Most of you know about hubby's and my addiction with kitchen gadgets, and most of you are already familiar with the Xtrema Cookware line we profiled last month in which I raved for 11 straight paragraphs about how much I love their products. It's been months since we started using our Xtrema Cookware on a daily basis, and I have to say that I am just as happy with it - if not more so - than the day it arrived.
The Xtrema Cookware set is beautiful, cooks a darn good meal consistently, and has the best heat distribution of any other cookware we have ever used. Add that to the fact that Xtrema is quite possibly the world's most versatile cooking line ever, and you will completely understand why I am so excited that their new Xtrema Bakeware is now available - and just in time for the Holiday cooking season!
Sure, I was reasonably happy with my old bakeware, but I was also reasonably happy with my pots and pans before I met Xtrema, and now you should see most of them gathering dust on our pots and pans rack. Since I absolutely love to bake, especially around this time of year, it makes perfect sense to profile what is now my new favorite Bakeware line and introduce you to baking Green, the Xtrema way.
In case you missed my last Xtrema post, their Cookware and Bakewear has been engineered to withstand amazingly high temperature settings and conditions that make their line able to handle just about anything. Xtrema Bakeware can go from stovetop to toaster oven to broiler to microwave to barbeque grill to tabletop and then to the freezer with ease, and all without the risk of thermal shock.
How's that for versatile? The Xtrema Bakeware can cook just about anywhere there's a heat source that gets up to cooking temperature and does so without risk of shattering or cracking due to temperature fluctuations. Going from the fridge or freezer to oven can crack glass and ceramic baking dishes instantly, never mind putting it somewhere unheard of in Bakeware, like the BBQ grill or microwave. But not Xtrema, the Bakeware that can go just about anywhere.
Xtrema Bakeware and Cookware is made of a high-temperature ceramic with a non-toxic non-stick ceramic surface both inside and out, which makes oiling or greasing all but unnecessary in nearly every trial we have run it through, whether it was casseroles, pasta dishes or brownies. The Xtrema cookware can withstand temperatures of 2,700 F, which is 500 F past the point at which steel melts, and still the non-stick surface wipes clean at the end of the meal.
The multi-functional nature of the Bakeware set means that you can thaw, cook and serve a meal all in the same baking dish, which is great because I am adamantly opposed to using more than one pan per entree. Before, when we were making a casserole or pasta dish, we would take items from the freezer and put them in a glass dish to microwave and then after they were microwaved we would dump them in a pan to brown before getting out yet another dish to bake the food in. For formal meals, we would then transfer to a serving dish to bring to the table. When you’re talking multiple dishes and sides, the sheer number of pans and dishes dirtied can be absurd. With the Xtrema set, we put the frozen food in, microwave and then set on the stovetop or in the oven to cook without worry. And then once the meal is cooked, we can serve right from the pan – even using metal utensils! After dinner is over, you can store leftovers in the Xtrema Bakeware in either the refrigerator or freezer immediately without any worry of thermal shock.
Because the high-gloss ceramic glaze is extremely non-stick, the Xtrema Bakeware is easy to wipe clean without harsh scrubbing, but should you ever need to, it's great to know that it can even withstand steel wool, the traditional non-stick nemesis. Xtrema Bakeware is naturally bacteria resistant and contains no trace metals or chemicals that can leach from the cooking surface into your food and no non-stick surface that can peel, warp or scratch.
Okay, but how does it cook? Better than every single set of Bakeware I have ever tried in my life. The Xtrema Bakeware set has the most efficient heat transfer hubby or I have ever seen, retains heat longer than traditional Bakeware, and allows us to use a lower heat setting than we do normally, all of which saves energy while cooking.
One of the first things we noticed about the Cookware was that the heat spreads out over the entire pot or pan, not just the part directly on the center of the burner. The same is true of the Bakeware, which means that items cook evenly, even in a non-convection oven such as ours. This reduces hot spots while baking and actually cooks the food quicker and more evenly, allowing you to get dinner on the table faster than ever before. Fair warning: the heat transfer of these pans is so efficient that every bit of it gets hot, including the handle and lid, use caution… and a pot holder.
The Xtrema website explains their revolutionary cooking technology like this: The ceramic material used in all Xtrema cookware has an inert and non-reactive quality that produces a far-infrared heating process that's considered the most effective and beneficial type of heat for all types of cooking. This penetrating heat process cooks food from both the inside and outside at the same time. The end result is the emergence of a full range of subtle and nature flavors, an increase in nutritional value and a more enjoyable eating experience. The overall result is Healthy Cooking = Healthy Eating = Healthy Body.
For those of you looking to go Green, you will be happy to note that the Xtrema Bakeware set is environmentally friendly and so much more than Green. Their patented ceramic material is made from 100% natural ceramic materials and organic water, including the Nano-Glaze™ surface. The company also reduces its environmental impact by using clean-burning and safe natural gas, which Ceramcor claims is part of their pollution-free process. As if that’s not enough, they even recycle all their water.
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, my Xtrema Bakeware set is looking forward to hours upon hours of cooking and baking for our family gatherings. Get yours now and by Christmas, you too, can be baking for your family with the most even cooking, easy to clean and Green Bakeware available.
Xtrema has created, and continues to create, some of the coolest Cookware and Bakeware lines around, which is why they are worthy of the "Dual-Rave", and why I would recommend them for any cook on your Christmas list.
Price: Prices range from $39.99 to $149.99 and are available at www.ceramcor.com or at the growing list of Xtrema retailers. You can save 15% off entire Xtrema Healthy Ceramic Bakeware order by using the coupon code-- cx15, expires 1/15/09
Overall: Stovetop, conventional, microwave or toaster oven, broiler, barbeque, refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher safe... which means there is literally nothing this Bakeware can’t be used for!
This Giveaway is CLOSED, thank you to all who entered and congrats to Crystal who was the lucky winner!
A Thanksgiving-sized thank you to Ceramcor for providing the bakeware to be reviewed, and offered up one of their bakeware pieces for giveaway to our fabulous readers. No type of monetary compensation was received for this review.
