Information on Waterless Cooking Pots & Pans
Waterless cookware, developed during the 1930s, came to widest popularity in the post-World War II 1950s. Targeted at new stay-at-home moms, hammered aluminum waterless cookware was traditionally marketed through in-home parties. Cookware stressed modernity and a pioneering use of new materials. Women who had worked or moved from home during the war faced learning to cook on their own; waterless cookware stressed simplicity and success of use. Health was a major marketing point and remains so today, although modern waterless cookware has left aluminum behind. Does this Spark an idea?
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The Reasoning Behind Waterless Cookware
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Postwar waterless cookware and modern versions share the argument that nutrition can be greatly improved by less exposure to heat and water than traditional in American cooking. Waterless cookware manufacturers argued, and still argue, the shorter cooking times and the least water possible produce the best flavor and retention of nutrients. American cooks now routinely see that argument carried out in Asian cooking and the steaming techniques of numerous cultures.
The Health Arguments
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Originally aimed at multitudes of new parents, the health arguments of waterless cookware makers have undergone a renaissance with concerns about pesticides, local eating and organic growing. In that interest, manufacturers have moved from the once-futuristic hammered aluminum to what they describe as surgical grade stainless steel. The grade of steel most commonly used is 314, used throughout the food industry for low corrosion and high durable finish. Use of 314 in hospital kitchens and medical equipment has resulted in the descriptor "surgical quality."
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The Convenience Arguments
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A major selling point for early aluminum waterless ware was efficiency. Three triangular pots, all with their own glass lids, could be fitted onto a trivet that served as a cooking surface. The increased speed of waterless cooking left the lady of the house with time for other chores or activities. Knowing when food was done presented some challenges; aluminum ware makers used glass lids to help the homemaker judge. Stainless steel makers have used valves, whistles and pressure locks similar to those on pressure cookers to help cue the cook that the food is ready.
The Scientific Arguments
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As a way to make neophyte homemakers comfortable with their kitchens, early waterless cookware makers quickly brought science to their side. Early demonstrations, most often featuring a man as the cook, demystified mother's little secrets and made cooking seem more possible even to the inexperienced. Insistence that food be cooked without seasoning made meal-preparation seem easy. Further, emphasis on the materials and principles behind the construction and function of the cookware made the process of getting a meal seem more scientific and efficient, values prized by postwar women and men.
Waterless Cookware Today
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Waterless cookware competes in a very different market from its aluminum predecessor in quick, healthy cooking. Homemakers actively seek healthy ways to prepare food and are familiar with cuisines using quick-cooking and steaming techniques. Stores and online cookware sites offer a huge array of choices, many of them imported. The appeal of waterless cookware continues, however, for several reasons. No longer bought at house parties, waterless ware retains its not-sold-in-stores position and is demonstrated at county fairs, cooking shows and other public venues. Waterless ware comes from companies with relatively long manufacturing histories, all of them American.
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