Cooking is not a rocket science but a rocket scientist undertook the task of re-inventing the sauce-pan. Dr. Thomas Povey is a rocket man and He designs cooling systems for the jet engines and works with the techniques related to efficient heat transfer. He brought his expertise to design a cooking pot that will be 40 percent more heat efficient.
Dr. Povey encountered the problem of slow and inefficient heating during an expedition on altitude. He realized that a bigger portion of the heat goes waste in heating the pan. He and a group of students worked for three years on different designs before coming up with the final design that is being commercialized now.
“The original idea was for the outdoor market — we wanted to improve efficiency for cooking outside,” said Dr Povey, “But we realized it was problem that applies to the domestic market. So we worked from there.”
The saucepan called Flare has a series of fins on the sides which direct the flames quickly and evenly. The main body is made up of Aluminium while the handles are of stainless steel. The temperature of the pan rises quickly while the stainless steel doesn’t reach the same level. A number of tests were conducted and the device was found to be more efficient than the ordinary sauce-pans. One added benefit is the even heat distribution.
The prototype of Flare Pans was launched with the partnership of Lakeland homewares. The prices range from £49.99 for a milk pan to £59.99 for a ten-inch frying pan, £64.99 for a saucepan and £84.99 for a top-of-the-range stockpot. The pans go on sale next month.
Even before the official launch, this product is an award-winner. The Worshipful Company of Engineers has awarded Dr. Povey their ‘2014 Hawley Award’ for “the most outstanding Engineering Innovation that delivers demonstrable benefit to the environment.”
The launch of this product tells us that people are becoming more energy conscious. Matthew Canwell, Lakeland’s Buying Director said,“This pan is energy efficient, it cooks quicker, and it saves gas and energy. So it ticks all the boxes really.”
