Finding the right cookware is important because it is a substantial investment that needs to last a long time. Cookware is also something that we use every day, so it needs to be easy to use, simple to clean and cause no health issues.
However, there are so many cookware brands available in the market, that it can be difficult to decide which will best suit your needs. Kitchen Craft has made its mark in the industry but is it better than other brands and worth your investment?
Kitchen Craft Cookware Review
With this article, we are sharing our Kitchen Craft cookware reviews so that you can make an informed decision before buying this expensive cookware brand!
Kitchen Kraft is an American-made brand of waterless cookware.
They are known for not using harsh chemicals in their production process. They offer a lifetime warranty on their products. The cookware is constructed from stainless steel and the lids have a
specially designed Vapor® Seal that traps heat and steam and circulates it around your food without escaping. You can also use this cookware for traditional style cooking (ie, with water).
How did it all start?
The first Kitchen Craft pot was made by two brothers in 1906. Skilled metalworkers, designed a saucepan with a sealing ring around the edge of the lid to trap water vapor inside.
The lid had special fasteners that clipped it down and sealed in the steam, nutrients, and fresh flavors of the food. The brothers named their invention “Kitchen Craft” and began selling it through in-home demonstrations across America.
Investors soon got on board and the brothers opened a factory that they called The West Bend Aluminum Company, later renamed Kitchen Craft Company.
- Construction
The cookware is today no longer manufactured with aluminum but rather with surgical-grade stainless steel. This sounds pretty impressive. This material is less reactive to food compared to other stainless steel grades which makes it way more stable.
For this reason, the construction material is not only healthy but safe as well. If you are concerned about the steel grade, the cookware is made with 300-series steel. It has a low nickel count which only adds to the durability and longevity of the cookware.
However, while the marketing hype will tell you that this is “surgical grade” steel, the truth is all 300-series stainless is this grade and most cookware manufacturers use it. Therefore, “surgical” stainless steel isn’t something specific to this brand or even to waterless cookware.
- Cladding
Kitchen Craft cookware is designed with multi-ply cladding. These multiple layers deliver a stable cooking experience and are also suitable for induction stovetops. In addition, the layers optimize heat distribution and heat transfer.
The multi-ply cladding enhances the cookware’s durability while improving the heating performance and cooking experience. The cladding also boasts an aluminum layer that enhances the heat conduction and reduces the time it takes the food to heat up, saving you electricity.
That said, in any cookware, the most important layers are a layer of stainless for a stable cooking surface, a magnetic stainless or cast iron layer to make them compatible for induction cooking, and an aluminum layer for fast, even transfer of heat.
Any additional layers to this are probably just marketing hype.
- Cladding Type
Some types of cookware are designed with full cladding (Cladding all the way up the sides) while some have disc cladding (layers of cladding only on the bottom).
We would suggest that full cladding cookware is better because it ensures even heat distribution and cooking from all sides while the lid is on and the food cannot be stirred to distribute the heat. Disc cladding may result in uneven heating.
The food will cook properly but will need more stirring to ensure the food cooks evenly and doesn’t scorch on the bottom.
- Healthier Cooking Method Retains Nutrients
Kitchen Craft cookware relies on the assumption that the waterless cooking method is healthier. But is it really?
- Waterless cooking uses low temperatures
High temperatures can destroy some of the nutrients in your food but not all of them. However, you don’t need expensive waterless cookware to cook at low temperatures. All you need to do is set the hob with a low flame! It’s not even necessary to put the lid on.
- Waterless cooking uses little or no added water
The popularity of waterless cooking came about as a reaction to the old-fashioned method of boiling everything, even meat, in copious amounts of water then draining it off and throwing it away (along with any dissolved nutrients).
However, you don’t need special cookware to cook in tiny amounts of water. You just need to use the lid to enable the pot to retain steam and create a slightly higher pressure. Sure, the valves and whistles on the Kitchen Craft cookware are convenient but are they worth the price?
- No added fat
This marketing claim became popular towards the end of the twentieth century when fat was demonized and blamed for many health issues. Nutrition science has progressed though and we’ve come to realize that fat in moderate amounts is a necessary part of the diet.
In fact, many nutrients are only soluble in fat so if one’s diet is fat-free, these nutrients cannot be absorbed. Therefore, this marketing claim is irrelevant because we should use a little healthy fat, like olive oil, when cooking.
- Shorter Cooking Time Makes for Convenience
Since Kitchen Craft cookware offers waterless cookware products, your cooking time is reduced. This is because these cookware items are designed to be used with lids that create a closed environment with steam and higher pressure.
As a result, food will be cooked quickly compared to conventional cooking methods. This claim is true. However, you could also invest in a pressure cooker if this is a priority for you.
- Lids and Knobs
The cookware is designed with steam control knobs. These are unique to Kitchen Craft products. With the knob, the users can control the amount of steam that passes out of the saucepan. In addition, the knobs give a whistling alert when the temperature needs to be lowered.
Secondly, the lids are designed with a vacuum-sealing design that helps create high pressure within the pot.
- Stacking
Kitchen Craft cookware is designed with a stackable design. For instance, when using the steamer basket, you can add different racks to cook pasta, broccoli, and other ingredients at once without mixing them.
This enables you to use just one stove burner to cook multiple items, thereby saving electricity. While this is an advantage, you could purchase an inexpensive steamer to do the same thing.
- Product Range
When it comes to choosing cookware, something else you need to check is whether there is an extensive, or at least adequate, the product range available. Besides different size saucepans, Kitchen Craft also offers skillets, stockpots, woks, griddles, and bakeware.
The Bottom Line
Overall, Kitchen Craft cookware has stood the test of time and makes a good investment if you are a fan of waterless cooking.
However, there are some downsides to consider, such as plastic handles (some say they aren’t sturdy enough), the cookware is not dishwasher safe, and it is expensive. So, if you can manage these issues, it’s good cookware to invest in!
As we’ve explained, waterless cookware is marketed as healthier than other cookware. However, you can do waterless cooking with any pan that has a lid.
You can achieve similar results by using a pressure cooker which is the original fast, low fat, low water (you just need a cupful) cooking method. We hope our pointers have been useful to you. Let us know how it goes!