How good is your frying pan flip?

vernplum

vernplum

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I'm right-handed. I can do a decent pan 'flip' with it when stir-frying stuff like fried rice or noodles or other Chinese food in a wok. Most of the food stays in the pan.

With my left hand (which I really want to get good with so I can hold the utensil in my right while stirring and flipping simultaneously like a pro) my flip is slow and stuff often comes out over the stove.

Seems like there are a couple of techniques; the first - more of the sauté style back and forth such as what Chef John is showing here is more like what I am doing; the rounded sides of the wok helps me be sort of OK at it:


The second one - the 'true' wok flip is more dependent on using the burner ring as a sort of fulcrum to 'bounce' the wok back/forth up/down on. I don't do this because it's a) really noisy b) don't have such a burner c) can't do it.


Note: I'm not talking about a pancake flip which is more of a vertical toss.
 
My pan flip, as in Chef John’s video is excellent, I think, either hand. Honestly, not to sound like “that guy,” but I’ve never understood what was so hard about it and why people are so afraid of it. I cooked MrsT some mushrooms today and never needed a utensil to turn them, just shake and flip, shake and flip.

The wok thing…I don’t have a wok and don’t cook a lot of wok stuff and even if I did, I wouldn’t do that because, as you mention, it’s loud and I hate noise.

Pancake flip - I can do that easy enough with one pancake, but I’m usually cooking three at a time, so nope! :laugh:
 
vernplum said:
I'm right-handed. I can do a decent pan 'flip' with it when stir-frying stuff like fried rice or noodles or other Chinese food in a wok. Most of the food stays in the pan.

With my left hand (which I really want to get good with so I can hold the utensil in my right while stirring and flipping simultaneously like a pro) my flip is slow and stuff often comes out over the stove.

Seems like there are a couple of techniques; the first - more of the sauté style back and forth such as what Chef John is showing here is more like what I am doing; the rounded sides of the wok helps me be sort of OK at it:


The second one - the 'true' wok flip is more dependent on using the burner ring as a sort of fulcrum to 'bounce' the wok back/forth up/down on. I don't do this because it's a) really noisy b) don't have such a burner c) can't do it.


Note: I'm not talking about a pancake flip which is more of a vertical toss.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty good at flipping my hair but I never flip anything in a pan!
 
TastyReuben said:
My pan flip, as in Chef John’s video is excellent, I think, either hand. Honestly, not to sound like “that guy,” but I’ve never understood what was so hard about it and why people are so afraid of it. I cooked MrsT some mushrooms today and never needed a utensil to turn them, just shake and flip, shake and flip.

The wok thing…I don’t have a wok and don’t cook a lot of wok stuff and even if I did, I wouldn’t do that because, as you mention, it’s loud and I hate noise.

Pancake flip - I can do that easy enough with one pancake, but I’m usually cooking three at a time, so nope! :laugh:
Click to expand...

Yes, I also do it the way chef John does it. That alone impresses my friends more than anything else I can do. "Oh, look how he flips that food in the pan, he must be a good cook." :laugh:

CD
 
TastyReuben said:
My pan flip, as in Chef John’s video is excellent, I think, either hand. Honestly, not to sound like “that guy,” but I’ve never understood what was so hard about it and why people are so afraid of it. I cooked MrsT some mushrooms today and never needed a utensil to turn them, just shake and flip, shake and flip.

The wok thing…I don’t have a wok and don’t cook a lot of wok stuff and even if I did, I wouldn’t do that because, as you mention, it’s loud and I hate noise.

Pancake flip - I can do that easy enough with one pancake, but I’m usually cooking three at a time, so nope! :laugh:
Click to expand...

I guess it's just training the sequence of muscles slowly till you've got it down. For my left hand I still have to consciously think 'ok - forward then pull back, forward then pull back' while doing the actuation - it isn't ingrained at speed yet.
 
caseydog said:
Yes, I also do it the way chef John does it. That alone impresses my friends more than anything else I can do. "Oh, look how he flips that food in the pan, he must be a good cook." :laugh:

CD
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It's funny cos it's true. :)
 
Pancakes are no problem for me. Rotis likewise. Stir fry I need to use an implement.

give a toss.gif
 
Not too bad. I usually 'toss' when I'm toasting spices or nuts & seeds. The pan I use for that is light enough, but the rest of my stuff I can't because the skillet is heavy bottomed and 2 handled (small side grips, not a long handle).
I've a griddle for pancakes (similar to my tawa) so not having a lip makes it harder.
 
I´m a good flipper, but only with my left hand. Why would I want to use my right? :laugh: :laugh:
When I started doing Indian food courses about 10 years ago, one of the (REAL!) chefs taught me how to flip the food in the pan. A bit of practice, and voilá.
 
I will admit that I struggle flipping in my 12" Matfer- that pan is heavy and it's a wrist strength issue. All Clad, no problem. During my Picky Eater era, I was cooking dinner in her kitchen, two pans going, flipping away, and she asked with a sincerely puzzled tone, "Why don't you use a spatula?"
 
I’ve tried to show two people the technique, and both continually threw the food a good three feet straight up into the air, with it landing everywhere but in the pan. Small movements, people!

I did have a niece take me down a peg when she busted my chops for using a spatula in my 12-inch cast iron pan: “Too heavy, can’t really be done. A good cook knows their equipment.”

We were watching Pépin later, and it was from when he was probably 75yo, and at one point, he grabbed his 12-inch enameled cast iron (with both hands), gave it a shake, then deftly did a textbook flip: “Hmmm…I guess the enamel on his makes it lighter than yours, huh?” Smartass!
 
The OMWC said:
I will admit that I struggle flipping in my 12" Matfer- that pan is heavy and it's a wrist strength issue. All Clad, no problem. During my Picky Eater era, I was cooking dinner in her kitchen, two pans going, flipping away, and she asked with a sincerely puzzled tone, "Why don't you use a spatula?"
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So, is Ms.PE out of the picture now? Nosey people want to know ... :rolleyes:
 
I don't have any corn puffs to try it with, but i have done it that way & became successful with it!! Hah!! :whistling:
 
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medtran49 said:
I can flip and not make a mess but I rarely do, and I am VERY careful and methodical in that I jiggle the pan several times and put lots of thought into it before I actually do.
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I also do a little jiggle too - to unstick stuff from the pan and also to get it all in the middle before I flip.
 
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