Most of us learned to cook from our mothers, grandmothers, or maybe from a cookbook. The traditional way of cooking most foods is to put it in a stainless steel pot and pan with water and boil or simmer the food. But studies have shown, the best way to maintain the nutritional value of the food as well as the natural flavor is by waterless cooking in special stainless steel cookware which allows the food to be cooked in its own juices. So, what are the other advantages to waterless cooking?
Most cooks will look at the same issues when cooking:
- Ease of cooking
- Time to cook
- Clean-up time
- Amount of fat and oil in the food
- Taste
- Nutritional value
Waterless cooking is easy and can take less time than conventional cooking. Heat is evenly distributed, and with no burning or sticking, the pots and pans are much easier to clean. What’s even better, oil is not needed to prevent sticking making your favorite dish lower in fat and calories. The food cooks in its natural juices, which enhances flavor and preserves nutritional value.
The principles of waterless cooking are relatively simple and straightforward. High grade stainless steel cookware protects the food. Aluminum cookware does heat faster but studies have shown that some Aluminum gets into the food, which may not be good for your health. Waterless cookware is made of high grade stainless steel,and does not allow tastes from the metal to leach into the food.
Stainless steel pots and pans are also easier to clean and does not require Teflon coating, which also may get into the food. Surgical stainless steel is the highest grade but that is more about marketing than cooking.
The bottom of the stainless steel cookware is machined flat. This ensures that as much surface as possible comes into contact with the coils of an electric stove or the grates of your gas stove. An aluminum or copper plate distributes the heat evenly along the bottom of the pots and pans which prevents hot spots that can burn the food and provides heat to the bottom in all directions.
The special lid forms a seal, locking in the natural moisture that steams from the food during the cooking process. This allows food to cook in its own natural juices, and allows flavor, vitamins and minerals to be retained. Much of the nutritional value of vegetables cooks out of boiled vegetables and is poured away with the cooking water. With waterless cooking, there is no need to add water since vegetables contain a large quantity of water. Water that is released from the vegetables upon cooking turns into steam and is contained by the lid and the vegetables actually steam in their own juice.
A whistle or steam valve notifies the cook when the natural juices create sufficient steam, and the cook can then turn off the heat, saving energy and preventing overcooking. The food cooks at a constant temperature due to the pots and pans heat retention capabilities and the heat of the steam inside the pot. Stainless steel cookware does not radiate much energy, and the iron core or plate maintains a constant temperature for continued cooking even with the heat turned off. That translates into energy savings and that is a huge advantage in today’s slow economy. The food also cooks quicker, at lower temperatures, and in their own juice making it is tastier and better for you.
Where can you buy this Stainless Steel cookware for waterless cooking?
Most waterless stainless steel cookware is sold through “cooking parties” in people’s homes. The price on the cookware pots and pans is expensive. You can also buy less-expensive, similar cookware in department stores, but the quality is not as high.
At a typical Cookware party a salesman (who gets a cut)usually demonstrates how to make a meal with their product,and the guests get to watch the process and try the food. The host or hostess usually gets a free pan as a reward for having the party(adding more cost to the product).
I have attended cooking parties in the past and have found the flavor of the food cooked with waterless cookware stainless steel is excellent-tender and flavorful without using oil. The added benefit was that the food went from raw to the table in about 10 minutes. The food did not stick to the stainless steel pots and pans so clean-up was a breeze. The broccoli was simply delicious and very flavorful. The potatoes were good, and the chicken was evenly done and tasty.
This really got me interested in waterless cooking. I love to cook and am alway interested in new ideas and recipes. Unfortunately, the waterless stainless steel cookware sold at cookware parties is extremely expensive. A set of pots and pans from this manufacturer ranged from $2000 to over $5000! Because of its construction, waterless cookware is a higher grade and costs more to manufacture. There are several websites that carry this type of cookware at very reasonable prices. They also have the same quality as the cookware sold at cookware parties.