We attended a cooking demo at the Texas State Fair by Kitchen Craft Waterless Cookware. I subsequently purchased a waterless pot and made the fresh veggies exactly as the demonstrator, but DH says it's still missing something ("a certain flavor," is what he said). I am thinking that MSG might have been sprinkled on the food before the demo.
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I would not use msg ever!!! That is more of a food stabilzer. Depending on what veggies you are cooikng there are several to choose from. Curry is wonderful with fish and basil, oregano,garlic etc for an italian dish....just for veggies on;y I would add a bit of lemon or orange zest and some ginger. Again
curry is an amazing spice as is ginger and fenugreek..experiement., you will find divine.
HTH Happy Holidays..Julie
HTH HAPPY HOLIDAYS.....Julie
I don't know if they use MSG, But I Know their customer service is lousy. I tried to get a small part replaced, and was told I would have to pay $15.00 for shipping, what a rip-off.
We bought a set at the Texas State Fair, and so far we like it very much. I have burned the cut side of a potato twice but I suppose there was a learning curve...
As for the taste, I don't think they added anything ahead of time but I don't know for sure. Our food has been very good but we still use a little salt or a low-salt spice mix (that comes in its own disposable grinder) from Sam's Club.
I think the hype of the demonstration adds to the effect, so yes, we were excited by that corn and broccoli! At home, I don't think we are quite as ready to give up the salt shaker, but no one is missing the fats, that's a good thing.
I have just completed two weeks of training to become a distributor for Kitchen Craft. I can tell you that there is no MSG or spices of any type added to the vegetable medley. And, yes, there can be a slight learning curve in using the cookware.
Mike,
A friend is going for demonstrator training in December. Is it as easy to make money as they say? She thinks that she will make several thousand dollars at the training session. It sounds almost too good to be true. Thanks for your feedback.
I heard you need to pay for the cookware up front and THEN try to sell it. This may or may not be true.
No you dont have to pay for the cookware to sell it. You can buy it if you want. I considered selling and feel that it is a very good product.
I would like to know how these waterless pots and pans for thousands differ from the ones you can get on the internet from maxam and chefs secret who only charde 3 to 4 hundred. I have not seen them yet but I would imagine nothing they just dont pay all the people in the middle to sell them. Your thoughts on this
I purchased my waterless cookware in 1971. I paid around $600 for the set I bought which wasn't a large set, but it was the best investment I've ever made. That was 36 years ago and I still have it and it stills looks like new. All I've done is replaced a couple handles about 10 years ago.
I bought my first set in 1975 an I would still be using it if it hadn't been for the fact that we remodled our kitchen an I got an induction cook top. Since 2016 I'm now using my New set of w
aterless cookware and loving it too.
i bought mine in 1963 and would still like to replace some handles. can it still beto e
Does anyone know of a guide to "stack cooking"?
I purchased my cookware in 1971 also. I love it. I even had to make payments of $20-25 per month for 2 years. It was and still is the best purchase I ever made.
Not all the pans in the Kitchen Craft set are made by the Westbend Company. The new sets being sold at the home and garden shows and fairs have pieces made by a company call Americraft. Americraft owns the name Kitchen Craft and makes its own line of cookware sold under different names. One of the names is Healthy Gourmet. Next time you see more than one cooking show at the fair or home and garden show, ask them what's the difference they all say we're the "same". The problem is, Kitchen Craft has a great name and history but the name is owned not by Westbend. What we're going to see now days is Kitchen Craft cookware made by Americraft in Westbend. (Westbend is a town in WI) Americraft set up manufacturing in Westbend so they can engrave on the pans "Made in Westbend" BTW This is coming from a close friend who has been doing the "cooking shows" in the fairs and home and garden show for years.
I paid over 2500 for my set had it for 25 years looks brand new use it every day I love it
My wife recently purchased a set of Kitchen-Craft cookware by Americraft, at a home show in Ohio. I was curious about what she purchased, so I called the Americraft manufacturing plant in Wisconsin. Below is what I was told.
Kitchen-Craft was the brand name of West Bend's waterless cookware. One channel of distribution was a sales organization by the name of Americraft. Americraft Sales has been around for about 40 years. Americraft even bought the Kitchen-Craft name.
About 5 or so years ago West Bend closed its' US manufacturing and the waterless cookware business. Today the company sells a line of kitchen tools, made overseas.
Americraft Sales knew how important it was to have a product made in America. At the same time West Bend closed, Americraft Sales invested in building a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin, and started manufacturing Kitchen-Craft waterless cookware. In fact, the manufacturing facility is very close to where West Bend had their manufacturing plant, and many of the people who work at Americraft manufacturing came from West Bend manufacturing.
Americraft makes all of the waterless cookware products it sells, except for the electric cookware, which is made by Regal Ware, which is a manufacturer also located in Wisconsin.
Hope this helps.
I have both maxam(two pieces gifted to us) and kitchen craft cookware, and there is a DEFINITE difference between the two. The kitchen craft cookware is of much higher quality, and the maxam is more similar to store bought cookware. Its really just Chinese made wannabe waterless cookware, because it doesn't function the same as the other. I just got our babysitter and dear friend a set of lustre craft a few days ago, which prompted me to look on the internet for reviews(curious) and I found this site.
I have had my waterless cookware for about 7 years, and I couldn't imagine cooking on anything else. We have four kids, and I cook every day. I am so thankful we took the plunge and I don't have to cook on imported junk.
Our cookware set I know wasn't cheap...it cost more than our lawnmower. But that is how it should be. And I don't expect to have to buy any more. Don't drop it though. Our pine floors are covered with cookware dings over the past years. You will break your floor, but not the pot! :)
We've had the cookware for over 6 months now (I edited a bit of the original post). We wanted to cancel the cookware order after several days days but realized, reading our contract we only had a day to do so. Once they got your money, they're not going to give it back. There is a huge killing to be made in selling this cookware.
Now that we're stuck with this cookware, here are my initial observations:
Cooking: Vegetables take a long time cook. Following their cookbook, about 20 minutes total.
The pans really retains the heat remarkably well. Reason: Inside the pots there is water sealed in between the steel. However, this cookware isn't designed for frying or even baking, despite the marketing hype. We fried a couple of eggs as recommended and made some pancakes too. The results weren't any better, in fact were much worse comparing it to an iron pan. Food stuck really bad, despite following the instructions exactly. The manufacturer tries to instill a fear factor and encourages healthy cooking. Adding cooking spray from butane is NOT healthy cooking. Using a plastic oil pump is not much better because the oil you use breakdowns the plastic slowly and it releases harsh chemicals into the oil. Can they not create an internal glass or stainless steel cooking sprays instead of plastic?
Cleaning: It's very difficult and time consuming. You need to use paper towels or a soft sponge or cloth. Any rubbing scratches the cookware. It's that porous. Stainless steel utensils should never be used. Our skillet became stained with egg and pancake residue. We let the skillet soak overnight with a solution of baking soda and even used the cleanser the manufacturers recommended. The stain is still there. Watch the demos and stick around, pay close attention to what is being baked or cooked.
If there are any foods without water or moisture in it (most fruits and veggies have lots of water in them) and if you do not add any liquid, the cookware will burn. However, even carrots and brocolli, according to the cookbook provided requires the pot to be at least 2/3rds full of water. All the nutrients are in the water, uh duh. Doesn't this defeat the purpose of waterless cookware?
This cookware is fine for cooking (as is ANY half decent cookware) but not frying or baking unless you add water. Using this cookware is not practical unless you are on a strict no oil, stew-like, soft food diet. The cookbook is a heavy promoter of PAM like cooking spray.
The handles are NOT stainless steel, but hard plastic. Plastic, all types including teflon, will release toxic chemicals when baking in the oven. These toxins are absorbed by the food you ingest and inhale. The plastic handles will blister when exposed to direct heat. The basic cookware is a major rip off costing us almost $2500!
If you want quality semi-restaurant grade stainless steel cookware that has a good name and doesn't require a loan to buy, try the Wolfgang Puck brand cookware available through the Shopping Channel or other cookware that feel solid. There are MANY too choose from and they will do just a good of a job and require a lot less maintenance. Best of all, they dont cost an arm and a leg. Don't even consider this waterless cookware unless you can get a knock-off for under $200 (there's lots online that are clones).
Bottom line: The claim this cookware is waterless should be challenged in court.
The company is only trying to scare you into buying their cookware much like a specific fitness club is preying on people and promoting that their own fitness facilities are the best.
As it stands, we're too afraid to use this cookware as it can easily get damaged and it's hard to clean. We should've caught on at the fair when the pitchman didn't fry anything in his pan. We'll probably sell it on Craigslist to cut our losses.
One final point. Don't be mislead about this made in America hype. Although this cookware *may* be fabricated or pressed in the USA, the steel is from anywhere but the good old USA. Did we not learn anything about the lead and other issues from Chinese (steel) products?
Key word for Google search: Dan Daniel Gauthier, PNE Americraft, Kitchencraft
To clean all types of stainless cookware You need a stainless steel cleaner. It comes in a can like Comet. It does NOT scratch the surface and will take off the colorization (heat Marks) of the Stainless Steel. If You burn something hard on stainless steel continue to soak it in vinegar and water. Slowly Peel the layers of burnt food off of the cookware. Then use the Stainless Steel Cleaner.
Many people do not protect the handles. That seems to be a major complaint of this cookware. It is made of some type of Hardened Rubber. If You use this cookware in the oven take the handles OFF. If You are cooking on a surface burner pick a burner size that does NOT allow the Handle to be right under the flame or heat source. Since the pans have a carbon steel inner core They do NOT have to set perfectly on the burner but can be offset to keep the handles away from the Direct heat of the burner or flame. make sure the heat is not going up to the panhandle. Direct heat is what causes the cookware to bubble and fall apart.
To keep foods from sticking turn the heat up to medium and coat the cookware with a High smoke oil. Ex. canola, peanut, oils. All this cookware cooks BEST on low to medium-low. Sticking in this cookware is usually caused by using TOO high heat. This cookware does not need High heat.
I have had My Lustre ware Set since 1972. It is still in great shape. Best investment ever. I use it every day.
Reply to Sammy:
You must be mad at the company because they would not give You Your money back or something. You have many untrue statements in Your post:
1)You said "Cooking: Vegetables take a long time cook. Following their cookbook, about 20 minutes total."
different vegetables take different times to cook. To cook vegetables in this cookware put a small amount of water in the cookware about 1-2 inches is enough. Bring that to a boil, add the vegetables You want to cook. Turn the heat down to medium- Medium-Low. put the lid on the pan. When You see steam coming out of the lid turn the heat to low and SPIN the pan lid so the water creates a vapor barrier. This creates a vacuum and actually surrounds the food with 2X's the heat of a regular pan. (see Ideal Gas Law)
2)You said " The pans really retains the heat remarkably well. Reason: Inside the pots, there is water sealed in between the steel.
No the reason these pans retain the heat is that there is CARBON STEEL layered between the stainless steel. The Stainless Steel keeps the food from being tainted like it would be from Cast Iron skillets which are also carbon steel.
3) You said, "However, this cookware isn't designed for frying or even baking, despite the marketing hype."
You are having sticking problems due to YOU using to high a heat. You need to use low-Medium-low heat. Also for frying eggs or pancakes, for instance, You need to put a thin layer of oil in the pan. With every batch, You will have to add a layer of oil.
For Baking You will also need to keep the heat low. Keep the meat cooking at a higher temperature, and when You can get steam to come out of the pan then reduce the heat until steam No longer comes out of the pan, put the lid on and then spin it. If You still Have steam coming out the temperature needs to be lowered until NO steam comes out and You have a vapor seal. Be sure and take the handles OFF for All oven cooking. ( I think the handles are good to 375 degrees) but I have always taken mine off.
4) You said " Cleaning: It's very difficult and time-consuming. You need to use paper towels or a soft sponge or cloth. Any rubbing scratches the cookware."
If You use a low heat like recommended You will not have a problem cleaning this cookware. if You DO use a too high heat and get brown grease and food marks use a stainless steel cleaner (sold by comet and other cleansers, or I have used Barkeepers friend.) and a dishcloth. You will not destroy the shiny finish this way.
5) You said "Stainless steel utensils should never be used."
That is All I have ever used on My set I bought in 1972. Of course, I am not digging into the surface hard. I do have slight scratches on the inside, but that has NOT changed the cooking features of My set.
6) You said " If there are any foods without water or moisture in it (most fruits and veggies have lots of water in them) and if you do not add any liquid, the cookware will burn. However, even carrots and brocolli, according to the cookbook provided requires the pot to be at least 2/3rds full of water. All the nutrients are in the water, uh duh. Doesn't this defeat the purpose of waterless cookware?
Yes, some dry vegetables require some water but not a pot 2/3s full! see My point # 1. The food is burning because You are using too high heat see # 3.
7) You said, "The handles are NOT stainless steel, but hard plastic. Plastic, all types including teflon, will release toxic chemicals when baking in the oven. These toxins are absorbed by the food you ingest and inhale.
The handles are not a hard plastic. They are a hard rubber (think Ace combs) I take the handles OFF of My pans for Baking...When I use them on the stovetop I make sure the handles are NOT right over the burners. They have an even carbon steel inner core of carbon steel so they do NOT have to be right over the burner. They can be moved over to the edge of the burner so the handles can be over the edge of the burner so that the handles do not come in contact with direct heat. This types of handle is better as You don't have to have a potholder everytime You pick up a pan.
8) You said "If you want quality semi-restaurant grade stainless steel cookware that has a good name and doesn't require a loan to buy, try the Wolfgang Puck brand cookware available through the Shopping Channel or other cookware that feel solid. There are MANY too choose from and they will do just a good of a job and require a lot less maintenance. Best of all, they don't cost an arm and a leg. Don't even consider this waterless cookware unless you can get a knock-off for under $200 (there's lots online that are clones).
I paid about $1,000 for My set in 1972. I still have every piece and except for a few cast iron skillets I have used this set every day for 46 years. It has cost me $2.00 per month for the pleasure to use these pans. I do not consider that high priced. Other friends of mine have had to buy sets of pans over and over again many times during this time. My daughter has to throw away many pans because the Teflon coating does not last. (that IS toxic) My husband bought Teflon pans from QVC that were advertised as heavy and guaranteed. They have honored his guarantee but he has to provide a receipt every time. Who keeps receipts that long. His were not as well made as mine and lighter.
You said "Bottom line: The claim this cookware is waterless should be challenged in court." You ARE right that these pans are NOT completely waterless is true. When I was a child in the 1950's All vegetables were cooked with lots of water and BOILED. People from My age group understand the word to mean LESS WATER...Which is a true statement. If You listen to the directions on this cookware and follow the instructions I have outlined above You will learn to love these pans. The learning curve is worth it!
You said to add boiling water and later said a little oil, this is against what the cookware is trying to sell under false pretense of being oiless and waterless
1-2 inches is NOT a small amount of water.
I want you to know that I have my Great Grandmothers pans and have recently bought a set of kitchen craft for all my kids and they love it. I have tried some of the waterless cookware from a foreign country and it is all crap. The only one that I have found that is wonderful is Kitchen Craft by Americraft which is all American made.
I cant believe some of the stupid comments that I have found on this web site. Water between the pans? Ah hello wouldn't heat dissipate water? There is no water between the pans It is a special oil so you can cook without all of the horrible stuff that is in our diet. I have had a set for at least 20 years and I cant believe how perfect it still is. I love it.
To Holly, DH is missing something in the flavor of the food cooked at home in comparison to the food prepared at the State Fair and it is most likely just the atmosphere.
The Regalware company purchased the West Bend Company and they still make their own lines of waterless cookware such as Lifetime. Where do you think Americraft got the engineering for their line of cookware? It was all made by the West Bend Company at one time and Americraft built their own factory in order to make more profit, not because manufacturing was no longer being done when Regal purchased West Bend.
Americraft still purchases some of their cookware pieces (the oilcore, electric skillet, for instance) from the Regalware company and built there own factory in Westbend, Wisconsin so that they could use the Westbend name on their cookware. The West Bend Company had a stellar reputation for manufacturing quality cookware and Americraft is trying to be sure they take advantage of this. Americraft is a fairly new factory and shouldn't be confused with the West Bend Company.
We just fell for the purchase too at a home show in Belton, Texas. I have only used once or twice, and the pots are so difficult to clean. I think the only thing they are good for is steaming vegetables. I am so disappointed! I contacted the company today about a pot that I cannot get the stains off of - we'll see if they respond. This cookware is overpriced and does not deliver as presented at the show.
I use the company's stainless steel cleaner when my pots get cloudy or yellowish. They clean up and shine like new! It's unbelievable - and so easy!
We have had the cookware for years and absolutely love it. It's funny how people will post negative but not much positive. If you'd read the cookbook and use the cookware properly, you won't have any problems. It's called "operator error".
Ours cleans easily, makes the food taste great, uses only low heat most of the time and the highest we have ever gone is medium. It's saved us hundreds of dollars in energy savings and meat shrinkage. The food cooks fast just like the demo we saw.
A lot of our friends and family have the cookware and rave about it! We know of people who have been using it for over 40 years and will never cook with anything else.
Sure it's more money than regular cookware, but we got what we paid for. If you want the best, get yourself a set of this cookware. You'll never regret it. My cholesterol even dropped to a healthy level after using the cookware for about 2 months and I've always had high numbers. This cookware is the best investment we ever made.
I've owned my waterless cookware for 13 years and I absolutely love it. We originally purchased Lustre Craft and have since purchased a good amount of Kitchen Craft cookware. It cooks quickly, cleans up easily and I find it a joy to use. I'm honestly shocked that people have any difficulty at all with them.
As for the negative reviews on this and other sites, I'm amazed that the vast majority of them come from people who don't own the pans. I understand being skeptical about what you see at a demonstration at a fair, but listen to the people who own it and use it not those who are skeptics from afar.
I've given Kitchen Craft pans to my parents, my in-laws, and most everyone in my family as gifts - and they all love it. By my not-so-scientific count, roughly 9 out of 10 reviews from people who actually own and use Kitchen Craft love it. The only downside is the upfront cost, but who wants cheap Chinese-made garbage?
I bought the pans in 2000, we use them every day and I expect I will never have to buy pans again. Love it!
I have owned and used the Kitchen Craft and Lustre Craft waterless cookware for about 5 years now and it is in excellent condition and I am very happy that I originally invested in it.
I also have friends who have had their waterless cookware for around 40 years and they are still using it today and love it. It is very hard to come by such a high-quality and durable product as this.
I have reduced the salt and cooking oil out of my diet by a large margin, and the food actually tastes way better. My favorite aspect is the way that I can cook my vegetables without water, due to a huge difference in improved taste and flavor--just keeping in the NATURAL flavor instead of washing it out--and also with the fact that I can get more of my nutrients out of my vegetables for myself and my wife and kids.
I am also personally proud to have American-made cookware in my home. And by the way I have done my own research on the sourcing of the Kitchen Craft and Lustre Craft products and the components including the steel used are in fact made in America. Not just "assembled" in America but 100% American made. Also very hard to come by.
I have found by my own experience that this is a very high-quality product and you will get excellent results if you use it properly. I highly recommend it.
No seasoning is used on a Kitchen Craft demo. Not easy to answer your question. There are things you could be doing differently.
No mention yet. I bought "Royal Prestige" by West Bend in 1974!
Cast iron.. multi coated with hiiiigh grade stainless steel.
Use daily. Had to have a handle replaced once, free.
Curious.. people saying here, water lined,
oil lined.
Aren't ALL West Bend cookware cast iron lined like my Royal Prestige?
Oh.. and my Royal Prestige are hard hard hard plastic/polymer handles (not rubber like many of you are saying, odd), and they go into the oven (thouuuuusands of times.. without a thought), and never a thought.
Maybe Royal Prestige had West Bend build a different handle for theirs?
All I know, is I've been using them for 45 years, and my daughter will get them when I die... or can't cook.
That means they will be (75 years old) when she gets them and looking and working and cooking fabulously still.
CURIOUS if some peeps will answer the HANDLE COMPOSITION QUESTION/DIFFERENCE (ie: does anyone else have Royal Prestige by West Bend??
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