As previously explained here, for best use a Lotus Rock pan should be pre-heated at a low-medium temperature. This way the pan will build up heat within its highly dense structure more gradually and evenly than if it is heated on a high flame immediately. Similar to cast iron, when a Lotus Rock pan has a lot of heat stored in it, the pan will brown, saute, grill, and stir fry food much better than if the food is added when the pan is still cold.

High protein content food, such as steaks, stick during cooking when the sulfur atoms in the protein react with the metal atoms in the pan, forming a strong chemical bond and fusing the meat to the skillet. Once the pan becomes hot enough, the link between the protein and the metal will loosen, and the bond will eventually break.

A Lotus Rock pan is ideal for searing highly stick-prone food, such as a steak, because it can be pre-heated to a high temperature without damaging the pan’s non-stick performance or pan’s construction. Most general non-stick cookware is organic-bonded and so can easily break under a high temperature. If a non-stick coating is continually over-heated then it will either quickly start to degrade (such as peeling off or blistering), or if it contains PTFE for its non-stick release, a hazardous chemical smoke may appear which has been proven to be fatal to birds.