Question about salt pitting with stainless steel pans

[foodnoobie]

I'm new to stainless steel cooking but i read that you have to boil water first, before adding salt. And to stir it at first to prevent salt crystals to lay on the bottom of the pan that causes salt pitting.

But what about a frying pan?
I like to season my steak with salt and pepper before i put it in the pan. But when i do put it in a hot pan, the salt will make contact with the stainless steel surface and possibly cause pitting.
Also when i saute vegetables, i always add salt and seasoning on top of it while they're cooking in the pan. The salt will definitely touch the stainless steel surface here as well.

So if i buy a stainless steel pan, does that mean i can only add salt after the meal is done on my plate?

Any personal experience with seasoning meat/veggies in stainless steel pans?
I'm planning on buying a Demeyere frying pan, so the quality is high but i read that it doesn't matter how many plys a pan has, it's a chemical reaction of salt and the metal.

 

[Jovidah]

Theoretically this is true; using salt on bare metal can lead to corrosion. However it's a bit overstated how much of a problem this is or how problematic this can be. I've only ever seen it happen when I dry-brined stuff for at least a day in a stainless ovenpan, and even then it was very superficial and scrubbed away very easily.
So I've happily ignored this on my pans and it's never been an issue. I can only see it becoming a problem if you leave your pans sitting dirty for a couple of days, and admittedly even when doing that I've never had issues.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

You'll be fine. The "boil first" in water is largely due to the amount of salt people often add to pasta water and the duration it can just sit on the bottom waiting for the water to boil. Even then it is a preventative measure to preclude a problem over time. Short periods like sauteing and such will be fine.

Millions of us do it all the time.

Stainless is great stuff. On another note...Get yourself some powdered Bark Keeper's Friend to keep on hand if you get stubborn stuck-on spots. A paste of lemon juice and baking soda can work too but I like BKF. A stainless scrubby is nice too.

 

[Michi]

I think it would take months of exposure for salt to actually pit stainless steel. I have pots that are well over three decades old and have boiled pasta water countless times. I just throw the salt into the cold water and turn on the burner. Never any issue.

 

[foodnoobie]

Theoretically this is true; using salt on bare metal can lead to corrosion. However it's a bit overstated how much of a problem this is or how problematic this can be. I've only ever seen it happen when I dry-brined stuff for at least a day in a stainless ovenpan, and even then it was very superficial and scrubbed away very easily.
So I've happily ignored this on my pans and it's never been an issue. I can only see it becoming a problem if you leave your pans sitting dirty for a couple of days, and admittedly even when doing that I've never had issues.

That's a relief. So i shouldn't have to worry about putting a steak with salt in a hot pan, or sprinkling some salt on my vegetables that are being cooked in the pan? I guess the heat of the pan would melt the salt fairly quickly. I'm just a bit scared because i really don't have the budget for another pan and i only ordered this under the presumption that it will last for many years. I'm really paranoid about metals leaching into food so i want to keep it the most pristine condition as possible with normal usage and proper care.

Thank you for the replies! It is good to hear from someone with a lot of actual personal experience, it definitely gives more reassurance.

You'll be fine. The "boil first" in water is largely due to the amount of salt people often add to pasta water and the duration it can just sit on the bottom waiting for the water to boil. Even then it is a preventative measure to preclude a problem over time. Short periods like sauteing and such will be fine.

Millions of us do it all the time.

Stainless is great stuff. On another note...Get yourself some powdered Bark Keeper's Friend to keep on hand if you get stubborn stuck-on spots. A paste of lemon juice and baking soda can work too but I like BKF. A stainless scrubby is nice too.

That makes a lot of sense. I never salted my water that much, maybe that's why my pasta never tastes great. I read good things about the bark keeper's friend, so i'll order it. Thank you for the tip!

I think it would take months of exposure for salt to actually pit stainless steel. I have pots that are well over three decades old and have boiled pasta water countless times. I just throw the salt into the cold water and turn on the burner. Never any issue.

I read people complain about salt pitting happening after 1 day. But that was after cooking pasta. Many complain about cheaper pans doing this, but someone also claimed it happened to their new All Clad pot. Of course i don't know how much salt they used during cooking or if they waited long enough for a proper boil.

My main use will be cooking steak or vegetables in a fry pan, so i was curious about the risk for that.

 

[Michi]

My main use will be cooking steak or vegetables in a fry pan, so i was curious about the risk for that.

I honestly wouldn’t worry about it, it’s a non-issue. Just fry away, and you’ll be fine

 

[MarcelNL]

You'll be fine. The "boil first" in water is largely due to the amount of salt people often add to pasta water and the duration it can just sit on the bottom waiting for the water to boil. Even then it is a preventative measure to preclude a problem over time. Short periods like sauteing and such will be fine.

Millions of us do it all the time.

Stainless is great stuff. On another note...Get yourself some powdered Bark Keeper's Friend to keep on hand if you get stubborn stuck-on spots. A paste of lemon juice and baking soda can work too but I like BKF. A stainless scrubby is nice too.

tsssssskk, my Sicilian teacher would slap you for that statement ;-)
There is only one way to cook pasta, and that is in PLENTY of water with plenty of salt!

Honestly, with better (dried) pasta it makes quite a difference, the texture gets seriously better with the right amount of salt in the water and it cooks more evenly (dunno why, osmotic pressure of the water?)

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

tsssssskk, my Sicilian teacher would slap you for that statement ;-)
There is only one way to cook pasta, and that is in PLENTY of water with plenty of salt!

Honestly, with better (dried) pasta it makes quite a difference, the texture gets seriously better with the right amount of salt in the water and it cooks more evenly (dunno why, osmotic pressure of the water?)

I wasn't contesting it, just saying that is the cause.

 

[Jovidah]

tsssssskk, my Sicilian teacher would slap you for that statement ;-)
There is only one way to cook pasta, and that is in PLENTY of water with plenty of salt!

Honestly, with better (dried) pasta it makes quite a difference, the texture gets seriously better with the right amount of salt in the water and it cooks more evenly (dunno why, osmotic pressure of the water?)

Yes but no matter how much water you use, the water still sinks to the bottom in cold water. I just haven't found it to be any problem. And yeah you're right... proper salt ratio does actually make a difference, not just for the pasta but also for any pastawater going into the sauce.

@Michi actually if it's plain salt going on bare metal without any fluids it can go much faster. I often dry brine meat and I had some instances where some superficial corrosion was visible on a stainless tray I was using after just 1-2 days. Pitting would most definitly take less than months.
But I agree when dumping it in fluids it's really no issue.

As to cleaning tips... I don't think BKF is easily available in Europe, but I never had any stains I couldn't get rid of with some soaking in cheap shelf-stable lemon juice. Vinegar would work too but I can't stand the smell.

 

[Michi]

As to cleaning tips... I don't think BKF is easily available in Europe, but I never had any stains I couldn't get rid of with some soaking in cheap shelf-stable lemon juice. Vinegar would work too but I can't stand the smell.

3 parts powdered citric acid, 3 parts baking soda, and 1 part corn starch (to prevent clumping) make a decent substitute for BKF.

 

[coxhaus]

Most of what I see on the bottom cleans off with barkeepers' friend. I do add salt after the water boils to my All-Clad pots.

 

[stringer]

This reminds me of the Olive Garden fiasco. They don't season their pasta water because of pan pitting paranoia.

 

[stringer]

Same goes for meat. Put your heavily seasoned steak into a hot pan and you won't have to worry about pitting.