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Cast Iron

FINEX Cast Iron Cookware Unveils Ultimate Gift Sets This Holiday Season

FinexJust in time for holiday shopping, FINEX Cast Iron Cookware has curated the must-have cookware sets for everyone on that gift list. The Portland, Oregon-based perfectionists craft heirloom quality cast iron pans with unique design and functional qualities. All cookware sets (and individual pans) are now available at www.finexusa.com, and select retailers nationwide.

FINEX Essential Kitchen 2-Piece Set ($275)
This set includes cast iron essentials for smaller homes, camping or new cooks just getting started. The FINEX No. 10 Cast Iron Skillet was born for searing hamburgers, golden pancakes or baking cornbread. The FINEX No. 8 Cast Iron Skillet is ideal for browning meats and sauteing vegetable side dishes but also sees plenty of early morning breakfast duty.

FINEX 10″ Grill & Sear 2-Piece Set ($295)
The FINEX 10″ Grill & Sear 2-Piece Set is for perfect grilling and searing indoors and out. The FINEX No. 10 Grill Pan is designed to grill or sear favorite meats and vegetables with wider extra-deep grill ribs patterned after commercial barbecue grates to easily drain rich foods. The FINEX No. 10 Cast Iron Skillet is a great choice for lighter meals, large side dishes and big breakfasts.

FINEX Classic Family 4-Piece Set ($395)
The FINEX Classic Family 4-Piece Set features the best cast iron combination for maximum flexibility and any portion size. The original FINEX No. 10 and No. 12 Cast Iron Skillets have deep walls for hearty portions, making them perfect searing machines for steaks. Matching pre-seasoned FINEX 10″ and 12″ Cast Iron Lids are included for slowly simmering sauces or poaching eggs. The FINEX No. 8 Cast Iron Skillet is the perfect everyday skillet, and the FINEX Laser Cut Cherry Wood Trivet is precision-cut from American Cherry Wood with carefully dip-stained edges and non-slip silicone feet to protect wood surfaces.

FINEX Complete Heirloom 7-Piece Set ($700)
The FINEX Complete Heirloom 7-Piece Set has every size for every possible cast iron creation. The set includes the FINEX No. 10 and No. 12 Cast Iron Skillets, matching pre-seasoned 10-inch and 12-inch cast iron skillet lids, the FINEX No. 8 Cast Iron Skillet, the FINEX No. 10 Grill Pan, and the FINEX Laser Cut Cherry Wood Trivet.

Le Creuset Turns 90

Le Creuset limited-edition 90th Anniversary Original CocotteLe Creuset, the pioneering manufacturer of enameled cast iron cookware, is launching a worldwide celebration of its 90th anniversary. During its nine-decade history, the brand has manufactured over 300 million products for more than 70 countries. To commemorate this milestone, Le Creuset will be releasing a limited-edition replica of its original product, launching an online ‘time capsule’ initiative and hosting celebrations worldwide throughout the month of September.

“For decades, Le Creuset has been at the center of so many family memories. In the kitchen and around the table, our cookware is prized and passed down to the next generation. Every piece – from our classic French ovens to our Moroccan tagines – becomes part of someone’s story, and that’s what we’re celebrating. Ninety years of stories,” said Faye Gooding, CEO, Le Creuset of America.

Nine decades ago, a French enameling specialist and a French casting expert came together to make superior cast iron cookware, coated in a porcelain enamel glaze. The two opened a foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand, a small town in Northern France, and began producing colorful enameled cast iron—a revolution in a time when cookware was dull and gray. Their first color, in fact, was a bright ‘Flame’ orange inspired by the vibrant tones of molten cast iron. Since then, Le Creuset has grown into a global company offering a full collection of premium cookware, bakeware, kitchen tools, wine tools and kitchen accessories, but the brand’s commitment to handcrafted quality and vibrant color endures today.

As a tribute to this milestone the company will introduce a limited-edition 90th Anniversary Original Cocotte – a specially-designed replica of the very first French oven, or cocotte, Le Creuset produced. Only 1,925 of these cast iron pieces have been made in honor of the company’s founding. Le Creuset aficionados will notice that the original cocotte features many of the design details still found on current Le Creuset cookware – a testament to Le Creuset’s timeless style and craftsmanship.

“It’s no surprise that Le Creuset’s first Flame-colored cocotte came in 1925 – a time when France led the world in reinventing modern cuisine. Le Creuset has always been at the forefront of design and color,” said Paul Van Zuydam, Chairman of Le Creuset. “It’s why cooks around the world feel so passionate about our products. They trust our quality, but they also treasure us for the color and joy Le Creuset helps them create in their kitchens. I am excited to celebrate 90 years of our rich legacy—and even more excited about all the future holds.”

“From the beginning, our founders were committed to designing cookware that lasts for decades. Now, nine decades later, we are delighted to pay tribute to their colorful vision and craftsmanship—and to all the ways Le Creuset cookware has made an impact on people’s lives,” added Van Zuydam.

In addition, the brand will share its 90th anniversary with the world through an online ‘time capsule.’ This interactive anniversary website will invite Le Creuset fans to memorialize their personal experiences with Le Creuset cookware in photos, videos and text tributes. Set to launch with the 90th Anniversary Cocotte release, the website will provide an ever-changing portrait of what of Le Creuset means in the lives of cooks around the world. In addition to the website, Le Creuset divisions in different countries will commemorate the brand’s 90th anniversary with their own celebrations and initiatives all year. The microsite will launch on 9/1 at www.lecreuset90.com.

Social Media-Worthy Meal Presentation

Le Creuset Marseille Lifestyle 3There are dishes you simply serve and then there are dishes that you post. The food post has become a ubiquitous tenant of the social media accounts of foodies across the world. A quick scroll through any Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feed will quickly produce a shot of somebody’s food, either home cooked or served in a restaurant. Sometimes the food looks great, sometimes it looks like it would be best left unposted.

But it really does not take a wealth of food knowledge to produce a meal worthy of social media sharing. The right oven-to-table piece can do most of the work and elevate a basic potato dish to one that looks primed for Facebook.

Le Creuset Marseille Lifestyle 2Le Creuset is, of course, no stranger to beautiful meal presentation. A quick search for #lecreuset on Instagram results in over 100,000 images. A simple picture of an espresso cup packed with scoops of vanilla ice cream on a saucer posted by a reality television star earned 320 likes. Even recipes in the midst of cooking or about to go in the oven look tempting when combined with all the many colors of Le Creuset.

The recent re-introduction of Le Creuset’s blue Marseille color just begs to be shared on social media. The bold and vibrant color is inspired by the port city of Marseille in southern France and brings to mind the sea and sky. Pieces from all categories throughout Le Creuset can be found in this new color, including cast iron, stoneware, tools and accessories, stockpots and teakettles. The new shade of matte amethyst is another nice option for instantly sprucing up a mealtime photo.

Emile Henry Chicken baker 3Emile Henry introduced oven-to-table pieces this year that also do most of the work towards making a splash on the dinner table and on social media. The new Emile Henry Chicken Baker raises the bar on the aesthetic of presentation and, combined with the cooking performance of the baker, makes leaving a memorable impression a snap. The baker has a 3.2-quart capacity and features a domed lid that is shaped to fit close to the food so as to diffuse heat and eliminate the need for basting because it causes the steam to circulate around the ingredients. The baker can also be used for any type of meat and has ridges on the bottom to prevent the meat from soaking in its juices. The Chicken Baker is dishwasher, microwave, oven, and freezer safe and is available in burgundy or charcoal colors.

Emile Henry PotatoPotCounterThe Emile Henry Potato Pot is designed for cooking vegetables and potatoes at low temperature on the stovetop or in the oven. The two-piece design of this unique pot enables a style of traditional French cooking with no water or oil. Simply stack the potatoes or vegetables in the pot along with seasonings, put on the top, and place it on the stove or in the oven to cook. When used on the stove, the pot should be flipped every 15 minutes so that the heat diffuses evenly through the vegetables. The two pieces of the Potato Pot are identical, so that either side can go directly on the burner. Since there is no need to use water or oil, the result is a more flavorful potato that cooks in 30 to 40 minutes. The Potato Pot is available in burgundy or charcoal colors.

Emile Henry New ClassicsAlso new from Emile Henry this year, Modern Classics is the French brand’s range of cookware and bakeware designed from the ground up to attract the American consumer while preserving the design elements and the performance properties of Emile Henry. The shapes, capacities, and dimensions were developed with an eye toward American foods, style and recipes. There are five new colors and eight original shapes to start. The colors are spirited and vivacious tones of primary yellow, green, blue, red, and white that would make for a fabulous share on any social media platform.

Mauviel_Valerie_003Mauviel, beautiful in its copper simplicity, is always a sure way to make a lasting impression, in person or online. Any of Mauviel’s paella pans would make for a delightful presentation, like the M’elite Stainless Steel Paella Pan pictured here. The hand polished and hammered exterior makes just as much of a visual impact in stainless steel as do any of Mauviel’s copper cookware. Grand pieces, like the M’tradition Copper Fondue Set, and understated pieces, like the M’cook Mini Rectangular Roasting Pan, are imbued with the Mauviel spirit alike and are equally impactful. A search for #mauviel on Twitter and Instagram brings up as many images of food being cooked as it does images of the cookware proudly displayed in kitchens, hanging from pot racks or neatly stacked on shelves, proving that having the right cookware is half the battle for “Likes.”

Zwilling_12_301716Staub posts come in second after Le Creuset on Instagram, with a search for #staub producing over 46,000 images from people as eager to share their meals as they are to share the Staub mark stamped on the handles of their cookware. A basic chili still on the stove looks mouthwatering in a green Oval Cocotte from Staub. Instagrammers are careful to include the lids too if they are so lucky to have the cocottes topped with a silver knob resembling a chicken, fish, pig, or snail.

The Cast Iron 3-quart Tomato Cocotte is new from Staub this year and is striking enough to cause a social media stir. The cocotte is cherry red and molded after a brandywine tomato with a silver stem branching out from the lid’s center to act as a knob. The Tomato Cocotte was introduced after the success of the Pumpkin Cocotte and is designed to be complementary for the Staub collector. Because the lid completes the look of the tomato, anything served in it is sure to be a Facebook post slam dunk – you don’t even have to show the meal concealed underneath!

This story was originally published in the June 2015 issue of Kitchenware News, a publication of Oser Communications Group.

SOLIDTEKNICS Launches New AUSfonte Cast Iron Pans

SOLIDTEKNICS AUSfonte 10-inch Sauteuse pan

SOLIDTEKNICS AUSfonte 10-inch Sauteuse pan

Australian company SOLIDTEKNICS has kickstarted a new Australian cookware industry this past September 2014 with the successful launch of the AUSfonteTM cast iron pans, the only production cookware made in Australia.

The 10-inch Sauteuse pan has received rave reviews from top chefs and the food media for its cooking performance and innovative features, and the all-Aussie pans are now being exported to the USA.

Apart from all the regular benefits of traditional cast iron pans so loved by cooks – even heating, multi-generation durability, clean synthetic-free high-temperature cooking – AUSfonte Sauteuse pans have unique ‘Love Handles’ which are long and comfortable and reduce heat transfer up the handle – so effectively, according to the company, that the handles actually stay cool on the stove top, a first for cast iron pans.

The cooking surfaces of the AUSfonte pan are also machine-sanded smooth like the prized antique American pans, and with proper seasoning they provide cooks with a smooth synthetic-free nonstick cooking surface which is also safe at high temperatures. The pans are made 100 percent in Australia from clean Australian iron and each one is cast with the exact casting date to boost collectibility.

The 13-inch BIGskillet is on Kickstarter now

The 13-inch BIGskillet is on Kickstarter now

SOLIDTEKNICS found that making the expensive casting molds in Australia was a major barrier to entry, so instead of offshoring they turned to the crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter. This worked very successfully to fund the launch of the first Sauteuse pan, and now SOLIDTEKNICS is appealing for support to launch two bigger pan models. On the Kickstarter.com platform SOLIDTEKNICS is currently offering the new 13-inch BIGskilletTM as a reward for backers in return for a pledge of support of $149 (plus $39 shipping from Australia). A bonus for Kickstarter backers is that every pan is cast with “FIRST EDITION” and the exact casting date, a limited heirloom feature that was very popular in the first Kickstarter campaign.

The Australian pan’s designer and SOLIDTEKNICS founder is Mark Henry, the same mechanical engineer who founded the Füritechnics cutlery company, which made the Füri Rachael Ray cutlery, and which he sold in 2008.

“We’re really grateful to see so much support on Kickstarter from cooks who want the most high performance pans available, not necessarily traditional pans,” said Henry. “We worked hard to engineer what we believe are the best pans available today. And now it is very heartening to see that top chefs are agreeing: they’re starting to call them ‘world’s best,’ without prompting – or payment – just out of enthusiasm for finding something that works better in a few key features.”

To see what all the fuss is about with these new Aussie pans, and perhaps secure your own piece of Australian cookware history, use this direct link www.kickstarter.com/projects/400294490/ausfonte-cast-iron-bigskillet-pan-32cm-13-deepan-s/.