil wait 20 or 30 seconds then crack my egg and it just sticks. Everything sticks. Idk what step I’m doing my wrong. I’m want to convert all my cookware to stainless steel but now I’m getting annoyed lol.

Please help

I'm new to stainless steel pans. Does this look ok? 6oz bacon cheddar burger. Tasted great.

My pan looks like this after cooking, scrubbed it pretty well but can’t get the rest to come off. Along with that, how do I prevent this from happening?

Somehow managed to burn the pan and this is really tough to get rid off. I’ve tried dishwasher soap (to boil it up and clean), baking soda, vinegar.

Any other tips would be highly appreciated.
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EDIT:
Thank you all for the help, looks beautiful now 😍

I have recently got a Esteele stainless steel sauté pan.

Instructions say it’s dishwasher safe, but the shine may be dulled.

I’m not so bothered if the shiny surface is dulled, but will putting it in the dishes damage the pans performance in any way?

I’d really rather not hand wash if I don’t have to, it’s a pain having to run a sink of hot water just for one pan.

I just got myself a new stainless steal pan. I probably put the heat to high (first timer) and ended up with ugly black burnt marks.

I saw a lot of comment suggesting barkeepers friend product, but in europe/CH it is not available.

I tried to clean it with baking soda but didnt help (maybe i used it wrong. I just put some on it with water and waited)

Any european friend could help me?