OK, this will probably be old news to most of you, but I was rather pleased to discover how to cook scrambled eggs in a stainless steel pan without them sticking! Note: This is not a thread for debating the merits of stainless vs non-stick vs cast iron pans!

The three pictures below are the before, during, and after shots.

Always in the past, when I have scrambled eggs, I have ended up with part of them vulcanized so thoroughly to the inside of the pan that I would have to let the pan soak in soapy water at least overnight, sometimes longer. Whatever the opposite of a gourmet cook might be... that's me, so this new procedure was something of a revelation.

Thoroughly pre-scramble the eggs in a bowl just before adding them to the pan. Then memorize the mantra: Hot pan, cold oil. Heat the empty pan to where a drop of water rolls around in the pan like a frictionless ball bearing. Immediately pour the pre-scrambled eggs into the pan, and... leave them the hell alone for a little while. Resist absolutely the urge to stir and scramble them in the pan. Don't do it. Put your hands in your pockets, leave the room if you have to.

When the eggs have cooked to where the edges are starting to turn white (photo #2), carefully slide a spatula under them and gently fold them over. Don't stir them and scramble them, the object is to avoid having the wet eggs touch the bare metal (i.e., below the layer of oil) of the pan. Keep turning and folding them until they are cooked to the consistency you prefer.

Now, you can literally pour them out of the pan, and your pan should look like photo #3.

I know, you guys are probably laughing at my ignorance and naiveté (I mean how hard can it be to cook an egg!) but I thought it was pretty neat.

tanstaafl.