With Solidteknics range of non-toxic, Australian made Cookware
It’s fast becoming clear our habit of buying cheap imported non-stick cookware is bad for our health and the environment, so Aussies are increasingly turning to the cleaner, greener alternatives beloved by chefs.
Solidteknics, the leading Australian Cookware manufacturer has long been the choice of professionals and serious home cooks, and there have never been more reasons to join the ranks.
While the proven toxic chemicals have been phased out of non-stick cookware in Australia, they’ve been replaced with new ones and there’s evidence to suggest these alternatives pose their own risks.
Add to that the fact that non-stick cookware cannot be recycled, only lasts a couple of years and is all imported, and you have a product that is harmful to health, the environment and Australian jobs.
In 2014, after two decades of research and development, mechanical engineer and keen cook Mark J. Henry decided to tackle all of these issues head on, founding Solidteknics, the only company manufacturing production cookware in Australia.
Sunshine Coast-based Solidteknics produces wrought iron and ferritic non-nickel stainless steel cookware in its Sydney factory.
The iron pots and pans come pre-seasoned with natural rice bran oil – so it’s never been easier to make the switch. This seasoning creates a non-toxic and ever-evolving non-stick surface. They don’t just come with a lifetime guarantee, they come with a centuries-long guarantee.
Solidteknics cookware is wrought from single pieces of Australian iron or stainless steel, meaning there’s no rivets, screws or joins and they have no synthetic, toxic coatings.
“We are the anti-thesis of the cheap pots and pans you can find everywhere from the supermarket to big box stores,” Mark said. “Those things are almost treated as disposable. You’re lucky if you get a couple of years out of them. Roughly 1.2 million of them end up in landfill here every year, they’re all imported and they’ll still be there in two hundred years.”
But the fact they can’t be recycled is just one of the issues.
“There’s no excuse now for imported, disposable nonstick: our cookware builds up a natural non-stick surface over time, and it can be renewed again and again with a bit of oil and heat, for many generations to come.”
“It’s important to remember though, our obsession with having pans that are 100 per cent non-stick is to the detriment of flavour and texture. By using correct oil and fat ratios, and the right level of heat, you can stop food from sticking, but also get that delicious crispy browning that so many dishes depend on.”
“Manufacturing in Australia was absolutely non-negotiable for us,” Mark said. “It’s not just because we want to create local jobs, although that is super important, it’s that we want to control every aspect of the manufacturing process, and also provide efficient and personalised customer support.”
Solidteknics’ products have developed a cult-like following amongst serious home cooks, with some owners declaring themselves “obsessed”, and 14,000 followers on the company’s closed Facebook group.
Earlier this month Solidteknics was featured in Australian Made Week’s campaign, fronted by MasterChef winner and food writer Adam Liaw.
Solidteknics launches each season’s new range via Kickstarter, ensuring every new product has a viable customer base before manufacturing begins.
The latest is a range of eight lightweight, pre-seasoned iron pans, starting from just $79, which is under production now.
Mark said that loyal customer base gave him confidence that Solidteknics’ pans would be passed down from generation to generation, just as they’re designed to be.
“They grow with you, develop their own character and patina. They become the workhorses of your kitchen,” he said. “And they’ll outlive us all. You need to physically wear through them, and our best guess, as mechanical engineers, is 500 – 1000 years of life and love in each pan.”
Solidteknics can be purchased via solidteknics.com or at specialty cookware stores across Australia. The next Solidteknics Kickstarter campaign will be launching shortly.