Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Flare Saute Pan

One of the cool things about being a blogger is that I get a lot of fun cooking gear and foods to test and write about.

Most of the time, I know what sort of things are coming. Companies will email and ask if I'm interested in their products, or they'll ask if I'm interested in a sponsored post.

But sometimes things arrive as a surprise.

Not too long ago, a really cool Flare saute pan arrived. I hadn't heard about it before it arrived, so it was a nice surprise.

It went straight into the kitchen so I could start having fun with it. The Flare pans were designed by an actual rocket scientist, with fins that channel heat along the outside of the pan.

When you're cooking with a normal pan, heat is wasted as it billows out from under the pan and into your kitchen. The fins capture that heat, or at least some of it.

After using the Flare pan for a while, I have to say that it does seem to get hotter faster, and it seems to retain that heat pretty well.

I have a feeling that the difference would be even more dramatic with a saucepan, since the heat would travel up the high sides of the pan - it would be great for getting water to boil quickly, and keeping it boiling.

The interior of the pan is nonstick, with a textured, nubby sort of surface rather than a slick one that I've seen in other nonstick pans. So far, nothing has stuck to the pan, and it cleans very easily.

Who's it for: Most people need some sort of saute or frying pan.

Pros: Nonstick, heats quickly.

Cons: Since it's made from aluminum, I don't think it will work well on induction.

Wishes: None, so far. It seems to do its job.

Source: I received the Flare pan via Nordicware at no cost to me.

