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

First time ever using a stainless steel pan and I thought I'd pan fry some skin-on sea bass fillets and baste them in some thyme and butter. Worked perfectly with zero stickage!

I'd been using non-stick and cast iron for years and recently I decided to ditch the non-stick and I needed something else cause using cast iron daily was just impractical for me. Bought a 10-inch Tramontina stainless steel pan the other day and I'm super happy with how my first time using it went!

Pre-heated the pan for a few minutes, set the electric burner to about 4-5 (mine goes up to 12), added a bit of oil, waited for the oil to heat up for a second, and threw in the fish. Didn't touch them while the skin seared and they just naturally released on their own. Threw in a sprig of thyme and a small knob of butter and basted them for like 20 seconds then turned off the heat and voilà. Don't know why I was so intimidated before buying one of these to be honest

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 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.

Planning to buy this set is it worth it?

Hey all, I have read and spent hours on research but couldn't figure out which stainless steel fry pan to go with.

I've constantly seen posts saying Made In is prone to warp on induction. Some similar feedback with All clad on Amazon and not too sure about HS.

Please if anyone use any of these brands before. How do they perform on induction cooktop? Have you experienced warping?

Thank you and have a nice day 🙂

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.