Curry Recipes Online

Beginners Guide => Hints, Tips, Methods and so on.. => Cooking Equipment => Topic started by: Peripatetic Phil on October 27, 2012, 06:39 PM

Title: Waitrose 30cm stir-fry pan
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on October 27, 2012, 06:39 PM
With my trusty Tefal 28cm wok now sadly pensioned off (the non-stick coating finally gave up the ghost), I decided to replace it with not one but two pans (or, as it turned out, four !).  The direct replacement was a Lidl 28cm non-stick Inox pan (http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_35552.htm) (I bought the 24cm and 20cm versions at the same time), but these are now reserved for non-curry dishes, and for my curries I invested in a Waitrose dimpled-steel 30cm stir-fry pan (http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317--170704-Waitrose+cooking+stir+fry+pan+30cm+12%22).  Now the pan does come with a warning that this is a professional pan, and needs 45 minutes of pre-treatment before it will be ready for use, but I was seriously impressed with its design and balance and decided to invest in one (the fact that it, like the Lidl pans, would work on my induction hob was a definite mark in its favour).  Well, I went through the 45 minutes procedure, and am now having regrets.  The procedure requires bringing the steel up to tempering tempature (light-straw to blue) and this was not easy to achieve with only halogen and induction hobs, and I had to resort to a chef's blow torch to finish the area nearest the handle.  Unfortunately, whilst the pan was totally stable when I started, by the time I had finished it was pronouncedly convex, and no longer sits securely on either the halogen or induction hob.  I now cannot decide what to do.  Being Waitrose, I can of course return it; they will refund my money without a doubt.  But I like the pan, despite this disaster.  So, do I (a) return it to Waitrose, take another in exchange, and then not bring the new one up to tempering temperature; (b) return it, get my money back, and put it towards a Tefal Preference Pro 28cm Wok (http://www.tefal.co.uk/All+Products/Cookware/Non+stick+cookware/Products/Preference+Pro/Preference+Pro.htm) (with lifetime guarantee on the non-stick surface); or (c) keep the convex one and flatten it with a soft-faced mallet and a flat former ?

** Phil.
Title: Re: Waitrose 30cm stir-fry pan
Post by: joshallen2k on October 27, 2012, 10:00 PM
I'd say option A
Title: Re: Waitrose 30cm stir-fry pan
Post by: Graeme on October 27, 2012, 11:54 PM
Option B, or find another product you like.