There are certain items for the kitchen that I drool over, and would even go as far as to say I lust over them. One of those items is a pan that could could easily from my stove top to my oven. When I met 360 Cookware at IHHS last month I knew their products were exactly what I was looking for. Their pans are double walled, made in the USA (Wisconsin actually) and are a piece of artwork just looking at them. They sent me one of their quart sized pans and encouraged me to try stove top baking.
What the heck is stove top baking? It’s baking a cake or bread inside your pan. By using a single burner and low heat, you can achieve the same results as you would by baking a cake in the oven. Except you use a lot less power or gas to get the same cake.
To bake inside your 360 cookware pan first you have to prepare it. Usually you don’t have to add oil to your pan, but spritz it with some cooking spray. Next you need to line it with some waxed paper. Cut it to the size of the bottom of the pan. mine was slightly larger than it needed to be, but it still worked fine.
*Tip* To get the right size circle (or close to it) cut a square just a bit larger than then base of the pan. Fold it in half, and half again. Then fold it on the diagonal. Place the point at about the center of your pan and cut the curve of the edge. When you unfold your paper it’ll be a circle just about the size you need it. If it is too big, refold and trim off some more.
Now, the next step is simple. Whip up your favorite cake recipe. Since we’re having a party tomorrow I made my gluten free chocolate cake recipe. The 360 Cookware quart pan is smaller, so it will only accommodate 1/3 of a batter at a time. Once it’s mixed together, pour it into your prepared and still cold pan.
To cook, put the lid on turn your burner on low and cook 15-20 minutes, checking it every 5 minutes for done-ness after 15 minutes. My stove doesn’t like the “low” setting on the gas burner, but found if I kept it between 2 and 3 it worked great. Be sure to wipe any extra moisture from the lid when you check it. When a toothpick comes out of the center clean – remove the lid and remove from heat for a few minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before removing the wax paper from the bottom and frosting.
I’m surprised at how easy my first stove top baking experience was! Not only did it not heat up the whole house, but overall it required less gas since it didn’t have to heat up the whole oven. When it was done, the pan was easy to clean and put away in no time. This is what you get when you get a great cookware set for stove top.
Not only did the 360 Cookware quart pan make it easy to bake a small cake for our party, but it does also let you do a lot of other things standard pans don’t. You can cook meat and vegetables without an added oil, you can boil eggs without water (I’m going to try this soon!) and even cook long grain rice in under 20 minutes. It’s double walled design allows the pan to the work even when you remove it from heat. And the all metal construction allows you to easily go from stove top to oven when your recipe requires it.
It should be noted that the 360 Cookware products do run more than an average pan. Part of that is due the technology and construction of the pans. But once you have one in your cooking arsenal, you will understand why they are worth the investment. Each pan is extremely versatile and they are a healthy and safe way to prepare your food.
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