How to Make Perfect Scrambled Eggs Without a Nonstick Pan
How do you get perfect eggs without using a nonstick pan? Even with nonstick, are your eggs still a gummy mess? I always wondered how chefs turned out such light, fluffy eggs when my scrambles were always heavy and soggy.
Below, I show you how to cook eggs perfectly in both a nonstick pan and a cast-iron one. And best of all? The cleanup is actually a breeze!
What's the Secret?
The secret is heating the pan before you put the eggs in.
Here's another secret: you don't have to have some special, expensive omelet- or nonstick-pan that may be emitting harmful chemicals into your food to make a stunning breakfast. Because the secret is not the pan; the secret is how hot it is.
Here's the Short Version to Getting Perfect Eggs in a Regular (or Non-nonstick) Pan
- Make sure that your pan is hot before you add anything (even the oil). Your pan should be hot enough that a few drips of water look like running, dancing mercury.
- Crack the amount of eggs that you want, but don't stir them yet. If you stir them, they have a tendency to stick to the bowl.
- Pour in the amount of oil or butter that you like. Immediately after adding the oil/butter, vigorously whisk the eggs, and then pour them into the lukewarm oil/butter.
- Let the eggs sit in the pan until they develop a white ring around the edge. Once the edge is sufficiently large, use a spatula to lift up the done-ish eggs in the center, allowing the runny eggs to seep below and come in contact with the oiled pan.
- Chunk up and flip decent-sized portions of the scramble. Let the runny bits cook for just a few seconds, and then remove the eggs from the heat.
In-Depth Instructions
Step One: Heating the Pan and Cracking Your Eggs
You will have to experiment a bit to find the proper heat needed on your cooktop. For mine, it is just under medium (a good heavy-duty pan to promote even heating helps). Turn the heat on, and let the pan get hot but not too hot! And for goodness sake, don't add the oil or butter yet!
While the pan is heating, crack the eggs. Personally, I don't stir them until just before putting them in the pan, because the broken yolk tends to cling to the side of the bowl, and it's hard to get it all into the pan. Freshly stirred doesn't have a chance to get sticky with your bowl.
How hot should your pan be? Wet your fingertips, and flick a few water drops into the pan.
- If they sit there in a puddle, the pan is not hot enough.
- If they sizzle a bit, the pan is not hot enough.
- If they sizzle and evaporate, the pan is almost hot enough. Watch closely now ...
- If the drops of water, instead of sizzling, bead up and dance around the pan without evaporating, like drops of mercury, the pan is just right.
WARNING! DO NOT leave the pan at this point or let it sit empty and get hotter much longer. If you do, and then add your oil after the pan gets even hotter, you could get a grease fire on your stovetop! (Don't ask me how I know this . . .)
Step Two: Adding the Oil and Eggs
If you have a hot pan and cold oil, your eggs won't stick!
- Now it is time to add the oil or butter after your pan is perfectly heated.
- Have your eggs cracked and ready to stir, then add the oil or butter, quickly but thoroughly stir the eggs, and pour them into the hot pan and barely warm oil.
Two notes here:
- It might look like a lot of oil, but you need enough fat to coat the pan and then a little more depending on how many eggs you are cooking; I was cooking ten eggs. I prefer coconut oil for cooking because of its health benefits.
- I am an egg purist. I don't add anything to my scrambled eggs. I love the unadulterated flavor of good eggs!
Scraping the pan disturbs the oil, making the egg come in contact with un-oiled pan . . . and then it sticks!
Step Three: Letting the Eggs Rest Peacefully
- STOP! . . . Don't touch those eggs! That's right. Don't touch them!
- Pour them into the oil and back off. This is critical to getting light and fluffy eggs and to getting an easy-clean pan at the end of things.
- Look carefully at the picture above. See the pale edges where the eggs are beginning to set? That is the sign you are looking for. If you let them sit too long, you will get an omelet, and that's not what we're looking for here.
- So just wait for that whitish ring at the edge. Don't stir at the first sign, let it get a little thicker . . .
Step Four: Stirring the Eggs
- Be gentle.
- You've got a nice set edge, so you are ready to start the scramble. Gently.
- Take a spoon or spatula and run it around the set edge to loosen it a bit. Gently.
- Pull the set bottom up in a heap, and let the uncooked eggs run to the bottom. Gently. Do this around the pan, and then stop.
- Back off. Let the eggs start to set up again.
- Repeat this process of gently loosening the set eggs and letting the uncooked eggs run underneath, then LEAVING IT ALONE for a minute or two, until your eggs are mostly done, like this:
What Should I Do if My Eggs Start Sticking?
If you start your first stir and feel resistance, as if the eggs are sticking rather than sliding loose, stop immediately. Wait a moment or two longer before the first stir. Stirring too soon is what causes the eggs to stick to the pan!
Step Five: Finishing the Scramble
- You see that the eggs are largely done, and there is just a bit of still-runny egg sitting on top. At this point, you can get a bit more rough. Get your spoon in there, and flip the eggs. Don't try to flip the whole omelet over, but break it into large chunks.
- The runny bits left over will cook up very quickly. So once it is flipped, you are within seconds of removing it from the heat.
- I like to flip the eggs, leave for a second, stir to make sure all the runny bits are gone, then salt the eggs in the pan (I have four kids; this is much less messy for me!), and also stir in a pat of butter for extra flavor.
Look, Ma: No Scrubbing!
Congratulations! You've stopped your eggs from sticking to the pan!
Remember, this is a stainless-steel pan, no nonstick about it. I just scooped the eggs out onto plates, and this is what was left for cleanup. No soaking necessary; no scrubbing pads or elbow grease. A little soap on a dishcloth, and it practically wipes clean.
Look How Clean This Is!
Is Cast Iron or Stainless Steel Better for Making Eggs In?
Both stainless steel and cast iron have good points for cooking eggs. Cast iron is a bit easier to work with though, in my opinion.
Eggs like to stick to stainless steel better. If you want eggs that won't stick in stainless steel, you must be scrupulously careful about heating to the proper point, adding the oil at the right temperature, and not over-stirring the eggs. Cast iron is more forgiving on all these points. You'll need a nice hot pan, but it doesn't have to be just to an exact degree; and eggs won't stick in cast-iron even with a bit more stirring.
However, cast iron does require more general care than stainless steel. If you want good nonstick cast iron, you must never, ever, ever put soap in it! This freaks a lot of people out, although it has been proven to be perfectly safe. Wipe it, scrub it with hot water, but don't ever use soap. Cast iron builds up a patina that acts like nonstick if it is not scrubbed off.
Cast iron also tends to rust if it is not cared for properly. After wiping and rinsing it, wipe it dry and place it on a low burner to dry it thoroughly in order to prevent rust. (Air drying is too slow and promotes rust.) Wipe the inside very lightly with oil once it is dry. If storing in other pans or with a lid, put a paper towel between lid and pan to prevent moisture accumulation and rust. I usually just wipe it out again before using, or if it has been a long time I'll rinse it with hot water (the oil can get a little tacky inside the pan).
TASTE TEST: What scrambles your eggs? - Do you enjoy your eggs as is, or with a little extra kick?
Egg flavor can't be beat, or more flavors make it a treat? (Psst: BESIDES butter, salt, and pepper.)
Questions & Answers
© 2008 tandemonimom lm
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Comments
Great lens!
really like scrambled eggs~~~just don't care for the mess.
thanks for the tips! good lens!
- AUTHOR
@Joy Neasley: Why, thank you, and you're welcome! :)
- AUTHOR
@ShariBerry: Thank you!
- AUTHOR
@anonymous: Excellent! Love to hear that this works for other people.
- AUTHOR
@anonymous: Jen, so glad to hear this worked for you!
Very nice lens. Eggs are my #1 go-to breakfast food.
Absolutely works! Directions were perfect and easy to follow. Coconut oil worked very well. I use it for everything else, but have been afraid to use it in eggs for fear that they would seem sweet. I feared for nothing. They were perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Great explanation! Made eggs for the kiddies tonight in a stainless steel pan and not one issue. No sticking or mess to clean. Many thanks!!
Great information and wonderful pictures.
Great thorough lens! No one should be using anodize or Teflon coated cookware. This lens is great for anyone wondering why not!
Your a genius...kudos to you!!! Thanks for sharing this.
- AUTHOR
@KandDMarketing: I would totally agree about cooking with any vegetable oils, but tropical oils (coconut, palm) are acknowledged to be in a class by themselves. They are extremely stable and therefore safe to cook with, and are also extremely healthful. Great article: The Skinny on Fats.
Good job .. except the coconut oil. Studies are now showing that vegetable oils should NOT be cooked with, as they are transformed by the heat into some oddly nasty things. Real, live butter, or even properly rendered lard (not Crisco, it's RAPE seed oil!) are the preferred oils, as the heat actually improves the fats in the oils, providing a perfect balance of "good -vs- bad" that actually reduces intake of carcinogens and blood cholesterol levels.
Eggscellent! You nailed it! Angel blessings.
What useful and well-presented advice. Thanks!
That is cool! Thanks for sharing!
Just popped in to renew my angel love for this lens. Spread the scrambled egg love and send all Teflon products to a nearby empty planet!
a very informative lens, the scrambled eggs look delicious
I actually didn't realize Teflon was so bad. Thanks for sharing!
Nice lens on Eggs! thank for sharing
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Nice lens on Eggs! I like eggs, even scrambled on a microwave oven.
Like my scrambled eggs wet not dry cooked either way.
Damn, nice eggs! I use one of those green earth pans and it works pretty well.
Great information ! Great lens !
I eat a lot of eggs per week and have excellent cholesterol numbers. Go figure.
Great lens, I must try this recipe.
Eggcellent lens, learned how to make life easier and tastier. Seriously though I am very fond of eggs; boiled, fried, omlette, poached and soufled as well as scrambled.
scuse me while I go fix some eggs for lunch. Loved the lens
You know that question "If you had to eat just one food for the rest of your life what would it be?" I have always answered eggs! Eggs are the most perfect food and thank you so much for this wonderful lens.
I tried scrambled eggs in a stainless pan this morning, thanks to this site! It worked so well that I cooked fish (tilapia) in one for dinner! I was THAT confident in my new skill. Thank you so much!!!
great len! eggs are the best
Great info!
I still use a Teflon pan but can cook eggs in a regular pan too. Great advice on how to cook scrambled eggs. Thanks!
We switched from Teflon, and I've been having so much trouble scrambling eggs in our new stainless steel pan. Thank you for creating this lens!
Nice lens.I love egg.Thanks for sharing nice ideas.I will try this.
Great lens AND I am going to try those eggs au naturel :D
@ErHawkns7100: I am a newbie and your success is very much an inspiration for me.ahem
Great lens, I love eggs!
I need to give this "Perfect Scrambled Eggs" method a try, my eggs always stick - I hate long unnecessary cleanups.
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Thanks for sharing some really great info. I am a fan of Mercola and use cast iron and stainless steel pans. I get my eggs from my daughter who does not feed her chickens soy. I like to cook them in ghee and add sea salt and herb seasoning. I learned a lot and now will have non-stick eggs after all these years! How cool is that? :)
I had not given this any thought, but this is egg-zactly how my Mom taught me to cook scrambled eggs, and also the care of the cast iron skillets (all of which I inherited) is the same. Reminded me of home...thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the help. I don't like cooking eggs but I think I have it now.
Its like you read my mind!
Great looking eggs.
Excellent work on this lens. You are the eggspert! Now let me scamper before you scramble! :)
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Cooking in cast iron is a bit different. I cook egg whites this way and they hardly stick at all. The trick is to actually allow the eggs to cook before moving them around.
Awesome work on this - of course, I am now hungry for eggs...
perfect passing along to my DIL ;-)
Excellent lens and tutorial on making the perfect scrambled eggs!! I used to turn scrambled eggs into a sticky, crusty mess until my um........this is so hard to admit publicly......my, er, boyfriend taught me the correct method of scrambling eggs!!! He also taught me how to fry a perfect egg. I made GROSS fried eggs until I met my boyfriend! I will pass this lens on to a couple of Egg-Scrambling-Challenged friends of mine!! Great work.
I've been scrambling eggs in my cast iron pans like this for years, and it works exactly as you describe. I don't add butter at the end, for health reasons, but if I watch the eggs carefully, we still get a moist, tender scramble. Nicely done lens! You kept my attention throughout, which few can do!
I love having eggs for breakfast. These tips will make breakfast-making less of a challenge. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing the secret, I look forward to trying out your recipe when I'm next delegated breakfast chef.
Fabulous!!!
They say the hardest food to prepare is making eggs to others. There are so many variatons ... Now i have one more. Looking forward to try it:)
Such great information about eggs. I just slap mine in the skillet and tough it out with the scrubbing. Not tomorrow morning, cause I am going to try your tip at breakfast. thank you.
Thanks for the great tips, I make scrambled eggs everyday for my grandson and from now on I will be only using stainless steel!
love your lens
Excellent lens!
great lens!
Great lens. A lot of useful information and the eggs sound yummy
Squid angel blessings on a eggs-emplary lens! We're featuring this on our collection of bless worthy lenses: Wing-ing It on Squidoo.
I've needed this for ages. Now I know the secret. I didn't know that the nonstick pans were harmful. I'm glad I've been using a cast iron skillet. What a great lens.
Oh, boy, does this lens have a lot of good and useful information in it. Nice job
You're right hot pan and cold oi works wonders!
Egg-actly what I needed for all those fresh eggs that our girls are now laying because winter is but a dream :) May the luck of the Irish be with you today...*blessed and featured on http://www.squidoo.com/my-angel-wings :*
thank you for sharing this informative lens! i will definitely try it someday! cheers
Great tips. It amazes me how many people add their eggs when the pan is WAY too cool Having worked for two years in a restaurant were we served 250 plates of scrambled eggs per day I got LOTS of practice. Good information here.
I learn all sorts of new thing by cruising around squidoo, this lens has lots of good information that is very well presented. Thanks.
I'm definitely going to try this secret to great scrambled eggs -:)
So happy to read all this...I always rush in and stir my eggs right away, and it makes sense now that I shouldn't. We use our cast iron skillet almost daily, it never quite makes it to the kitechen cabinet, and the rest of my cookware is stainless steel. Loved the Coconut Oil tip, too, and it was nice to see the Frugal Gourmet's face again, it's been a long time since I've seen him on TV...was a loyal watcher. Blessed and added to http://squidoo.com/nutrition-angel!
They definitely work, I have been fixing eggs like this for many years. I have never used nonstick cookware. Kissed by cupid :).
@tandemonimom lm: I tried it again, with a lower heat. The initial heat of the pan meant that the eggs cooked VERY quickly. They didn't stick, which was great, but the consistency was still different than when cooked with a lower starting heat (in a nonstick pan). Have you found this to be the case?
- AUTHOR
@anonymous: So glad to hear it works for you!
Dude,
You a genius. I have an excellent Belgique stainless pan and I have been trying in vain for a year to figure out how to make eggs in it. This works beautifully. Thank you so much.
Haven't tried them yet, but I will. I learned a lot from your lens. Thanks.
Thanks so much! Making good scrambled eggs is a skill everyone should have...**angel blessed**
- AUTHOR
@tandemonimom lm: PS: Experiment to find out what heat works best for your pan!
- AUTHOR
@anonymous: If you notice in my section "Turn Up the Heat" I do NOT recommend cooking on a high heat. I cook my eggs on medium-low heat. Put medium-low heat under a good heavy-duty pan, let it get hot, then follow the directions. It takes a while for the pan to heat properly at less than medium, but the high initial heat followed by the slower cooking enabled from the lower heat setting works for me every time!
I've tried this method before - and just tried it again - in my stainless steel pan. The results were the same. The eggs didn't stick, but they ended up browned, which I'd rather avoid. It happens quickly too - it's not like I'm letting the eggs cook for a long time. The usual recommendations (in nonstick pans, of course) for making scrambled eggs call for lower heat. How can I avoid browning with such high heat?
Very nice recipe and I love the no stick idea. Tip marks
Great lens! I'm going to have to try this.
A great lens...thanks for the detail!
I never made a perfect scramble egg before, regardless of whatever pans I used. Your lens had give me a great excuse to try make one this weekend and use my stainless steel pan to cook it :-) Thanks so much for great tips.
- AUTHOR
Today is my dad's 71st birthday and he sometimes thinks he's about seen it all. He watched me make eggs this morning and was he ever surprised!
This is wonderful information, I never thought of any of this and I make eggs all the time. Thank you, I am going to try your technique
Awesome - I'm trying this out :)
Great suggestions! I'm going to try them soon.
I love scrambled eggs and don't feel good about using nonstick pans but have because of the mess. Who would have thought the solution was so simple. That certainly deserves a Purple Star for sure! Thank you....
I did not know about tomato sauce and cast-iron pans are no-nos. Lots of wonderful information here that I did not know.
I avoid making scrambled eggs simply because of the clean up afterwards. Thanks for this wonderful tip. I shall try it out soon.
Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the tips. :)
The only thing I don't like about scrambled eggs is cleaning the pan after the meal. This will help a lot! Thanks for publishing it!
They look good! Although it is 8am here and I am now very hungry...
Perfect tips for the perfect scrambled egg!
Very well done lens! ***Blessed***
I loved watching the frugal gourmet on PBS. This is truly an excellent lens.
Great lens, but I shouldn't have read it after not having breakfast! I'm ready for eggs!
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