[TheForge] RE: Frying pan

Bruce Freeman [email protected]
Thu Aug 21 11:43:01 2003 

One of my nicer pots (picked up at a flea market) is SS with a thick
aluminum layer fused to the bottom.  All the advantages of SS, all the
advantages of thick aluminum.

This struck me as something I could probably make  myself, but I
haven't tried it.  Kinda like a Fisher anvil - get the steel pan red hot
and fuse it to molten aluminum in a mold (upside down, of course, as the
slag floats), then grind off the slag and file or grind a flat finish on
the bottom.

Bruce
NJ

>>> [email protected] 08/21/03 11:19AM >>>
On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 17:35:39 -0500, Bob Ehrenberger
<[email protected]> 
wrote:

> Andy,
>
> It sounds thin to me also.  But never having made one before who am I
to
> say. We never use anything but cast, I have never used a steel fry
pan.
> Once upon a time we had an aluminum pan with a teflon coating, it was

> really
> bad.

	I had Revere's 200th anniversary pans.  THey were so heavy
	that I'm sure a small woman would not have been able to
	wield them.  
About 1/8 thick (8 ga) or better, copper sandwiched
	with stainless steel on both sides.  Sadly I gave them to
	my GF at the time when we went our separate ways, though by
	some twist I still have the pancake griddle thingy.  Must
	weigh 4# and it's only about 12 to 14 inches square and almost
	dead flat.  They worked very well; good even heat, and that
	is the important factor, as far as I know.  That's why so
	many of your good pans and pots have the thick copper clad
	bottoms.  I think thin sides are OK, but the bottom should
	be a good 1/4 inch thick or better.

	Personally, I suspect that unless you are well capitalized
	to mass-produce these items, or you are going to charge some
	ungodly price, things like this are far too much work to be
	worth one's time.  If you can get $500 per piece, then spending
	a whole day building a frying pan may be a profitable venture.
	Short of that, I think it's a loser in business terms.  If
	you just want to do it for the experience then by all means
	do so.

	It's funny when you think of a form as simple as a frying pan.
	One does not immediately associate it with great time and
	effort in the manufacture, even by hand.
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