How do steam-jacketed kettles cook?
A steam-jacketed kettle heats food with steam that circulates within a “jacket” surrounding the kettle. Because the steam filling the jacketed area heats the metal which then transfers heat to the food, these kettles cook fast and evenly through conduction. With a LoLo kettle, the majority of the cooking surface comes in contact with the food resulting in faster cook times and more uniform heating. The steam in the kettle jacket can be supplied by an outside source (external boiler, municipal steam)–commonly called “direct steam”– or from electric heating elements inside the jacket and gas burners underneath the kettle–generally called “self-contained”. LoLo kettles employ self-contained steam generation.
