Cooking Resources

llvllagical_llkook · 08-09-2007, 04:30 PM

Greetings,

Today I saw a set of pots and pans made of titanium ceramic mix. They have metal handles but come with rubber attachments to grab. The package was about $480 and came with several pans and pots, with a bonus feature of several other pans. The demonstrater put one of the pans, unsprayed onto a heating element. He then put some canned skimmed milk on it and allowed it to burn then took some plastic and put it on the side of the pan while cooking. The milk burned and plastic melted. To wipe it off, he used 1 piece of paper towel and that was it. It looked absolutely amazing to me. It had a stainless steel bottom.

I was unsure about it since I like using stainless steel pots and pans, ideally with copper bottoms, or cast iron pots and pans for Asian cooking.

Has anyone else purchased these? I don't want to buy $480 of something that will wear out quickly, which is what I'm worried about. It's not Teflon coated.

**Katie H** · 08-09-2007, 07:59 PM

Sounds like a lot of smoke and mirrors to me. I wouldn't spend that amount of money on cookware "hawked" in this manner. Looks like snake oil salesmen are alive and well. Just my take on the situation.

Andy M. · 08-09-2007, 08:39 PM

I agree with Katie.

What was the brand name?

llvllagical_llkook · 08-09-2007, 11:00 PM

I completely forget. It was sold at a Costco store as one of those sampler venues. I also thought it was all smoke-n-mirrors. It impressed me but I was thinking that it doesn't sound right and is way too good to be true. There was a 25 yr warranty which also confused me. Either way, I'm sticking to stainless steel, copper bottom and cast iron. No teflon nor titanium ceramic. I remember the salesman saying it's "new space-age technology" which made me laugh in his face.

RPCookin · 08-10-2007, 12:24 AM

Same sort of magic elixir spiel that you get from Cutco salesmen....

duckdown · 08-10-2007, 12:30 AM

The one thing about Costco though is that their return policy is second to none... You could go buy those pots and pans for like 6 months and then still bring them back for a full refund.. If you think they look good , give it a shot :)

GotGarlic · 08-10-2007, 08:14 AM

This site - Titanium Cookware - Analon, Aluminum & Ceramic Sets - says they're not very good quality, or at least, that's what I got from it.

<quote>
Much of what is labeled titanium cookware is actually aluminum cookware that used titanium in the hard-anodizing process or in a ceramic-titanium plasma that is fused to the surface to form an abrasion-resistant matrix for a nonstick coating.

Pros and Cons of Pure Titanium Cookware

Titanium is strong, hard, and lightweight. This means titanium pots and pans can be constructed of thin sheet metal. The downside is that this thinness, combined with the poor heat conductivity, means that the titanium cookware can warp and dent. The poor conductivity in titanium pots and pans also means you can scorch foods, resulting in hard-to-remove char (manufacturers advise boiling water in the pan and scouring with a nylon scrubber).
<end quote>

TATTRAT · 08-10-2007, 08:21 AM

I am w/ Katie.

Chief Longwind Of The North · 08-10-2007, 08:56 AM

ScanPan pots and pans use the ceramic/titanium matrix as their cooking surface. Try doing a google-search for SacnPan reviews. I know that titanium is absolutely corosion proof, and is used by at least one knife manufaturer in a blend of tetanium and ceramic to form a knife that is tougher than ceramic, but holds an edge better than titanium. It is from a high-quality specialty knive company.

Titanium is miraculous stuff, when used within its property-strength profile. But I'm not sold that it's lends itself well to cooking.

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

Fisher's Mom · 08-10-2007, 12:32 PM

I don't know about titanium cookware but I know that titanium is very strong and lightweight as my teen son has a titanium bar in his chest which is correcting a chest defect. My concern when buying very expensive cookware would be to make sure it's made by a proven company that's been around a while. How do they handle problems or issues with defective items. After all, a 25 year guarantee is worth nothing if the company goes out of business a year from now. Also, I usually buy 1 item first and try it out before I commit to a premium brand because personal preference is a huge factor in how pleased we are with our cooking implements. If I invest a lot of money in an item, I want to be happy with it.

If you really liked these pans, see if they have open stock or if you can buy just one piece. If not, find out the brand name and google it to read some reviews. Good luck in finding the perfect cookware for your kitchen!

Terry