Cookware labeled for waterless/greaseless cooking?

[fledflew]

I have three identical 8" stainless pans that I use for just about everything. They have a relatively heavy disk on the bottom and do not appear to be clad up the sides. I picked them up many years ago from Amazon for just about 10 bucks each. No lids came with them so I just use pie tins that I found at the dollar store when I need to cover something. I often cook for just myself, so the size and dimensions are perfect for everything from sauteing pasta ingredients to reheating soups and even steaming veggies.

I was washing them the other day and noticed that on the bottom of the pan is a stamped emblem that says "surgical stainless steel" along with the words "waterless" and "greaseless". I don't see a manufacturer name on the pan, just a bunch of stars. Since these are cheap no-name pans, the starts must indicate that they're very highly rated, right? I remember seeing a booth set up at the state fair a few years back that had a demo kitchen selling waterless/greaseless cookware, but it was already closed up for the night (think infomercial set up). Most of what I can find on the internet regarding waterless and greaseless cooking appears to be gimmicky, yet obscenely expensive sets sold by companies that I've never heard of. The web pages really lack substance or any useful information on the products. Can anybody shed some light on not only the cookware, but also the methods behind waterless greaseless cooking?

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've seen these sold at tables on the street in Latino neighborhoods in New York. It seems like some kind of home business or multi-level marketing scheme. They are advertised as health products, but just seem like ordinary cheap stainless cookware.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

It's MLM for sure - down here it goes by the name of "Royal Prestige" and has 5 stars stamped on the bottom of it. Newer ones also have a lion.

I've actually had a "chef" (and I use the term very loosely) do a demo of the stuff for me, and I was rather unimpressed. The method seems to consist of getting that nice heavy bottom very hot (dry pan) and then adding the food and clomping the "special" lid down on it - so that you sear the food and then the fats and liquids that come out of it are your cooking fats or liquids. For me, the food he did lacked both flavour and character. Obviously the trick won't work with yours, since they're sans-lid.

Gimmicky. My Gran had a set of Royal Prestige and once forgot them on the hot stove - and if that happens, fuggedaboudit. I'd use them for what they really are, which is nice, heavy-bottomed cookware, and not worry about the whole "waterless, greaseless" thing.

[dcarch]

"waterless, greaseless" cooking = baking in a roaster oven.

dcarch

[SylviaLovegren]

Waterless/greaseless cooking fads come and go. I've seen a number of them since I was a kid and have read about waterless cooking in the 20s and 30s magazines I've used for research. The cookware tends to be sold outside the normal venues and used to be peddled door to door. The idea always seemed to be that the cook is getting something special that most folks don't know about (and the standard manufacturers don't want you to know about!), so be smart and buy this fabulous, unique cookware and be the envy of all your friends. Apparently "Royal Prestige" or "MLM" is the latest to try the marketing technique.