could this be used inside a larger pot for like steaming with direct food contact, or do you have a recomendation(relative to cast iron cooking)
271327
As Nan G stated, I too would not use in direct contact with Foods. However, if you have in mind a Double Boiler type of use, it would definately hold one pot placed inside of another pot, "Off the Bottom", and therefore allow a "steam" type of cooking in the Interior Pot.
271328
No! It is very heavy and not all of it is enamel . Would rust . I could not live without this for simmering on my gas stove . The gas flame heats this up and it radiates nice even heat. Have one for our RV too and bought one for our son
271329
I don't know that I would use this with direct food contact. It is a very heavy cast iron diffuser with an enamal top coating. It is a wonderful product for slow cooking... it does, however, take a while to come up to temperature when using with high heat.
271330
Nope, cast iron will rust if put in water. I suggest a different kind of steamer.
271331
It is enamel on the top only. Underneath will rust. Meant to be used under pots on gas stoves. I use it on my gas stove to simmer things only. It heats up evenly and distributes the heat to the pot so things do not burn or get hot spots from the gas. I could not live with out it. I use a stainless steel steaming rack for steaming.
271332
I don't think I'd put this in water, it's cast iron and prone to rust. I have a rubber steamer and a metal one. I'd be inclined to use the rubber one if you want to steam something in a cast iron pot, but there again, water and cast iron often = rust. I'd stick to metal pots, such as stainless steel for steaming if I were you.
271333
It has a painted coating. I'm not sure that its enamel so I wouldn't recommend using it for steaming. Try stainless trays. I get mine at the Asian markets for very cheap. Good luck.
271334
Never tried what you ask, keep in mind it is cast iron; if there is ever a chip in the paint the steam would have a detrimental affect on it.
801962
It really depends on your use. For stovetop the glass cover will let you see inside. It is not as heavy so it will let more steam out. The lighter weight is also more convenient for everyday use. For oven use I would get the iron lid. Since the iron is heavier it will also have a limited pressure cooker effect and hold more steam in. You really want the iron for baking tender roasts. I would say the iron lid is the one you can use absolutely anywhere, stove, oven, indoors, camping. The added convenience of the glass comes at the cost of some utility.
549597
You can leave it inside , but it might decrease the steamer's " life " . It kind of changed color a little , and I only used it for steaming veggies and some fruit . I think you can use the bigger insert , the one for pasta (looks more sturdy ) and boil your hot dogs.
2093468
Absolutely! You get all of the advantages of the even heating of a heavy pot without all of the maintenance of normal cast iron. We have several cast iron skillets and pots, but I cringe when I have to clean them, scrubbing them with salt, drying them on the stove top and then oiling them. This enamel-coated pot, with no cast iron exposed, I just wash in the sink with the rest of my hand wash only dishes.
1392879
It fits in both of the 1-1/2 quart and 3 quart saucepans, but it is too small to be used on the huge 8 quart stock pot. Having said that, the steamer is probably the best thing about this set. If you like to make veggies with pasta, for instance, one can easily steam the veggies above the boiling pasta and then strain the pasta right in with the veggies: saving both time and the use of extra pans.
1363086
Pot is 5 1/2 inches deep and 9 1/2 inches wide including handles. I would allow a little wiggle room placing it in your steaming pot. The handle on top of lid will lift the pot out without any problems.
1365096
Absolutely. That is actually the intended use. The steamer insert is for vegetables or fish you might want to steam while cooking rice or another grain below.
647737
Hi Nancy, I'm Joe. Believe it or not we have 2 of these and they're very good for almost anything. For steaming veggies, I put about 2 inches of water, and place a large colander over the pan, put whatever veggies in it, cover with lid and let the steam do its job. I also use it to steam hamburger or hot dog buns. We've had these about 2 years now. What I would suggest is that every time you take get ready to use it put 2 or 3 drops olive oil, swish it around with a paper towel. This will help keep pans non-stick properties. Be sure to keep an eye on the water level. Hope this helps, Joe
21428
If you are talking pressure cooker, I would not. Although it is very sturdy, pressure cookers are temperamental, so to speak. It can be used with a steamer very well . Hope this helps.
1966081
Cast iron is not an issue, but I found that size is. Larger size pots make the unit heat up and trigger an automatic shut off. The manual that came with it reads "Use cookware that is flat, suitable for induction heating and having a bottom diameter between 3.15 inches and 10.00 inches."
1882513
If the only thing you want to do is steam veggies, it may not be the best appliance. I use it as a pressure cooker for beans, a rice/grain cooker, a soup pot (great because you can saute right in the pot before you put in water or stock) and a slow cooker. I really love this appliance and use it regularly. That being said, I usually steam my veggies on the stove top in a stainless steamer pot.
805796
I would not recommend it, for it is too delicate. It is to be used as a tranfer pot for your already boiled water source and for serving and/or steeping.
637813
It is not recommended, although I'm not sure why. I have other cast iron kettles that I use on top of wood stoves, but they are larger and heavier. I've always used another pot to get the water hot, and transferred into this kettle.
1856066
Probably so. It's made of silicone so if you're ok with steaming in silicone you should be good. You will need a decent size pot though.
59717
I believe the smaller burner would be OK. I would not try a plate of food on the larger burner. It is pretty hot. The cast iron burner covering the electric element takes quite awhile to cool down. I have only the single large burner. It works great for cooking, but I would not put a plate of food on it.
1871026
I personally have not tried it but I would think it would work fine depending on how much you were looking to prepare at once. The steamer trays are three inches deep and some of the more traditional couscous steamer pots are a bit deeper but again, it might depend on how much you were planning on preparing at once.
695031
I would. It is also nice for canning as you can put 7 pint small mouth jars in this in the rack. I wouldn't use real high heat. When canning in mine I always wash it out and dry it just like any pot I would use so that I could cook in it some day.