posted 05-01-2009 12:00 PM            

Hi,

I have 2 Josh. Heinrichs Corp New York, Pure Nickel Cooking Pans. One is stamped the other is not.

One is 12 1/4" diameter, 25" full length including handle, weight is 10 lbs & 3 1/2" deep.

The other is 14 1/8 diameter, 28" total length including handle, weight 11.35lbs & 3 1/2" deep.

I can't find these anywhere on the internet except for one food forum site, it was the persons favorite pan and they mentioned, Because of the demand for alloying metals in WWII, most solid nickel cookware, which was uncommon to begin with, was scrapped for use in steel making. Thus very, very few examples survive today!.

This person had a Heinrichs pure nickel 7 pounder and said the only drawback was its weight,,, funny he should try my 11 pounder! I'm curious if I can cook with these or should they be hung on my kitchen wall with heavy duty hooks.

Thanks!

posted 05-01-2009 01:59 PM            

Different metals hold and transmit it differently. Also, some are less prone to sticking than others, and some like cast iron are more porous and need curing but the result is a really nice pan to cook with. I would try using it a few times and see if you like the way it transmits and holds heat, how it works at things like searing, simmering, normal frying, do things stick too much for your preference, do things taste good to you, how quickly does it heat and cool so you can adjust your temperature while cooking, etc. If you like it then by all means go ahead and use it. If not then polish her up to a nice bright shine and hang her on your pan rack or on your kitchen wall as a beautiful decoration.

By the way, would you mind introducing yourself to our little forum by responding to the couple of standard questions we ask all new people - they are in the yellow box above and are:

Please tell us the Why of your question:
We're not being snoopy; knowing will help us help you:
What is your interest in silver?
What is it that you hope to learn from this question?
What is your purpose in asking?

Also, could you please post a photo of your solid nickel pan and a closeup of the markings so we can all see it and enjoy learning more about it?

Thanks!

Kimo
Congtributing Editor

posted 05-01-2009 05:07 PM            

What is your interest in silver? Collecting!
What is it that you hope to learn from this question? Whether they are usable or not.
What is your purpose in asking? Knowledge!

Hope the pictures work!

posted 05-03-2009 02:37 AM            

Healthy cookware

From the article, I would conclude that a diet of raw food is called for. For a more pragmatic, and informational, approach:

What is 1810 Stainless Steel Cookware?

An actual scientific type article on the subject:

Nickel-Plated Cast Iron Pans

There are people sensitive to nickel, which causes contatact dermatitis, whatever that is. It appears that nickel should be treated like cast iron, given a seasoning. Which results in protecting from nickel. Beyond, don't know much. But there is a lot of information on this topic.

posted 05-03-2009 02:50 AM            

Cookware Considerations

What the articles seem to agree on is that cooking at temperatures about 600' in nickle is not a good idea. As someone who rarely goes above 350', this seems plausible. Nickle is apparently very good for searing meat, which should have some sort of oil in the pan. Acidic food, like tomatoes, is the main culprit.

Hope this helps.