You Only Need A Gentle Tap To Get Eggs Unstuck From The Pan

Cooking the perfect fried egg is something of an art form — but even if you're Michelangelo, things can go wrong. Sometimes, even the slipperiest of non-stick pans will fail us. Usually, when an egg gets stuck, it's game over: "Well, I guess we're having them scrambled." But there are plenty of useful fried egg hacks you'll wish you knew sooner — and one is perfect for unsticking your eggs, no scraping required (leaving both you and your pan happier for it). If you find that your eggs are starting to stick, leave them where they are, and definitely don't try to wedge a spatula underneath to pry them off the pan.

Instead, grab the handle of your frying pan with your non-dominant hand (making sure you take care not to burn yourself). Then, gripping it tightly, use the base of your free hand to smack the end of the handle. With a few good taps, you should find that pesky egg springs free. It might be a good idea to cut the heat while you do this — just in case anything splashes out of the pan. It's better to be safe than sorry!

Hopefully, you won't need the handle-tapping trick at all! If you're using a non-stick pan, you should have a much easier time, since you won't need to worry as much about things like preheating. However, this doesn't mean you can't use a stainless steel pan or skillet. If you do, just remember to properly preheat your pan to help avoid sticking. Crank it to just above a medium heat (with nothing in it) and allow it to slowly come up to temperature — don't rush or overheat it! You'll know it's at the proper temperature when water beads up and dances across the surface of the pan, rather than just evaporating. This phenomenon, called the Leidenfrost effect, creates a tiny layer of gas between the food and the cooking surface.

One common mistake people make when cooking fried eggs is using eggs that are too cold. Yup — if you use eggs straight out of the fridge, the chill makes them more likely to stick, so let them come to room temperature before frying. When it comes to getting eggs unstuck, using more fat is always an option, as it helps the edges crisp up nicely and prevents any unwanted sticking. As for choosing the right fat, butter and olive oil are the two most common options, and both work well — though you could also take a tip from Andrew Zimmern, and brown your butter first. It's totally up to you — even bacon fat can be pretty transformative.