Stefan
Latest posts by Stefan (see all)
Some of you might know that I am a big fan of the Lodge skillet pans. I would say I am a fan of any sort of skillet pan, but I just happen to live in a place where the Lodge are out there – meaning I bump into them most often – and they just look the part: rugged, uneven, greasy (when maintained well), and inviting to slap them on the coals of an outdoor fire. Safe to say I came to become a fan of the skillet pan, and the skillet pan cooking. There really hasn’t been a week in a while where the skillet pans didn’t make an appearance almost daily. That is pretty awesome: we use the Lodge skillet daily at our house. That is a pretty big stat right there. What else do you use daily, that you don’t have to use? Not that much I suppose, besides underwear I guess.
It so happens that I own a skillet pan that comes without a handle. It is a smaller one, 5 inches in diameter. Very handy for our morning eggs, and other small dishes, particularly when you want to finish them off in the oven. Ever tried these gambas in olive oil and garlic? What makes them so mouthwatering juicy is that they are finished in the oven. With my little skillet pan (it is actually called a cast iron round mini server [1]) is perfect for my morning eggs. I fry a little fine cut onion, japalenos, and some red pepper flakes in a nice amount of olive oil. Salt, pepper, then 3 eggs on top. Let is sizzle a little. More salt, more pepper. Then into the 350 deg oven. Hmm. 3-4 minutes and they are perfect.
The procedure was not satisfactory in one characteristic: I couldn’t lift the hot mini server without using clunky mittens that too often either didn’t give me the right level of control (the server is small), or ended up dipped into my eggs. That wasn’t all that great. So I thought about this problem a little and come up with the following requirements:
- I want to be able to lift and move my mini-server without using mittens.
- I want to do so without compromising the ability to swing the server into the oven, which is great and there is no issues there.
Pretty much everything followed from there. Given the need to be able to use the server in the oven, any sort of fixed-mounted handle was out. Also, the lodge is cast-iron and I wouldn’t mess with the iron part at all. The following product design is one that is
- Easy to put on / off the min server, and
- Could be locked in place for a versatile handling of the server.
My first product design was a sort of clamp, with a hinge at the top, and a lock at the bottom. It was obviously made from wood, the only material I consider myself skilled enough to shape and work with. The clamp would ultimately wrap around the server with some tension, and come in the shape of a handle when locked. This would allow me to use the server just like I would use a pan, but still take the devise off the server for when I add it into the oven. It looks fantastic. The wood is Hawaiian Koa. Beautiful in texture, solid, but light and very easy to work with. Perfect for a prototype, and looks neat with some oil on it.
The devise is not in use, pretty much 2-3 times per week (I typically use the server for eggs on the weekends). Surely the design can be improved, and here are a couple of things I found:
- The angle on the clamp where it ‘grabs’ the server doesn’t have to be as wide. A cleaner cut with a router might give better stability, while reducing the need to angle a blade when cutting the circle. This has been proven to be challenging with the jigsaw (and slightly dangerous, too).
- The lock at the handle could surely be made custom or one that fits the limited space of the handle could be found. I have not investigated this much.
- The wood used could be a little harder, and more sturdy. The Koa looks great, but isn’t a walnut, or oak.
Well, this is only a prototype, and the test usage will continue. I can’t wait to make these gorgeous gambas aioli soon! The mini server on Amazon: Lodge HMSRD Heat Enhanced and Seasoned Cast Iron Round Mini Server, 14-Ounce, Black
