Yes there are sales gimmicks at work here, and I don't even need to see or hear details to know it. If it were the truth, someone would be getting a Nobel prize for chemistry and cooking equipment as we know it would overnight be changed.

Save your money. Buy individual pieces of good equipment as you need it.

I have an assortment of pots,pans, and skillets that I bought open stock to fit the way I cook and what I cook. I have never seen a "set" of anything that has exactly the pieces I want.

What other sorts of scare tactics did they use?

I haven't tried it, but wondered if baking powder wouldn't give the water a bit of a metallic taste...that was what I suspected that he had done. I still can't figure how he managed to get the soda water from Enamel ware to taste metallic. I don't have any, so I can't test it.

The claims went way beyond "doing no harm" all the way to curing your ills. ;) So much so, that only two of us did not shell out the $3000.00.

What a bunch of BS!

Thanks for sharing!

Pam will leave gunk on your cookware, but occasionally I use it on my ss skillet--a light spritz carefully placed just on the bottom of the inside of the hot pan--followed with a tiny spoonful of oil, and I am set for a perfect omelet.

I love my old cast iron skillets as well, but they never go into a dishwasher, and you have to know how to temper them. I have learned that the best way to temper an iron skillet is to use it to cook a big batch of pancakes (always with just a tiny amount of canola oil, never margarine or butter). I can usually cook a whole batch without adding more oil. (Usually if you are having problems with your pancakes, the heat is too high.)

I am planning on buying a few new pieces when I finish my kitchen remodel, but I don't think I will get rid of what I have. Another of my favorites is my old, very heavy aluminum pressure cooker from Presto. The rubber gasket in the lid is gone, but it still functions well for any dish that requires a steady, even temp. I deep fry fish in it, and also use it for making candy and popping popcorn.

PK guy, don't know where he went, but he was driving a Mercedes to get there. ;)

Jeannieo, that sounds like my kitchen. I have my old favorites from way back and a few newer pieces. I love my old Cast Iron from 45 to 50 years ago when it was still milled out super smooth. The only way I will buy it now, is to search the flea markets for the old stuff. I agree that making pancakes is a good way to season a griddle, but it is easy to do just wiping on very thin layers at a time and letting it cook on over a med-low heat. I read once that beef suet was the best for seasoning Cast Iron.

I just bought a 7pc set of All-Clad SS at Williams-Sonoma for $469.00 and got two free pans with it. Don't know if that was a good price or not, and really don't care-I just wanted them-LOL!

I just bought a 7pc set of All-Clad SS at Williams-Sonoma for $469.00 and got two free pans with it. Don't know if that was a good price or not, and really don't care-I just wanted them-LOL!

One extra thing I checked was Ebay, and to my surprise, the only saladmaster cookware on there was old, old, old (so I am guessing they were updated by the owners, or in some cases estate sales). So I think that is a good sign. No one buys this stuff and then sells it.

I like them. Nothing I have ever used before compares.

Nanahanna

I'll add here (again) that my enamelled cast iron DID react to the test, Staub brand. (I am heartbroken.) Anyone test their Le Creuset? Now that so many of these products are being manufactured in China (of the lead-painted toys!) I am wondering about enamelled cast iron that is made there, too.

Interesting about the Scan Pan, something to look into. In general, I try to stay away from non-stick, because I can't believe it won't corrode and chip off eventually, but it would be worth testing to validate someone else's results...the question, too, is how long does the finish hold up?

One more thing (here I put myself in danger of being considered a spammer, lol!), the saladmaster rep told me that he recently sold a new set of 316 to someone who had had their set since mid-century or so, and gave her credit for what she paid on the old set. In case anyone is in love with saladmaster, and doesn't want to go through the hassle of selling on ebay, and is planning on getting the new stuff, anyway, that piece of info might be worth some serious change. That isn't an endorsement, it's just second hand information!

Type 316 adds some molybdenum to the alloy, which does in fact reduce its chemical reactivity.

I suspect that the "baking soda" test is probably dramatically more reactive than anything one is likely to ever be cooking. So I'm not terribly concerned about 304 steel.

Nonetheless, there is a factual basis for their claims about 316 stainless steel, and it would seem that it would in fact would be a benefit to someone who is sensitive to whatever reacts out of 304 steels. I don't have the medical knowledge to even begin to guess how much of an issue this is in real life. Remember that these these metals tend to be present in the minerals that are naturally present in the water we drink.

A note on the Saladmaster cookware: As I understand it, their cookware was made from 304 stainless (just like practically everyone else) until quite recently, at which time they switched to 316 stainless.

It didn't occur to me consider cookware as a source of toxins until the child of an acquaintance ended up in the Emergency Room with what turned out to be Nickel poisoning, and the source was apparently narrowed down to the family's cookware. Yes, it was definitely an "issue" in that family's life! They changed cookware immediately.

The trouble is, we aren't just getting toxic metals from our water, which is bad enough. Anyone who ate American produce grown in the 1990's in the USA has probably ingested a number of dangerous toxins, because legislation at about that time allowed companies to dispose of their heavy-metal laden sludge to intermediaries who basically called it fertilizer, and sold it to unsuspecting farmers. This stuff even found its way into some "organic" fertilizers sold by unscrupulous dealers. There was a complete legal loophole that allowed that to happen, and the loophole has not been adequately closed by any means, even now. A Nobel prize was awarded to the journalist that brought this story to light, and the complete story is in book form, now, in "Fateful Harvest."

There are other sources of toxins. Many of us have had plenty of canned tuna in the past, before it was generally known that it was contaminated with mercury and other toxins. (And some of us kept on eating it anyway.)

Whatever the source, we have been accumulating (and are probably continuing to accumulate) toxins that have very long half-lives, and do a lot of damage both on its way into our bodies, and on its way out.

My thought is this - if indeed cookware is contributing to the the heavy metal load in our bodies, it would be good for people to know the facts so that they can decide for themselves what they want to do about it, if anything.

Now, I have not heard one whiff of discussion of real research on cookware. There may be real research, possibly on pay-only sites, but I'm not finding mention of it, or not of useful applicable information for the everyday cook. And no one is quoting it in ways that allow me to track it to a specific study for verification, as far as I have found thus far. Accusations are present on the internet, (some of them very convincing) though, so the absence of response (besides opinions of "of course its safe" or "yeah, its' awful") suggests that there hasn't been a really good financial incentive to fund any research that could cripple any branch of the cookware industry. However, we have some pretty interesting anecdotes that something happens when people change their cookware to the new saladmaster, and in people who cease using cookware altogether.

Isn't anyone besides a few of you curious to find out at least the next step, which is "does my cookware give off toxic substances, and if it does, in what circumstances?"
The question of "does my cookware hurt my health" is quite a few steps down the line. But common sense would suggest that if the stuff leaches into your food, it is going inside of you when you eat it, and to the best of our knowledge, ingesting toxic substances can slowly build-up in the body. We also know that doctors that specialize in heavy metal toxicity warn patients to avoid deep cleansing diets and fasts because of the dangers of releasing these toxins back into the bloodstream.

If I accomplish nothing else, if one person realizes that heavy metal could be part of their health problems, and is able to confirm it and be successfully treated for it, and experience a big improvement in their health as a result, then all this rambling will be worth it. For me, this all started with simple exploration, but hey, if it helps someone, that's great.

I was really hoping for plenty of stories about people and their saladmaster products, I was especially hoping that there would be a few who were curious enough to test some of their different types of cookware, and give feedback that would suggest whether or not the baking soda test really affected all cookware the same way.

1. Stories don't prove much--remember the "placebo effect."

2. I agree that it would be interesting to see the results of some tests. However, "the baking soda test" isn't a test, it's a stunt. A "test" would be something like this: In a large glass vat, prepare some soup for cooking. Place equal amounts in a Pyrex pan, a Salad Master pan, and whatever pans you have that you want to test. Cook said soup on as close as possible to equal simmer levels, for the same amount of time. Transfer samples of each to a blender, and puree to a liquid. Test each resulting sample for heavy metal content. Report PPM levels of each heavy metal found.

I wonder what happens if you repeat the "baking soda test" more than once in a pan? I have a suspicion (unsubstantiated at this point) that what you're really doing is removing some crud from the surface of the pan that has accumulated through use. Which you then compare against a perfectly clean Salad Master pan. I suspect that the "Brand X" pan might come out much better if you repeat the test a time or two to clean off its surface.

One thing this would explain is why enamel cookware also fares poorly in this test. It too would have old cooking junk on the surface, unlike the spanking-clean, unused Salad Master pan.

I wondered about the effect of repeating the baking soda test on the same cookware, too, it will be interesting to see what the results will be. I had not thought of the idea that food residue might be responsible for the off taste. If it is, it is time to start testing the food before it goes into the pot!

I thought it more likely that a soap residue might be responsible for the off taste.

I wonder, though, what substance that tastes metallic is likely to build up on the surface of a cooking pot that is used for food? The only thing that comes to mind is an excessive use of a metal scouring pad, which may simply peel the surface down below the steel to the aluminum/whatever levels below. I suppose that any cookware that cleans easily - for whatever reason - is likely to fare better over time if it doesn't require lots of scrubbing.

As for the enamel cookware test, I used two different ones: one was brand new, just bought but handwashed in a very mild soap to remove any coating from the manufacturing process. The other was a pot I had been using for over a year. Same yukky results. The build-up theory doesn't pan out, at least not in my test, unless it is a soap build-up. I am looking for testimonials, folks, that your enamelled cast iron doesn't release yukky flavors!

As for the placebo effect, it works because our minds do have a powerful effect on our physiology. Psychoneuroimmunology is a fascinating branch of medicine, and there are lots of interesting stories of how people change their physiological markers by doing simple things like smiling at themselves in the mirrors, positive self-talk, etc. However, it is rare for a complex disease to disappear quickly and completely by means of the placebo effect. However, there is plenty of clinical research showing that getting rid of heavy metals is associated with people being cured from a number of complex diseases, going back a good 70 years. We haven't heard so much about it since the FDA got picky about it. Last year when I was having chelation at my doctor’s office, I met a man who was having chelation for cardiovascular problems. He hadn’t expected his varicose veins to disappear, he said. Medical history shows that chelation helps with atherosclerosis, so it isn’t an unusual finding – and not likely a placebo effect, as he wasn’t expecting that result.

As for anecdotes, like the one given by the person whose IBS went away after using saladmaster, I have mentioned somewhere that I know of people who have gotten rid of IBS on a raw diet: I felt that two possible reasons for her recovery might have been that she reduced toxins that would naturally disrupt her digestion, and that her food was not cooked at a high enough temperature to make it a burden on her body. IBS is due to a disordered bowel environment, usually including candida overgrowth, Now, because lowering fat in the diet helps short-circuit candida overgrowth more quickly than simply lowering dietary sugars alone, I realized that there is a third possible component in the story of the blogger who said her IBS was cured...it may be that she was able to use less fat in her cooking because of her cookware. If that was the single factor that resulted in her healing, she could have accomplished that without the cookware. I know she could have accomplished it on a raw food diet that minimized fat for at least a few weeks because I know a walking and talking person in the pink of health who overcame a severe version of this 15 + years ago, and has been a raw vegan all that time, and is strong, tan, athletic and the picture of health. But hey, if you can accomplish the same goal and get to eat commonly acceptable food that tastes great, woo hoo!

If the lower temps in saladmaster are a key in healing, as Johns Hopkins research suggests, and if (as people say who claim to have tested different kinds of waterless cookware) only saladmaster keeps the food temp under 190 degrees, then to get better she would have either had to use saladmaster or to be very careful to eat raw or undercook her food, watching the pot every minute. This one is outside of my scope right now, I've got my hands full with my current research questions! Anyone else willing to take on testing the temps inside their non-saladmaster cookware?

If the non-reactivity of saladmaster, vs. the reactivity of whatever her current cookware was, was the key, then in order to get better she would have needed to either stop cooking, or cook with a non-reactive piece of cookware, either saladmaster or one of the high quality 304’s on the market that do not react. This is based on the theory that the baking soda test is a true indicator, of course, something that has yet to be proved.

If lowering fat was the key to getting rid of her IBS, then she could have achieved that with low-fat cooking in any pot, or without cooking her food at all. It is a big lifestyle change to learn how to prepare raw food in ways that provide for one’s nutrition completely, (including learning the lacto-fermentation and/or sprouting of vegetables, and/or grains, so that important foods that one wouldn’t normally eat raw could be incorporated into the diet in a healthy way), and it isn’t an easy change to make for most people. Waterless cookware, in general, has the reputation of providing better tasting meals without fat.

Those are three possible and sensible cases against the placebo effect. There may be more I don’t know about. For example, she claims she didn’t make any big changes in her diet, it may be that did make more changes than she realized to go along with her new cookware, new recipes and new cooking techniques. It may be that there was a toxic food source among her fats and oils that was no longer being introduced into her meals.

Thanks for those of you nice enough to ponder these questions along with me....

1. When a consultant did a 'cooking demo' at my place, she did the baking soda test on all MY pots. I had aluminum, non-stick teflon and another stainless steel, then she had the SM pot. I was the one who put a cup of water on all of them and a teaspoon of baking soda on each. The liquid from the SM pot tasted like salt water. the stainless steel was metallic, aluminum was bitter and the teflon was the worse, mettalic and bitter.

2. to the REPEAT THE TEST idea: I am pretty new as a consultant but I use my pots, EVERYDAY, even the ones I use for pot testing, from frozen vegetables (that sometimes burn because I leave it on too long) to breakfast sausages, cakes and hotdog. when the consultant did the baking soda test that's what I thought too. "it's a trick! there must be something else she put it the other pots! her pot must be brand new." but as i've said I've done the pot test myself and did not put anything else in it besides the baking soda and water, on the Salad Master pot that I have used more than 50 times on different types of food.

3. reaction to food: as it is 316 surgical steel, it's a pot that react LEAST to all the food that you put it in. yes it is the type of steel that they use to open you up, prop you open in surgery, pins and rods to replace bones in your body.

4. ceramic pots: yes some ceramic pots do not have that "metallic taste" if you perform the baking soda test. but that's not the only selling point that SM pots have that's just one.

A.Salad Master pots are INDUCTION ready. Did you know that the electric and gas stove we use today will be phased out and replaced by induction stove and ovens? All clad pots are induction ready, but the induction 'magnet' part of the pot touches your food, it's mixed in the stainless steel.
B. It has 7 layers of metal, but the part that touches your food is surgical steel 316L.
c. the way it's constructed, it creates a vacuum seal that lets you cook with LESS WATER, LESS SALT (SEASONING) and cooks your food in less the time you would with regular pots and pans. you can make a hard-boiled egg, only using a wet paper towel and your SM pot and cover (and your stove in medium-low heat)
D. it uses medium to low heat (and cooks in less time) so it is energy efficient.
E.It is very easy to use and easy to CLEAN! how many pots and pans have you burnt? I've done them countless times. And it's the endless scrubbing and days of letting it soak in soapy water that I remember the most. But with SM, it's very easy to clean. My aunt has had hers for more than 30 years (and yes it was 304 surgical steel, WHO DOES NOT UPGRADE if the technology is there???) and it still looks new, and she still uses it!
F. it has limited lifetime warranty. the lid handles can be replaced. for that person who posted that her oil core skillet's leg broke off. go to saladmaster.com, I believe they will be able to replace that.
G. Old 304: you can trade them in for newer sets. Technology is here so everybody upgrades, and so can you!Your old set has VALUE! I believe in some poor countries they can PAWN SaladMaster sets.
H. Regal Ware is the manufacturer of SaladMaster, 20% of their production are SM products. They manufacture different brands but only SaladMaster is made of the 316l surgical steel.
I. SaladMaster have been around for the last 61 years in the USA. 40 years in some parts of Asia such as the Philippines.
J. All SM owners are registered in the database, the warranty can be passed on to their children, granchildren and so on.

There are probably more points that I forgot to mention here but I'll be checking this so I can post more.

A common demonstration by cookware hustlers is to heat baking soda and water in various pots, including the brand being sold. Often cheap aluminum pots are used for the demonstration. When the customer tastes the water from the other pots in the demonstration, a strong metallic taste is noticed. The electrolytes contained in the baking soda solution grossly amplify the metallic taste. On the other hand, the water solution from the demonstration pot simply tastes like baking soda.

This is a strong selling point for the hustler's brand. However, this is absolute non-sense as it pertains to real life. It has no scientific basis whatsoever and it's a totally meaningless test. Who in the world cooks with strong alkaline solutions??

Baking soda in water is highly alkaline (high pH) and readily reacts with aluminum to create the metallic taste in pots that contain that metal. It also reacts somewhat in iron pots, but it does not react with NEW stainless steel......important that you notice I said NEW STAINLESS. SCRATCHED stainless will usually fail this test too.

Sometimes the salesman will ask the customers to include their own stainless steel pots in the test. When stainless steel has been USED and scoured with steel wool or another metallic pad, the SCRATCHES allow nickel to leach into the baking soda solution. This implies to the unwary that the brand for sale is superior to other stainless steel pots.....which is absolute non-sense. Likewise, scratched Enamelware will allow traces of iron to leach into the soda solution giving it a metallic taste.

Although this demonstration is dramatic, keep in mind that it is merely a sales tool....a clever one at that. 100% of the foods that we prepare in our cookware IS NOT as highly alkaline as baking soda, and seldom--if ever--would you cook with any baking soda at all. On the contrary most of the foods we cook in our cookware are slightly acidic (lower pH) and not alkaline. That's not to say stainless steel is not a superior metal to use in some applications, just don't pay a premium for it and don't throw out perfectly good cookware because of this hype non-sense.

Plumfield: Saladmaster items are great for holding SPAM!!

Dan

Little update on my research project...
Though a little frustrated that bulk amounts of multi-metal test kits seem to be "out of stock" at the various places I tried to order them, I did manage to get a couple of single-test kits, biting my tongue at the price. My water is clean as a whistle (better be, after all that filtration!), and either the baking soda has heavy metal in it, or salts in my soft water skewed the test somehow, or metals really did come off of the first and only pan I have tested so far. I tested a pan that had boiled dry and sustained some surface damage. It's a heavy 18/10 piece that came as a set with a taller pot and a pressure-cooker top, that I purchased off of an infomercial. It tested positive for mercury, of all things...not at all what I was expecting. One thing it did NOT do was stay "green" for "no metals present." Fortunately, I just found out that a family friend is in the lab testing supply biz, and will look to him for some advice on reliable testing supplies, as well as sources for the same. Hopefully, I'll have the right tools for the job so I can do repeat testing using distilled water, making sure my alkaline solutions are as mild as the alkaline foods that I cook, etc, etc. I may be busier than I expected in October, but I hope to have some further results to post in time, God willing and if the creek don't rise.

For those who think I'm off my rocker, I'll just add that there is a fair amount of anecdotal noise suggesting that food from some cookware tastes more metallic than from other cookware and I think that someone ought to find out how safe our cookware is in our increasingly toxic society.

If you haven't read "Eric is Winning" by Eric Edney, you might find it an enlightening read. He's a real person who, last time I checked, had survived and even improved his condition dramatically over a period of 14 years, especially after doing therapies to remove heavy metals from his body. His condition? Lou Gehrig's disease. He should have been immobilized and then dead about 12-13 years before I read his book. He should certainly NOT have achieved any improvements in his condition. (I know. I've studied the disease and I watched an acquaintance slowly die of that disease...unfortunately, I didn't know there was hope until it was too late.)

Dan

Sounds like a yes to me.

Dan

as for the Toxins I meant overheated oils that create toxins and the cancer causing agents that come from using nonstick surfaces. You only need to google nonstick surfaces to find out they are banned as of 2009 because they are so harmful. My question would be to that, why not ban it immediately.

Salad Master is not the answer to improved human health.

Dan

as far as the nonsense you speak of, I only invite you to research it for yourself and see what you find. and while you are at it see what is in the carpets we lay on our floors and the mattresses we lay on. you will find toxins all over the place and certainly cookware wont solve that problem either.

My approach is to keep the things that will make me sick to a minimum while maximizing the healing effects of food and water and exercise along with meditation and breathing techniques.

I hope I have completely explained myself this time as it seems you just aren't getting it!

Call For References on that.

Phaseout of Teflon Is Rare Win Against Chemical Companies

On Jan. 25, health advocates and environmental groups celebrated a rare victory when eight chemical companies agreed to a partial phaseout of a harmful chemical used to make Teflon and other nonstick products.

The deal to reduce the use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the result of pressure from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an extremely rare example of government muscle applied to big business in an otherwise regulation-averse Bush era. DuPont, which was fined $16 million in December for hiding evidence of PFOA’s health dangers, and seven other companies have agreed to voluntarily reduce use of PFOA in products by 95% by 2010, with a full phaseout by 2015.

Studies have linked PFOA to cancer and birth defects in animals; studies have also determined that the chemical is present in the blood of 95% of Americans, including pregnant women. The phaseout of PFOA will affect the lives of millions of Americans, eliminating or significantly reducing the amount of the chemical in countless household products including stain-resistant finishes, weatherproofing materials, waterproof clothing, phone cables and even pizza boxes and microwave-popcorn bags.

The settlement is unfortunately only a small victory for consumers, who are faced with an ever expanding list of inadequately tested chemicals in common consumer products. Less than 10% of the more than 80,000 chemicals in use nationwide have been tested for their effects on human health. In the three decades since the landmark Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) became law in 1976, the EPA has banned only five chemicals or chemical categories: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), fully halogenated chlorofluroalkanes, dioxin, asbestos (though this ban was overturned in 1991), and hexavalent chromium. The pesticide DDT, which was banned in 1972 (before TSCA was enacted), is still being found in people’s bodies today.

The settlement announcement was especially surprising in light of the Bush administration’s close ties to the chemical industry. The American Chemistry Council, the main industry lobby group, has made $21 million in campaign contributions since the beginning of the 2000 election season, $900,000 going directly to President Bush’s campaign coffers.

More predictably, the administration has broadly opposed regulation of environmental health issues and is currently trying to halt comprehensive legislation on chemical policy in Europe. In December, European health advocates suffered a serious blow when REACH—a progressive chemical policy reform bill pending in the European Parliament—was significantly watered down after heavy lobbying by the U.S. chemical industry. As secretary of state, Colin Powell did the industry’s bidding to help fight REACH, instructing diplomatic posts in Europe to oppose REACH regulation. His cable to the posts was essentially a paraphrase of industry statements opposing the legislation.

The administration is also expected to quash comprehensive policy reform in the United States. One such reform, the proposed Kid Safe Chemicals Act, is being introduced by Sens. Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). The act would be the first reform of federal regulations in 30 years and would require manufacturers to provide detailed health and safety information about the chemical ingredients of consumer products and to disclose such information prior to introduction of products. The bill has attracted several high-profile co-sponsors, such as Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

Predictably, the American Chemistry Council immediately opposed the bill, saying it duplicates existing regulations. This position ignores a Government Accountability Office report last July indicating that TSCA fails to identify health and environmental risks before chemicals are used in consumer products. As health advocates wait for the predictable GOP moves to kill the bill, they are looking elsewhere for action—to state capitals nationwide.

Last July, Maine passed the Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund, which will add a 25-cent-per-gallon tax on all paint sold. Revenues from the tax will be used to educate homeowners, renters, renovation contractors and the public about lead’s harmful health effects. And last October, after a bitter fight between environmental health advocates and cosmetic industry lobbyists, California passed the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005, which requires cosmetic companies to report carcinogens or reproductive toxins in their products to the state Department of Health Services.

But on Jan. 19, Californians suffered a discouraging blow with the defeat of a bill in the Legislature that would have banned bisphenol-A and phthalates from products for babies and children. These chemicals, which have been linked to birth defects, cancer, early puberty onset and abnormal genital development in boys, are commonly found in plastic items such as baby bottles, teething rings, toys and numerous other products that frequently end up in children’s mouths.

The bill fell one vote short in a state Assembly Appropriations Committee vote when Leland Yee, a San Francisco Democrat who normally is a supporter of consumer rights and environmental causes, changed his vote to "no" at the last-minute.

Yee justified his switch by claiming that the scientific evidence about bisphenol-A and phthalates was inconclusive—despite a decision in December by the California Department of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to recognize two of the phthalates listed in the bill as reproductive toxins. Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, reported that 94 out of 115 published studies found concerns about low-dose effects of bisphenol-A. While more than 90% of government-funded studies surveyed have reported significant adverse health effects from bisphenol-A, industry-funded studies have found no significant effects.

Yee’s switch illustrates how strong the tendency is for many legislators and government officials nationwide to ignore scientific findings about chemical dangers.

Important fights are underway in other state capitals, such as these:

In January, a bill was introduced in Maryland to ban phthalates and bisphenol-A in children’s products and personal care products.
In Washington the state Department of Health and Ecology is asking the Legislature to ban a class of flame retardants, commonly found in mattresses, seat cushions and computers and other electronic equipment. The chemical has been linked to learning and developmental disabilities, as well as other health concerns.
Massachusetts lawmakers will vote in early February on a ban of mercury in products such as thermostats (14 states have already passed laws to restrict or ban certain mercury uses).
These state-level efforts fill in some gaps in federal regulations and help build a base of supporters for larger policy reforms. On their own, these state-level reforms will not adequately protect humans from the thousands of chemicals introduced into consumer goods and the environment each year. Perhaps the greatest value of these recent reforms, successful or failed, will be the beginning of a wide-ranging debate about public health—a debate which will hopefully cause politicians to value the health of Americans over chemical industry profits.

Not exactly. One of the chemicals used in the manufacture of Teflon, PFOA, is being banned. (PFOA is burned off during the manufacturing process.)

But, Teflon (PTFE) itself will not be banned anytime soon...

Modern day analytical techniques allow the detection and quantification of specific molecules (i.e. toxins) down to the parts per billion level or lower. That means analyst can find one molecule of a specific Toxin in a pile of one Billion other molecules and measure its quantity very accurately. It is because of these extremely sensitive measurement techniques that traces of toxins can be found in many things tested. Just because it is detected, does not mean it is necessarily harmful. In the case of metals, what matters is the concentration of the metal AND its chemical valence state AND the amount of the metal that is consumed over a specific length of time.

Did you know that blood anemia was unheard of until cooks switched from cast iron cookware to other metals such as aluminum or stainless steel. It is factual that cooking in cast iron is actually healthful for you.....it can prevent anemia. Salad Master's baking soda test would have you believe that nasty tasting trace of iron is a bad thing for you health wise............again non sense.

Let me rephrase my question in a manner more specific to Salad Master....... what specific TOXINS does Salad Master eliminate from your diet that other cookware products do not??? Please identify those toxins so that we can then take a look at the Material Safety Data Sheets for those toxins and see what the scientific experts have to say about it.

Dan

Thanks,

Valerie

Dan

In answer to your questions:

1) Is anodized aluminum better than stainless steel?

Both alloys have an oxidized-metal protective outer coating that limits metal corrosion (leaching). Neither alloy will ever leach toxic levels of any metal into any foods that are cooked in this cookware. The amount of metals that actually leach from cookware into food is dependant on several variables. The most important being the alloy composition and the pH & total acidity (or total alkalinity) of the liquid cooked in the pot.

There are some other corrosion mechanisms that may kick in as well. I have attached a listing of corrosion mechanisms for 300 series stainless steel below. Galvanic, erosion, and pit corrosion may occur......how much metal actually leaches from this type corrosion into your food depends on the condition of your pots, how you clean them, and what type of spoons you use to stir, etc.

Which metallurgy is better is a matter of choice. Aluminum and stainless have very different physical properties and cook very differently. So "better" depends on your style of cooking.

2) I've heard of the health benefits of cast iron, but can it harbor bacteria as it isn't ever really cleaned?

When cast iron is PROPERLY seasoned and cleaned it will not harbor any harmful bacteria. There is a lot of misinformation out there on the seasoning and care of cast iron. Perform a search function (on my username) located at the bottom of the page of this forum and you will bring up several posts that I have written on this subject.

When cast iron is seasoned properly it is perfectly OK to clean your pans with antibacterial Dawn liquid detergent. It is just an old folk lore to not use soap to clean cast iron. Soap and detergents simply CANNOT remove the seasoning from a cast iron pan. It would defy the laws of chemistry if it did.

3) Does either the 304 or 316L completely inhibit metals leaching into food?

The typical laboratory tests used for monitoring metals in aqueous liquids is extremely sensitive. The techies out there know these methods to be Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma (ICAP) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Graphite Furnace. These methods are so sensitive to the detection of metals that they will pick up trace amounts of metals in many things tested.......even the water used for cooking. Cooking water picks up metals through the distribution system to your home.....not harmful.

In practice, the hardest part of the analysis by these test methods is in the preparation of the glassware to perform the test and in finding/preparing a suitable zero metal reference material (i.e. ultra pure water and reagents). The only metal that I know of that would completely inhibit leaching into foods would be platinum.

However, rest assured that neither of the 300 series stainless steel will ever leach toxic levels of any metal into any foods that you cook. Any leaching would be orders of magnitude below any toxic level.

I hope this information helps. Great that you are seeking out the facts and not responding to those TOXIC fear tactics. Everyone needs to ask the question, "if the cookware is so great........why the need for the Baking Soda test?" If it were so "toxic free" relative to other cookware, please present the data. The analytical data could easily be determined as we have a whole host of other analytical methods that could be used to determine both organic and inorganic toxins.
But that won't ever happen..........because both grades of stainless steel are perfectly OK to use for cookware.

In this instance, leave toxins and fear out of the decision making. Brand Name is irrelevant....choose basis warranty, customer support, aesthetic appeal, and cost.

Contrary to what the Baking Soda test is trying to imply......We do not have a toxic cookware problem in this country. Enjoy your new cookware whatever you decide.

Don't worry....be happy!!!

Dan

It is used in food processing plant where they process food at bulk to make tv dinners sold at groceriy stores. Do you cook food that way, like a food processing plant?

It is used in surgical equipments and these are sterilized at high temperature. Does your cookware have to be cleaned this way to really get a a 316? Thats why 316 is used in surgical equipment and they are used too often in surgical procedures.

Now if you don't cook food like a food processing plant and your kitchen is not like an operating room, why do you need a 316 cookware? 304 stainless cookware just works and cook just fine and still good for our health. Now tell salasmaster salespeople we aren't stupid. If you can afford it, go ahead, good for you. But this is just OVERKILL.. who's with me?

The next time you see one of those MLM representatives pitching their "Baking Soda" test.....ask them to test their baking soda solution in an empty soft drink aluminum can. And if the test fails, ask them to explain the significance of that failure. If the test purports to test for those nasty toxins, how can it be that both soft drinks and beer continue to be sold in aluminum cans.

Each day many, many millions of people worldwide consume countless soft drinks and beer in aluminum cans. In all cases these beverages contain high levels of carbonic acid and in each case that beverage was stored for a lengthy period of time in the aluminum can before it was consumed.
If an empty aluminum can fails the Baking Soda Test and consequently is bad for humans, why haven't the many Governments of the world moved to ban the use of aluminum for these acid containing beverages?? We would then have all the evidence governments needed to ban beverages in aluminum cans.....afterall, it failed the baking soda test in a MLM demonstration!!!!

If it a fact that most humans consume hundreds of times the quantiy of acidic beverages in aluminum cans than the foods they consume that was cooked in aluminum cookware. Aluminum cookware in not toxic to humans and neither is stainless steel or cast iron.

We do not have a toxic cookware problem that pricy Salad Master products will solve for us.

Dan

By the way, because cynical Dan will want to know. I DO NOT OWN, SELL or Promote Salad Master and only until recently had I even heard about it. I only came to this site in researching different cookware. Some friends of ours mentioned they had Salad Master cookware after we mentioned we were looking into getting some new cookware. We have had many different Teflon cookware over the years (we've been married going on 40 years) and have had concerns when every pan set (all different manufacturers) had the Teflon chipped off and tiny flakes would show up in our food (really noticeable in oatmeal).

If you want some researched opinions on aluminum go to this web site.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=455622.

** "The aluminum can's inside is COATED with a spray to keep what is IN the can from TOUCHING or REACTING with the metal." I wonder why that is? Read what Alcoa (largest manufactor of aluminum products) says.

http://www.alcoa.com/rigid_packaging/en/about/making_cans.asp

Here's something to think about. The reason stainless surgical steel is used in surgeries is because of "extensively researched" data on the interaction with the human and the animal body. and I don't know anything better than the human immune system to detect substances harmful to the human body. How many surgeries do you read about where they use "aluminum" or "cast iron"? Perhaps our taste buds can be manipulated or tricked but our immune system is a different story.

I don't mean to pick on Dan but he does seem to give the impression that cast iron is so great but would he really like to have a hip or knee replacement with cast iron? I don't think the body would take kindly to it. By the way when raised on cast iron cookware it's hard to think anything is better. We have many peices of cast iron cookware and don't plan on getting rid of them.

A thought I have pondered: Would I pay 10x the normal price for a car that had a real lifetime warranty and could be handed down to my children and grandchildren, would I buy it? Kinda along the same idea of lifetime cookware?

We have had aluminum pan sets and we KNOW the food taste different. It's a "researched" fact that certain foods leach metals, especially aluminum (love tomatoes? don't use aluminum). You can actually see the etching on the bottom of a aluminum pan. Ever wipe your aluminum pan with a rag and it comes up BLACK? duh! Anyone who says that's not true doesn't know what they're talking about!

As I have investigated I have had to ask myself: If the body doesn't like aluminum or cast iron but can tolerate stainless steel why would I buy any thing that cooks my food which enters my body with any other metal? I really never thought about it before, but I am now.

Now as far as the different manufactures and costs that's my next step in research and debate.

Thanks to everyone for some good discussions and thought provoking arguments.

Deano

I feel sorry for those of you who believe that our collective health is threatened by TOXIC cookware. The fact is........both Scientific and Empirical data dictates otherwise.

Yes the aluminum cans are coated. So what..........did the aluminum can pass or fail that ridiculous baking soda test? I have evidence that says it fails. So coated aluminum cans are toxic to you based on that test.....right?? Therefore Alzheimer's must be going through the roof.....right?? After all, people have been drinking beer and soft drinks in those nasty aluminum cans for many many years now. Sorry, the empirical data simply does not support that finding. Aluminum cans pose absolutely no risk to any one's health. It is the product in those cans that poses documented health risks.....not the trace impurities. Aluminum cookware and aluminum cans are very safe to use even though both fail the Baking Soda Test.

I truly enjoy cooking and will fearlessly grab whatever cookware is appropriate for the task at hand. In many cooking instances, cast iron is my weapon of choice. To equate that to my believing cast iron would be my metallurgy of choice for a knee replacement is as ridiculous an assertion as the implications of that nonsensical baking soda test. I guess with your reasoning you must not be using wooden cutting boards, wooden spoons, or wooden salad bowls either . After all, the human body will reject any wooden object implanted anywhere within it.

I have reviewed the facts. I KNOW that my health is better served by my diet choices, my exercise plan, and my vitamin/mineral supplements than it is by my cookware metallurgy choices. The money that I saved in not buying that expensive Salad Master cookware was used to buy fishing equipment. Yep........reducing the stress and worry in my life is another major part of my health plan. And I have factual data there to to show how healthy fishing and cooking is for me. It's unbelievable how healthy I feel when I catch a few fish and get to cook them in that special Griswold cast iron pan at the end of the day.....and knowing that high priced Salad Master cookware couldn't have done a healthier job for me.

If surgical stainless is the metallurgy of your choice, by all means go for it. You will find the functional equivalent to Salad Master cookware at a much cheaper price. And yes, I do own and use stainless steel cookware. And no, I'm not affiliated with any MLM operation either. I'm just a regular guy who won't allow fear and emotional appeals get in the way of the facts.

Dan

danish and norwegian tv have laboratorytested the metal in the saladmaster pots. comclusion: good pots, but only equally good to pots that are sold through normal retail to a fraction of the cost.

in mlm the sellers are usually also the buyers.

saladmaster is mlm.

your saladmaster salesperson probably also had a little spiel about why this pots are not sold in normal retail, right? and he probably said that these pots are just so much better that people wouldnt be able to do educated purchases just by viewing them in the store. but the truth is that there is no real market for these pots at these prices in normal retail. divide the price in 10, and they could sell in stores... but then the mlm scheme wouldnt work...

Dan

"We all eat more aluminum than we realize and other metals too. Aluminum is really all around us in many chemical forms.

It exists in a relatively high concentration in our soil. Some soils have more aluminum in it than others. For example, certain Jamaican soils are so high in aluminum content that it is predominately composed of the ore we know as Bauxite. Bauxite ore (i.e. Jamaican Dirt) is the raw material used in the manufacture of Aluminum. Aluminum is a major component of all clays.....and soils high in clays are high in aluminum content. Some of the dust we breath in has aluminum in it. Aluminum is used to remove suspended solids ( i.e. dirt) from water in some water treatment plants. Natural water picks up aluminum as it moves over soil or through earth's strata. It is found naturally in many of the foods that we eat. It is part of the metal containing minerals that we consume with our foods. It is the metal which holds our beer and soft drinks. When analyst calculate the aluminum content in our diet and it is calculated in its most common chemical form......i.e. Al2O3 (or clay).....it amounts to pound per year. It is not harmful to humans.

We humans consume a lot of other metals too as a natural part of our diet and medicines.......and that's a really good thing!! To name a few..........Sodium, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Iodine, Lithium, Thallium, etc. Many of these metals are very beneficial to us and we would become unhealthy without them. For example:

1) Iron keeps us from getting anemic and keeps us strong.
2) Lithium keeps us from going nuts.
3) Sodium makes things taste salty and is a necessary electrolyte.
4) Magnesium is used in water softeners.
5) Potassium is used in our body cells to transport energy.
6) Calcium is in our bones.
7) Aluminum is used to clean water. It is in our
antacids. It is in Pepto Bismol. It holds our soft drinks and beer.
8) Copper is healthy, at least according to those
who have the bracelets. It is necessary in our diet for the manufacture of certain bodily proteins.
9) Zinc is in antiperspirant.
10) Iodine is required to prevent certain deficiency
diseases such as goiter
11) Thallium is required for certain brain functions.
12) etc.

However; if we consume too much of these metals, we may become unhealthy. Some metals may become toxic at high concentrations. So what are we to do?

Eat a balanced diet with everything in moderation. Take a vitamin & mineral supplement and exercise regularly. And most importantly.... we need to stop worrying about TOXIC cookware. That problem simply does not exist in this country. It is fraudulent for anyone to claim otherwise.

We need to focus more on removing the stress out of our lives rather than removing the metals out of our diet. The real threats to our health come from stress, food choices, and lack of exercise.

Don't worry......be happy (with your cookware)!! ......goes a long way to making one healthier than worrying about non-existent toxic aluminum, cast iron, or stainless steel pots and pans."

Dan

Is Saladmaster quality cookware? Yes, without question. No one would have a problem using it (including Dan) if you didn't have to buy it.
Is it expensive? Definitely, and probably more than it should be. Is it worth the cost? Depends on your own financial status. There are lots of quality cookware sets available that don't cost as much. If you have to go into debt to buy it, don't.
Does it have advantages over other cookware? Yes, the ability to cook at low heat without water definitely maintains more of the vitamins and minerals in your food. This is factual and has been proven over and over. The 316L stainless steel is a bonus, but I agree that the baking soda test is more for the reaction than it actually proving anything. I do believe that food cooked in stainless steel tastes better than food cooked on other surfaces, but that is an opinion.

There are lots of other things that I could say, but most of them have been said already. So the big question is whether its worth the purchase. I bought Saladmaster for several reasons-1. I needed some new pots. 2. I could afford them. 3. I liked the low heat, no water, low salt idea. 4. I know Stainless Steel is safe to cook on. I don't think anyone can honestly say that they are sure that their teflon, aluminum, and other types of cookware aren't putting things into their bodies that they might be harmful. I have little kids, and knowing that I'm definitely not giving them chemicals in their food is worth it. 5. When I figured the long term cost of replacing pots and pans every 10 years or so to the cost of SM, it didn't really seem that bad.
Overall, just think about the purchase and if it is worth it to you for the things you know it will provide. If it isn't, then there are lots of other good choices out there.

You have developed a very practical view of the matter, so good for you.

But let me pick on one of your points: "3. I liked the low heat, no water, low salt idea." You do realize you can do this with any of the better stainless steel lines of cookware (Demeyere, All-Clad, etc.).

By knocking down that argument, SaladMaster has very little else to stand on. You agree the baking soda test is bunk, you know that a Demeyere pan is going to last as long as a SaladMaster pan, and you know it's cheaper to buy through channels other than MLM.

So, why would anyone consider SaladMaster then? Just because you needed some new pans and, hey, there's a guy holding a cookware party so I'll just buy 'em from him?

I'm not anti SaladMaster at all.......I'm anti misleading information and anti deceptive MLM sales practices that border on FRAUD (AKA the baking soda test). Giving people the low down on those MLM sales practices and that bogus Baking Soda test allows consumers to purchase cookware based on fact and performance rather than out of fear and emotions.

I've said it several times in my posts, SaladMaster makes good cookware; however, there are other brands of cookware a lot cheaper and which have equal functionality and performance to SaldMaster. When given the facts, why would anyone want to purchase SalaMaster cookware from a MLM representative is beyond me.

Dan

My wife and I attended a SM dinner last night. Our host told us how much she paid for her starter set and we knew going in we weren't buying. But hey, it was free food, so we went.

I was very skeptical of the baking soda test. I knew it was some kind of scam but wasn't sure what. It makes sense that it's as simple as a chemical reaction. As the lady was putting together the "test" I thought to myself, who would ever cook with that much baking soda? I'm not one to be rude so I didn't call her out on it or ask a lot of questions. I played along, made a funny face to give everyone a laugh but I felt strongly that it was bogus.

As far as SM being superior to other cookware regarding the taste and flavor of food...I wasn't impressed. It didn't taste any better to me than what my wife cooks in our stainless Revere Ware. I was told that, "This will be the best fried chicken you'll ever eat." It wasn't. It was good. But certainly not $3000 good. The fact that it's oiless certainly means it's healthier, but does not make it taste better. Somebody back me up on this...fat tastes good. Healthy -NO! Tastes good - YES! I'll put my Mom's chicken, battered and cooked in Crisco in a cast iron skillet in a taste test against chicken cooked in SM any day. There is simply no contest, Mom's will taste better.

Others have already said it best, if you want SM and can afford it, by all means get it. I still think there are other factors, genetics, daily food choices and other factors that are more important to a person's health than what you cook your food in. It's not for me though.

Many brands of cookware, including Club Aluminum, Magnalite, Wearever, Revere and Farber were sold as "waterless" during the 1950s, when "waterless" was a big marketing tool. All of them had you wash vegetables, allow the water clinging to them to go with them into the pot, cover and start on low heat. For potatoes and other starchy vegetables, sometimes a bit of additional water was added.

"Vacuum Cooking?" I think what you are trying to say is that once the production of steam exhausts the air out of the pan, the food cooks surrounded by steam with no oxygen surrounding the food. Pressure cooking involves the same principle, but it's not a vacuum, or more correctly a partial vacuum, until the sealed vessel cools and the atmospheric pressure inside is reduced because the higher volume steam condenses and contracts into water. That is why the instructions with cookware that forms a vapor seal, even including the original design of Cuisinart cookware, mentions that if a pan cools without having had the lid opened, the resulting partial vacuum can make the lid hard to lift. Placing the pan over heat will eliminate the vacuum seal.

I never use metal spoons, spatulas, mashers, etc in any of my cookware. I have Farberware, Revere Ware, Corning Ware, Le Creuset, Copco, Dansk, Von Roll and other pieces that are more than 35 years old with no scratches in the cooking surface; likewise newer pieces of Kuhn Rikon, WMF and Silit stainless steel. I use melamine, nylon and now, silicon cooking tools. None of them are left in the foods as they cook. After washing the stainless steel, I use the acid cleaner, if needed, to remove the white film left by some foods. Quality cookware, if cared for, will last and look good for decades.

Its all up to the person what principle of cooking that she/he wants to embrace. Be it an oiless, waterless, or full of flavor, salty, bitter or whatsoever, give her/him the freedom to choose. Just dont claim that you have the best cookware or better cookware than others. Im sure you wouldnt believe in me that I have the best wife in the world better than your wife?

The sales rep made her pitch and overall, I was impressed with the food, the ease of preparing, and the time. I am a bit of a health nut and try to improve on my health everyday. I was impressed with the pots. The first thing I did when I saw her put them on the stove was lift it up to see how heavy it was to judge the quality of them (that does not tell of the overall quality, but it is one way I to evaluate cookware that I am going to buy.

I am thinking about getting them, but was researching SM and stainless steel, to see if it is worth the money. About the baking soda test, I am still not quite sure of the benefit of the test, but I do know that drinking from the SM tool( as they call it), it tasted better than the three variations of cookware I used.

I loved Dan's postings, he does not seem biased to me, just giving facts and his opinion.

Oh, the couple I invited loved it and see all the values of having the SM tools and thought it worth the money. I value the husbands opinion, be cause he is frugal, a skeptic, and does not spend a bad penny. So, as you may guess, I was surprised when he expressed how he loved it. One thing that I did like is the food processor. :-)

People who cook vegetables, that's who.

The 'baking soda test' is not a gimmick. Just science. Baking soda is a common substance that represents the sodium rich vegetables that we eat. It is a concentrated example of the chemical reaction that takes place between your food and your cookware. Of course there are acidic solutions too, and everything in between. There is no regulation on cookware to speak of. And there is really no need ( or requirement ) to spend the money on 316L or 316Ti, except for a company that has a drive to provide a way, way, way above average product. Yes, there are such companies and Saladmaster is one of them.

Don't knock it, just check it out for yourselves. All you really have to do is do some research ( and you won't have to do much ) on who else uses these highly corrosion resistant metals and why they do so.
You will find some excellent reasons. Even water reacts with lower grades of stainless ( 304 etc ) and 316L MUST be used in Pharmaceutical applications with water and even it's transport! ( otherwise the water gets contaminated! Yes, CONTAMINATED and unfit for use. WATER! Not things with higher or lower pH's. Neutral water!! ( also why Saladmaster pots make a mean cup of T or coffee! )

Here is some technical data. Perhaps too much science 'jargon' yet isn't that why Saladmaster is criticized? For it's extremes? High quality, high safety, high price .... but so 'green' it's basically silly NOT to pay attention.
That said, only those who don't have it, seem to be the ones who knock it.

"By virtue of its molybdenum content, 316Ti has resistance to pitting corrosion
by chlorides (found in things such as table salt (NaCl)) that is markedly better
than basic austenitic stainless steels such as Type 304. This can be shown by
comparing the Pitting Resistance Equivalent (PRE) of 316Ti to that of 304 (Note: PRE
is a relative measure of pitting resistance used by the metallurgical community.) The
nominal PRE of 316Ti is ~23.0, whereas the nominal PRE of 304 is ~19.0. Another
comparison which clearly shows the superior pitting corrosion resistance of 316Ti is
that Type 304 stainless steel is considered to resist pitting corrosion in waters
containing up to ~100 ppm chloride, while 316Ti is considered to resist pitting in waters
containing up to ~2000 ppm chloride.
All in all, the alloys used for this new material exhibit outstanding metallurgical
properties, that, when fused together to form the Solutions Ti material, provide
Saladmaster with the basis for excellent performing cookware."

( in english, that means incredibly clean flavors - like comparing 'well water' to RO water. Putting safety, health interests & money aside, which would you RATHER drink? )

I bought my set in 1995. I sat there with my arms folded challenging the guy to prove to me why and how a set of pots can make such a difference let alone help me save money. Then I decided to shut up and see what was up. I sat there, watched, listened and tasted. It wasn't until about 30 minutes later - I noticed that I felt really, really, really great after I ate ( my digestion was ...'delicate' you might say). It's hard to describe, but isn't that what drives the skeptics wild. Crazy statements - yes, too much to believe! You just have to experience them for yourselves. I'm just glad that I got the pots - it was a rediscovery of food and FLAVOR. It's just super clean taste. Isn't that what eating is all about?
And you betcha, now I tell everyone about the 'magic pots'.
And you betcha, I even 'show and tell' them. I've been changing minds and lives, and stomachs, and tastebuds, and carbon footprints and even helping people save a few thow ( to say the least! ) on food and energy over the last decade or so.

Call us all crazy, but we have the magic pots ( and you don't!).

Scientific? You betcha it is!

Dear Marmar - 2008.

Looks like you just signed up to join the bash in.
Looks like you don't own any of these pots.
Looks like you, for some odd reason, don't want any one else to either.
Looks like this is SPAM according to others who jump all over 'newbies' on this site.
Looks like it simply bothers people when a company has been around for over 60 years and provides an insane product that the owners love.
Sounds like there is something more to this stuff than just many, many easily misled people who don't have any common sense.

Let's face it - you can cook in a tin can after the coffee grounds are all used up. You don't need plasma televisions or high speed internet. You don't need a cell phone - especially one that plays video's or music- and you certainly don't need a phone at home too. You don't need more than one pair of shoes at a time, you don't even need more than one car or bike, or television.

The fact is that technology breaks barriers and things evolve through science. Saladmaster is based on science, physics and facts. And it is rediculously expensive to manufacture let alone purchase.
The technology is maybe overkill for some, but obviously not for those who don't want to 'overkill' dinner or put 'off' flavors and odd reactions into their families' food. Of maybe it's all about the faster and healthier lifestyle it offers. No, could it be that just the speed of cooking, the insane ease of it all and the energy efficiency would be enough to make Saladmaster so popular?
Say it isn't so!
Cooking is science. It is all about sodiums, acids, proteins, minerals, enzymes and natural chemicals in food. They absolutely do cause reactions - otherwise a tomato would never cause a stain, nor would tea taste different depending on the cup it was poured into ( let alone wine ). If foods were not 'chemical' in nature - you would not have to worry about eating grapefruit when you are going through chemotherapy. Cabbage or peppermint would not help digestion, nor would the pot that you cook in affect the taste that you get or the salt that you need to 'fix' whatever it is that you prepared.

The dinner presentation, the cooking classes, the repeat dinners that one can have, the opportunity to experience this system over and over again to see what is what and to find out how the Saladmaster magicians secretly get people to invest in these so called "ordinary pots", for more than 6 decades now.... you would think it would make most think that there is something more to these pots than just a good stage trick or two.

One thing is for sure, if you don't put food or even water in your cookware you will reduce chemical reaction!
'Safe' levels determined by various agencies is what should be questioned.
I was told that chemotherapy was safe too, and teflon, by a doctor...basically in the same sentence. ( he also basically told me that vitamin c was a toxin ).

We all have our opinions. Some have cookware envy.

Saladmaster is not an MLM product. It is called Direct Sales.
The business model is just like a corporate business ( even MacDonalds actually ) - in the way one can start new and grow with a company.

The Norwegian testing ( even the Danish testing ) was absolutely conclusive that the steel was certainly 316L and NOT lower grade plumber steel ( 304 ).
BIG price difference ( ask any blacksmith who makes even dairy equipment!!! )

The energy testing was mind blowing. In Canada, if cookware fell under 'appliance' category, Saladmaster buyers would be offered a generous rebate for it's 70%- 86% energy efficiency.

No claims need to be exaggerated when the proof is in the pudding.
But facts are facts and stainless steel certainly is reactive. What comes off in a reaction depends on the 'recipe' of the steel. That is why certain steels have certain applications.

It's really easy to be an arm chair critic of other people investments.
You really should consider collecting all of the facts, attending a few dinners or interviewing at least a few owners, to really see what is up.
What looks the same isn't.

But MLM it is not - THEN it would have to be expensive!
( generally, retail companies spend 20-50% of every dollar on advertising. Direct Companies spend about 5%. Yes, the demonstrator makes more money than the person standing and waiting to serve you in the nice big posh store - which you are paying for with your purchase ).

For those of you who are really looking for a reason TO invest in Saladmaster, well that too is easy, Money.

Energy efficiency alone - it will pay you back over, and over, and over again.
If you use it!

So if you like them, and you would be excited to get them ...and if that is all that it did, was to get you looking forward to cooking real food a few nights a week well would that be so bad? Who do you know is even the least bit excited about going home after a long day of work to cook dinner? THAT is why the pots are so amazing - they almost do it for you!

They are expensive, yet they don't cost a thing.
They do what you saw and way more.
If you get them, in a short while you will wonder why you wondered about not buying them and then a little longer down the road you will wonder how you used to cook before without them. Kind of like life without computers and email and these blogs.

Have more than one dinner - ask more questions. Ask them to cook something that you want to see be prepared. The dinner is for YOU.
Go to a cooking class... that is for you too.
Are you kidding, they want you to ask, and ask and ask. There is nothing to hide - especially the price. The more you see it, the more impressive it is.
And the more impressive it is, the more attention it gets, the more people will try to find something wrong with it.

Good luck though.

I have her SM cookware, and the cookware her mother (my grandmother) also had bought in the 50's and 60's. I can't tell you how many times I have BURNT water with tea bags in them to a point of..."do I through it away, or clean it one more time with BarKeepers" cleanser. I usually clean it after looking at it in the sink for a week.

I also have all her SM sales info from back then.

I was also raised on organic carrot juice (that I actually ran thru the machine) from as far back as 5 years old, that I can remember.

I had plenty of Carrot Salad as suggested I'm SURE, by SM over the years as well.

I had 20/15 vision up until I was 43. (53 now)

My mother was a big proponent of healthy cooking, organic foods, and Merle Norman Cosmetics! lol (Anyone remember their "Super Lubricator"???) SHe died at 86, lived alone in her own home till then, and looked 72 at most when she died!

And all I can say is... that ALL good living, food, and products helps!

We are faced with over 3,000 chemicals that did NOT exist 90 years ago, and most since WWII. That has probably contibuted to cancer and the like, right next to alcoholism I'm sure.

American cigarettes have an average of 3% actual tobacco, and the rest is colored paper and chemicals, whereas in Europe and Canada, their cigarettes can ONLY carry tobacco. So much for the American Medical Assc. being our friend!

Aluminum is also used in ALL commercial baking flour, as an anti-caking agent,by the BIG CONglomerates, and that is mostly why we are toxic with aluminum today!

As far as RW making "toxic products, too...", well Michelin Tire Co. makes lesser quality tires also. Did you know that an average tire cost about $13.75 to make it? But... you pay significantly more than that! Why? Marketing! So why is Saladmaster (or Nordstroms) any different? They're not.

My point to all this bantering about SM that I read tonight...

"The bitterness of poor quality lasts much longer than the sweetness of a good price"! THAT is for certain.

You can buy a polo shirt from Nordstroms, or Target, and pay significantly different prices, but does the polo shirt that comes from some 3rd world place, know that it is suppose to be different? Nope. What is the difference then?

MARKETING!

Saladmaster WILL outlast YOUR lifetime!

It can also be used in "self-defense"!

It's solid and hard as hell!

New people who just register are often unfamiliar with the rules of a website.

Can any knowledgeable forum members tell me how someone posts without having a nic? Is just including an e-mail address an option here?

maybe if you cant see the benifits to your health and reduction in fuel costs you should buy a set I am not an owner but having read all this stuff I wish I was.

It seams to me to be technology moving on we accept it in every other part of our lives so why not the cooking pans?

makes sense to me I wouldnt like a black and white tv and an outside loo.

A couple of months back I purchased an 8 qt. Kitchen Aid 5 ply SS dutch oven from TJM for $80.00. It is of 316 stainless construction and it is strongly magnetic so it can be used even on induction burners. The plys on this particular pot provide for "full body heat distribution" and the lid is designed to provide a good seal. It is an excellent cooking pot of very high quality.

Would one of you Salad Master advocates please tell me what a comparable sized Salad Master Dutch oven would cost. Also, please tell me specifically what the Salad Master equivalent dutch oven would do better than this relatively cheap Kitchen Aid product. How have I wasted my $80 by not INVESTING in the Salad Master product?

Dan

Well, yeah -- if you've been eating fat laden cr@p for years, a nice, light meal composed of delicious veggies & small portions of quality meat WILL make you feel better, as will cooking from scratch instead of eating pre-made, processed factory food. The pots & pans have nothing to do with that, though.

"Baking soda is a common substance that represents the sodium rich vegetables that we eat." LOL Sandypots! Vegetables aren't sodium rich -- only the canned stuff. Look at WebMD or the Mayo site on how to reduce sodium in one's diet -- by eating more fresh or frozen veggies (fruit too). Perhaps you mean using Saladmaster to cook salty canned vegetables in? Hardly health food, let alone the issue of whether they contain enough salt to react to a stainless steel pot (doubtful).

NYTimes

A couple of months back I purchased an 8 qt. Kitchen Aid 5 ply SS dutch oven from TJM for $80.00. It is of 18/10 stainless construction and it is strongly magnetic so it can be used even on induction burners. The plys on this particular pot provide for "full body heat distribution" and the lid is designed to provide a good vapor seal. It is an excellent cooking pot of very high quality.

Would you please tell me what a comparable sized (or smaller) Salad Master Dutch oven (i.e. Magic pot) would cost? Also, please tell me specifically what the Salad Master equivalent dutch oven would do better than this relatively cheap Kitchen Aid product. How have I wasted my $80 by not INVESTING in the higher priced Salad Master product? Why would the foods cooked in the Kitchen Aid pot not be as tasty or as healthful as foods cooked in the Salad Master Magic Pots? How will I put my heath at risk by cooking in the cheaper Kitchen Aid product? Why would the Kitchen Aid pot not realize the same energy savings as the Salad Master equivalent?

Seems to me that if one is solely interested in energy savings while cooking on a completely non-reactive cooking surface, one should "invest" in that other cheaper, very energy efficient, waterless cooking device known as the CROCK POT. Or, why not "invest" in a real cheap, extremely energy efficient, microwave vegetable steamer? Why does it take an EXPENSIVE, metal, Salad Master "magic pot" to do these simple things?

Dan

What to look for in great cookware and cutlery:
1. Top quality product
2. Top quality guarantee
3. The lowest (best price available)

I am happy to announce that i have found a product that had has all that. The product is marketed by CUTCO. My mom has had it for 24 years now, and i have had if for 3 years.

The cookware does the EXACT same thing that Kitchen Aid, SaladMaster, Queen Ann, American Kitchen, Marcus, etc.

Why????!!! BECAUSE IT IS MANUFACTURED BY THE SAME COMPANY......

YES THE SAME COMPANY. THE COMPANY IS CALLED REGAL WARE WORLDWIDE.

Regal Ware Worldwide actually manufactures around 80% - 85% of the worlds pots and pans. They have different grades, different styles, different guarantees, different prices, etc.

I did research on SaladMaster:

They have what they call and "ULTIMATE SET" of cookware, which is basically 10 pots and pans with a strainer of some sort. This sells for approximately $5795... depending to what saladmaster representative you are speaking to....

$5795.... That is alot, but hey.... if your credit is good enough you can pay that in payments (that is a lot of interest fees).

Benifits of SaladMaster:
Easy to clean, retain flavor of food, no chemical reaction, stainless steel, lifetime warranty, energy saver.

The lifetime warranty says: "saladmaster offers a comprehensive limited lifetime warranty on all our products ONLY when purchased from an authorized Saladmaster Dealer or Consultant"

So that means you cannot buy it on Ebay, etc.

... warranty continues "This certifies that your product is warranted by the manufacturer to be free from defects in material, construction, and craftsmenship FOR THE LIFE OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. If your product has a HEAT CONTROL, CORD, KNOB, OR HANDLE, such items are warranted for on (1) year from the date of purchase." Not the day you recieve it or start using it.

(copy of warranty is on official saladmaster website: saladmaster.com)

So in comparison to CUTCO cookware:

CUTCO has a set they call the "ACCOMPLISHED CHEF COOKWARE SET"

IT HAS 11 POTS AND PANS, WITH A FOOD PRESS, AND A 5 PIECE KITCHEN TOOL SET TO MATCH THE POTS AND PANS. This set sells for only $1759.00 (that is a savings of over 4,000 dollars compared to saladmaster) Talk about savings. Not only that, but the company offers up to 5 equal payments with no interest fees.

Benefits:
T304 Stainless steel
preserve natural flavors
retention of nutrients in food
save time, energy and money
easy to clean
famous FOREVER GUARANTEE

The FOREVER GUARANTEE reads:

Forever performance guarantee - If at any time you are not completely satisfied with the performance of your CUTCO product we will correct the problem or replace the product.

Forever replacement service agreement for misuse or abuse - Should you damage your CUTCO through misuse or abuse, we will replace the item for one half of the current retail price plus shipping/handling and tax

15-day unconditional money back guarantee - If at any time within fifteen (15) after RECIEPT of your CUTCO you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason you may get a full refund of your your purchase price by contacting CUTCO customer service.

WHOEVER OWNS CUTCO, which means you can pass it on through the generations and the guarantee continues.

ISN'T THAT THE BEST PRODUCT EVER????!!!!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT THE SAME EXACT COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURES SALADMASTER ALSO MANUFACTURES CUTCO???!???!!!!!

CALL UP REGAL WARE WORLDWIDE AND VERIFY FOR YOURSELF, I DID!

I found an representative for CUTCO and she helped me place an order on my new cookware set, (she also gave me some free gifts)... She was a college student... and she is still with the company. I am so please with the service i recieved, and the product is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. If anyone wants more information send me an email... lovelarich@yahoo.com

I hope I was help to you all.
Good Evening

Nayeli.

The only brand there that you mentioned that I recognize is KitchenAid, and a nice set of that is about $130 on Amazon. which represents an AMAZING savings over your brand by about $1600.

And did you know that advertising is not allowed on thios website?

Can't you spammers at least be creative????

Which means if ANYTHING at all should happen to the product that you bought, then they can not replace them for you for free.

Also, Kitchen Aid has a brushed on "stainless steel" exterior and also has rivets inside the pots and pans that hold the handle and the pot/pan together. These rivets can be harmful to you and your family because they can cause harmful chemical reactions when in contact with food (THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE MATERIAL THAT THEY ARE MADE OF).

CutCo cookware does not have those rivets, by the way.

Kitchen aid has an aluminum base at the BOTTOM to distribute heat "evenly", well Saladmaster, Cutco, and other BETTER cookware have a layer of aluminum in the middle of all the ply-layers of the construction surrounding all pots/pans AND lids ---- which ENSURES even distribution of heat. This allows for faster cooking, saving energy and time.... etc.

Everyone knows that when food is not cooked thoroughly and EVENLY it can cause food poisoning or bad "hershey skirts", especially when your cooking things like chicken, beef, or even just RE-HEATING left-over foods. IT CAN BE DANGEROUS!

Even so, that same set that is listed on Amazon would be purchased through the official website of Kitchen Aid it would only be a difference of about $30.00. ---- And like that you can actually HAVE a limited lifetime warranty AND they also have the "Bill Me Later" option to make payments for as low as $10.00 a month (depending on which option you choose).

Believe me people.... I'm not trying to advertise anything (just like AAAAAAALLLLLLLLL the people on this HUGE list before me... Not Spamming either (suzyq)....

Just trying to help you see other options...... Remember: you get what you pay for. You are what you eat...

I mean, would you buy a Jaguar from an authorized dealer for 12,000 with great warranty or by a Jaguar from a small auto mart for 10,000 with NO warranty whatsoever.... In the end you might spend more than you would have if you would have INVESTED in the better "package" from the beginning... and you would have saved yourself ALOT of time.

Besides, people shouldn't be stingy with their money, we are not taking it with us when we go.... so why not invest in the best for your family...

(and anyone that owns a satellite or cable, you know that those are just luxuries..... cookware.... especially cookware that will keep you and your family living healthier LONGER is a WAY better invest.... (necessity) )

Be smart.

Have a great rest of the week.

Any OTHER questions, comments, or concerns?

Oh, by the way i'm only 20...

I don't believe you.

Cutco use younger people because they are more energetic, more creative, have less things revolving so they can focus on visiting with people and selling, scholarships are given away throughout the year, they go through a 3-day training course that (if they are going to college) they get from 6 - 18 hours of college credit hours, they are easier to train.... Many succesful doctors, lawyers, teacher, nurses, scientists, etc.... were once previous Cutco representatives....

Not only that, but Cutco has donated several million dollars to the following foundations: Make a Wish Foundation, Re-building New Orleans, Selling Smiles 101 (founded by a Cutco College Student), Going Red for Women (American Heart Association), March of Dimes, Meals on Wheels, YMCA, United Way, American Cancer Society.... and the list goes on and on.....

Trivia: you'll never guess which college student sold CutCo because he wanted to be an astronaut one day.....

Neil Armstrong

Isn't that awesome.....?

Cutco can be done by anyone, but it's not FOR everyone.... like in any job, some get bad experiences others get good ones, so what.... you keep going....

All you people with negativity in your hearts and minds, let it go..... how happy can it actually make you to make rude comments to other people. Is that really what you like to focus on?.... Breathe.... Relax .... I came to this website to EXPRESS myself not to INSULT anyone.... (kind of what life should be about...).... Is that how you speak to your children when they share their opinions?.... You put them down?....

Are your picture albums filled with pictures of you with angry faces, angry hearts?.... I hope they are not.... So just be happy.... Don't pick a fight when there is nothing to fight about.

I respect my elders. Remember, the children of today are tomorrows future.... Look at Neil Armstrong.... Once a young teenager working hard his way through college.... he is a great man today. He worked so hard and so much that he was able to walk on the moon...

Besides, temper, anger and stress make a woman age faster....

That's why some men "just don't care"..... because they would rather stay younger longer..... lol.

Anyway, good night everyone. Healthy eating!

(i can't believe there are so many angry people here anyway, it's only a cooking forum....... i'm sure glad i didn't pick some kind of religious forum to share my thoughts in....)

Did you read the agreement when you posted your message?

Hmmm, I bet that Neil would have read it.....

I didn't say anything originally about scheming. You said you weren't advertising. And I said I don't believe you. And you have now just said that you were advertising. So you know what? That is scheming.

These forums prohibit advertising. Period.

So you signed up to tell us this? Or did you sign up to promote yet another type of cookware?

This is my first time posting here, and I came upon this site while attempting to research Saladmaster and the other companies who claim just as much.

Well to be honest, every review area has the "Good" and the "Scam". "Good" reviews include individuals trying to sell me the product (Saladmaster in particular for this post), while the "Scam" reviews only further explain why society remains in a cyclical bout of ignorance. I do not take sides in these situations as I feel this only furthers a feud and a road better left untraveled. However, I feel everyone should learn and understand what they purchase, no matter what type of cookwear it is.

I find that "Good" reviews give me the same information over and over. The Pros of "Easy", "Fast". It just screams "Now!". A classic notion, and one used so uninterruptedly in this language of ours. I also see 316 grade metal floated around a lot, and yet no one seems to grasp its meaning. After reading countless posts and reviews I concluded that not too many people understand what they bought.

On the other side of this, the "Scam" reviews also give me the same information. Repetitive statements of "Overpriced" with no viable explanation other than that something else is cheaper. Something is Always cheaper. But again, this is understood in respect to the prices I researched.

So for anyone who is concerned or wishes to widen the loads in their brain, here are the facts.

To understand the differences, understand the product itself.

This is not to say, "Oh well that sales rep said..." No. And it is also not to say, "But the price tag is ridicu--" No.

Learn what you are cooking on. I have read up on all of Regalware's products (Classica, Lifetime, Saladmaster, etc.), All Clad (which include a good portion of your Endorsed products from Chefs on television), Healthcraft, and Various others that I have found (although I realize are not nearly as popular).

Let's start with the grade of the metal:

You cannot lie about this. That would be illegal. Because of this gift of the law it is easy for consumers to compare but they are easily swayed by promotional language. Metal is metal, end of story. There are different grades of stainless steel and different ply numbers. One can look over at the product's "About" page or "History" (anything related to that). Here the product will state the grade of metal it uses and how many ply numbers.

304 grade is the highest quality of metal I found for all of these companies except Saladmaster, However all of the products perform the same functions. No oil, no water, (and more but you understand the direction). Well if they all perform the same functions why is one company, which mind you is owned by Regalware who manufactures Classica and Lifetime in 304 grade (more economical), producing cookwear that does the Exact Same function for a Much more expensive price?

It is no wonder people get frustrated because the 316 Ti factor keeps coming up. It is the only difference. Well if you really want to understand the difference between them, do some basic chemistry and metallurgy look ups. 316 is ten times stronger than 304. Despite the "Surgical Steel" marker used to endorse 304 grades, 316 is used in hip replacements. This is just one example I personally know of considering I got to watch a hip replacement in an Anatomy and Physiology course I took in my third year. I only touch on this, I urge you to read for yourself.

Does this Sole difference account for their price increase? According to simple macro economics it does. According to the low demand because of expensive manufacturing costs, 316 is not something used in excess. Therefore, when a company is able to get a hold of it, they must compensate for this increase. If 316 was used more often, demand would rise, price would fall, then finally even out. The cookwear would cost less, but due to inflation numbers will obviously change regardless.

Want to know Why 316 is better than 304? As I said before. Look. It. Up. Educating yourself about the basic chemical components of a substance in order to make a purchase or "Save Your Family's Health" (no matter how pathetic and oddly threatening that sounds). It is worth it to understand what you are dealing with.

This applies to the "Good" reviewers who feel the need to preach of something they do not fully understand (whether or not it is their own fault) and the "Scam" reviewers who believe the grade of the metal is irrelevant.

The purity of the metal is a testimony to itself. Not only that but the examples also prove that in this case, Saladmaster is correct in their claim. Toxins don't leave the metal for decades, and their warranty apparently accounts for this.

I do wish to add that there is a dire need for individuals to get their facts straight. I notice errors all over where people decide whether or not something is worthy of a purchase based on a claim they heard falsely or interpreted incorrectly. Again, make sure that what you read you not only Understand but also Comprehend. For instance, I have seen reviews where people did not purchase Saladmaster (again the product I am evaluating for myself) simply because it did not work in their oven. With a few more minutes of digging I found that the knob on the lid is removable, and the cookwear is completely oven safe.

So again, we come to the main difference (with all the little petty ones aside), as being the grade of the metal.

This reason may or may not be important to you, and either way it does not matter. This was simply a post to shine a light that not everything (Saladmaster and every other company) is exactly as someone tells you. This is why I don't go into major details of each product. I implore You to do the research. Crack a book or use that handy internet (properly).

But I do have tons of answers to any questions as about four hours of my life has recently been devoted to tons of research here. I like to take care before making purchases that I deem unnecessary, but I'd like cookwear that would last.

-M. Locke

I want cookware that lasts, too. And I know that I don't need to spend the megabucks to do so, despite your specious lecture on metals.

Sorry, but your fancy words do nothing to dispel my strong suspicions regarding your motive here.

These businesses wouldn't be around if there weren't enough people out there who want to get something for nothing. And by the way, cooking with a small amount of olive oil has been shown to be HEALTHY for you. They use an extreme level of health conscious hype in order to catch those who are not already educated.

Save your money and yes, remember that 99.9% of the food and beverage that we ingest is ACIDIC not alkaline like the baking soda test. It is a lie that it simulates vegetables, as they are all acidic - your body needs to stay on the acidic side to kill bacteria/viruses and stay healthy. Mineral water is probably the most ingested alkaline item and how many people cook with that???

Sorry to those of you who bought the outrageous priced cookware. It will cook well, and is good quality, but know that you were taken - the quality does not equal the price no matter how many years you keep it.

I'm getting the cold shoulder after an SM demonstration at the home of my wife's long term schoolmate who had already bought a set of pans. The SM sales pitch made outrageous claims that cooking with SM pans will help prevent cancer, alzheimers, diabetes and numerous other diseases. SM claims a saving of 25% on food costs and a significant time and fuel saving - the demo produced an insipid meal of overly sliced vegetables and undercooked chicken thighs. The type of meal that I visually classify as a plate of roadworks - it was dire - yet everyone praised the taste.

The sales pitch was very well thought through and entailed a lot of participation with filling in quetionaires carefully designed to reinforce the SM message. The claims were supported by photcopied articles on food related health risks - none of them had the source quoted so could very well have been produced by SM themselves.

For holding an SM party the host gets a manual slicing machine that has various slotted cones producing 1950's styled sliced vegetables - e.g. crinkle cut carrots - OMG it all looked like institutional food of the worst sort. I guess this device is the original SaladMaster? Further gifts were available for holding more parties and attending cook days.

The electric griddle looked a useful piece of kit but was priced at $1210 (£765) - yes that is not a mis-type; twelve hundred dollars for an electric griddle pan and lid. This is highly priced for a reason as it's a key lure for placing an order and getting one free.

The demonstrator insisted the pans were made of titanium; and got very confused when I suggested the material was stainless steel with a small percentage of titanium. A cutaway part of a pan was provided - I studied this carefully, it's a 3 layer construction not 7 layers as claimed. There are two outer layers of thin stainless steel about 1 milimetre thick (1/16th inch) and a core of aluminium probably 2.5mm thick. The pans are probably the ugliest pots ever designed with bulky detachable plastic handles, fitted onto induction welded lugs. The lugs are a potential source of weakness - I'd rather have robust riveted pan handles or solid cast pans.

The SM pan kits started at $3800 and went up to $12100 - theses are surreal prices but there's an easy pay plan with an eyewatering 17.9% interest rate over 4 years.

There was the infamous bi-carb boil test at the end of the demo, a massive heaped tablespoon of bi-carb in about half a pint of water. I didn't do the taste test - why would any sane person? The taste test is followed by the Betty Crocker chocolate cake steamed in an 8 inch SM pan sprayed with a release oil - not exactly healthy eating. The packet cake mixture was add mixed with all manner of pulverished vegetables - zucchini, potato, cabbage, cucumber, celery etc; it was hard to taste these odd ingrediants - but according to the spiel this somehow proved the superior cooking qualities of the SM pans.

Sales were made that evening but I managed to escape the hype - I'll need to somehow molify my wife - a dozen roses, Belgium chocolates and a spa session; but still less than a $3800 "investment" in a pyramid selling scheme designed to gull with overblown claims to health and wellbeing.

After reading this post two weeks ago i decided to place my order and i have my reasons

I'm posting this to help many that are contemplating on purchase, and to share my opinion based on the prsentation, my research and my two weeks experience.

I'm not here to convince those that have already made up their mind that the price is too much. People pay more for cooker and granite worktops that will not add a taste to your food or reduce your fat intake. Even if you don't believe it improves your health, the possibility is there and that's all that count for me.

What i realise is there isn't a single person that own this product that is not happy with it, all the criticism are coming from those that do not own it and would do anything to justify their reason. It's like asking someone who owns a peugeot about owning a ferrari, they will tell you it's a waste of money but ask a ferrari owner and watch how they go on and on about it. If fact they'll tell you it's the best thing they've ever bought.

I do agree that the price is high and this is the only thing that put many off buying it. My question is.. if salamaster was the same price with le crueset, all clad,(yes i did lots of researchon those ones too) etc, which one would you choose? Obviously, i'll still choose the saladmaster

By comparing these products, the difference is the material used, and possibly the only reason for the high price tag in saladmaster's case. However, you only need to buy these product once and you never have to worry about purchasing another cookware again (unlike the limited 10 years guarantee on le crueset). If saladmaster's claim to have used surgical stainless steel is true, ask surgeons how much they pay for a surgical knife, at the end of the day it's only a 316TI stainless steel knife. Perhaps you should ask them to justify paying those figures for it. I asked my friend's Dad (a medical doctor with many years of experience) and his answer was they can be re-used so many times with the risk of contamination greatly reduced. Sound like the kind of property i'll like my cookware to have.
How would you like to be quoted £500 for a hip replacement material, sound too cheap? so how could a set of cookware made with same material be too expensive at £2500 (for 7 items)? Or why do you think titanium is not used in regular aircraft but in high profile researched supersonic aircraft (i happen to know that because i'm an aerospace engineer)

Someone said earlier that if your current cookware is so bad, why isn't it banned, well i have news for you... smoking kills, it says it on the packet but it's not banned (My friend did his work placement in a tobacco company and he told me that smoking is not allowed on the premises). That's just one example to show that the goverment doesn't care whether you live or die as long as you can give them enough reason to increase the tax. Same with cars, perhaps they should have banned car companies for making those big engines vehicles that emmit tonnes of carbon dioxide or even formula one... oh no .. just increase the tax.

some one also also mention about the bonding of the handles, robust rivet being his preference. Do a search on aircraft failures and you find out how few flight hours limit are placed on rivet joint. High temprature and vibration reduce the integrity of riveted joints. Please don't get me started on structures and construction.

I also found out that "there is an acceptable limit of these chemical that we can have in our meals per day and some of our cookware manufacturers are in compliance with these regulation". When was the last time anyone measure the amount of aluminiun or nickel content of their food or how would they know how many time i used a particular cookware per day.

And then the baking soda test....Some say it's a stunt....some say they don't believe it. I had the opportunity to witness this test at three different presentation(out of curiosity) and the result is consistent. There are thousands of salesmen out there doing this test everyday and if the result is consistent, we need to start admitting that there is more to it than just a sales stunt. Unless there is a special training on how to conduct the test or if any one can say that the saladmaster cookware has also be guilty in this test without doing anything extraodinary.

All i can say is until someone can dis-proove their claim, it stands to be true. Innocent until proven guilty

I personally loved this line: "The one-on-one with independent dealers in direct sales is something I enjoy, rather than buying off the shelf in a store. But that's just me!"

things to look for..
1. registered the same day and immediately posts something saying, "I've chosen XYZ because it's the best and I've heard ABC really sucks." Most people's first post is a question, not a manifesto.
2. inflammatory language - I suspect anyone who makes statements that are unusually one sided. "I've seen so many complaints about Bluestar so I'd never consider buying one." To me that's just someone with an agenda of pointing people to the bad stuff.
3. reciting marketing material - At best, this adds nothing since I can get the same info reading the brochure.
4. too perfect - Anybody who claims that they bought a particular range and it's absolutely perfect and superior in every way is either delusional or has an agenda.

akchicago, sure. I was just kidding. You can spot these shills a mile away. You have to admit, though, that the line that I quoted was a flaming red flag. The poster even repeated it verbatim on the SM/Cutco thread. Not too bright, if you ask me. :-)

The pan doesn't make the food healthier. It's all in the cooking technique. Everybody knows boiling the heck out of foods kills the nutrients. Some veggies actually need cooking to make the nutrients absorbable. But you don't need a special pan to steam them well. Think again about not using your microwave. It's a great way to retain veggie nutrients.

Since you won't change your mind, my reply is directed to others reading your comments on microwave ovens. There has been no credible or verified scientific studies showing any adverse health effects. It is recommended that you not heat blood in it for transfusions, but then, I probably would not have done that anyway.

I notice that you refer to one very old study but do not specify any that contradict it. What I found by googling is that those sites the advise against microwave cooking rely on scare tactics and hysteria, along with a good dose of conspiracy mentality.

I prefer to steam veggies on the stove, but not because any health fears from microwaves. They have been around for years, and I know of no associated health problems whatsoever. Yet the fears associated with anything "new" still linger in the minds of those susceptible to such concerns.

As I said before I want to find out about saladmaster and the health benefits or lack of them.


I do refer to studies of the effects of microwaves whether they be old or not. Do a search on the internet for the effects of microwaves on food and you will find loads of "credible" evidence to suggest they are harmful.
If you know of any good links that contradict the evidence that microwave ovens are bad for you (not by manufacturers), then post them here. I will gladly take a look at them and if the evidence shows that microwave ovens are not harmful, I may even consider using them.
The effects of smoking tobacco and the danger to health go back many decades but people carried on smoking. I wonder if the uninformed people thought that the warnings were scare tactics and hysteria.
Like you I also prefer to steam vegetables on the stove, not because of health fears from microwaves but because they are one of the healthiest ways I know how to cook vegetables.
Is the Saladmaster worth purchasing or not?

No. Not unless you have more money than the Queen and don't care how you spend it.

I have indeed done research, because this topic is a perennial favorite with some. You know very well, if you yourself have done any searching, that there are most definitely studies that show there is no danger. And if you are astute and unbiased, you also know that I characterized the scare sites accurately.

I have no intention of doing your work for you, especially considering your original statement that you will not be changing your mind.

Good luck with finding out more about SM. I have AC and Calphalon and am happy, healthy, and not bankrupt. Personally, I refuse to succumb to hype and fear-mongering, whether it be from paranoid websites or direct marketing companies, both of whom prey on those who are vulnerable to such tactics.

Thanks for your great points on the Saladmaster topic. My wife and I are wondering whether Saladmaster is far superior than All Clad, but our conclusion is that it's all a marketing hype with Saladmaster.
We will be going with the much cheaper All Clad 10pc set. We thought that paying $500-600 for an All Clad set was too much. We guess not.

Do you think the 316Ti steel in the Saladmaster is that much superior when compared to the 304 steel in All Clad. We don't believe it makes a difference in everyday cooking. All Clad should last a lifetime too. They have a lifetime warranty like Saladmaster does.

Thanks to all who have posted about Saladmaster.