Oil does more than prevent sticking: it fills gaps between pan and food, transferring heat across more surface.

Duck breast cooks successfully in a cold dry pan, while less fatty chicken thigh can overcook and…

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A dry pan browns only where food touches metal. Oil spreads heat, creating generalized golden…

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Cooking oils approach 400°F/200°C before breaking down. Water reaches only 212°F/100°C before…

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Dry-pan naan-style bread browns in patches and tastes breadlike. Oil creates broad golden browning…

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Naturally fatty meat supplies its own thermal interface: rendered fat lets the meat fry in it.

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Brussels sprouts cooked without oil took nearly twice as long, stayed hard inside, and tasted worse.

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Oil reaches upward from the pan bottom, heating food that never touches metal and broadening…

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In a 400°F oven, oiling food does not necessarily create much more surface browning.

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