A Rocket Scientist Just Designed the Energy-Saving Pan of the Future
What do you get when you apply the same science behind jet engines and rockets to the kitchen? You guessed it — all the ingredients you need to cook with some serious heat. Add a side of helpful time saving and a scoop of TLC for the planet and you have a new-and-improved pan that could change the way your future dinner makes it to the table.
Dr. Tom Povey, Professor of Engineering at the University of Oxford, was on a “mountaineering trip” (do you think that’s like glamping?) when he became frustrated with how long it took to boil water at high altitudes. Instead of just complaining to his fellow mounties and posting a sad, hangry selfie with a “watched pots don’t boil” pun, his wheels started turning. If he could improve the heat transfer to the pan, that water would be cookin’ in no time. And faster cooking speeds are enjoyable at all altitudes.
Back in the lab, Dr. P. and engineering students at Oxford worked on a more efficient and aerodynamic design that would improve heat transfer to the everyday pan. Set your current cookware on the stove and watch as the heat rises around it. So much of that heat is dissipating into the atmosphere and doing nothing to actually help you cook.
https://youtu.be/lKvbVJasGXc
By adding fin-like ridges to their pan, they created Flare, cookware that captures and pulls in more of the once-wasted heat. If you think we’re making a big fuss about a little pan, think again. The improvement is a significant one you would spot in the kitchen, and then again when you paid your gas or electric bill. Compared to conventional cookware, the Flare pan heats up about 44% faster and your regular ol pan uses 40% more gas.
You can snag Flare pans in multiple sizes at Lakeland, a “creative kitchenware” retailer in the UK with an expected ship date later this August. Prices range from about $86 USD for a small Flare frying pan, to $145 USD for a large saucepan. Do we smell some new additions to your wedding registry, or what?
What high-tech kitchen gadget is on your wish list? Share the kitchen innovation that’s caught your eye recently!
(h/t First We Feast)
