Today I had… hard conversation with my girlfriend whether to use or not oil (semi refined sunflower) when cooking scrambled eggs on a non-stick pan.
My point is that there is no reason for oil, because coating of the pan will prevent eggs to stick. Was I right or adding oil is essential for some other reason than prevention eggs to stick?
I always add butter, as much for the flavor as to keep the eggs from sticking. In scrambled eggs, butter is as necessary for me as salt and pepper.
You can certainly try your pan without oil, and see how it goes. If the nonstick coating is still in good shape, you'll be able to cook your eggs just fine. You might still miss the flavor of butter, and if you try fried eggs, you may find that they don't brown the way you want. But once your pan ages a bit, the coating won't work as well, and you'll want to start using oil again. The pan will last a long, long time after that, so you'll probably end up using oil for most of the life of the pan.
Adding oil or butter makes scrambled eggs more creamy by giving the egg protein something to hold onto and not curl as tight.
The ideal formula for scrambled eggs is one extra yolk for every 4 eggs plus a little fat.
I didn't like scrambled eggs until I tried this formula and it's awesome.
Credit goes to either Jack Bishop (Cooks Illustrated) and/or Nathan Myhrvold (Modernist Cuisine) unfortunately I can't remember which of the two clever gents I heard it from.
Oil is not just about keeping things from sticking, it also helps with heat transfer. With eggs it is not such a big issue although it does help some, however with something like a piece of chicken or stir frying vegetables adding oil is necessary.
Non-stick is not the only reason for using oil. The oil ensures good heat transfer, especially after the egg is no longer liquid, has an uneven surface and may not contact the pan evenly when you have flipped it. Some oils do have flavors as well. If you cook with spices, sometimes these are placed in the pan prior to the egg, you will need the oil to sauté and meld the flavors together.
