About

Heavy-weight, non-reactive 18/10 stainless cook pan works well on both conventional and induction stoves.

Heat-efficient core distributes heat evenly so food won't burn or stick.

Insulated lid returns moisture to the center of the pot.

Set stainless cook pot in elegant melamine serving holder to keep food hot for up to 2 hours.

Melamine bowls are dishwasher and freezer safe.

Thermal cookware is just catching on in the United States, but it has been popular in Europe for years. For good reason. It uses 60 percent less energy and much less water than traditional cooking. This means more nutrition and more flavor. Kuhn Rikon Hotpan Thermal Cookware combines superb functionality with precision Swiss design. The mirror-polished stainless cooking pans have a think aluminum sandwich bottom for fast and even heat distribution. The lids snug into the wide pot rim and are double-walled for increased heat insulation. On the inside, lids are lower in the middle than around the edge. This design forces condensation from cooking foods to gather and fall from the center of the lid back into the pan instead of escaping from around the rim. The stay cool high-heat resistant handles don't take up room on the stove. Hotpan's brightly colored serving holder of high quality, scratch resistant melamine acts as a thermal blanket, retaining heat. Food stays hot, fresh and delicious for up to 2 hours when the stainless steel cook pan is placed in the insulating holder.

  • Type: Casserole
  • Color: Red, black, blue, green, orange, white
  • Model: 3 Quart/Liter
  • Weight: 5 lb 11 oz
  • Made In: Switzerland
  • Warranty: 10 years
  • Dimensions: 13" x 10-3/4" x 6"
  • Composition: Stainless steel pot and lid, melamine bowl, plastic handles
  • Manufacturer: Kuhn Rikon
  • Other versions: 1 quart; 2 quart; 4.5 quart; 5 quart

Ambitions

Apparent goal: kids gift/registry home kitchens restaurants everywhere
Intended audience: novice advanced beginner good home cook gourmet professional
Diet/nutrition: does not apply scary empty promises helpful essential
Green?: not especially neutral mixed blessing earth friendly green!
Innovative: step back standing still progress trendy genius
Problem solving: no better baby steps solid steps giant steps a revelation
Competition: outclassed follower in the pack strong challenger likely champ

Utility/Quality

Ease of use: impossible frustrating OK simple child's play
Intuitive: Ph.D. required barely logical effortless brilliant
Instructions: missing incomprehensible adequate unnecessary excellent
Quality: cheesy questionable good years of service impressive
Parts to lose: inevitable some/many one-piece self-storing not a problem
Power source: none hands batteries outlet green
Clean-up: nightmare wipe clean soap & water scouring pad dishwasher
Does it work?: not at all adequately well very well perfectly
Availability: airfare required online kitchen store department store supermarket

Packaging

Easy to open?: impossible maddening tolerable good opens itself
Green?: fills a landfill huge waste passable minimal waste impressive

Economy

Time saving: time wasting not really modest substantial huge
Labor saving: less efficient marginal a bit noticeable remarkable
Money saving: money wasted none $ $$ $$$
Beats the old way: worse no change better definitely entirely new
Where will it live?: garage/attic drawer cabinet countertop elsewhere

Summary

Fulfills ambitions: falls short almost there satisfies exceeds home run
How often used: once/twice ≥daily ≥weekly ≥monthly ≥yearly/holidays
Worth the space?: no does not apply w/unlimited space w/limited space absolutely
Need it?: a luxury discretionary basic equipment for serious cooks get it
Value: ouch! a little pricey worth splurging on the money a deal
Overall rating: skip it fair good very good excellent

Comments: We are besieged with requests from readers who want to partially cook their food, drive two hours to a friend's house, and then finish the cooking. We generally say, "no." Your food will cool off, you'll be reheating from scratch, it will spend too long in the risky temperature zone of 40°F to 140°F, etc., etc.

Now along comes a product that solves that problem and several others – Kuhn Rikon's Hotpan, in which you are expected to partially cook your food, turn off the heat, plink it in its insulated holder, and let it finish cooking by residual heat. It is perfect for a holiday drive to the relatives'. It is also ideal for holding leftovers.

The stainless steel pot has a thick aluminum-sandwiched base for even heat diffusion, and has measurement lines on the inside (in liters (ever so slightly more than quarts)). The lid is double walled to retain heat. The non-slip melamine bowl provides insulation, but can also be used on its own as a salad bowl or for any other kitchen use. The Hotpan is ideal for keeping foods hot. We measured the heat of a stew after two hours off the heat, and it was a reassuring 165°F (75°C).

The manufacturer suggests you make use of the Hotpan's "soft-cooking" process. You add your ingredients to the pan, put the lid on, cook on medium-high until steam starts to appear, turn the heat to low and cook for 2 to 5 minutes more, then place the pan in the insulating bowl for as long as specified in the included cooking-times chart. Broccoli in 1-inch pieces will be done after 10 minutes in the bowl; spinach after 2; apples after 15; chicken breasts after 10; risotto after 15.

We made a very successful risotto in the Hotpan. The recipe booklet provides timing for a veal stew (10 minutes on the heat and 1 hour-20 minutes in the bowl), and we can see why they chose veal. The beef stew we tried was a little too tough to cook to fall-apart goodness in the Hotpan. The method is well-suited to vegetables, fruits, rice dishes, and casseroles. As with anything totally new, you may have to experiment for a while to find the dishes and cooking times that are just right for you.

Extra bowls can be purchased separately if you wish to experience a range of colors. Of course the pan can be used as a conventional pan. The handles and bowl can withstand heat up to 250°F (120°C) but are not to be put in the oven or microwave oven.

The drawback? Like anything from Europe these days – and especially from Switzerland – it costs an arm and a leg. Though if you think about it, there are a lot of pans that are in this price range. If you use the pan regularly, you'll probably recoup the cost in energy savings, but you may not notice.

The Europeans use it to save energy – 5 to 15 minutes of active heating vs. as much as 2 hours. Perhaps we are still not as energy conscious, but we sure like to travel with our food, juggle mealtimes, and keep food hot for a buffet. The Hotpan is an elegant solution.