Is waterless cooking for you? It is if you want to enjoy the best tasting food, save energy and use much less water than with conventional cooking. Waterless Cookware fits perfectly into a modern green lifestyle. Whether selecting organic, local farm produce or regular supermarket fare, this cooking method will deliver the very best taste as the food cooks in its own natural juices. It is estimated that food loses around 40% of its natural vitamins and minerals with conventional cookware, but only 2% or 3% with waterless cookware.
Energy saving comes from the use of only medium heat to begin cooking and then, once the steam valve begins to whistle, the heat is reduced to low or turned off to complete the cooking process. High heat is never used with waterless cookware. The best products are constructed of surgical stainless steel which gives an excellent, gleaming appearance and last for the life of the product with just occasional cleaning. It offers high corrosion resistance due to an invisible, passive oxide coating that forms on the surface of the metal in air. Hospitals use surgical stainless steel because it can be kept clean and sterile. Waterless cookware has an iron core and an aluminum or copper plate in the base. The base is made up of different layers of metal (plies) with the aluminum or copper sandwiched between layers of stainless steel. The best waterless cookware will be 5 ply or better. This construction encourages the distribution of heat more evenly than conventional cookware. Multi-ply cookware also allows stack cooking. Once the stem valve has signaled that the correct temperature has been reached, the valve is closed and the pans can be stacked on top of each other to complete the cooking process. Heat is transferred from the bottom pan to the top. Also, because the steel is so clean and durable, it provides a much better cooking surface than aluminum or Teflon as these can wear off over time and get into the food.
There is a special steam release valve lid that keeps liquid from escaping. The lid forms a seal with the pot and locks in the natural moisture that usually escapes from the food during the cooking process. The food then cooks at a more constant temperature because of the cookware's heat retention properties and the steam heat inside the pot. Another benefit if the superior heat distribution of Waterless Cookware is that there is less chance of burning or sticking, which makes the cookware easier to clean. It also means that there is no need to use cooking oils to prevent sticking.
While it is referred to as Waterless Cookware it is necessary to rinse any food in water and then drain, prior to cooking. There will then be enough water clinging to the food to mix with the food's natural juices and cook it. Cooking times are similar to or slightly less than conventional cookware and obviously depend on personal taste as to the serving texture preferred. It is important to resist the urge to peek. If the cover is removed during cooking, heat and steam will be allowed to escape, so this will lengthen the cooking time and dry out the food.
Using Waterless Cookware is probably the healthiest, most energy efficient way to cook. It is more expensive than conventional cookware, but its superior construction and energy saving cooking process will pay for the difference over time.
Peter O'Grady is the owner of It's Eco Time.com and writes about a variety of subjects involving our impact on the environment and the options available for living a healthy and sustainable green lifestyle. Visit http://www.itsecotime.com and share your comments and questions.
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