Stainless Steel Cookware – Will Salted Steak in Preheated Stainless Steel Pan Cause Pitting?

saltstainless-steel

Typically when I cook steak, I salt/pepper it and then leave it out for a while to warm up. Next, I preheat my non-stick pan, put in olive oil, and add the steak.

However, I recently bought a set of All Clad stainless steel pans. I’ve never cooked with stainless steel before and am worried about pitting.

Will adding a pre-salted steak to a preheated stainless steel pan (coated in olive oil) result in pitting? If so, how/when should I salt to avoid pitting?

Best Answer

I don't think so. The contact time is so short. These pans are meant to take a beating. They are very high quality SS. If it bothers you, get a cheap cast iron pan for this type of thing, it's what I do. You can read more here

Pitting corrosion - The passive layer on stainless steel can be attacked by certain chemical species. The chloride ion Cl- is the most common of these and is found in everyday materials such as salt and bleach. Pitting corrosion is avoided by making sure that stainless steel does not come into prolonged contact with harmful chemicals or by choosing a grade of steel which is more resistant to attack. The pitting corrosion resistance can be assessed using the Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number calculated from the alloy content.

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