Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware Dos and Don’ts

Stainless steel waterless cookware has been gaining in popularity, and for good reason: they’re inexpensive, easy, and allow people to cook healthy meals with little or no added fat, lots of flavor, and high nutrient retention. “Waterless” cookware is somewhat inappropriate, as small amounts of water are used for cooking.

Waterless cookware is similar in concept to a pressure cooker. Stainless steel waterless cookware comes in a variety of sizes to fit many types of food. Like pressure cookers, they work by placing a tightly sealed lid that traps steam inside to cook food. However, unlike their high-pressure counterparts, waterless cookware cooks at relatively lower temperatures and pressures. Here are some things to keep in mind when using waterless cookware:

First of all, size does matter when it comes to waterless cookware. If you overfill a pot, the food will not cook evenly. It is important to fill the pot only about two-thirds full. When selecting stainless steel waterless cookware, keep this restriction in mind. You may want to purchase more than one size of cookware to accommodate the types of dishes you’ll be preparing.

Then, be careful to rinse and drain the food well before placing it in the pot, and add no more than a quarter cup of water before cooking. The goal is to steam the food, not boil it. Adding too much water can result in inconsistent cooking, loss of nutrients, and an unappetizing result.

Another important factor in the use of stainless steel waterless cookware is the temperature to which the food is cooked. The stove burner should never be set to medium heat. As soon as you notice the steam valve start to hiss, you should lower the heat and close the steam valve to seal the steam inside for proper cooking.

Stackable waterless cookware is another option that can be used to cook more than one pot of food at a time. The key is that if you want food to cook evenly, you should only stack food that can cook to the same temperature, for the same amount of time. For example, you’ll want to avoid cooking a roast at the same time as delicate vegetables that will likely turn to mush when the meat is cooked.

Obviously, only the airtight lid included with the cookware should be used. This is because the lid is designed to form a seal that does not allow steam to escape. If you let steam escape, the food will dry out, overcook, and possibly burn. Similarly, you should not open the lid while food is cooking, as this also causes a loss of steam and therefore a loss of moisture in cooking. Wait until the food has finished cooking before opening the valve to release steam. Only then should you remove the lid.

Weather Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware is a safe method of cooking, precautions should be taken when removing the lid after releasing steam. Steam burns may occur if steam is released incompletely. For this reason, you should let the food sit for about five minutes before removing the lid. When removing the lid, keep your face away from the pot to avoid the possibility of a serious steam burn.