I’m trying out my first multi-ply stainless steel pan.

This is after cooking multiple batches of chicken breast on the pan. I noticed that the fond retained the brown color and did not start burning while I thoroughly cooked every batch of the chicken.

I’m no chef but I have a theory: on my non-stick pan, the heat transfer from the pan to the food is slower. In order to cook the meat throughout, I need to crank up the heat and the fond burns quickly. On stainless steel, the meat sticks, making the heat transfer easier. This means that the heat goes where it’s needed (the core of the meat pieces) without needing to overheat those parts of the pan not touching the chicken.