As explained in the previous blog post, Lotus Rock has designed and patented a number of highly eye-catching, ergonomic handles for its various cookware and BBQ items. Handle materials can vary from forged steel, to a natural wood such as acacia or beech, to bakelite with soft-touch coating, and so on a silicone material, molded into a variety of different shapes, such as a lollipop.
However, for cookware usage a good handle should not just have an attractive appearance or a comfortable, stay-cool grip, it should also be safe to use as well. One particularly important feature for a handle with a Lotus Rock pan is its strength and secure attachment to the pan’s body. All Lotus Rock pans come with a very heavy carbon steel substrate of 2.0mm in thickness. Although not nearly as heavy as cast iron a Lotus Rock pan is still quite a heavy weight for certain types of cooking utensils, such as a 12” stir wok or a 28cm frying pan. Therefore, a strong, well-designed handle is especially important for a safe cooking experience with a Lotus Rock pan.
The kitchenware industry commonly uses a bending strength test, from testing standard BS EN 12983/ 7.5, to assess whether a handle is sturdy and strongly attached enough to a pot or pan.