Gadgets: The 360 Vapor Pot
"If you open the lid, you can kiss your vapor seal goodbye."
When Alaina suggested I test-drive a special "Vapor Seal" pot that had found its way to Serious Eats World Headquarters, my first reaction was skepticism. I knew some serious product testing lay ahead of me. While the 360 Cookware saucepan I was given looked like any well-made pot--nicely buffed stainless steel, an ergonomic handle, the works--its instructional booklet and introductory DVD made clear that this was no normal kitchen gadget.
Fifteen minutes into the DVD, I figured I had it down: you throw stuff into the pot, let the cooking process get underway, and spin the pot's lid so that the rising steam forms a so-called "vapor seal." Theoretically, once you achieve the seal, you're free to turn off the stove and let your food cook itself in its vapor, combining the health benefits of steaming while saving some dough on the electric bill (if you're not using gas).
Armed with chicken and broccoli tossed in an Asian marinade, I tackled the new technique with a healthy dose of confidence. But nearly twenty minutes later, there was no steam--and thus no vapor seal. I had only a mess at the bottom of the pot. Maybe I should have watched more of the DVD.
So I tried again. With fajita vegetables chopped and ready, I added a bit of water to coerce some steam action. If all went well, it should help me achieve the Vapor Seal more quickly.
My idea did work, but not perfectly. Though I was never sure whether I achieved the vapor seal, the vegetables did retain more flavor than usual. The caveat? Not being able to see how your food is progressing--if you open the lid, you can kiss your vapor seal goodbye.
The Verdict
360 Cookware makes a beautiful pot, which can be just as easily used for non-vapor cooking, but the Vapor Seal is more difficult to achieve than they'd like to let on. Many vegetables are listed in a guide that indicates cook times, but other common choices are left out--making for a lot of guesswork.
Since vapor cooking can also be achieved by wrapping dough around any pot--as chefs schooled in Indian methods might know--I'd advocate trying DIY vapor cooking before investing in a hefty gadget like this. The method, specific to the making of a classic Biryani (that's chicken and rice for you street food aficionados), involves sealing the lid of any pot with simple dough--just press it into the rim and let your meal cook for 15 to 20 minutes, on the stove or in a pre-heated oven.
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8 Comments:
$80?!
Placing a sheet of foil on top of a pot you already own and topping it with its lid forms a tight seal...for a couple of cents :)
I'm skeptical of this notion of food retaining its flavor in a sealed steamer. If anything, steamed food has less developed flavor because Maillard never happens.
Michele Humes at 10:18AM on 07/30/09
Yeah, any time a product's website feels the need to tell you why it's worth buying ("Read about the Importance of the Vapor Seal!") my gut reaction is... ehhh.
Carey Jones at 10:42AM on 07/30/09
It is, to be fair, also a multi-ply stainless steel pot. So it's not just $80 for a lid, you're getting the pot as well. I'm not clear whether these are clad like All-Clad but if so then $80 isn't out of range for a high quality pot with a lid.
That said, from what I do see, I don't think this is worth bothering with.
ccbweb at 11:13AM on 07/30/09
ccbweb, you're right on the money. It's a nice pot, so the pricetag isn't too far off base, and the stainless steel theoretically makes it conduct heat evenly and easy to clean. I did have some problems with the cleaning part, but otherwise, it would be a perfectly satisfactory pot with or without the vapor gimmick--and one that I wouldn't mind looking at on my pot racks.
Nikki Goldstein at 11:41AM on 07/30/09
Eek. I think I live a sheltered kitchenware life. I do most of my shopping in restaurant supply stores, so the idea of paying more than $30 for a really good, heavy-duty, stainless steel pot is kind of shocking to me. (I even have an Ikea stainless steel saute pan that I'm very happy with, for $19.99.)
It's true that the restaurant pots don't have the nice curvy detailing of stuff designed for home use, but that doesn't bother me. I worry more about the design of dishware.
Michele Humes at 11:55AM on 07/30/09
I have a set of waterless cookware that is 34 years old that does the exact same thing. Bought them at one of those dinner/demo parties and paid about $300 for the whole set. I think I've gotten my moneys worth and they still do the vapor lock thing by spinning the lids.
Martha G at 12:46PM on 07/30/09
It sounds like a similar concept to the Salad Master cookware.
wcchopper at 2:11PM on 07/30/09
isn't this pretty much a pressure cooker?
bks1210 at 12:53AM on 07/31/09