Sizzling Reforms: Danish Politics and Non-Stick Innovation from Joseph Joseph
Andrew Bluett-Duncan
Director
NEW Joseph Joseph Space Cookware
This week, I’ve got a bit of a treat for you in the form of the Joseph Joseph cookware, that has just arrived in the shops.
Of course, it’s only a treat if either you’re in need of new pots and pans, or maybe because you want pans that don’t take up as much space as conventional ones…
Before your treat though, I was listening earlier to a rather interesting interview with Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart, who were talking to Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the former Danish Prime Minister (from 2011 - 2015). Asked what is different about Danish / Nordic politics, she said “the big difference in a lot of Nordic politics is that we know how to be pragmatic and compromise”. She adds that this is, in part at least, because they have proportional representation, which in Demark means that they never have one party that wins. When she was PM, there were 8 parties in government and she had a coalition with three of them, which even then didn’t give her a majority! So, the ability to get on with people with whom she didn’t see eye to eye, was key. Looking at European and American politics at the moment, I wonder what they could learn from the Nordic countries?
If you want to listen to this interview, which I found really refreshing, you can find it here.
Joseph Joseph, a new departure
So, what have the Joseph brothers been up to.
Well as I indicated after seeing Richard Joseph and his new pans back in April, it’s a bit different, which I suppose one would expect coming from this design house. They have gone upmarket, as I see this competing with Le Creuset’s TNS and Demeyere’s Alu Pro ranges.
They have called the range “Space” to reflect its space saving design and they’ve used an aluminium body with a ceramic coating. Ceramic coatings are made from sand (silica) which, I think, is very clever, and doesn’t contain oil-based materials*.
Although, that is not to say no oil-based products are used for the necessary heat source during manufacture. So, this is likely to appeal to you if want to avoid PFAS chemicals (forever chemicals) and want a product that is tough whilst, incidentally, using less energy to produce than the same pan with a “normal” plastic based nonstick (the type that both Le Creuset and Demeyere use currently).
* although as Nick Squire mentioned two weeks ago, the nonstick on his Tala Bakeware, is 100% PFAS free, is made by a factory that is 100% carbon neutral, and uses 100% renewable energy.
26 seconds worth of temptation.....
When we were there, Richard told us that their new pans had taken several years to develop, due mainly to the handle design. Removable handles (to save on space) have been around a long, long time, and are ok, but have their downsides. Chief of which is the slack in the latching mechanism and therefore wobble, which historically, in engineering terms, is unsatisfactory and psychologically just feels a bit ‘meh’ when handling a pan full of hot water.
The Joseph’s have really gone to town on this and I think I can safely say there is really no slack in their design . When (in my usual nerdy mode) I asked Richard “what are they like when they’re a bit worn?”. He smiled and passed me across to the designer himself who showed me how they have designed a wedge shape into the “catch” which has a couple of mm of “slack” (good slack!) that will ensure that, in the future, your handles will remain “Slackless”.
They also guarantee them for 20 years. Very, very simple. Very, very clever!
Click to play video... If it isn't already!
So yes, I was impressed as these are actually folding handles rather than simply removable ones, with the added benefit that you won’t ever lose one either.
Having thus dealt with two of the key design features, I’ll now run through the pans themselves.
Saucepans
Available in three slightly unusual sizes of 15cm (small), 19cm (medium) and 23cm (large). All three are deeper, and the last two also wider compared to the market norm (being 16cm, 18cm, 20cm) and are either sold individually (£90 - £125) or as a set of three at £295, that also includes a storage stand for the lids and a couple of felt pan protectors.
Plus points are their generous size, dictated to a degree by the folding handle size. They will happily stack inside each other, which is hugely space saving. Negative is that there’s no small milk pan at present and the big one may just be a bit too big for some? They come with very attractive flat tempered glass lids with, again, a folding handle and there are two designs of storage for the lids available. One that sits in a drawer, or on a shelf, and one that you screw to the inside of the kitchen cupboard door, £16 and £20 respectively.
Frying Pans
These are in four sizes, 20cm, 24cm, 28cm and 30cm and range from £85-£125 the two larger sizes also coming with helper handles. This is where the folding handle has a profound effect on the design of the frying pan, because it effectively dictates that the frying pans have vertical sides. The up side of this is that you have more flat cooking area for any given size of pan, and like the saucepans they will happily stack inside each other (although the handles don’t lie completely flat, but at a slight angle).
I cooked my breakfast in my 24cm sample the other day and it did what I would have expected from that size of frying pan. But, if I’d been using my Demeyere Atlantis Uncoated 24cm Frying Pan then I might well have been using the sloping sides to cook on, effectively giving me a bit more space. Maybe this is being picky and if I used it every day, I’d just get used to it! These all come without lids
Specialist Items
In this category the first pan that comes to mind is:
· The 28cm Sauté Pan, which essentially is a deep version of the 28cm frying pan, but is also supplied with a lid. £135.
· A massive 32cm Wok that really benefits from the folding handle at £135
· A shallow casserole 28cm (with lid of course) which doubles as a sauté pan as well, albeit with two short handles. £140
· Ideal for soups and stocks, a 25cm Stockpot at £145
Colour
The colour of Space is actually a dark blue-grey when you put it in daylight. But otherwise I’d just call it dark grey. The exterior of the pan incidentally is pretty matt, but apparently has the same ceramic nonstick coating as the inside, albeit the inside is glossy, to aid cleaning.
When I used my sample Joseph Joseph Space Frying Pan 24cm, it performed rather as my, Le Creuset 24cm TNS Frying Pan does. A little slow to heat up** (like Le Creuset TNS), but spreads the heat evenly and of course being nonstick, nothing sticks to it. So, easy to use, the handle stayed cool and it was a doddle to wash up.
So, summing up, a cleverly designed and space saving range of cookware with a class leading non-stick coating, ingenious folding handles and all beautifully executed. The Joseph’s have excelled themselves and gone up a further notch in my rather demanding opinion. And next year they are extending the range to include stainless-steel tri-ply bodied pans, which will largely be uncoated.
The Josephs are currently offering 20% off on their website until 21st July so we will be matching that next week.
For this weekend I’m offering you just a smidgen more. Use code JOSEPH24 to get 25% off any piece from the range.
** if you, like me, prefer uncoated then my ‘go to’s are Netherton, De Buyer and (especially for larger pans) Demeyere Atlantis
I’ll leave the last word to Simon Sinek.
“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.”
I hope you have a pleasant and peaceful weekend.
Warm regards
Andrew
Andrew Bluett-Duncan
Director
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