Eggs stick when chemical bonds develop between egg proteins and the metal in the frying pan during cooking. Some cooks get around this problem by using frying pans manufactured with a nonstick surface that places a barrier between the food and the metal. If you do not have a nonstick frying pan, prepping a stainless-steel or cast-iron frying pan before cooking eggs can create a slick surface that solves this sticky problem.
Stainless
Step 1
Preheat the stainless steel frying pan over medium-high heat.
Step 2
Add just enough butter to coat the bottom of the frying pan. A couple pats of butter --about a tablespoon -- should do the trick.
Step 3
Use a spatula to spread the butter as it melts, ensuring an even coating around the bottom of the frying pan.
Step 4
Sprinkle a few drops of water on the frying pan. If the water sizzles, the frying pan is ready for cooking.
Step 5
Add your eggs to the frying pan. Whether they are scrambled or fried, allow the liquid mixture to set over the heat for approximately 10 seconds.
Step 6
Run a spatula along the edges of the frying pan, loosening the egg. When the white is 75 percent set, slide the spatula under the egg and flip. For scrambled eggs, cut the egg into pieces with the spatula, flipping the smaller pieces over until set. For an omelet, fold the egg over on itself in half when the bottom is browned ever so slightly.
Step 7
Remove the eggs from the frying pan with the spatula when they have cooked to desired doneness.
Cast Iron
Step 1
Apply a generous amount of vegetable oil to a paper towel.
Step 2
Rub the paper towel over the surface of the cast-iron frying pan, coating the surface with the vegetable oil.
Step 3
Set the cast iron frying pan face down on the middle oven rack. Bake for one hour at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4
Turn off the oven after one hour and allow the cast-iron frying pan to cool down in the oven before removing it.
Step 5
Coat the surface of the cast-iron frying pan once again with vegetable oil before cooking.
Step 6
Set the frying pan over low heat for a minute or two, then increase the heat to medium before beginning to cook your eggs.
Step 7
Sprinkle a few drops of water on the frying pan. If the water sizzles, the frying pan is ready for cooking.
Step 8
Add your eggs to the frying pan. Whether they are scrambled or fried, allow the liquid mixture to set over the heat for approximately 10 seconds.
Step 9
Run a spatula along the edges of the frying pan, loosening the egg. When the white is 75 percent set, slide the spatula under the egg and flip. For scrambled eggs, cut the egg into pieces with the spatula, flipping the smaller pieces over until set. For an omelet, fold the egg over on itself in half when the bottom is browned ever so slightly. Remove the eggs from the frying pan with the spatula when they have been cooked to desired doneness.