360 cookware is a renowned brand that sells vapor-cooking appliances that are sustainably manufactured.
However, these appliances are often expensive and thus, you may be wondering if they are worthy of their prices?
In this review, I will help you to answer this by reviewing the performance and overall design of 360 cookware, whilst drawing comparison to other brands.
I will outline its pros and cons and tackle some of the most frequently asked questions concerning this brand.
Therefore, if you are looking for a deep insight into this product, you will have obtained this after reading this article.
Before We Dive Into The Review
My Home Based Life has partnered with 360 cookware to give all of our viewers 25% off on ALL of their products. You can use code MHBLife25 for a 25% discount if buying from their website.
This review is not biased and we have tested many of their products. It is what we use when cooking everyday and we will not go back!
What Is Vapor Technology?
The main factor that sells 360 cookware is its use of vapor technology. However, you may be wondering what this actually is and why it is a good thing?
The short answer to this is that 360 cookware lids form a tightened seal around the product so that vapor is unable to escape, similarly to a pressure cooker.
These sealed lids provide a cooking environment where the steam from natural juices is in continual circulation, cooking the food without the need for any additional oil or water.
There are a number of steps involved during this cooking process, including the following:
Preparation Of The Pan
If you are cooking a dish that includes meat, you must ensure that you have warmed the pan first on a medium heat. In order to test the heat, it is recommended that you place a couple of water drops into the interior.
If these droplets disperse easily across the surface of the pan, then it is ready. However, if you are only cooking vegetables, then you do not need to preheat it.
Adding Food
As mentioned, you should place any meat in a thoroughly preheated pan, then place the lid on top, ensuring that the heat is kept on medium. There is no requirement to use a high concentration of heat during the cooking process.
Conversely, if you are only cooking vegetables, then you should place them in a pan at room temperature. Ensure that you have drained your vegetables properly in order to remove any excess water.
Then, place the cookware onto the burner and place it on a medium heat before situating the lid on top accordingly.
Vacuum Sealing
After you have been cooking for a number of minutes, you will begin to see vapor escaping through the edge of the lid. When this occurs, you need to use the handle to spin the lid.
This motion is where the appliance’s name derives from. During the rotation process, the seal becomes engaged which prevents any further steam from escaping.
The 360 cookware becomes a mini oven, cooking food evenly from all sides. As your food is cooking, any natural juices contained inside will begin to baste the food, ensuring that it remains flavorsome and moist.
Once the seal has become properly engaged, you can then adjust the heat to a lower setting. When your food is cooked, you can easily remove the lid.
What Are The Benefits Of Vapor Cooking?
There are many health benefits to using vapor cooking. One of the key benefits is that it uses natural juices to cook your food as opposed to adding any unhealthy amounts of oil or additional liquids.
Vapor cooking locks in copious amounts of moisture that help to produce nutrient-rich meals.
In addition to this, vapor cooking also saves water as there is no requirement to add water to most meals.
Whilst some recipes may need a small amount of water, like boiled eggs, the vast majority of food will not require this and thus, you will save water by using a 360 cookware pot.
Cooking using 360 cookware also saves calories, as there is no requirement to add oil or butter to your food in order to cook it properly.
This method of cooking also requires a lower level of heat and thus, you will save a lot of energy, reducing your electricity or gas bills accordingly.
360 cookware also stipulates that it is a far quicker cooking method as opposed to using more traditional methods of frying or boiling. This is due to the levels of concentrated heat that emit from the sealed vapor.
It is important to note that you can also use 360 cookware when undertaking traditional methods of cooking. However, it is definitely a bonus to engage in using a vapor cooking method.
What Is The Design Of 360 Cookware?
The beauty of 360 cookware is that it is incredibly versatile and easy to use. Whilst it can be used in traditional cooking via a stove, it can also be used in an oven at temperatures up to 500°F.
However, the design of this product is one area where it lacks versatility. This is because there is only one collection available and thus, you do not get a plethora of choice with regard to colors, cookware types, materials or construction. The design of 360 cookware includes the following:
Exterior Design
The base of this cookware is made from stainless steel, incorporating three amalgamated layers of metal for enhanced durability and retention of heat.
The core is made from aluminum that is contained within more stainless steel. The outer layer consists of T-400 series stainless steel.
The lack of nickel and carbon within this product make it perfect for magnetic interaction with your stove. This specific type of stainless steel is also fully resistant to corrosion, which is another bonus.
The exterior of this product includes a mirror-like finish, which may require more consistent cleaning in order to keep it looking good.
Whilst the polished finish is undoubtedly stylish, it picks up imperfections more easily, and this is something to bear in mind.
Interior Design
The interior design of 360 cookware consists of 18/8 stainless steel which is known for containing 18% chromium and only 8& nickel. This is otherwise known as surgical-grade steel or T-304.
When compared to the polished exterior of this product, the brushed stainless steel on the inside provides a nice contrast that is pleasing to the eye.
The walls of the pan are fat thicker when compared to most pans and measure at 11 inches of thickness. When compared to All-Clad pans, this is far more than the norm, with All-clad pans typically measuring at 0.9 inches.
In this sense, the thickness is a stand-out feature of the interior design of 360 cookware as the company prides itself on these thickened layers.
It is also because of this thickness that the 360 cookware is able to retain heat incredibly well. Thus, you can cook your food on lower heats whilst delivering brilliant results.
The interior design also includes a flared rim that makes it wonderfully easy to pour in liquids and allows for the dome-style lid to fit perfectly on the cookware itself.
Handle Design
This product uses ergonomic handles that are made from stainless steel that has been polished and riveted onto the cookware.
The pan also contains a loop to make storing the product more convenient if you happen to have a hanging rack.
These handles also include a divot on the top alongside finger guides to ensure that you can maintain a secure and steady grip of the product.
In comparison, many brands that sell pots will use round handles that often rotate within your palm as you are pouring, which can prove to be incredibly dangerous.
Whilst other pans may use flat handles, these are far less comfortable to use when compared to the handle-design of 360 cookware.
360 cookware establishes a wonderful balance between flat and rounded handles and it achieves this by rounding the bottom for comfort purposes whilst using ridges to enhance functionality.
Although, the inside of these handles can be hollow when dispersing heat, and thus, it is still best to use an oven mitt when handling this product.
Alongside the longer handle, there are also shorter handles that are positioned on an upward angle to offer copious space to grip the product safely when using an oven mitt.
There are also finger guides included on the underside of these to ensure that you have the strongest grip possible.
Lid Design
The lids of 360 cookware products are arguably the best feature. They are what makes vapor-cooking possible and they are easy to seal.
These lids consist of a dome shape that recesses into the cookware in order to capture the moisture and distribute it appropriately.
The spinning action used to seal the lid is also succinct and easy to enact, and doing this utilizes a suction mechanism that seals the pan accordingly.
However, it is important to note that if you allow the cookware to cool entirely before removing the lid, this can be a difficult process.
As such, you will need to keep the pan on medium for a number of minutes in order for the seal to properly release.
You should always use an oven mitt or glove during this process as the handles on the lid can become very hot due to the steam that has been captured and condensed beneath it.
Overall Performance Of 360 Cookware
Regardless of the sturdy and heavy feel of the cookware (if you are specifically looking for cookware, here is a review I have of the best cookware for glass stoves), the weight at the bottom can make it feel a little unbalanced at times.
This displacement of weight can make it feel like it consists of cast iron as opposed to stainless steel.
Thus, it is pretty heavy and distributes weight unevenly when compared to other pans. It also takes longer to heat up due to the thickness of its walls. However, once it has become heated, it retains the heat very well.
Due to its brilliant retention of heat, it cooks meat to perfection, placing an even sear across the food.
In comparison, thinner products often cool down when cold meat is placed in the pan, which often results in an uneven dispersal of heat during the cooking process.
Using 360 cookware will ensure that the pan remains hot, creating the perfect balance of crust and moisture across the meat.
You should also ensure that you engage in research of vapor-cooking prior to engaging in the cooking process, as if you place the heat too high, you will ruin your meal and potentially spoil the pan.
Conclusion
To conclude, 360 cookware is incredibly versatile when compared to other high-end brands. If you are looking to use it for the purposes of vapor-cooking, then it seals juices perfectly to provide you with the utmost flavor.
It is also relatively easy to use, providing you follow the instructions that I have outlined above and ensure that you are not cooking your food on a high heat and are sealing the lid appropriately.
Don’t forget our 25% discount code! MHBLife25
This can only be used if buying off the 360 cookware website.
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