Long time lurker first time poster - don't be gentle.
Have you been wanting solidteknics but couldn't justify the cost? Well now you need a new excuse!
Myer have 50% off a small but worth it range.
There are a range of pans of different sizes:
28cm = $89.98
26cm = $87.48
24cm = $82.48
20cm = $64.98
better be made of some type of steel. wouldnt be great cooking on a cardboard frypan
It's a fair bit lighter, I wouldn't ditch my Lodge for it but if you only have the 28cm lodge then the 26cm one here would be great for a lighter pan to live on the stovetop.
I wouldn't "ditch" your lodge, but I rarely use my lodge since getting these. They are brilliant.
I have a few lodge cast iron however, I've switched to thick carbon steel as it's lighter, yet still much better for searing than non-stick.
I believe that solidteknics is a thin carbon steel pan.
What thick ones are you using?
@Osiris: It's a no name generic brand, can't remember the brand.
It's about 4mm thick and fairly decent for searing.
It's thicker than solidteknics
@JimB: i have solidkinetics, i’m not impressed, they are not very thick steel because they need to be thin enough to be able to be pressed from sheet steel. So thin you can bend the handles. it’s why they are lighter, less steel. de buyer and mauviel make 3.2mm thick pans if you want steel but lighter than cast iron.
Non-stick should definitely not be used for searing
I believe that solidteknics is a thin carbon steel pan.
No, it's wrought iron. Items in this Myer deal (the lightning range) are 2.5mm thick, their regular range is 3mm think, their XHD items are 4mm thick
@snuke: solidteknics calls its carbon steel- wrought iron for marketing purposes.
It's essentially carbon steel.
@JimB: Technically yes, it has carbon, it is steel, thus it is carbon steel.
But that would be disingenuous as it has less than 0.05% carbon, which is below the threshold for "Low Carbon Steel" 0.05 to 0.15%.
So no, not just a marketing term.
Solidteknics are not scared of some marketing BS (their founder is a nutcase), but this is not one of them.
Their Stainless Steel is called "nöni™" meaning No Nickel. Now…. this is true from a marketing standpoint, however, it's not true on a chemistry standpoint. Their ferritic stainless steel just has such a low level of nickel, that legally it can be marketed as nickel free.
@snuke: Standard carbon steel consists of 99% iron and 1% carbon.
Is there any practical difference between 1% carbon and 0.03% carbon? Doubt it.
Is there any practical difference between 1% carbon and 0.03% carbon? Doubt it.
Holey shit yes there is.
Editing this as my reply was not constructive.
Think of it like this, would you say the same thing about blood alcohol level? No
Metallurgy & Chemistry is a wonderful thing.
@snuke: the amount of carbon has more to do for knives or tools for hardness, makes no difference for pans.
No, if you don't have weak wrists your lodge pans are better imho
I do have weak wrists but I wont admit it to anyone else but ozbargain :P
I’ve got four Lodge and four Solidteknics pans. I also have wrists of steel due to… er… research.
I barely touch my Lodges anymore. The ST’s are so much better for searing, durability and cleanup.
As others have noted, it’s just a shame that the founder is such a nutter - intent on developing a cult-like following who aren’t allowed to ask questions or query the dubious utility of his bizarre utensil range. I’ve stopped investing and can’t endorse putting another dime in his egotistic pockets. Look up the more collaborative SolidTeknics Uncensored Facebook group for more balanced content…
How much is it OP?
FREE
There are a range of pans of different sizes. I just got 2 x 28cm pans for $89.98 each
26cm = $87.48
24cm = $82.48
20cm = $64.98
If only I had the cash right now
They don't accept cash
The handle doesn't look very comfy for a everyday use or is it?
Be stronger
You can buy silicone rubber grips for Lodge frypans that look like they’d fit these
You'll probably find the Solidtek a bit thinner than the lodge handles, so the grips can rotate.
they are quite comfortable (with long handles) and not getting too hot (the cut outs at the handle base are for that).
They are fine. Honestly easy to hold.
Agreed.
Very easy to handle, and infinitely easier to manage than the stubby and weightier lodge handles.
Awesome deal - been waiting for one of these for ages. Many thanks, OP.
Same, glad I could help mate.
This is half the weight of a normal cast iron pan.. is the durability half as good?
For reference le creuset and BK (which I own are around 3.5 kg) this one is almost 1.4kg
Well if a normal cast iron pan will last for eternity, surely this should last for half an eternity, right?
That's my logic too. :P the denominator of an eternity is a difficult measure though
Cast iron can shatter if you drop it. It's quite brittle.
"can"
Having worked in commercial kitchens with chefs who liked to throw pans at dish pigs, and I've dropped a bunch of cast iron parts working as a fabricator, I've never once actually seen this happen.
Since they’re wrought not cast, they are supposed to be immune to breaking and I’ve never heard a report of one breaking - unlike their knives which have been known to break.
However at 2.5mm, they don’t have as much thermal mass as their signature 3mm range, nor the 4-5mm of most cast iron, so pre-heating is critical before you drop in a kilo of cold steak…
Same as a cast iron pan. You can throw the pan into a pyrolytic oven to start seasoning from scratch.
It's not cast iron, but wrought iron. Made from a single piece of steel. Cast iron is molded. This is pressed from a sheet. Durability is good. I've owned a couple for the past 5 years. Used them on campfires, gas stoves, induction and ovens.
OOS 28cm
:(
I have no idea if this is any good but I bought it because you guys said its a good price lol
This is the way
I did the same and I don’t even cook. Hopefully I will now.
OzBargain - changing lives.
You did the right thing. If you don't like them, flip them on FB marketplace for almost RRP
Seriously, I did this a lot last ten years but I think it’s costing me more money in the end when my initial plan was to save lol
Fantastic pans. A bit of a learning curve, but worth a purchase at this price.
What’s the learning curve? Genuine q
Seasoning from scratch. These are not preseasoned like lodge cast iron.
The quenched means it's pre seasoned
@diarlin: Even better if they are similar quality seasoning as the lodge ones. I bought the Kickstarter versions which were not quenched and that was the only learning curve for me.
@charzy: I haven't ever used Lodge (too heavy!) but my Solidteknics 26cm non lightning is quenched and it was basically ready to go.
Heat control and when to use fats or oils to cook. These pans retain heat very well and I find where I would've had the burner on full on a teflon pan, it's too hot on the Solidteknics. Using a seasoning bar was also a positive. When i first got them, i tried to season in the oven (unsuccessfully) and cook some bacon. It stuck and it was awful. I made some seasoning bars and simply burnt them on to season them. Pans transformed after this. Nothing really sticks now and eggs swish around without any problems.
I could look this up but first hand advice is best - what are seasoning bars and what’s your tip for them?
@BargainGain: I just make it per this receipe.
https://www.solidteknics.com/recipes/ironlovebarrecipe?srslt…
After I clean the pan, i'll melt a little of this on and wipe it over to protect the pan and keep it non stick. Pretty easy and effective.
ah myer giving me false hope, lets you add 28cm to cart only to say oos at checkout =/
didn't think these ever go on sale
Yep just had the same experience, "selling fast" conveniently changed to "sold out" after I went to effort of creating an account and checking out
Had the same, but then found one for click and collect.
Did you try click and collect?
I am picking one up from castle hill
Can anyone sell me on why this is better than my big chunky cast iron? I though half the reason cast iron is so good is that it's heavy and retains heat. I see this is wrought iron but I'm not sure how that translates to the experience of actually using it (beyond having it be lighter when you need to lift it).
These are much lighter. You can still hit high temperatures with these to sear meat unlike non stick pans. Don't need an oven mitt to hold the pan once heated.
I have both lodge and solidteknics. I use the lodge for special occasions i.e. multiple steaks but otherwise solidteknics is my daily pan.
Just don't forget the oven mitts if you take the pan out of the oven and pop it on the stove 😅😭
it’s an alternative for people that don’t want a non stick or stainless steel , just a steel pan, so they can get high heat and use metal utensils but don’t want the weight of a cast iron pan. there are lots of cheaper options if people just want 2.5mm thick steel pan. if it was as thick as a cast iron pan, it would weight as much, steel is made from iron so if you want the thickness you can’t escape the weight.
So is this like a middle ground between cast iron and carbon steel?
AUSSIE MADE!!!
So quality might be an issue?
Shame you're down voted. The truth can be hard to swallow.
Bargain of the year seriously!
Bought 4 😊
Dam you! All OOS now
Are you guys kidding, all OOS. Did everyone on the site order 10 or was there that little to begin with?
Yeah all gone …
Dumb question but are these fairly non stick?
Depends how you look after it, these are apparently wrought iron pans. ( vs cast iron and carbon steel)
They will rust if not looked after.
They become more non-stick the more layers of seasoning on it. (i do it every time i cook since i have to dry it anyways)
By the sounds of it, it seems to be quite similar to carbon steel but designed very well
If you are comparing this to PTFE/Teflon, then forget about it.. it is close but no where near as non stick
Edit: Guessing it is good for searing, stir fry and general cooking. Cast iron is good for all types of cooking but it is heavy(so don't expect any egg flips with the pan)
Initially no but use oil and over time it takes on a coating and that makes it easy to clean. Wipe off…i use a lodge…only downside is its heavy. Would have liked to try these as they seem lighter. The lodge is like cooking on a tank
All oos!
do more expensive pans make your food taste better than aldi cast iron?
No. All that matters is the temp that the pan can get to and how well it can maintain it. but in theory a thicker / higher quality pan will do this better and last longer, I haven’t seen any long term studies of cast iron longevity though across brands
cast iron can last forever if not rusted or discarded as too heavy for most females - but enamel on cast iron such as Le Creuset tends to discolor, crack or chip off leaving them less attractive over time.
Even if cast iron rusts you can bring it back in a few hours with acid and some scrubbing.
But they are definitely heavy.
Well for starters these aren't cast iron pans. They are more like carbon steel pans which have their own pros/cons.
steel is made from iron with control over the mount of carbon, the amount of carbon content makes cast iron brittle, adjust the amount of carbon, and you have steel which you can make into sheets and mold in a hydraulic press quickly and cheaply, cast iron you need to make a mould and pour liquid metal into, and you need a foundry to do it vs shed with a hydraulic press.
Myer only discount items when they have a dozen left.
Skillets all gone
I wish I had a family who could be trusted to not put them in the dishwasher
I hear this. I tell my family I don't mind them using the pan, just leave it for me to clean.
I wish I had a family I could trust.
I wish I had a family
why does it even matter? just re-season it's not teflon
The chems in dishwashing tablets aren't good for the metal.
Similarly to not washing high quality knives in a dishwasher
Always hand wash
lol does it get a tummy ache?
Thanks OP. Managed to get a 26cm pan and 28cm double handle.
I regret not buying a second pan considering how popular this post went - good job mate
Gooooooone 😭
cries in high ferritin
i feel like my only options are steel (which seems to only be non stick when its ripping hot) or ceramic coated. everyone seems to be off teflon these days
Shit thats a steal….should i be ditching my Lodge