Andrew Zimmern Always Preheats This For Better Frying (It's Not Just The Oil)

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Stainless steel is the preferred material in most commercial kitchens, and professional chefs swear by its performance, durability, and heat distribution. But stainless steel can also be a pain — especially when it comes to your utensils and tools. It's not a non-stick material; in fact, it's even stickier than other options. Luckily, chef Andrew Zimmern has a tip for preventing at least your frying tools from falling victim to becoming batter magnets. 

The celebrity chef revealed in an interview that he preheats his metal tools in hot oil when frying in order to prevent any sticking. He told Food & Wine, "If when pulling fried foods out of oil, you find things sticking to your tools, try to preheat your metal tools in the oil first."

He simply dips the utensils — for example, a slotted spoon — right into the oil and holds them there for a few seconds until they're hot. Just like when you add fat to stainless steel pans, the hot oil will create a protective barrier around the tools, and your food should easily slide right off when you try to remove it.

Stainless steel cookware always needs to be preheated before food touches it to avoid sticking. When it comes to pans, the trick is to place the pan over medium heat until a drop of water dances around on the bottom for about five seconds before evaporating. It should only take a minute or two to get to the right temperature. You then add enough fat to cover the surface and wait another beat for that to preheat, too. Once your food has developed a crust, you can start to move it, using a preheated spatula or tongs, as Andrew Zimmern suggests, if needed.

Many of Zimmern's favorite cooking utensils come from OXO. He particularly likes the brand's Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Tongs and Steel Cooking Fork. He recommends any basics from the OXO Good Grips line, but he likes natural wood utensils and silicone spatulas, too. A big bonus with those materials is that you shouldn't need to preheat them, but there are some things to keep in mind. For example, wood can scorch at high heats, and you need to avoid direct flames with silicone. All essential kitchen tools can have some drawbacks, so it's really just about finding what suits your cooking style.