Any interest in products like these, which have not been very available before? These seem to be up for “reservation” with a one dollar deposit for reduced pricing (85$). “Still in development”.
“Unlike single layered traditional carbon steel pans, The Strata Pan features a multi-layered construction. It includes a top carbon steel cooking surface, a responsive aluminum core, and a robust stainless steel base.”
"This is preliminary as we’re still finalizing based off testing, but it will be close to:
2.7 mm total thickness
2.0 mm aluminum core
0.35 mm bottom stainless steel
0.35 mm top carbon steel
The goal is to maximize heat transfer with the thick aluminum layer, while keeping weight to a minimum with the thinner top and bottom layers, but still thick enough that they’re durable. Thanks for your interest!"
I have an old Daniel Boulud stainless clad pan whose core is carbon steel. There were 3 types of pans in the set - composition varied - some had copper cores, some aluminum cores, and the skillets had carbon steel cores. I think they were released around 2004 or 2005. They weren’t a marketing success. I got mine very deeply discounted about 15 years ago from a now defunct online liquidation site.
The frying pan heats up crazy fast. Screenshot of original “review” from Newsday
There was also a “faitout” - though not in the traditional sense. It was a good idea in theory, but it was not, as the packaging claimed, induction capable, and the lid that doubled as a pan warped when used as such. Again purchased for probably 85 percent off from that same liquidation site; it went to Goodwill.
If I were looking for a weakness in their pitch, it would be the lack of practical experience in their team. As you say, it’s a new material idea and it’s outside their area of expertise.
They mention it here on the reddit post - they are a for-hire contracting company that does design and engineering work and then hands off manufacturing to a factory in Suzhou. The name of their company is Gizmatic and you can see a portfolio here - EV chargers, monitors, drones, a lot of electronics. A lot can go wrong between design and manufacturing. They don’t seem to have previous experience with the forging company.
But they also don’t seem to have years of experience cooking, so it’s hard for them to design for all the use cases – differently sized people, with different hands and strengths; different foods; different kitchens; the way a skillet is held and moved, and the way it should balance in your hand.
Could be a great pan. Feels like they are trying to ride a trend, though? Again, that’s if I’m looking for weaknesses.
Good points, I also question if these would turn out durable. Wish these would be manufactured elsewhere, too. I have said it before, that I would like to get my hands on pans constructed like these, or with a disk base though.
I might appreciate a choice with thicker aluminum core, to have an as even as possible carbon pan, but the faster response time and lighter weight seems good also. What I see in these is a lighter, faster, yet a bit more even than a regular “carbon steel” pan. It’s not going to hold heat as well, but could make for a nice morning and lunch break pan for example.
I would probably still gravitate towards using my de Buyer or Darto pans though in the end.
I have wondered why there haven’t been such (at least widely/easily) available, so count me interested anyway. I haven’t placed the preorder.
–Good experiment.
–Not DW-able
–Rust, especially at the rim and through pits, may be a problem.
–The 400 series “SS” base will be prone to corrosion and pitting.
–The CS lining is quite thin.
–The ad copywriters don’t know cookware. They should be pushing that it’s more even than CI and CS.
–I doubt this line is substantially lighter than CS.
I use the 12” skillet sometimes (it’s the size, not the composition, that I usually don’t need these days). The copper core is ok - but conversely my sauté pieces are small. I have 2nd quality ( I can’t find the flaws!) All Clad Copper Core that I use frequently instead and like.
You can tell the composition of each piece by a coded inset medallion in the handle - copper for copper, dark grey for carbon steel, and light grey for aluminum.
Do you have an opinion, on how thick the CS lining should be for a pan like this and why? Could it be too thin to hold up for some reason at 0,35mm?
My carbon steel pans have not pitted so far for the little I’ve looked, but I guess for a lined pan that would be more unfortunate in case it happened, than for a solid sheet. At the rim because of exposed aluminum?
I’m not so worried about the exterior of this pan, but for example Demeyere has done theirs nicely indeed, I do like that about my Proline.
I suppose up to the user how substantial the weight difference is, but it should be lighter than a 3mm cs pan if the current specs hold.
I have a feeling these are not going to become wildly popular, or so wide spread (even if I would hope so), but pretty sure we can have some user reports from eg reddit sooner or later then after they have shipped.
My actual carbon steel pans are doing fine on my current cooktop, are durable, and I like them.
IF the lining rusts or pits, there’s not a large margin. Tin linings can be 0.2mm thich, for comparison.
Yes, the real issue with corrosion would be at the exposed rim. Wherever it occurs (through or around the CS), there is a risk of delamination over many heat cycles.
The bottom issue is mostly cosmetic, but most makers will not use 400 Series for exposed surfaces. My Falk Coer has a 420 bottom, and it has pitted and doesn’t look good.
This construction may be solid. The idea of having a semi-NS lining without the drawbacks of true nonstick, along with more even heat compared with straight CS, is a good one. Time will tell.
In the meantime, it’d be nice to know the actual weight difference between this and a typical CS pan in 2 or 2.5mm in the same diameter. I bet it’s not a lot.
That’s what I believe also. As an idea, I still think it’s great, but probably the people that have been hoping to buy CS triply or disk are not many. But who knows if they could gain traction if they are good and marketed well, SS triply already is widely sold after all. As you said, time will tell.
Supposed more even heating. It may not work for me (I won’t know until I try). The reason is that I use high temperature stove top seasoning and I can use high temperature, but I am worry the cladding won’t hold in such high temperature.
In their illustration, the three layers appear to be of similar or like thickness, and that is thin. I would think the benefits of heat dispersion that aluminum offers would be slight if it were quite thin. If, however, the aluminum were a good bit thicker it might make sense. As regards aesthetics, I am partial to old, blackened Lyonnaise pans, but you already knew that. Given my penchant for extra fort copper, heavy pans are fine by me. I realize on these various points I am at best counter cultural and at worst an heretic in a modern kitchen.
Sure a better heat dispersion pan could be minimally better, but the folded egg might well be an application where heat dispersion is not helpful. You do not want the outer edges to cook thoroughly before they are folded, and as they all come together in the center, the bottom is minimally more cooked while the folds remain baveuse (snotty).
