All Clad
(Recommended)
Top Features
- No need to flip eggs
- Â You can use minimum oil/fat when cooking and eggs wonât stick
- Ideal when coking over easy eggs at low to medium heat
- Makes perfect eggs every single time
- Non-stick cooking surface
Calphalon
Top Features
- Heavy gauge aluminium for durability
- Hard Anodized cooking surface is non stick
- Handles stay cool even when on cook top
- Flat bottom for even heat distribution
- Dishwasher safe
Lodge
Top Features
- Pre-seasoned
- Made in USA
- Made of cast iron for durability
Who hasnât ever made the âperfectâ egg? Everyone knows how to make them. The real question is how many times do you manage to get it right and without breaking the yolk? One way of ensuring that you make perfect over easy eggs is by not flipping them. I mean, the yolk wonât break if youâre not touching it, right? This is certainly doable but thereâs satisfaction that comes with nailing this technique. You need three things to make them perfect; a fresh egg where the yolk is still spherical and yet to flatten out, a generous amount of fat and the right pan. Today, weâll be looking at the best pan for over easy eggs. You need to be patient and know which surface to crack your egg on but donât you agree that theyâll all be easier with the right equipment?
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All clad hard anodized aluminum pan â the best pan for over easy eggs
In this set of two hard anodized pans, you get an 8 inch pan for easy over eggs and a 10 inch one if you need to make pancakes. This Reddit user advices that itâs easier making eggs under low heat and this pan makes this possible as it has an aluminum base that heats up fast and loses the heat equally fast too. This pan is quite responsive. Thanks to its no stick, PFOA-free surface, you will use up less oil when frying eggs. Using a non stick spray on this pan would definitely be an overkill.
The non stick layer isnât just beneficial when cooking, cleaning up is a breeze too â even without a dishwasher. The stainless steel handles â which never warm up when cooking â are double riveted to the panâs body giving it a comfortable and sturdy grip; if you ever want to flip your eggs. The stainless steel handle isnât coated and this is paradoxically an advantage and a disadvantage. This wonât be the most comfortable pan youâll ever put your hand son but it will comfortably withstand 500 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven without warping or deformation. Even though its dishwasher safe, youâre better off hand washing it with soapy warm water. Dishwashers tend to use harsh detergents and these may do more harm than good to its nonstick layer. It doesnât come with a lid and isnât great at retaining heat for long periods either.
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Calphalon
This set of two pans will possibly outlive its usefulness as long as youâre using to fry softer dishes like chicken, fish and eggs while keeping solid meat away from it. Theyâre 10 inch and 12 inch in diameters respectively making them larger than the All clad sets weâve featured above. With three non stick layers for easy cooking, eggs will never stick to this pan. The stainless-steel handles are cleverly placed near the panâs rim in such a way that they never get too hot to touch when youâre cooking. With the panâs wide base, you can fry a generous amount of ingredients at a go. Sliding eggs and pancakes off is certainly easier too due to its angled sides. Even though this pan can be used on all cooktops â electric, halogen, induction and gas â it lacks a lid and wonât lock in moisture.
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Lodge
How much food can you fry in a 17 inch pan? Certainly, a lot. This 2 inch deep pan has two hook-like handles that keep in steady even when frying for a large family. You can use it on the cooktop and then finish off cooking in the oven with it as its oven safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Thereâs no non-stick coating in this pan so youâre sure that no harmful chemicals are leeching from the pan to the food youâre making. Eggs wonât stick to this pre-seasoned cast iron skillet as long as you use a generous amount of oil on them. This skillet is pre seasoned by applying oil to it and heating it several times. If you scrub it too hard and the seasoning comes off, repeat this procedure. Cast iron cookware has been in use since time immemorial and this pan will certainly outlive its usefulness.
Even though cast iron skillets take long before heating, they retain this heat for long too. This makes the pan multipurpose as you could certainly sear fish or stick on the same pan.
How do you take care of egg pans (and all pans in general)
- Gently handwash pans with non stick coatings to remove grease and residue. Soak them in warm water if you need to get burnt food off instead of scribing them.
- Avoid using metallic utensils on these pans as they scratch the non stick coating. Use nylon, wooden and plastic ones instead. I personally use wooden utensils as plastic ones melt
- Non stick pans shouldnât be preheated or pre-seasoned. Do this to stainless steel ones instead.
- Store pans by hanging them instead of stacking them.Some pans have a hook for easy storage and maintenance.
- When food starts sticking to the non-stick pan, itâs time to buy a new one. They usually last 4 years under medium usage.
- The nonstick coating starts to peel off when these pans are exposed to high heat for long periods. Avoid using them in the oven.
Why eggs over easy
Eggs are arguably the cookâs most versatile ingredient and the worldâs cheapest source of protein, and unlike many foods, their nutritional benefits are not reduced by boiling, steaming and sautĂ©ing. They are abundant, have a long shelf life compared to other fresh foods, and are unequalled in their versatility. But more than this, and unlike any other ingredient we can think of, eggs are a unique starting point for new cooks and trainee chefs to learn about culinary techniques. They can teach us how proteins are affected by heat, how mechanical action can change both form and texture, how fats emulsify into water, how one ingredient can stabilize others, how clarification occurs and how thickeners, binders and enrichers work.
As well as being a food source, eggs have held a symbolic meaning for man since pre-history, symbolizing the essence of life, birth, resurrection and immortality. They are still used in rituals to ensure fertility; brides and grooms still exchange them, farmers smear them on hoes to add fertility to their soil and writers and storytellers invent creation myths around them. Some claim the universe hatched from an egg of a mythical bird swimming in the primordial waters; early European pagans and Christians thought the sun and the egg symbolized resurrection and that fairies consumed the eggs of the mythical phoenix.
We eat over easy eggs because they are clean, convenient, nutritious and cheap, and because they taste good! The most common eggs we eat are chicken eggs. We can also eat duck, emu, goose, guinea fowl, gull, partridge, pelican, pigeon, pheasant, plover, ostrich, peacock, quail and turkey eggs.
For the average home cook, eggs are seen as a tricky ingredient; difficult to control and almost impossible to perfect. Most cooks learn how to crack, separate, beat and cook eggs through practice and repetition but there are few that explain the why or how behind egg cookery. This means most cooks are unaware that egg whites coagulate with heat at around 60°C and yolks at 65-70°Câthey just know the whites go firm first while the yolk is still runny. Neither do they know that adding salt to cooking eggs makes them coagulate faster while adding sugar makes them coagulate slower, or that eggs cooked at lower temperatures have a softer texture and are fluffier, brighter and clearer in color and have greater flavor than eggs cooked at higher temperaturesâthey just know that eggs cooked in a hurry are tougher, duller, flatter and taste rubbery, bland, separate or split.
For many professional cooks and chefs, eggs have always been a multi-purpose ingredient, perfected by repetitive use and a good recipe. But even those are no guarantee theyâll produce perfect eggs every time. Itâs amazing to us how many chefs still add vinegar to the water to keep their poached eggs rounder and tighter. They clearly understand the action of acids on proteins but inexplicably choose form in preference to flavor. We prefer a sweet poached egg over a sour one any day, and there are more ways to shape poached eggs than shocking them with acid!
For creative modernists, eggs are a chemistâs dream, transforming innumerable ways or transmuting other ingredients. They add flavor, carry air into other ingredients (omelets, soufflĂ©s, cakes, mousses, meringues), thicken (custards, sauces), emulsify fats and liquids (mayonnaise, sauces), coagulate with heat, stabilize and act as a leavening or rising agent.
Eggs are well known as an excellent source of nutrition, especially vitamins B3, B5, B12, Biotin, Choline, Chromium, Iron, Tryptophan and protein, but many of us do not realize that eggs are also super-supporters of nerve cells and the production of brain neurotransmitters responsible for good mental health and well-being. These include serotonin (elevates mood, assists sleep, controls appetite), dopamine (increases motivation and pleasure), and acetylcholine (assists memory and cognition).
Good chefs know that when frying an egg, there are many ways it can and will go wrong and you only get one chance to get it right before you have to start over again. Egg whites and yolks coagulate at different temperatures so either the yolk is perfect and the white slimy or snotty, or the white is perfect and the yolk chalky, or sometimes they are both undercooked and lukewarm or both overcooked and rubbery. Both have to be perfect at the same time. So how can we achieve this?
Traditionally trained chefs often prefer fried eggs to be sunny side up, with a soft, tender, set, uncrisped white, and a very hot very runny yolk. Because proteins are stronger in fresh eggs and weaker in old eggs, fresh are best for frying (and poaching). Older eggs are âwaterierâ and spread too much and the yolk breaks more easily.
Frying eggs in butter produces a nuttier flavor than frying in olive oil, but it will also crisp the bottom and edges. You must use what you prefer. We use Âœ butter, Âœ oil. So fry your eggs in a frying pan with oil, butter or both. We use medium heat to heat the oil and foam the butter. Add the eggs then reduce to a lower heat and cook. As soon as the white has set we tilt the pan and spoon the hot oil/butter over the yolk two or three times to ensure the top of the yolk is as hot as the bottom. This will also eliminate any problem with slimy or snotty whites. If the bottom crisps itâs too high. If you are nervous about spooning the hot oil/butter over the eggs you can always add a lid to the pan half way through cooking instead, but be careful using this technique as it speeds up the cooking process and the yolk can harden in literally seconds.
Shallow frying is the most common way to fry eggs, but there is also a technique for deep frying eggs. If you like your fried eggs crispy, simply heat oil in a deep-sided fryer, crack the eggs into a dish and slide into the hot oil one at a time. Move with a slotted spoon as soon as possible so they donât stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove when the white is crispy and the yolk still runny.
Eggs are back in favor â with both the science and the health community! I donât know about you, but I was never convinced that they were bad at all.
Yet certainly the environment and health of the chickens would have a big bearing on the nutritional content of the eggs.
Simply put, I recommend that you purchase only free-range or organic eggs. If you can buy eggs locally from a source you can trust, that is great as well!
Iâm not going to go into great detail here about the 20+ different types of bird eggs (do you care?), where their habitat is located and what they look like. I trust you are here to get good recipes for the eggs you are already accustomed to eating, and that you want to learn some new tips and tricks for your old standby â the incredible, edible egg!
So, whatâs the big deal about the source of the eggs? Nutrient value can vary greatly, depending on what the birds are fed and how they live. Obviously, chickens stuck in cages for their whole lives and fed hormones or forced to eat feed laced with antibiotics to try to keep them from getting sicker than they already are â this is far from a ânaturalâ source for your food consumption.
Yes, these free range or organic eggs might be slightly more expensive than your normal âmass producedâ eggs, but try dividing the cost by 12. Each egg really isnât that expensive â and the nutrition and peace of mind you gain is worth more than the price difference, in my estimation!
Easy Over eggs Additions
EVOO or unprocessed oils
EVOO is an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. True EVOO is not highly processed and is a great source of monounsaturated fats from the fruit of the olive tree. It is a mild tasting oil that you can use for a multitude of purposes!
My other favorite is organic virgin coconut oil. This is liquid at about 75 degrees, and becomes more solid as the room temperature cools. Completely different than coconut oil processed at high heat, organic virgin coconut oil provides many health benefits and is easy to use. Simply use as you would use butter or margarine.
Healthy Mayonnaise
You can make your own or buy a health food version of mayo if you like this spread on sandwiches, or in salads (egg salad, chicken salad, etc.). I really like The Ojai Cook Lemonnaise brand, but there are also a number of others to choose from. Read the label for carb content, and opt for a brand without added sugar, if you can find it.
Liquid Aminos
Liquid Aminos are one of my âsecret weaponsâ when making egg dishes! This is a soy sauce-type substitute, with zero gluten. It tastes salty, but is low in sodium. The most popular liquid aminos is probably the âBraggsâ brand, which is made from soy. But recently, coconut liquid aminos are becoming better known and more readily available. Itâs easy to add a dash of liquid aminos to your skillet, pan, or roasting dish and add a depth of flavor while cutting down on the oil needed. Plus, youâll use less salt in your dish!
Liquid Smoke
Liquid smoke is exactly what it sounds like â smoke flavoring in a liquid form. Some people love it. Try it for yourself to see what you think! Look for this on your grocery shelf or in the health food store. Read the label to be sure itâs not filled with sugar or preservatives.
Simple Substitution
If youâre into the whole âegg whiteâ craze, you can substitute whole eggs with an equal volume of egg whites â simply tweak each recipe as desired.
Eggs are good for you â AGAIN! Science is once more catching up with what we already knew â eggs can be a healthy addition to our diets.
Why are eggs over easy so Eggciting?
- High in protein
- Low in calories
- Extremely versatile
- Easily hidden in dishes (if desired)
- Simple and quick to cook
- Easily accessible for most
- Inexpensive source of protein
Other Egg recipes you can make with these pans
BASTED
Basted eggs are our particular favorite. Once the white is set you can either tilt the pan and baste the tops with hot oil/butter until the yolk is very hot and seals over or you can add 1-2 tablespoons water and cover with a lid for a minute or two. They can be basted with hot oil or water, making them a cross between a steamed and a fried egg. To be perfect they must have hot runny yolks, soft whites and with a comforting white cover on top. Because they cook much quicker than fried eggs they remain tender and soft and taste delicious. Simply slide onto a plate or hot buttered toast and season with salt and pepper.
OMELETS
More than any other egg dish, omelets have historically become synonymous with measuring the skill of a chef. Harold McGee puts it perfectly:
Everyone has their own preferred recipe and technique but in general there are three main types of omelets: plain, French and soufflé or foamy.
Soufflé or foamy omelets: have the egg whites beaten first to a stiff consistency until they hold in an inverted bowl. The yolks are beaten separately and then folded gently into the stiff whites. They are cooked in a pan hot enough to start coagulation but not so hot as to form a crust, and they should remain light, tender and foamy.
French omelets : the English eat their omelets in a folded halfmoon, and the Spanish in a full circle, but the French omelet is traditionally rolled into a fat cigar shape. Escoffier described the French omelet as âscrambled eggs held together in a coagulated skinâ. Heat a good knob of butter in a pan, add 2 or 3 beaten eggs, shake the pan to distribute evenly, lift the edges as they set to allow the butter underneath. They should be thin, have a custardy smoothness, and are served rolled with fresh herbs and a smear of butter. Larousse suggests the addition of a splash of milk but this is not traditional.
Plain omelets : for two or three eggs, melt a good teaspoon of butter in your 6-8âł pan until it foams, then tilt it around the pan. Add 2-3 eggs, whisked with a tablespoon of cold water (this makes a plain omelet lighter and fluffier than the French omelet). Season with black or white pepper, add to the pan and tilt so it covers the whole of the base. Lift the edges once set and tip the pan so any uncooked egg on top goes under the edges and sets. While it is still a little wet on the top and lightly but evenly colored on the bottom, fold the omelet over carefully into halves or thirds, salt and serve immediately. If you are adding additional flavorings do so while the omelet is cooking and before folding. Because omelets cook so quickly some toppings, like bacon, must be pre-cooked.
OVER EASY VS SUNNY SIDE UP
âOverâ means cooking a fried egg on both sides, âsunny-side upâ means cooking a fried egg on one side only. In all cases the white is set.
Over easy : cooked both sides with a soft yolk Over medium: cooked both sides with a medium yolk Over hard: cooked both sides with a hard yolk
Sunny-side up soft : cooked one side with a soft yolk Sunny-side up medium: cooked one side with a medium yolk Sunny-side up hard: cooked one side with a hard yolk
SCRAMBLED
Scrambled eggs are delicious and quick but there are several secrets to successfully scrambling eggs. The first is slow cooking on a gentle low heat. Eggs should be beaten with a fork or whisk until frothy and evenly colored but not over beaten. Do NOT add salt before cooking as it causes the eggs to toughen.
Melt butter in a pan (smaller is better) over a low-medium heat to warm it up, then add the beaten egg mixture. Let the bottom set, stir once or twice, then add a lid and let the steam help them rise and fluff. A little water or cream or milk added to the beaten eggs helps create steam and gives a fluffier scramble. It is important not to over stir or over cook as the curds will break and larger curds are more tender. Overheating can also cause splitting with tough curds in watery whey. Other ingredients such as herbs, shredded cheese, chopped scallions, sautéed mushrooms, chopped