That is a beautiful pan. I like the angle of the handle.
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Troutman - Solidteknics has always referred to their AUS-ION skillets as "wrought iron" but they are in fact carbon steel skillets.
According to their Australian site they say this:
"We received rapid acclaim from top chefs when we launched the ground-breaking AUS-IONâ„¢ seamless wrought iron (formed low carbon mild steel) commercial cookware on Kickstarter in September 2015. The experts quickly realised that Australians had radically improved on the centuries-old rivetted French steel pans preferred by top chefs all around the world. Re-launched with a Satin shot-peened finish in October 2016, to better hold the seasoning, AUS-IONâ„¢ formed-iron pans season and cook just like cast iron, but are half the weight."
I have no idea as to the specific metallurgical differences between their AUS-ION and US-ION skillets but I strongly suspect the metallurgical differences are likely nil. Their use of the term "wrought iron" is probably just the sort of linguistic differences we see in English as spoken by various "tribes" (think "spanner" vs "wrench"). Of course I could be wrong and would love to be able to find out if there are completely different metal specs for their pans stamped in the US.
I bought a couple of the AUS-ION skillets a few years ago and I can tell you they are not a cheap thin carbon steel that will warp if used over a live fire. They are the same thickness as the pans stamped in the US.
Mine are the original release with the smooth surface and they did have slight problems with seasoning flaking off (not a big deal but it does seem to freak some folks out). Supposedly their switching to a shot peened finish allowed some "toothiness" to the surface to allows seasoning a better surface to "hang on to". I was a bit surprised they are not peening the surface of their US stamped pans but I suspect that is more to due with the added expense of that process.
I love the AUS-ION skillets and while they may be lighter than many cast iron skillets (Lodge) there are cast iron skillets out there that have thinner walls and lighter weight and are likely just as tough as the Solditeknics skillets in regards to use over a live fire or resistance to cracking. My Field and Marquette Casting skillets are thinner walls than the Solidteknics pans and it looks like even my Stargazer pan has a wall thickness (at least on the sidewalls - the Stargazer has a lot of metal in the two handles so it is significantly heavier than my AUS-ION of similar size (2333g vs 1600g)) thinner than the ION skillets.
They are definitely cool skillets and I use them far more than most of my cast iron stuff but then I also use my nonstick and stainless steel skillets more than cast iron so obviously I'm not that hard core cast iron fanatic type to begin with.
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Thanks for that explanation Histrix, that does make sense. Actually "wrought" iron is somewhat of a misnomer in general since its really not a mass produced product any longer with the advent of carbon steel. The word wrought actually refers to the process of hammering or working as you mentioned. The alloy itself uses I believe a silica instead of carbon and is somewhat more brittle as a result. That's why I was curious as to why someone would bring back an old alloy unless it had some property that gave it better cooking characteristics.
Their website talks about AUS-ION being made from low carbon steel. Wrought iron of old was not carbon steel so you may be right, it's an improper use of a term, unless of course they are referring to the stamping and not the alloy. Regardless, as you say, they look like cool pans and would love to hear Spinaker's review as well. I'm cooking with All-Clad stainless pans and my collection of cast iron with good results. I've just been toying with the idea of a carbon steel pan for sometime. I may still give this one another look.
Thanks again, most helpful insight !!!Comment
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called the "noni". They make lots of claims about even heating, but that’s not really true. However. Really well made and I can’t imagine it ever wearing out. I just burned a bunch of stuff in it (attention wanders) and then cleaned it. This is the after pic.
Last edited by Polarbear777; November 4, 2018, 09:13 PM.Comment
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So it's been 4 years. After that length of time what are your thoughts on this pan when compaired to others you have?Originally posted by Spinaker View PostToday was the day that my First Production run, Solidteknics Wrought Iron Pan arrived! This is a gorgeous piece of cookware that I have been waiting for. This pan is not cast iron, but wrought iron. It is softer and more malleable than cast iron. It actually gets stronger as time goes on and the metal is somewhat flexible which mean very little risk of warping or cracking.
For starters, this pan has a gorgeous handle. Nice and light, with open areas to allow heat to dissipate. Making the handle cool and easy to use while cooking. One unique thing that I really love able the handle is the USA Shape that is stamped out of the end of the handle. (They do this with their Australian-made pans as well.) The handle narrows at in the middle and gets wider towards your hand, making the handle sleek and ergonomic to hold on too. It also saves on weight.
The pan itself is smooth and polished. I bought mine unseasoned so I can work my own magic on this sucka! The stamp on the back of the pan lets me know that I got a 1st edition pan, which is an awesome addition to the collection. Overall, I am very impressed with the craftsmanship of the pan and I can't wait to get cooking!
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Very nice, interested how it works for you.Comment
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Missin44 I absolutely love it. It is a great pan. I use it for camping all the time because it is nice and light. It is a workhorse on backpacking trips. Makes wonderful breakfasts and fried fish!!
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