DuPont Radiance Technology

[fifi]

I just caught a commercial on TV about DuPont's new Radiance Technology Teflon® coating for cookware. It is currently available in the Philippe Richard cookware line from Linens and Things.

Is this an attempt to "fix" what we all complain about, poor browning in non-stick pans?

The scientist in me is curious about what they did. I am almost tempted to see if I can buy a saute pan for not too much and try it. I do wonder about this though:

"The new technology reaches optimal temperatures quickly and simply on low to medium heat.  This helps eliminate hot spots, so food browns evenly and cooks thoroughly."

Low to medium heat??? What's up with that?

[Smithy]

I just caught a commercial on TV about DuPont's new Radiance Technology Teflon® coating for cookware. It is currently available in the Philippe Richard cookware line from Linens and Things.

Is this an attempt to "fix" what we all complain about, poor browning in non-stick pans?

The scientist in me is curious about what they did. I am almost tempted to see if I can buy a saute pan for not too much and try it. I do wonder about this though:

"The new technology reaches optimal temperatures quickly and simply on low to medium heat.  This helps eliminate hot spots, so food browns evenly and cooks thoroughly."

Low to medium heat??? What's up with that?

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It does seem as though you'd naturally get more even temperature distribution on low to medium heat. That's a funny way to brown things, though. I don't see any hints that they think it will brown better.

How's your AMEX card doing these days, Fifi?

[fifi]

The whole thing doesn't make any sense. They do say that it eliminates "hot spots" and that food browns more "evenly" but, depending upon the cooktop, I don't see browning on low to medium. Even on my friends' high end gas ranges, medium high is normally used for browning. Otherwise you get steamed meat. My non-stick saute pan is heavy aluminum so I have never noticed any hot spots. And I doubt that a coating of any kind could fix hot spots on a light weight pan.

I don't think DuPont or any other producer of these coatings would ever admit that non-stick doesn't brown worth a darn.

I am thinking that this is the genius of marketing or one of those solution-in-search-of-a-problem things.

[srhcb]

They probably don't want to say "high heat" on advice of legal council, since you can kill a canary that way, and you know how some people are about either following instructions or litigating remedies to their own foolishness.

SB (figures DuPont lawyers favor food of palor)

[Dave the Cook]

Are you guys saying that you can't brown over medium heat on a conventional range, or that you can't brown in a non-stick pan following the manufacturer's instructions? I'll go out on a limb and say that I don't think either is true, if you're willing to accept a $1600 KitchenAid range as more or less conventional.

As for this new stuff, Dupont is typically opaque as to details, but it seems possible that they've mixed aluminum flakes or something like that (is that possible, fifi?) into one of the three layers they describe to spread the heat, but I also suspect that the big "innovation" is mandating a certain aluminum thickness in the license. Of course, the real problem with well-made non-stick aluminum cookware isn't hot spots per se, but warpage -- a true, but different, definition of "hot spot."

[Cucina]

If anyone knows how to brown in a non stick pan, by all means, let me know. I got one for Christmas a few years ago, tried it once and have never pulled it out since.

[fifi]

Well, I find that a "proper" fond just doesn't happen easily in non-stick. Oh, you get some browning but not like you do on a conventional metal surface. With my Calphalon or cast iron pan, I generally have to have the burner set at about medium high to get browning without cooking meat to death. I am typically browning meat prior to making a braise or stew.

As to aluminum flakes or something like that . . . that is certainly possible. I had the opportunity to learn a lot about Teflon® coatings over the years because they are also used in industrial applications. In fact, I spent some time with the DuPont folks on the subject. As I recall, some of their later cookware coating materials already had flakes. I am thinking it was what they called Silverstone®. So . . . for them to make these "heat transfer" claims is what has me puzzled. Knowing what I do about the microscopic structure of these coatings causes me to scratch my head even more.

[budrichard]

The reason most manufacturers develop new products today is because they are cheaper to make or they think they have defined a market for a cheap product. Next, the advertizing genius's write copy to sell the cheap product to the masses without scientific training. From reading the copy, it appears they are trying to correct a defect with non stick burning and/or the new coating will burn under high heat, so they are touting the ability to brown over medium heat so you don't burn your food with the new coating. In any event, these coatings have been developed to sell Al cookware which is lousy anyway. -Dick

[Dave the Cook]

I'm not an apologist for non-stick coatings, or even straight-gauge aluminum cookware, which I think is simply a flawed design. But you can make these things work.

If anyone knows how to brown in a non stick pan, by all means, let me know.  I got one for Christmas a few years ago, tried it once and have never pulled it out since.

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What do you want to brown?

Well, I find that a "proper" fond just doesn't happen easily in non-stick. Oh, you get some browning but not like you do on a conventional metal surface. With my Calphalon or cast iron pan, I generally have to have the burner set at about medium high to get browning without cooking meat to death. I am typically browning meat prior to making a braise or stew.

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Yeah, fond is pretty much impossible -- it won't stick to the pan, so it sticks to the meat. But that's only a problem if you want a pan sauce, isn't it? For braises, you get the benefits of fond without deglazing -- not that you want to skip a wine-reduction step that might be part of deglazing! I suppose without a sample of this new pan, we don't really know, but like fifi, I am dubious.

[fifi]

. . . . .

Yeah, fond is pretty much impossible -- it won't stick to the pan, so it sticks to the meat. But that's only a problem if you want a pan sauce, isn't it? For braises, you get the benefits of fond without deglazing -- not that you want to skip a wine-reduction step that might be part of deglazing! I suppose without a sample of this new pan, we don't really know, but like fifi, I am dubious.

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Good point. But then there is something satisfying about scraping all of that goodness off of the pan. I get to lick the spoon, too.

I have tried to brown meat in my heavy aluminum non-stick saute pan and I just don't get the same amount of crusty goodies, on the meat pieces or in the pan. I finally gave it up and started using my really big Calphalon fry pan that gives me a lot of room and great fond. I can't say that I persevered at trying to make the non-stick work.

Yeah . . . I am with Dave. I think this new, promising thermodynamic miracle is dubious at best. But I will still be willing to take one for the team and try it if I can get a cheap pan.