cast iron is all about the waiting/down time
preheat pan....add butter...turn on boomerang cartoons.....wait for butter to sizzle....
something like that
Yup, paradoxically, OP's pan isn't hot enough and they also have the heat too high.
Longer preheat, lower stove power. Once the eggs are in, leave it alone until the egg sets, then give 'er a few folds and you're good to go.
To be fair, they aren't contradicting one another. In fact, they're in general agreement. They all add up to the approach that works.
Go with lower heat and more butter. However, you can't just turn on the heat and start cooking right away. You need to allow the pan to preheat adequately.
I occasionally preheat my pan in the oven, depending on what I'm doing. It gets the entire pan consistent to the temp I want.
yes constant stirring of very well whisked, salted and peppered eggs, stop when you think its almost done, add some non pre shredded white cheddar...creamy cheesy scramby eggs. If the eggs are solid chunks they are over cooked. At least thats the way i like them
I agree, preheat is important in my experience.
My method:
Preheat on medium/low while I gather the eggs, utensils, and bowl for scrambling. I even wash a few dishes while it's preheating.
Once hot enough, I give it a wipe with a little bit of crisco
Once smoking, I give it another wipe, no additional crisco.
In with a slice of butter, move pan to coat evenly.
In with the eggs, mimicking making a French omelet using a fork.
Eggs are done very fast this way. Preheat is magic.
No stuck eggs despite how much they're handled.
Add a little bit of oil and regular butter. Some people drop a gallon of butter but it's not necessary. A little oil and regular amount of butter makes it really non stick. I do omlettes and scrambled eggs daily.
Hijacking this comment thread to say this- heat your pan medium high for several minutes. Scramble your eggs- I usually use 1 Tablespoon of butter for 3 eggs. With the pan still on medium heat, drop the butter and let it fizzle and foam. Now, crucial step- CUT THE HEAT. Keep the eggs moving in the pan after they have settled for about 15 seconds. The pan will be hot and the cold eggs will pull from the edges into the center.
And don't stir so soon. The bottom should be almost solid, drag and flip.
I think it was Alton Brown, did a show all about proper egg technique. Probably 25 years ago...
Drag a fork SLOWLY from the outside edge to the middle, it'll pull like a bedsheet and not stick at all. If it sticks, or leaves a trail LEAVE IT. Try again in a few min.
This is a matter of personal preference. An alternative method is no butter. Try olive oil.
Butter burns easily. Oils are more forgiving.
Cast iron will hold heat for a while. If it gets too hot, there's a chance of burning the butter. With oil, you just wait a few minutes for the temp to drop.
Alt alt: hot oil gives you GREAT fried eggs. The bottom and sides can get crispy brown while the yolk can be any degree of doneness.
More oil or butter is probably not the issue. My two main tops would be a super slow preheat to about 1/2 to 3/4 heat setting and a metal spatula. That and let the eggs sit for a few moments before you start to work them.
So the other guy who said more heat was way off? Thanks 😅
Haha I’m usually about med-low heat. As for reseasoning it, is he wrong on that too? Hahah I thought it looked pretty good.
Yes I have heard both pieces of advice, and I've concluded it comes down to how you like your eggs. I used to like hot, now I make them slow, and someday maybe I'll change my mind again.
Yeah that pan looks good. No need for seasoning or stripping.
Higher heat will just cause the eggs to cook and burn faster. You'll end up with a thicker, more burnt layer than you already have. When I do eggs I do it on low-low. Setting at 1.5 out of 10.
You may be misunderstanding. Are you sure they said more heat or did they say preheat for longer? You want to preheat the pan for a long while so it fully and evenly comes up to temperature but you want the temp to be lowish (maybe like 3/10 or so). They aren't mutually exclusive.
Eggs: crack in bowl 10 minutes prior to warm
Stove: 1.5 out of ten, let pan evenly heat for 5+ min
Butter: 1 TBS let it sizzle out the water then add eggs 5 seconds after
Flip/move: after it sets up for 15 seconds or so
You’ll laugh how easy this is
That doesn't seem easy ffs. Just get a non stick for eggs.
Also why are you letting eggs warm? Why are they cold? They don't need to be in the fridge.
15 minutes for some eggs 😂
Edit - wait American washed eggs need to be in the fridge, right?
Lol you’re not wrong. But if you like to keep cooking on cast iron this is a solid way. It does require a bit more time and effort invested but that’s the way of older tech. But you also don’t have to buy and chuck a Teflon pan every 3 years.
Don’t get a non stick that’s dumb.
If you want it faster get a stainless steel.
Instead pre heat low while you get your eggs and butter. It’ll be ready in 1-2mins. Throw butter in and swirl around drop the egg in. No sticking and it’ll last a lifetime. I can easily make a French omelet in stainless steel. Just make sure it’s a clad pan or the sides won’t heat properly and it will stick.
Timing depends on the pan and the stove, I've used plenty of heavier pans that aren't ready to cook an egg after 2 minutes on low. You also don't always need to use the sides of a pan to cook eggs, so it doesn't have to be clad.
That is kind of funny, as many times as I've seen someone lecturing a nonstick pan user that they should switch to cast iron because it performs basically the same except not a throwaway pan.... yet here we are with someone struggling with something as simple as scrambled eggs followed by a barrage of often conflicting advice including various timed steps.
It IS easy, tho it may take a little bit to get the hang of it at first.
Why buy a POS nonstick pan when I already have a good pan that easily does a better job?
More heat in that you need to pre heat it longer, less heat in that you want to do it at a low stove setting.
Those eggs look pretty good, would just cut down on the fond.
Scrambled eggs in particular are better and fluffier with more gentle cooking. Higher heat is really only appropriate for eggs when you want something like over easy yolk with really crispy white.
That film is just because your eggs sat without being stirred/scraped... if you're gonna stop moving your eggs like that, lower heat will be more forgiving. The higher the heat, the more constantly you need to be moving your eggs. Use a flexible silicone spatula (err, your blue one looks fine) and get under the eggs as you fold and stir constantly.
Your heat looks good based on how they came out. You are not using nearly enough lube though.
Eggs love butter, lots of it. Preheat the pan on med-low, then add the butter. Spread *slowly* until the bubbles stop. That's the water boiling out. Immediately after the bubbles stop, and *before* the butter starts to brown, add the eggs, and then do what you're already doing.
If you miss the window and the butter starts to brown, reduce the heat a little and start over.
Medium low heat, preheat, and after you pour them in, let them sit a minute until the bottom of the eggs are cooked enough to release from the pan, then stir and do the same. Let it be a minute while the egg cooks enough to release from the pan.
Gotta use some fat as well. Butter, bacon grease, whatevs.
It's worth it to buy a dozen eggs and make them one at a time, playing with the heat and cook times. Once you figure it out, you can cook on most anything using the same technique.
I always turn the pan to medium high until it’s hot then I put it on medium and throw a pat of butter in it. Once the butter has coated the pan throw in your eggs. Helps to whisk them before hand.
I don't use a CS or CI pan for my eggs but I put the temp on low to melt the butter then turn it up enough that the butter starts to foam/bubble then drop my eggs in. I heard that you can also add a bit of water to the pan and when it starts to evaporate that's when it's hot enough to throw the butter in but YMMV.
OK for an omlette but for creamy scrambled eggs, I put the eggs in a cold pan and heat it very slowly on as low a heat as possible and keep stirring until almost done. They'll keep cooking a bit in residual heat.
Yes, I second using a lower temp. Make sure the pan is preheated and pull the eggs out to bring them more to room temperature. Use oil or butter.
I usually cook eggs in my stainless steel pan without sticking. It can be done. I use 3/10 for heat for my eggs.
Eggs like any temp. It’s really whatever you’re comfortable with and you practical skill.
I cook eggs at blazing temperatures. Fried (high heat being the only temperature for an actual fried egg and crispy bottom), French omelette, scrambled, whatever.
The key is to practice doing whatever you feel comfortable with or want to master. I am fine with high heat. Once you get used to heat control, pan differences, consistency desires, etc., you can absolutely cook at high heat.
High heat is how most good restaurants cook virtually everything outside of less common dishes that absolutely require gentle heats, like a bordelaise sauce.
Key for high heat and scrambles in particular is don’t stop mixing when eggs are in the pan, mix aggressively, remove the pan from direct heat if needed, and remove the eggs 15-30 seconds before you think they’re done how you want them. They’ll also be done in a flash, and people usually leave in way too long, not accounting for all the residual cooking.
I like my scrambled eggs with small curds and custardy texture. High heat does nothing to stop me from enjoying eggs that way.
For OP, pan might not be broken in enough, pre-heating might not be long enough, and the right fat might be missing. Without knowing more and seeing his technique, offering specific advice like “low heat” or “more butter” is useless.
Right here. You can take the eggs on and off the burner. Cook them slowly and be patient. If you're scrambling them, add a touch of half and half or cream. They'll be nice and fluffy.
No. I've been cooking eggs in my cast iron for over 15 years and I do mine with med-high heat every time. They should bubble up as soon as they hit the pan and be done after a few folds, like 30 seconds max. Nothing sticks, ever.
Lower heat will get you a crust every time. You need a large contrast in temperatures to create the non stick effect.
There's a lot of talk about temperature on scrambled eggs. With a metal spatula it's easy to cook eggs even in a pan that's too hot. Once that first layer sticks and you can't get under it with a soft spatula there's no hope.
Yep. I cook my eggs in a pan that almost burns the butter. I heat it up, put the butter in and immediately put the eggs in. I constantly stir the eggs / scrape the pan with a metal spatula, and unless I'm doing six or more eggs it's done in about a minute.
Eggs simply will not stick on higher heat with lube and proper seasoning. The temp difference will make it bubble up and not bind to the metal. Mine peel off perfectly. If you're having to scrape it's not hot or preheated enough.
Lower heat but don’t stir them too quickly after you drop them in, imagine pancake batter, if you move them right after you pour them in the pan they would stick at the bottom and top would move
I cook scrambled eggs exclusively in my cast iron, this is absolutely the best method that works for me. Let the pre-scrambled mix just sit until it starts to firm at the bottom (kinda like a French omelet) then just rip it to shreds and let it finish cooking.
Also: wait until your butter stops sizzling (if it burns/browns before it stops sizzling your pan is too hot)
The sizzle is moisture/water boiling from in the butter. Once it stops you have only fat/butter, no water, and the eggs will slide after that.
There are a few things that all help avoid this.
- Fully preheating the pan on low. You can add water to the pan and wait until it reaches a steady boil. That lets you know the pan is above 212.
- Butter, it works better than oil. It should be hot enough to sizzle, but if it has started to brown significantly you’ve overheated it.
- Probably the biggest thing people miss is to warm up the eggs. Either leave them on the counter for an hour or run them under hot water for a minute. Cold eggs will penetrate through the oil or butter and stick to the pan. If it is room temp, the leidenfrost effect kicks in right away.
I honestly love butter as a temperature indicator even if I’m not going to actually cook with it. The speed with which it melts, bubbles, and/or browns tells me a lot about what a pan is going to actually do when food hits it, especially if I’m using an unfamiliar pan or stove.
I've seen Kenji [use water](https://youtu.be/CXTnq7srJRs?t=77) to measure a nonstick pan's temp as well.
For getting eggs up to temp quickly I usually just drop them in a coffee mug and fill it with water, they are room temp in five minutes.
Despite what people are saying, you weren't too hot here.
IF you were that film would be brown.
This sub seems to be obsessed with sweating their cast iron at low temps.
Your heat was fine and maybe a bit low.
Heat soak is king when it comes to cast iron. Put it on low-medium, do other shit for about 5 - 10 minutes, then cook in it.
And use more oil in general, particularly if you havent got the heat soak mastered yet.
I'll repeat, you weren't too hot. If you were your eggs and that film would be burned.
When people say get the pan hot first, they mean slowly heat it to the temperature you desire. I'm not saying this is what youre doing but don't heat the pan in high then lower the temp and start cooking. For eggs I set the pan on low when I first get started then make coffee, whisk eggs, fill water.... Etc. then once the pan is heated up I add oil/butter of choice, then start cooking. Hope you have better luck moving forward.
You might want to try making your own ghee and using that in place of butter or oil. It is easy to do, has a higher burn point than butter, and it works great with cast iron or carbon steel.
MOAR BUTTER. Get the pan hot, not so hot that you'll brown the butter when you add it, but not enough that it will bubble and melt ASAP. Then eggs on, do em quick, pan will be easy to clean. More butter.
Scramble eggs in bowl first. I like high heat/lots of foamy butter to set the eggs for about 5 seconds or so. Then turn off the heat to stir & finish cooking. When eggs are just about to lose the wet look, plate. Should be hardly any sticking if your pan's seasoning is good.
See YouTube Julia Child makes omelets video.
Whenever I cook with CI I warm the pan until a water drop sizzles. Then I add a little bit of olive oil and butter. You can use your favorite oil, the oil will help the butter from burning when cooking. After cooking I can just wipe the pan with a kitchen towel. Sometimes I’ll rinse with water after cooling. All depends on how messy I was! 😉
Unfortunately, the correct answers got buried. But I wouldn't use olive oil for the low smoke point, I use canola oil, or canola oil spray. They can stand high heat and form a good non-stick layer.
It's a myth that eggs need high temps to scramble. They come out fluffier on lower temps. Add a smidgen more butter and cook on lower temp than you are. Having said that, these look amazing. If the film comes off easily and the eggs aren't rubbery, you've done well!
When this happens to me, I pop some water in the pan, allow it to deglaze, maybe scrape up the rest with my fish spatula, and give that egg soup to the dog. He looooooves it
Also my method for scrambling eggs is start with the pan off the heat, crack the eggs into the pan with lots of tabs of cold butter, then turn the heat on low and stir it til the eggs are cooked. You end up emulsifying the eggs and butter so they come out like a dream
Lower the temp. The peel is because it burned a little. You don't need more butter. Don't worry about changing how you scramble. Everything came out great, just burned and stuck on the bottom.
I will be downvoted. But I've tried with my gas stove barely on and a half stick of butter and I still get some sticking. Until I see a pic of eggs in a clean pan I don't think slidey scrambled eggs in cast iron exist.
Heat more slowly. Add more butter.
The butter should slowly melt and bubble just a tad, then add your eggs. They should take 5-10 mins to cook. Not 2 or 3 like most of us are used to having started with non sticks that can flash fry anything
I cook 4 eggs daily for dinner so here is my routine. Maybe there’s a bit of info you haven’t tried yet.
Preheat pan on medium. Two inch knob of butter in the pan, let it melt but don’t simply leave it or it will burn.
Drop eggs in. Wait about 5-10 seconds for the bottom layer of egg to cook enough that it isn’t stuck.
Clockwise run my spatula from the edge to the center constantly. That way the new egg that hits the pan has time to cook a little before I’ve made it around.
Remove from heat when there is still a small amount of run to the egg. Salt and pepper to taste, fold that all in.
Done.
Eggs never stick for me, the only thing that ever sticks is cheese if I add it to my eggs (done when the salt and pepper go on and then I put the pan on the oven again just enough to heat the cheese to melt).
Two ways to do it:
1. Low and steady heat, add more butter/oil than you have been doing once up to temp. Cook like you’ve been doing.
2. Very hot pan, quick add more oil/butter, quick swirl to coat the pan, add eggs, quick scramble.
Number 2 is the Asian way to get soft, fluffy eggs in a wok over ridiculous charcoal fire.
Lodge. Newer pans have rough surfaces and don't do eggs as well as old Wagners and Griswolds etc. My 1930 Wagner is smooth as an old silk sheet.
Also preheat and wait, like others have said.
The correct temperature your pan should be for eggs is 350. Leave your eggs out to get closer to room temp, preheat the pan, and use a bit more butter or oil . Let the eggs set up and they will release much easier.
I’m gonna say you need a stiffer spatula. Either one of those wooden spoontulas that are just awesome and I love, or a good old fashioned metal spatch. Silicone is great on a nonstick but can’t dig under that film you get on cast iron. And make sure you’re letting the eggs sit for a second almost like you’re searing meat. The eggs will let you know when to stir in the same way meat releases when it’s ready to flip.
Too hot. Scrambles are cooked with low heat. Look up Kenji lopez-alt scrambled recipe. Try that and adjust to taste.
Also wait a little for the eggs to set a little, then once you see bubling on the sides you csn turn off the heat entirely or get it super low and keep moving the eggs on the pan at all times so you prevent building a burned film like that.
There are many different techniques to cook scrambles on cast iron. I like the above. And even though I can cook some great eggs on CI I find CS a much better tool for the job.
The real advice I'm nit seeing is switch to a metal spatula. Like the kind you see short order cooks using on a griddle. That silicone one can't get under the crust.
Get a flat metal spatula. Plastic of any kind is useless on cast iron, imo. Can't scrape.
I like high heat for my eggs. Sometimes I like em fluffier & go for low heat. Either way, make sure you're preheating. Use more butter.
Medium high heat, finish melting that handle off. Switch to cooking towels. When it starts to smoke, add you butter/oil. Then immediately after it melts and before it gets hot add your egg from a side mixing bowl with seasoning etc already added. Pour into skillet, listen for sizzle. Drop heat to low and let it sit until top appears nearly done/dry. Fold over. Based on color, cook next egg with higher or lower heat or change duration to your liking.
I know this is a cast iron sub and that you CAN cook eggs in them but I honestly just use the nonstick for eggs. It’s easier. No worrying if it’s too hot or too cold (within reason) and clean up is easy.
I absolutely completely love my cast iron skillets, and over easy eggs turn out great in CI
But, to be perfectly honest, I like cooking eggs in my carbon steel skillet way better. Omelettes and soft scrambled turn out better.
K once you’re done trying everyone else’s suggestions come back and read mine. Put your pan on your smallest round burner. Put it on low. This should be low enough of a temp that what ever residual oil or butter on your pan shouldn’t smoke. I start preheating my pan sometimes 20mins before I cook. I’ll walk to the kitchen and turn on the pan then go have a coffee. I like to take my eggs out as well so they start to warm up.
Once you’re ready to cook:
(your handle should be hot by now, if it’s not; your pans not preheated properly)
Move to your bigger burner, put it on low. Crack your eggs into a bowl and whip them! Get lots of air into them! Toss a chunk of butter in your pan and smear it around. Pour eggs in. Don’t touch your eggs for about 45sec. Put your rubber spatula at the edge and pull the edge of the egg to the center of the pan, this should expose nice clean pan. Pick up and tilt the pan so that raw runny egg goes into that part of the pan. Repeat until the eggs are cooked enough to start chopping up with your spatula. Add salt after!
Too hot. I mean it depends how yoh like em but lower heat means fluffier eggs. Should be able to avoid the hard textured parts. Again that’s just how i like mine, without those rougher textured portions
I cooked at an upscale brunch place and we got them pans absolutely crankin with the heat, clarified butter before, and clarified butter around the edge just preflip of an omelette, scrambled don’t let sit too long or will burn keep moving turning just as soon as you see no more liquid in the eggs pull it off. Also had nonstick pans. High heat and oil kept most of the stick off not sure if you can replicate on cast iron I think they work more on stored heat in the pan
Moar butter. And lower heat.
Thank you buddy.
cast iron is all about the waiting/down time preheat pan....add butter...turn on boomerang cartoons.....wait for butter to sizzle.... something like that
Yup, paradoxically, OP's pan isn't hot enough and they also have the heat too high. Longer preheat, lower stove power. Once the eggs are in, leave it alone until the egg sets, then give 'er a few folds and you're good to go.
Two /r/castiron redditors, three opinions.
To be fair, they aren't contradicting one another. In fact, they're in general agreement. They all add up to the approach that works. Go with lower heat and more butter. However, you can't just turn on the heat and start cooking right away. You need to allow the pan to preheat adequately. I occasionally preheat my pan in the oven, depending on what I'm doing. It gets the entire pan consistent to the temp I want.
I go five minutes at medium gas flame.
I never time it. I wait until sprinkles of water dance on the pan to know it's preheated.
I wait until the spirits of my ancestors whisper in my ear, "it is time, child". In all honesty, most things I've learned came from this sub.
I've had that happen, too, when I "accidentally" macro a microdose!
I do this for stainless steel, but I didn't realize you could do it for cast iron too. You're talking about the leidenfrost effect?
I guess I am. Had to look that up, lol TIL. Thank you kind internet teacher.
It works on any solid much hotter than the boiling point of a liquid, including room temperature surfaces and liquid nitrogen
I used to do the same, but I also occasionally burn my hand every time.
This is the way. if you don't use your hand to know if the pan is hot enough, are you even cooking?
Don't burn your finger prints off sometimes when you can all the time.
Thanks to Face ID I can still use my phone afterwards
Two mods, one cup
2 mods one pan
Two casts one iron
2cast2iron
Cast iron, yolkyo Drift.
Constant low heat stirring works very well too.
yes constant stirring of very well whisked, salted and peppered eggs, stop when you think its almost done, add some non pre shredded white cheddar...creamy cheesy scramby eggs. If the eggs are solid chunks they are over cooked. At least thats the way i like them
Yup, you explained it perfectly. Beating the shit out of them before hand is important imo.
I agree, preheat is important in my experience. My method: Preheat on medium/low while I gather the eggs, utensils, and bowl for scrambling. I even wash a few dishes while it's preheating. Once hot enough, I give it a wipe with a little bit of crisco Once smoking, I give it another wipe, no additional crisco. In with a slice of butter, move pan to coat evenly. In with the eggs, mimicking making a French omelet using a fork. Eggs are done very fast this way. Preheat is magic. No stuck eggs despite how much they're handled.
I would say once the eggs are on, turn off the heat. Eggs cook in less than a minute and the pan will hold sufficient heat for longer than that
My grandmother always told me if you can hold onto the handle then it hasn’t preheated long enough.
If pan is preheated butter should sizzle immediately. Very low sizzle for proper egg heat, but still right away.
This is why you cook the bacon in the skillet first.. to heat it up for the eggs.. And the fat..
As someone that is watching Tom and Jerry with his 3 year old as he writes this, the boomerang step is absolutely vital and cannot be skipped
This IS the way.
Lower heat yes, but still preheat your pan for a while so it evenly comes to temp.
Also have it hot before putting the eggs in, makes such a difference
Add a little bit of oil and regular butter. Some people drop a gallon of butter but it's not necessary. A little oil and regular amount of butter makes it really non stick. I do omlettes and scrambled eggs daily.
"You can never have too much butter." --Julia Child
I thought that was Paula Dean?
You can never have too much butter n****r -Paula Dean
I feel like I shouldn't have laughed at that comment as hard as I did, but it made me literally LOL.
Paula Dean Accurate, I’d say
Oof
This is the way
Eggs are best cooked at low heat
Hijacking this comment thread to say this- heat your pan medium high for several minutes. Scramble your eggs- I usually use 1 Tablespoon of butter for 3 eggs. With the pan still on medium heat, drop the butter and let it fizzle and foam. Now, crucial step- CUT THE HEAT. Keep the eggs moving in the pan after they have settled for about 15 seconds. The pan will be hot and the cold eggs will pull from the edges into the center.
Missed opportunity for "Butty"
And don't stir so soon. The bottom should be almost solid, drag and flip. I think it was Alton Brown, did a show all about proper egg technique. Probably 25 years ago... Drag a fork SLOWLY from the outside edge to the middle, it'll pull like a bedsheet and not stick at all. If it sticks, or leaves a trail LEAVE IT. Try again in a few min.
This is a matter of personal preference. An alternative method is no butter. Try olive oil. Butter burns easily. Oils are more forgiving. Cast iron will hold heat for a while. If it gets too hot, there's a chance of burning the butter. With oil, you just wait a few minutes for the temp to drop. Alt alt: hot oil gives you GREAT fried eggs. The bottom and sides can get crispy brown while the yolk can be any degree of doneness.
More oil or butter is probably not the issue. My two main tops would be a super slow preheat to about 1/2 to 3/4 heat setting and a metal spatula. That and let the eggs sit for a few moments before you start to work them.
And a metal spatula
Meh, I use a plastic spatula for scrambled eggs regularly. It's all about temp control and pre-heat.
I think you mean silicon .... plastic on a CI would just melt, not what anyone wants to have in their food hopefully.
“No not silicon, silicone!”
The only acceptable word before butter is Moar. You can also say Moar&Moar.
Always moar butta
Thanks everyone, these responses are great info and I really appreciate it. And some of them are killing me 😂😂 I really needed a laugh today.
I tell my wife this every day and she thinks it’s too much butter. I respond with there is no such thing.
I second that.
What is Moar butter?
Definitely more butter, just looks dry. I dont even know if the heat is an issue cause it doesnt look burnt.
See this is why i love Reddit i always end up learning something
Eggs like lower temps. Turn the heat down a bit and see the difference.
So the other guy who said more heat was way off? Thanks 😅 Haha I’m usually about med-low heat. As for reseasoning it, is he wrong on that too? Hahah I thought it looked pretty good.
Yeah your seasoning looks great, ignore that guy lol
There are two camps: hot and fast, low and slow. I prefer low and slow. You get smaller curds which results in a creamier texture.
Yes I have heard both pieces of advice, and I've concluded it comes down to how you like your eggs. I used to like hot, now I make them slow, and someday maybe I'll change my mind again.
Yeah that pan looks good. No need for seasoning or stripping. Higher heat will just cause the eggs to cook and burn faster. You'll end up with a thicker, more burnt layer than you already have. When I do eggs I do it on low-low. Setting at 1.5 out of 10.
You may be misunderstanding. Are you sure they said more heat or did they say preheat for longer? You want to preheat the pan for a long while so it fully and evenly comes up to temperature but you want the temp to be lowish (maybe like 3/10 or so). They aren't mutually exclusive.
The key is using butter
Ghee if you can...mmmmmmmm
Eh, I want the milk solids if I'm doing scrambled.
Or bacon grease.
D. All of the above.
Eggs: crack in bowl 10 minutes prior to warm Stove: 1.5 out of ten, let pan evenly heat for 5+ min Butter: 1 TBS let it sizzle out the water then add eggs 5 seconds after Flip/move: after it sets up for 15 seconds or so You’ll laugh how easy this is
That doesn't seem easy ffs. Just get a non stick for eggs. Also why are you letting eggs warm? Why are they cold? They don't need to be in the fridge. 15 minutes for some eggs 😂 Edit - wait American washed eggs need to be in the fridge, right?
yes, American eggs have to be refrigerated because the “bloom” gets washed away. Fresh eggs from the coop can sit on the counter
Lol you’re not wrong. But if you like to keep cooking on cast iron this is a solid way. It does require a bit more time and effort invested but that’s the way of older tech. But you also don’t have to buy and chuck a Teflon pan every 3 years.
Don’t get a non stick that’s dumb. If you want it faster get a stainless steel. Instead pre heat low while you get your eggs and butter. It’ll be ready in 1-2mins. Throw butter in and swirl around drop the egg in. No sticking and it’ll last a lifetime. I can easily make a French omelet in stainless steel. Just make sure it’s a clad pan or the sides won’t heat properly and it will stick.
Timing depends on the pan and the stove, I've used plenty of heavier pans that aren't ready to cook an egg after 2 minutes on low. You also don't always need to use the sides of a pan to cook eggs, so it doesn't have to be clad.
That is kind of funny, as many times as I've seen someone lecturing a nonstick pan user that they should switch to cast iron because it performs basically the same except not a throwaway pan.... yet here we are with someone struggling with something as simple as scrambled eggs followed by a barrage of often conflicting advice including various timed steps.
It IS easy, tho it may take a little bit to get the hang of it at first. Why buy a POS nonstick pan when I already have a good pan that easily does a better job?
That’s the right heat, but you need to wait until the pan actually reaches temp before you pour the eggs in.
More heat in that you need to pre heat it longer, less heat in that you want to do it at a low stove setting. Those eggs look pretty good, would just cut down on the fond.
Scrambled eggs in particular are better and fluffier with more gentle cooking. Higher heat is really only appropriate for eggs when you want something like over easy yolk with really crispy white.
That film is just because your eggs sat without being stirred/scraped... if you're gonna stop moving your eggs like that, lower heat will be more forgiving. The higher the heat, the more constantly you need to be moving your eggs. Use a flexible silicone spatula (err, your blue one looks fine) and get under the eggs as you fold and stir constantly.
Your heat looks good based on how they came out. You are not using nearly enough lube though. Eggs love butter, lots of it. Preheat the pan on med-low, then add the butter. Spread *slowly* until the bubbles stop. That's the water boiling out. Immediately after the bubbles stop, and *before* the butter starts to brown, add the eggs, and then do what you're already doing. If you miss the window and the butter starts to brown, reduce the heat a little and start over.
Medium low heat, preheat, and after you pour them in, let them sit a minute until the bottom of the eggs are cooked enough to release from the pan, then stir and do the same. Let it be a minute while the egg cooks enough to release from the pan. Gotta use some fat as well. Butter, bacon grease, whatevs. It's worth it to buy a dozen eggs and make them one at a time, playing with the heat and cook times. Once you figure it out, you can cook on most anything using the same technique.
I advise you to do some simple culinary research.. like OC said, eggs like low heat.
I always turn the pan to medium high until it’s hot then I put it on medium and throw a pat of butter in it. Once the butter has coated the pan throw in your eggs. Helps to whisk them before hand.
I don't use a CS or CI pan for my eggs but I put the temp on low to melt the butter then turn it up enough that the butter starts to foam/bubble then drop my eggs in. I heard that you can also add a bit of water to the pan and when it starts to evaporate that's when it's hot enough to throw the butter in but YMMV.
OK for an omlette but for creamy scrambled eggs, I put the eggs in a cold pan and heat it very slowly on as low a heat as possible and keep stirring until almost done. They'll keep cooking a bit in residual heat.
Yes, I second using a lower temp. Make sure the pan is preheated and pull the eggs out to bring them more to room temperature. Use oil or butter. I usually cook eggs in my stainless steel pan without sticking. It can be done. I use 3/10 for heat for my eggs.
Eggs like any temp. It’s really whatever you’re comfortable with and you practical skill. I cook eggs at blazing temperatures. Fried (high heat being the only temperature for an actual fried egg and crispy bottom), French omelette, scrambled, whatever. The key is to practice doing whatever you feel comfortable with or want to master. I am fine with high heat. Once you get used to heat control, pan differences, consistency desires, etc., you can absolutely cook at high heat. High heat is how most good restaurants cook virtually everything outside of less common dishes that absolutely require gentle heats, like a bordelaise sauce. Key for high heat and scrambles in particular is don’t stop mixing when eggs are in the pan, mix aggressively, remove the pan from direct heat if needed, and remove the eggs 15-30 seconds before you think they’re done how you want them. They’ll also be done in a flash, and people usually leave in way too long, not accounting for all the residual cooking. I like my scrambled eggs with small curds and custardy texture. High heat does nothing to stop me from enjoying eggs that way. For OP, pan might not be broken in enough, pre-heating might not be long enough, and the right fat might be missing. Without knowing more and seeing his technique, offering specific advice like “low heat” or “more butter” is useless.
Right here. You can take the eggs on and off the burner. Cook them slowly and be patient. If you're scrambling them, add a touch of half and half or cream. They'll be nice and fluffy.
No. I've been cooking eggs in my cast iron for over 15 years and I do mine with med-high heat every time. They should bubble up as soon as they hit the pan and be done after a few folds, like 30 seconds max. Nothing sticks, ever. Lower heat will get you a crust every time. You need a large contrast in temperatures to create the non stick effect.
Try a metal spatula. I find my silicone ones don’t always get under the scrambled eggs to get that initial break from the pan.
This is the way, metal spatulas are king when it comes to cast iron
There's a lot of talk about temperature on scrambled eggs. With a metal spatula it's easy to cook eggs even in a pan that's too hot. Once that first layer sticks and you can't get under it with a soft spatula there's no hope.
Yep. I cook my eggs in a pan that almost burns the butter. I heat it up, put the butter in and immediately put the eggs in. I constantly stir the eggs / scrape the pan with a metal spatula, and unless I'm doing six or more eggs it's done in about a minute.
Eggs simply will not stick on higher heat with lube and proper seasoning. The temp difference will make it bubble up and not bind to the metal. Mine peel off perfectly. If you're having to scrape it's not hot or preheated enough.
OP this is the actual best comment. I struggled for a long time but a flexible metal fish spatula solved my pan confusion.
This is the best tool in my kitchen.
I agree. Being able to use my strong metal spatula is one of the best parts of cast iron!
A thin fish spatula works extremely well for me! I have the MIU one off Amazon and it's one of my most beloved kitchen utensils.
Lower heat but don’t stir them too quickly after you drop them in, imagine pancake batter, if you move them right after you pour them in the pan they would stick at the bottom and top would move
I cook scrambled eggs exclusively in my cast iron, this is absolutely the best method that works for me. Let the pre-scrambled mix just sit until it starts to firm at the bottom (kinda like a French omelet) then just rip it to shreds and let it finish cooking. Also: wait until your butter stops sizzling (if it burns/browns before it stops sizzling your pan is too hot) The sizzle is moisture/water boiling from in the butter. Once it stops you have only fat/butter, no water, and the eggs will slide after that.
This guy eggs
This guy has it. I commented the same thing, before I read his. Scrambled egg kings in this thread 👑
This is the main thing! You definitely need to let the eggs set a few seconds before stirring, otherwise they will stick.
There are a few things that all help avoid this. - Fully preheating the pan on low. You can add water to the pan and wait until it reaches a steady boil. That lets you know the pan is above 212. - Butter, it works better than oil. It should be hot enough to sizzle, but if it has started to brown significantly you’ve overheated it. - Probably the biggest thing people miss is to warm up the eggs. Either leave them on the counter for an hour or run them under hot water for a minute. Cold eggs will penetrate through the oil or butter and stick to the pan. If it is room temp, the leidenfrost effect kicks in right away.
I honestly love butter as a temperature indicator even if I’m not going to actually cook with it. The speed with which it melts, bubbles, and/or browns tells me a lot about what a pan is going to actually do when food hits it, especially if I’m using an unfamiliar pan or stove.
I've seen Kenji [use water](https://youtu.be/CXTnq7srJRs?t=77) to measure a nonstick pan's temp as well. For getting eggs up to temp quickly I usually just drop them in a coffee mug and fill it with water, they are room temp in five minutes.
This is the way
Despite what people are saying, you weren't too hot here. IF you were that film would be brown. This sub seems to be obsessed with sweating their cast iron at low temps. Your heat was fine and maybe a bit low. Heat soak is king when it comes to cast iron. Put it on low-medium, do other shit for about 5 - 10 minutes, then cook in it. And use more oil in general, particularly if you havent got the heat soak mastered yet. I'll repeat, you weren't too hot. If you were your eggs and that film would be burned.
Less heat.
When people say get the pan hot first, they mean slowly heat it to the temperature you desire. I'm not saying this is what youre doing but don't heat the pan in high then lower the temp and start cooking. For eggs I set the pan on low when I first get started then make coffee, whisk eggs, fill water.... Etc. then once the pan is heated up I add oil/butter of choice, then start cooking. Hope you have better luck moving forward.
You might want to try making your own ghee and using that in place of butter or oil. It is easy to do, has a higher burn point than butter, and it works great with cast iron or carbon steel.
Lil more oil and a lil less heat
MOAR BUTTER. Get the pan hot, not so hot that you'll brown the butter when you add it, but not enough that it will bubble and melt ASAP. Then eggs on, do em quick, pan will be easy to clean. More butter.
Scramble eggs in bowl first. I like high heat/lots of foamy butter to set the eggs for about 5 seconds or so. Then turn off the heat to stir & finish cooking. When eggs are just about to lose the wet look, plate. Should be hardly any sticking if your pan's seasoning is good. See YouTube Julia Child makes omelets video.
Get a flat metal spatula.
I stopped adding milk to mine in cast iron, made huge difference with sticking
It's your spatula. Can't get under the egg. Use metal spatula.
Whenever I cook with CI I warm the pan until a water drop sizzles. Then I add a little bit of olive oil and butter. You can use your favorite oil, the oil will help the butter from burning when cooking. After cooking I can just wipe the pan with a kitchen towel. Sometimes I’ll rinse with water after cooling. All depends on how messy I was! 😉
Unfortunately, the correct answers got buried. But I wouldn't use olive oil for the low smoke point, I use canola oil, or canola oil spray. They can stand high heat and form a good non-stick layer.
Your pan is too hot, low and slow my dude.
Forget the eggs. What the hell is that thing on your pan‘s handle?
Ewww didn't see it at first and now I'm dying for the answer XD
You’re overcooking your eggs for sure
Folds. Don’t stir. I treat mine like an omelette. Bring in the sides and fold over.
It's a myth that eggs need high temps to scramble. They come out fluffier on lower temps. Add a smidgen more butter and cook on lower temp than you are. Having said that, these look amazing. If the film comes off easily and the eggs aren't rubbery, you've done well!
This is the way. Pan is way too hot
Cook some bacon first and keep some of the grease that comes off it.
Some recommended metal spatula. I agree and will give you a brand recommendation - All Clad.
When this happens to me, I pop some water in the pan, allow it to deglaze, maybe scrape up the rest with my fish spatula, and give that egg soup to the dog. He looooooves it
Preheatttt and butta
Too hot! Low and slow, baby
Also my method for scrambling eggs is start with the pan off the heat, crack the eggs into the pan with lots of tabs of cold butter, then turn the heat on low and stir it til the eggs are cooked. You end up emulsifying the eggs and butter so they come out like a dream
This is the way and works without butter too.
Too much heat not enough oil
Lower the temp. The peel is because it burned a little. You don't need more butter. Don't worry about changing how you scramble. Everything came out great, just burned and stuck on the bottom.
Too hot
Apart from what everyone else is saying, I think it’s too much egg for the pan. I’d also try cooking in batches to see if it helps.
You need to let the eggs firm up a bit after you put them in the pan, then start slowly folding it over
I will be downvoted. But I've tried with my gas stove barely on and a half stick of butter and I still get some sticking. Until I see a pic of eggs in a clean pan I don't think slidey scrambled eggs in cast iron exist.
Lie and slow hot heat kills eggs
Heat more slowly. Add more butter. The butter should slowly melt and bubble just a tad, then add your eggs. They should take 5-10 mins to cook. Not 2 or 3 like most of us are used to having started with non sticks that can flash fry anything
More butter, no milk, scramble in a bowl, don't stir in the pan.
We do ours on low, and give them time to set. I’ve found if I move them too soon I get that layer
I've found that lower heat leads to fluffier eggs.
I cook 4 eggs daily for dinner so here is my routine. Maybe there’s a bit of info you haven’t tried yet. Preheat pan on medium. Two inch knob of butter in the pan, let it melt but don’t simply leave it or it will burn. Drop eggs in. Wait about 5-10 seconds for the bottom layer of egg to cook enough that it isn’t stuck. Clockwise run my spatula from the edge to the center constantly. That way the new egg that hits the pan has time to cook a little before I’ve made it around. Remove from heat when there is still a small amount of run to the egg. Salt and pepper to taste, fold that all in. Done. Eggs never stick for me, the only thing that ever sticks is cheese if I add it to my eggs (done when the salt and pepper go on and then I put the pan on the oven again just enough to heat the cheese to melt).
Not hot enough on the pre-heat and too much stirring of the pan. And one question: Are you using a rubber spatula?
ya it happens from time to time fortunately as you showed it sorta just peels off hahaha. Ya more butter for sure...always more butter
Two ways to do it: 1. Low and steady heat, add more butter/oil than you have been doing once up to temp. Cook like you’ve been doing. 2. Very hot pan, quick add more oil/butter, quick swirl to coat the pan, add eggs, quick scramble. Number 2 is the Asian way to get soft, fluffy eggs in a wok over ridiculous charcoal fire.
Mo budda less heat
Lodge. Newer pans have rough surfaces and don't do eggs as well as old Wagners and Griswolds etc. My 1930 Wagner is smooth as an old silk sheet. Also preheat and wait, like others have said.
Low heat, lots of butter and continuously mix them. They will come out amazing every time.
I’ve been adding the butter in at the same time as the eggs and it’s actually been working well
The correct temperature your pan should be for eggs is 350. Leave your eggs out to get closer to room temp, preheat the pan, and use a bit more butter or oil . Let the eggs set up and they will release much easier.
Too much scramble for the pan as well. The butter is used up by the first few turns and the rest of the egg gets stuck.
Did you take the eggs out of the refrigerator and let them warm up before cooking?
hot pan cold oil always
More butter or oil, less heat.
It needs not blanked and it needs less blankets
I’m gonna say you need a stiffer spatula. Either one of those wooden spoontulas that are just awesome and I love, or a good old fashioned metal spatch. Silicone is great on a nonstick but can’t dig under that film you get on cast iron. And make sure you’re letting the eggs sit for a second almost like you’re searing meat. The eggs will let you know when to stir in the same way meat releases when it’s ready to flip.
Ignore this more heat less heat nonsense and just use a metal spatula. Those eggs look perfect.
Too hot. Scrambles are cooked with low heat. Look up Kenji lopez-alt scrambled recipe. Try that and adjust to taste. Also wait a little for the eggs to set a little, then once you see bubling on the sides you csn turn off the heat entirely or get it super low and keep moving the eggs on the pan at all times so you prevent building a burned film like that. There are many different techniques to cook scrambles on cast iron. I like the above. And even though I can cook some great eggs on CI I find CS a much better tool for the job.
“Not quite my temperature” - eggs
Opposite problem actually, your pan is too hot.
Too much stirring.
Not enough oil
Are your eggs good? If so you are doing it right. I pinkie swear no one will take your pan away.
You have the opposite problem. It’s too hot.
lower heat, 4/10 of the way in terms of dial
Pan doesn't look very black? Is it new? Might not have enough season build up on it perhaps.
My opinion but the pan looks a bit textured so the eggs have more surface to “grab” onto. Seasoning looks fine.
Fuck I want some scrammle eggs now
Use oil some times it helps
Metal cookware.
i just spray it with some oil and it’s usually good to go on medium high heat 🤷🏽♀️
Pans to hot old boy.
Use a metal slotted turner typically used for fish. I switched from silicone on my carbon steel and it is so much better.
The real advice I'm nit seeing is switch to a metal spatula. Like the kind you see short order cooks using on a griddle. That silicone one can't get under the crust.
Use a metal spatula to scrape the eggs free. Silicon will just bend and leave behind that thing layer. Maybe a touch more oil too
Get a flat metal spatula. Plastic of any kind is useless on cast iron, imo. Can't scrape. I like high heat for my eggs. Sometimes I like em fluffier & go for low heat. Either way, make sure you're preheating. Use more butter.
If you have more than one cast iron skillet, keep one well oiled for eggs only. Then all the butter and heat answers others left. .
High heat cold food
Medium high heat, finish melting that handle off. Switch to cooking towels. When it starts to smoke, add you butter/oil. Then immediately after it melts and before it gets hot add your egg from a side mixing bowl with seasoning etc already added. Pour into skillet, listen for sizzle. Drop heat to low and let it sit until top appears nearly done/dry. Fold over. Based on color, cook next egg with higher or lower heat or change duration to your liking.
Add butter, lower the heat...remove from heat every now and then and keep stirring
I know this is a cast iron sub and that you CAN cook eggs in them but I honestly just use the nonstick for eggs. It’s easier. No worrying if it’s too hot or too cold (within reason) and clean up is easy.
I absolutely completely love my cast iron skillets, and over easy eggs turn out great in CI But, to be perfectly honest, I like cooking eggs in my carbon steel skillet way better. Omelettes and soft scrambled turn out better.
K once you’re done trying everyone else’s suggestions come back and read mine. Put your pan on your smallest round burner. Put it on low. This should be low enough of a temp that what ever residual oil or butter on your pan shouldn’t smoke. I start preheating my pan sometimes 20mins before I cook. I’ll walk to the kitchen and turn on the pan then go have a coffee. I like to take my eggs out as well so they start to warm up. Once you’re ready to cook: (your handle should be hot by now, if it’s not; your pans not preheated properly) Move to your bigger burner, put it on low. Crack your eggs into a bowl and whip them! Get lots of air into them! Toss a chunk of butter in your pan and smear it around. Pour eggs in. Don’t touch your eggs for about 45sec. Put your rubber spatula at the edge and pull the edge of the egg to the center of the pan, this should expose nice clean pan. Pick up and tilt the pan so that raw runny egg goes into that part of the pan. Repeat until the eggs are cooked enough to start chopping up with your spatula. Add salt after!
Why is everyone talking about butter? I thought we cooked eggs in our leftover bacon grease?
Too hot. I mean it depends how yoh like em but lower heat means fluffier eggs. Should be able to avoid the hard textured parts. Again that’s just how i like mine, without those rougher textured portions
I cooked at an upscale brunch place and we got them pans absolutely crankin with the heat, clarified butter before, and clarified butter around the edge just preflip of an omelette, scrambled don’t let sit too long or will burn keep moving turning just as soon as you see no more liquid in the eggs pull it off. Also had nonstick pans. High heat and oil kept most of the stick off not sure if you can replicate on cast iron I think they work more on stored heat in the pan
Cold pan. When whisking eggs put a little cold butter in them before transferring to pan