Stainless steel waterless cookware has been gaining popularity and for good reason: it’s inexpensive, easy, and allows people to cook healthy meals with little to no added fat, lots of flavor, and high nutrient retention. “Waterless” cookware is somewhat of a misnomer, as small amounts of water are used for cooking.

Waterless cookware is similar in concept to a pressure cooker. Stainless steel waterless cookware comes in a variety of sizes to accommodate many types of foods. Like pressure cookers, they work by placing a tightly sealed lid that traps steam inside to cook food. Unlike its high-pressure counterpart, however, waterless cookware cooks at relatively lower temperatures and pressures. Here are some things to keep in mind when using waterless cookware:

First of all, size does matter when it comes to waterless cookware. If you overfill a pot, the food will not cook evenly. It’s important to only fill the pot about two-thirds full. When selecting stainless steel waterless cookware, keep this limitation in mind. You may want to purchase more than one size of cookware to accommodate the types of dishes you will be preparing.

Then, be careful to rinse and drain food well before placing it in the pot, and add no more than a quarter cup of water before cooking. The goal is to steam the food, not boil it. Adding too much water can result in inconsistent cooking, loss of nutrients, and an unappetizing result.

Another important factor in using stainless steel waterless cookware is the temperature at which the food is cooked. The stove burner should never be set to medium heat. As soon as you notice the steam valve start to hiss, you should lower the heat and close the steam valve to seal the steam inside for proper cooking.

Stackable waterless cookware is another option that can be used to cook more than one pot of food at a time. The key is that if you want food to cook evenly, you should only stack foods that can cook at the same temperature, for the same amount of time. For example, you’ll want to avoid cooking a roast at the same time as delicate vegetables that are likely to turn to mush when the meat is cooked.

Obviously, only the airtight lid included with the cookware should be used. This is because the lid is designed to form a seal that does not allow steam to escape. If you let the steam escape, the food will dry out, overcook, and possibly burn. Similarly, you should not open the lid while the food is cooking, as this also causes a loss of steam and therefore a loss of cooking moisture. Wait until the food has finished cooking before opening the valve to release the steam. Only then should you remove the lid.

While stainless steel waterless cookware is a safe method of cooking, precautions should be taken when removing the lid after releasing the steam. Steam burns could occur if the steam is released incompletely. For this reason, you should let the food sit for about five minutes before removing the lid. When removing the lid, keep your face away from the pot to avoid the possibility of a serious steam burn.