By "Chef" Pete Updike, Authorized Saladmaster Dealer
When you bought your Saladmaster cookware, the demonstrator probably cooked several vegetables, something fried without grease, a salad and a cake. This article is to expand on all of the extra things you can do with your cookware.
Customers often comment, “It’s really great that you can actually cook a cake in a skillet.” I’m quick to remind them that it’s not being cooked in a skillet but in a ‘mini-oven’ that is more efficient than their conventional oven. What this means (with rare exception) is that anything you cook in a regular oven will cook more efficiently in a Saladmaster pan (oven). Saladmaster pans range in size from a 1 Qt. (0.9 L) to 16 Qt. (15.1 L) so that gives you lots of size options!
There is a huge savings in energy when cooking or baking stovetop compared to an oven as evidenced by various energy saving studies: one study shows lasagna cooked in the Saladmaster Electric Oil Core Skillet uses 86% less energy compared to the conventional oven cooking method!
So here are a few of the possibilities for making a conversion to stovetop:
- Scrambled egg cooked omelet style
- Cookies
- Cupcakes
- Quiche
- Any oven casserole such as lasagna
- Cobbler
- Cake
- Pizza
- Over-easy eggs (you don’t have to turn)
- Roasts of any kind
Using your Saladmaster ‘oven’ is easy - you preheat the pan on medium heat with the cover on. When the pan is preheated (just like your oven), open the cover (the oven door), put the ingredients in and replace the cover (oven door). It’s OK to check (just like your oven), realizing checking just adds a little to the cooking time.
When placing food in the preheated pan it should lightly sizzle if it is preheated properly. If it sizzles too much, simply adjust the temperature the next time you cook that food. A little trial and error will make you an expert on your individual stove.
Why make the transition to stovetop? You will find you use a fraction of the energy and things will cook in about half the time because your Saladmaster ‘oven’ is more efficient! Plus in the warmer weather a ‘cooler’ cook is a happier cook.
Another exciting note is that as of February 2014 Saladmaster has redesigned each of the Chef’s Gourmet Skillets with a recessed rim, just like the other Saladmaster cookware pieces. This recessed rim allows covers from your set to fit the skillets and form the full Saladmaster seal you are used to with your regular pieces.
For more information regarding these new and improved Chef's Gourmet Skillets, contact your local Saladmaster Authorized Dealer.