Saladmaster is a fine company with a fine product. Saladmaster uses field salespeople and sells on dinner parties, a very expensive merchandising method, adding 40% or more to the price. We both use type 316 steel. One type has 2% more chromium, 2% less nickel, the other just reverses the %. Belkraft uses 7 ply, Saladmaster only 5 ply. The Saladmaster popper cannot be turned off and can be annoying. Belkraft uses a 3way whistle valve system that can be adjusted or turned off.
We know our set is better!
No. www.belkraft.com is run by a former Belkraft Canada sales person, a good one at that, who managed to register the name www.belkraft.com on the Internet. He does not have a legal entity and there is a court case ordering him to stop using that name. You may wish to verify this with the Ottawa Better Business Bureau.
www.usmadecookware.com enjoys an A+ rating (the highest possible) with the BBB.
A. The vapor seal is designed to cook vegetables with 3 oz. of water or less. Reducing this to a quick rinse under the cold water tap as you get used to your stove and utensils. Scrub your vegetables, cut them up, place in the pan, turn on medium heat, wait for whistle /vent and reduce to low. The vapor seal is formed when the heat is reduced from medium to low. A ring of water will form between the pan and cover. The reduction of heat reduces the pressure inside the pan creating the vapor seal. This process allows you to cook foods quicker with less heat.
A. BelKraft distributes many products that you may need to complete your set. Please contact us or send us an email to sales@belkraftcookware.com or info@belkraftcookware.com
A. No, you can use any type of kitchen tool with the cookware. In cleaning the cookware, we recommend not using abrasive cleaners. Cameo, Zud, or Barkeeper’s Friend are good cleaners.
A. Please visit our Warranty page for information regarding returns for service.
A. Overheating. If food sticks to your pan, the heat was too high and you lost the moisture in the pan. Reduce the heat. Our cookbook and DVD are fabulous!
A. Very little. Type 316 uses 16 to 18% chromium and 11 to 14% nickel. Type 304 uses 20% chromium and 10% nickel.
A. Heat Tints. Blue heat tints may result from persistent overheating.
Light colored residue may occur from hard water spots or cooking starchy foods. In either case, spread stainless steel cleaner on a damp pan and rub with a paper towel or cloth in circular motions until pan is clean. Rinse and dry promptly. Cameo, Zud or Barkeeper’s Friend are available in your local supermarket. Overheating, also contributes to the staining. Stainless steel is a remarkable material; it’s durable, doesn’t rust and is less prone to stains.
A. Rinse out any food particles and wash with hot soapy water. Your cookware is also dishwasher safe. If you burned the food, just boil water and it should lift off. Cameo, Zudor Barkeeper’s Friend are recommended cleaners.
A. Replace the cover, turn the heat to medium, open the valve and wait for the whistle/vent to sound and then close the valve and turn the heat to low. If there is no moisture in the pan, add two tablespoons of water before turning heat back to medium.
A. From our new cookbook called The Healthy Gourmet. It includes information on how to maximize the benefits of your cookware, updated recipes. You may order a cookbook by sending us an email. ($24.00 + applicable taxes) One is also included with your set.
A. Waterless cookware is a system slowly steaming your vegetables without boiling out the flavor and color. (Steam comes to 100C)
Vacumatic cookware is a process of cooking your vegetables in a vacuum vapor. By doing so you are cooking below the boiling point (74 Celsius / 165 Fahrenheit) thereby retaining all of the vitamins, nutrients, minerals, natural color and taste.
- Some of the features necessary to cook Vacumatically are:
- Vapor seal to create a partial vacuum.
- Vac-Control valve to allow the steam to escape and lock.
- Heat conducting inner core along bottom and up the side to the rim.
A. No, it will not. You need a layer of ferritic steel to activate the stove.
A. The most common and least expensive cleaners can be found at your Supermarket: Cameo, Zud, Barkeepers’ Friend work great. If you have an old frying pan loaded with grease, here is an easy solution: spray the pan with Easy Off (yes, the oven cleaner), wrap it in a plastic bag, leave the bag outside for the night. The next morning just rinse it off and wash.
A. Yes our cookware is stackable. It does build a pyramid for space saving purposes. The covers can also be used as a trivet to rest your utensil on the table. You can store the leftovers in the fridge and reheat the next day. Remember, stainless steel is safe.
A. No, we do not, but it is an effective way of selling. It is expensive, adding 35% or more to the cost of goods. The Internet is the way of the future.
A. Yes, they are safe up to 437 Degrees in the oven. However, 7-ply surgical stainless steel+titanium is designed to be used on top of the stove: it is faster, less expensive on the electric or gas bill.
A. Of course they do. Just make sure that your utensil has a flat bottom, is not warped. Warping can happen. Make sure your manufacturer replaces them. We do.
A. No, the silicone oil is sealed permanently in the utensil. It is the best performing utensil on the market.
A. Yes, you can but expect to pay a bit more. It is better to start out with a small set and add pieces as you can afford them. Remember, when you invest in a top notch set of cookware, you are also adopting a new system of cooking. You will be cooking at a lower temperature, use less or no fat. It is convenient to have matching pieces that cook the same way.
A. Yes, we do so for sets stolen or part of a house fire. We just ask for proof of some type. Even a newspaper clipping will do. You can also replace your set, our pieces thereof, at 1/2 off price after 25 years of use.
A. No. Some exaggerated claims are made. I suppose the argument can be used that cooking healthy foods the proper way helps to prevent cancer. Certainly a high fiber diet reduces the risk of developing cancer. Cooking foods the vacumatic way keeps the goodness in your food.
A. Using rivets is a cheaper way of manufacturing. Rivets work loose, gather dirt, usually are used to attach steel handles.
A. The Dutch did not have oven attached to their stove and discovered that if you use a heavy cast iron pot that the heat would spread evenly and that you could roast that way.
A. Quality cookware will use less heat, keep your minerals and vitamins in your food, take less time and energy to cook, keep you healthier. Eat right, live better and live longer. It is permanent and pays for itself in record time.
A. Numerous studies show that it peels off, chips and flakes and does not digest. It is a suspected cancer agent. It definitely is not a permanent type of cookware, good for a year or two. It is not an appetizing looking cooking utensil. They use these coatings to make a cheap utensil perform better. Fumes from overheating can be harmful. Most are not dishwasher safe and can leach chemicals in your food. All coatings wear off.
A. It is a system of cooking that takes less time and energy. Your foods cook at 74*C or 180*F. High heat destroys nutrients. It takes a utensil with covers that give you a perfect moisture seal.
A. Metals expand and contract. Someone (not you, of course) probably put the utensil under very cold water while it was hot. We repair them free of charge. It is covered by our guarantee.
A. You have created a vacuum and it happens from time to time. Just put the utensil back on the stove for a minute and it should lift off. With Belkraft we have a hole in the cover. Just open it up and the problem is solved.
A. No need to buy them. Belkraft replaces them free of charge. Just mail them in and we send out replacements within 2 working days. If you threw them out then you must purchase them for a nominal fee.
A. You bet you can. The leanest meat still has a fat content. Preheat heat your utensil to 350*. Use a piece of paper in the utensil. When it turns a golden brown it is at 350*. Put in the meat (chicken filets for example). It will stick. In about 4 minutes it will loosen up, turn it over and do side 2. Allow enough time. Anywhere from 7 minutes to 9 minutes depending on thickness
A. That we cannot guarantee. Nutrition has long been recognized as a key factor in promoting good health and preventing disease. Cooking waterless will keep the goodness in your food. Frying greaseless will help prevent weight gain. We pan broil our meats. Remember the 3 mortal sins in cooking: too much sugar, too much salt, too much fat!
A. The Diabetes Association recommends choosing lean cuts of meats, to limit the use of salt. Also limit the use of bacon, sausages, cold cuts and wieners. They also recommend baking, broiling, poaching, roasting, steaming…but to avoid frying in butter and fats.
A. Yes, you can. Let hot foods cool off before you store them in the refrigerator.
A. That depends a bit on the size of your family. Using them properly you can expect to save:
- $4.00 or $5.00 weekly on electricity or gas
- $3.00 or $4.00 a week on butter and fats used to keep your meat from sticking to the pan
- $5.00 a week on shrinkage of meat if you cook 1 roast a week
- $??? on vitamins and food supplements
- $??? due to the fact that you will never have to purchase another set of cookware ever!
- $??? In time savings. Foods cook so much faster: what is your hourly rate as a homemaker?
A. We prefer premium Bakelite handles. They stay cool, are safer to hold on. They can be replaced with a screw driver. Oh! Your husband is a welder?! Our cool grip handles do have a slide-out ring for easy hanging or storage.
A. Because they are necessary to manufacture the best set of cookware in the world. The surgical stainless steel is durable, beautiful, easy to clean and chemically non-reactive. The inner layers are alloys that spread the heat evenly, the ferritic steel is needed to activate the newest wonder: the induction stove. Our cookware uses the thickest of ply.
A. They are fine. We think a full 7 ply construction, not just on the bottom but also up the sides makes for better heat distribution and they do pop off. Yes there are many thicknesses of 7 ply cookware.
A. Our ever-vented cover system allows for a true semi-vacuum. Our 3-in-1 whistle-lock-vent knob eliminates pot watching and allows for lower temperature cooking.
A. Yes, it does. The name is misleading. In all other languages, it is called “rust free”. In French, Spanish, etc. it is called inoxydable. In German, it is called rostfrei. The basic virtue is that it will not rust and it is totally sanitary, especially when it is 18/8 or higher (% of chromium and nickel). Other alloys are also added, your top grade being a 19/9+ titanium, referred to as a surgical stainless steel, good enough to make surgical instruments.
A. No, you need a ferritic steel to activate the induction stove. Induction stoves are the latest in efficiency, fast, and energy saving.
A. We do not know for sure, the jury is still out. Anyone trying to convince you to buy their cookware using unproven statements such as “aluminum is cancerous” is using underhanded sales tactics
A. The answer is “we do not know”. However, sets are on the market lasting 60 years or more. It is indestructible. Just make sure you can get handles and that you are buying U.S. made.
A. Stainless steel is a very poor heat conductor. Your single ply cookware, or very thin cookware, does not conduct the heat evenly and you end up with hot spots. On an electric stove, you will have the heat where the rings of the burner are. You need cookware of a certain gauge, with the right heat conducting inner cores to prevent this.
A. Eggs have no fat content, cholesterol yes, so you need butter or fat. You can also use a spray such as PAM to save on calories.
A. There are so many claims. Your best source for that kind of information are a dietitian, The Cancer Society, Diabetes Associations, your local Health Unit, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
A. According to the government, “NO”, if you eat healthy you do not need anything else. I suppose it cannot hurt.
A. We do not think so. We provide a top quality cookbook and a DVD with our cookware sets. We also provide you with a toll free number for free advice or coaching:
1-866-568-5712
Have more questions?
We will be happy to answer them. Just send us an email at info@belkraftcookware.com
Helpful Hints
Veggies – Use medium to medium-high. Place rinsed vegetables in saucepan, add 3 oz. of water, reducing to a quick rinse under the cold water tap, as you get used to your stove and utensils, with valve open. When whistling, close valve and turn heat to low for 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit until desired preparedness.
Meats – Preheat pan on medium-high. Place meat in pan, sear on both sides, reduce heat and cover until done.
Eggs – Use medium-low. Spray cooking spray on cold pan, place eggs in pan and leave until desired preparedness.
Our cookbook and DVD are a valuable source of information.