Swiss design - Kuhn Rikon a Match for Le Creuset?

This morning I want to tell you about a rather fabulous new range of cookware that we’ve just had in from my chums at Kuhn Rikon. The ever-tenacious Kam Loqueman (Kuhn’s sales agent) has been trying to get me to take this range for several years and when they added to it, a decent range of uncoated stainless steel frying pans, I could see no reason to procrastinate further…!

My association with Kuhn Rikon goes back a long way and a previous generation to John Margetts, dad of Edward Margetts (current MD).  John Margetts (now retired) was a deep thinker, had an original sense of humour, and of whom I was very fond. I can’t now remember when Edward took over, a few years ago now anyway, but he and now Paul Marchant (another old friend) are my main contacts there, plus of course Kam (yet another old and valued friend).

It’s a very gentlemanly trade; the cookware trade and it is rather lovely having these long standing friendships that traverse multiple generations running over several decades. Its funny, but I feel the word love wouldn’t be inappropriate to throw into the mix here somehow, but that would hardly be British, would it…..so I’d better button up.

Ok , to product.

Kuhn Rikon Culinary FivePly

As the name suggests, Culinary FivePly  is five layers thick. Why five layers rather than the more usual three like Le Creuset’s 3Ply?  Well, they have chosen to use two different aluminium alloys in the sandwich, so it looks like this:

The overall thickness of the material is 3.2 mm

1. Layer outside:  Stainless steel (0.6 mm) which I suspect is also the magnetic layer, which is necessary for Induction Hobs to work. And, I note, it’s a bit thicker than the inside layer (0.4mm), maybe to give enough mass for the magnetism to work and for the handle to be welded to. This is just my semi educated guess…!
2. Aluminum 1050 (0.7 mm) I think that this is as close as you get to just plain aluminium, but probably recycled.
3. Aluminum 3003 (0.8 mm) This is unusual, because it contains 0.05-2.0% Copper and 0.7% Iron
4. Aluminum 1050 (0.7 mm) I think that this is as close as you get to just plain aluminium (as in layer 2)

5. Layer inside: Stainless steel (0.4 mm)
    

   

So, there you have it, a 5Ply sandwich with the centre aluminium core containing a small amount of copper and iron.  The copper is there to help heat spread (very important), although I’m surprised that such a small amount of copper does anything, and the iron to give stability (not sure why that should be necessary though, given its stainless steel outer layers?)  

However odd the make up is, it evidently works, because I’ve been using the 24cm Frying pan uncoated* for about 5 or 6 weeks now and really can’t fault it. By that, I mean it spreads the heat well, which is important for even cooking results. And, is particularly so for frying pans where the speed of heat spread becomes more important the bigger the size gets. To my surprise, I found frying eggs was a doddle . Using our induction hob I’d get oil in the pan, hot, but NOT SMOKING** and fry them on a highish heat.  I like them brown on the underside (much more flavour) and they hardly stuck at all. Even in my favourite Netherton they don’t come off the pan that easily.  So, very high marks to Kuhn for that result.

*There is a coated version for you if you want the easy life and don’t want to be trendy

**Oil brought to a smoking is unhealthy and potentially carcinogenic and is likely to burn your food

According to Kuhn Rikon, the other features of these pans are as follows. My comments follow in blue italics

• Very good and even heat distribution up to the rim. Excellent heat distribution, so important for cooking sauces and when using almost any size of frying pan
• Closed rim - suitable for dishwashers.  Closed rim means that there’s no aluminium exposed so it can’t corrode
• High-quality, clean-lined, timeless design. I like the design and think it’s one of best looking ranges of cookware that we do.
• "Stay Cool" handles for comfortable handling. Yes, they genuinely stay cool.
• Ideal for aromatic searing at high temperatures. Yes, but this doesn’t apply to pieces with a nonstick coating
• Quick and easy to clean (no rivets, no attached base) This is a real plus point. It does make cleaning the inside of the pan significantly easier.
• Suitable for all hob types, including induction and solid fuel And Aga
• Oven-safe up to 240° (caution: handle can get hot) This is if used over a gas flame. Or put in the oven, sorry to state the obvious.
• Available in various sizes. It’s already a wide range and it’s set to increase this year.

So, where does this sit in the hierarchy of the stainless steel cookware ranges that we sell?  My feel is that it’s at least equivalent to Le Creuset’s 3Ply in performance & quality and you might agree with me that aesthetically it’s better.  It also has a real heft to it, which I rather like.  Quality you can feel as well as see.  And all of this, at a significant price advantage.

We are currently running a 20% off promotion but as a newsletter reader you may take a further 10% off these prices over the coming week by using code KUHN25. Below are a few examples of the pricing you pay at the checkout.

I’m leaving the last word to a philosopher, logician, mathematician and public intellectual.

If you’re find yourself getting inexplicably angry with certain things or people and you feel like being challenged about it, one of my oldest friends Francis, sent me this the other day. It’s a quote from Bertrand Russel. If you don’t, then skip this.

“If an opinion contrary to your own, makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do. If someone maintains that two and two are five, or that Iceland is on the equator, you feel pity rather than anger, unless you know so little of arithmetic or geography, that his opinion shakes your own contrary conviction.

The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is opinion. So, whenever you find yourself getting angry about a difference of opinion, be on your guard; you will probably find, on examination, that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants”

Divorced three times and married four, he clearly didn’t get it right all the time, but I think he’s got a point here. Do you?

Warm regards

Andrew