One container. The whole meal prep loop.

Know this before you start

A cooking container behaves a little differently from a frying pan — the steel is thinner. Understanding its different character will help your cooking experience.

1. Water redistributes the heat.

   The steel is thin (about 0.4 mm, against a pan's 1.5–3.5 mm), so it heats fast but unevenly — the water spreads it out. That's why anything with liquid in it (stews, soups, boiling, braising) is where these containers are most suitable.

2. Fill it before you heat it.

   Always load the food and liquid in first — NEVER heat the container empty like a pan. Thin steel gets hot in seconds, and high heat on an empty base can warp the sheet and leave burnt marks that persist.

3. Cooking something dry? Water or oil is essential.

   Add either, start on low heat and turn constantly to keep the base from catching. Every hob is different, so use your judgement.

4. Use the lid two ways.

   Rest it rim-down, the usual way, to trap steam and help things cook through. But at a strong boil the rim can funnel that steam so it condenses and drips through the gap onto the hob, where it hisses against the heat. When that starts, flip the lid upside down — rim facing up — and the steam vents away more freely, so the dripping and sizzling stop.

5. Rainbow or burn marks are normal.

   Rainbow or burn marks after direct contact with the heat source are normal. Blue, gold or rainbow tints are a normal heat change in the steel's protective oxide film. They're cosmetic — not a coating peeling away — and don't affect cooking or any other function of the container.

6. Shift stubborn residue with vinegar or bicarb.

   Two kinds of residue will lift off with a little patience: cloudy white marks — minerals left behind when water or cooking liquid evaporates — and food stains, including the black, burnt-on residue that clings to the metal. The rule of thumb is to clean alkaline with acid, and acid with alkaline. Mineral marks are alkaline, so soak them with diluted white vinegar and wipe away. Food stains and burnt-on black residue are acidic, so reach for bicarbonate of soda instead. The powder needs moisture to work — wet the surface before you sprinkle it on, or mix in a little water to make a paste and spread it over the mark. Leave it 10–30 minutes to loosen the bond, then wash the residue away with a gentle scrub such as a loofah. Really stubborn marks can sit overnight.