Was steaming lentils on simmer and now I can't open pan even when it's cooled down. How can I get a stainless steel pan and lid unstuck?

Answer 1

I'd try slipping a bread knife between the lid and the pan and carefully prying. You can also try putting the pan/lid on it's side and softly banging it on a cutting board or counter top. You might try setting the pan in a sink-full of cold water while pouring hot water over the top. The hope here is, to expand the bottom while contracting the lid. This presumes that the lid lip fits inside the pan.

Ans 2.

Pouring hot water over the top will make the top expand, while having the pan in cold water will tend to make the pan shrink. These dimensional changes will make the lid all the tighter, so don't do it.

There may well be a vacuum inside the pan. If the lid has a plastic knob on it, try unscrewing it; if you can and you hear a hiss you are probably golden.

If it won't unscrew, try putting an inch of water into a larger pan, then put it on the stove. When the water boils, put the stuck pan into it. After a few minutes, cool the lid as best you can. The best trick might be a pillow case containing 2 or 3 handfuls of ice. Hold it above the pan so the cold bottom rests on the pan-lid. When the ice is mostly melted, try the lid.

If it still won't open get a really small drill bit; between 1/32" and 1/16" diameter and make sure it is an HSS drill. Drill a hole in the lid to let air in.

If this fails your last resort is to invert the pan in a larger pan containing several inches of boiling water; boil until it separates or you decide to buy a new one.

p.s. next time you steam lentils, don't use a tight fitting lid. The same lid will do, but you put it on the pan at a slight angle, one side of the lid cocked up and the other side dipping down into the pan about half an inch. This will prevent all the water boiling away, but not get stuck.