Developing healthier eating habits is something that most of us are trying to do, but just switching to home cooking from eating out and ordering in isn’t usually enough to get us there. Most of us probably grew up learning cooking techniques that were heavy on fats and oils, and even when using water to cook our foods, we tend to boil or steam the goodness and taste out of them in the process. However, 360 Cookware’s Vapor Seal technology makes waterless cooking the best way to preserve nutrients and boost flavor for superior home-cooked meals!
What is Waterless Cooking?
Waterless cooking is the method of using a minimum of added liquid to cook food. 360 Cookware’s Vapor Seal lids lock in the food’s natural juices, and cook the ingredients at a lower temperature while circulating the vapor from the food itself, rather than from added oil or water. This preserves the food’s flavors and nutrients, resulting in a healthier and tastier dish.
Waterless cooking is the ideal way to increase the bioavailability of the nutrients in your food. Bioavailability - Go to Bioavailability simply means how much of the nutrients your body can use from the food you eat. There’s a delicate balancing act to be achieved between breaking down cell walls sufficiently to release more nutrients and losing those nutrients by cooking over high heat, or having the nutrients leached away in oils and liquids used in the cooking process. With waterless cooking, you cook foods over low heat, using their natural juices rather than added liquids whenever possible.
How Does Waterless Cooking Actually Work?
Let’s look at how vapor technology enables this healthy cooking technique. Essentially, the pan lid is twisted to lock, creating a semi-vacuum seal so that the steam from the food’s juices circulates rather than escaping, intensifying the natural flavors of the ingredients and keeping nutrients from evaporating. It accomplishes this without the high heat, which can destroy those valuable nutrients.
This short video on cooking carrots in a 360 Cookware sauté pan - Go to sauté pan is a great example of how effective waterless cooking can be. Start by heating the empty pan over medium heat for a few minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when water dropped into the pan beads up and dances across the surface instead of evaporating. It’s time to add the carrots!
Because carrots are not a particularly juicy vegetable, you’ll need to add a couple of tablespoons of water. Once the steam starts to rise, twist the lid shut and let the carrots finish cooking over low heat. Our user guide will give you the details of how long to cook different vegetables.
The 360 Cookware Difference: Surgical Grade Stainless Steel
Our cladded pans combine the excellent heat distribution of aluminum with the non-toxicity of stainless steel, resulting in a superior cooking experience for your home kitchen.
non-stick coatings - Go to non-stick coatings PFOAs or PTFEs - Go to PFOAs or PTFEsSome stainless steel pans have an aluminum pad on the bottom to improve heat distribution, but this doesn’t improve heat transfer along the sides. With 360 Cookware, a middle layer of aluminum is sandwiched between the inner and outer layers of surgical-grade stainless steel, extending right up to the upper rim of the pan. Because the heat travels evenly up the sides of the pan, not just the bottom, this creates a mini-oven effect, even on the stovetop.
We use T-304 surgical-grade stainless steel for the cooking surface of all our cookware and bakeware, which is the safest material for cooking. Aluminum reacts with acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, or vinegar, which can add an off taste to your dish. Stainless steel, however, is non-reactive, and you can use it to cook any ingredient without concern. Pans with non-stick coatings can leach chemicals into your food as it cooks, but surgical-grade stainless steel is free of any toxic chemicals.
Finally, cooking using our vapor technology uses less energy, as low heat is all you need to create delicious dishes. That’s a big bonus with today’s rising energy costs!
5 Health Benefits of Waterless Cooking
Now that you know how waterless cooking works and why, let’s review why it’s time to make the switch to Vapor Seal pans from 360 Cookware.
Vitamins & Minerals:
Waterless cooking retains 90% or more of the nutrients, while boiling leaches out up to 50%. Also, the gentle cooking method makes those nutrients more bioavailable to your body.
No Added Fats:
Because you don’t need to add butter or oil to prevent sticking, your food is lower in fat.
Lower Sodium:
Waterless cooking intensifies the flavor of your ingredients as the vapor recirculates and infuses the dish with its own essences, without having to add too much seasoning.
Better Texture & Color:
Cooked slowly over low temperatures in their own juices or with a minimum amount of added liquid, vegetables will retain better texture and color, making for a more appetizing meal for even the pickiest of eaters!
Reduced Toxins:
Traditional non-stick pans have coatings with PFOAs or PTFEs, which will leach into your food. Surgical-grade stainless steel has no toxins to contaminate your food with dangerous chemicals.
Tips for Transitioning to Waterless Cookware
New to waterless cooking? Here’s how to ensure flawless results!
Heat Management:
Waterless cooking is all about using gentle heat. Before adding your ingredients to the pan, heat it on medium (not high!) until a spoonful of water beads and skips across the surface. Once the food is added, you’ll set it on low to cook.
Minimal Use of Liquid:
Many ingredients will not need any liquid in addition to their natural juices. However, for very dry vegetables, such as carrots, you will just need a couple of spoonful of water before putting the lid on to cook.
The "Spin"
The vapor seal is the key to success! Once the contents have heated up and you see steam escaping, spin the lid until the vapor seal is formed. Give the lid a tug, and if it doesn’t lift off easily, you’re ready to go.
Is Waterless Cookware Worth the Investment?
If you compare the price of 360 Cookware with some other brands, you might wonder if it’s worth the extra money to buy our stainless steel pots and pans.
Longevity:
Crunching the numbers shows that 360 Cookware is the best investment for your kitchen!
While those trendy non-stick pans might cost less up front, opens in a new tab, opens in a new tab, once their coatings degrade (which happens even under normal use!), they will have to be replaced, maybe as frequently as every couple of years.
Meanwhile, your 360 Cookware, with no coating on its surgical-grade stainless steel, will keep delivering for decades to come! Each piece comes with a lifetime warranty. This means that this is the last pan you buy.
Versatility:
One of your concerns about investing in new cookware may be whether it will be compatible with different types of stoves, especially induction. Even some stainless steel pans might not work with an induction cooktop, but 360 Cookware is fully compatible with induction, gas, and conventional electric stoves. Whether you’re planning to switch fuel sources now or sometime in the future, your investment in our stainless steel pans won’t go to waste!
Switching to Waterless Cooking
When you invest in 360 Cookware’s vapor seal pans, you’re not just buying a new pot, you’re embarking on a new method of cooking. This is a lifestyle shift that’s going to make a significant difference to mealtime for your family, both in health benefits and an elevated dining experience.
We make it easy to start your waterless cooking journey, whether you want to make a clean sweep of your kitchen and buy a whole collection at once, or start with one pan and add more pieces over time.
If you have a significant life event approaching, such as a graduation, wedding, or milestone birthday, adding items from 360 Cookware to your registry will make it easy for family and friends to help your collection grow.
Start your waterless cooking journey now. Shop our Best-Selling 360 Cookware Sets to find the best way to begin a new way of cooking for life!
