In praise of an Ikea item

[Punkawallah]

Surely it can't be as simple as that!

It can - and don’t call him Shirley! ;-)

 

[SpokeyDokey]

It can - and don’t call him Shirley! ;-)

I think he is she.

 

[Dadam]

If the magnet clings it's not stainless.

Tell that to the row of stainless kitchen knives stuck to the magnetic rack above our hob!
Victorinox knives are famously stainless (the -inox literally means inoxydable!) and are definitely magnetic.

If it's a knife blade it's probably a martensitic, hardenable type of steel.
Kitchen pans are usually non magnetic austenitic grades like the 304 or 316 you mention but pans for induction hobs need to be magnetic. A set of ours seem to have a magnetic base but non magnetic sides.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Unlike others I find the instructions straightforward and easy to follow. The pictograms show you what and what not to do, with enlightenments with a tick or a cross for any ambiguous parts. I always read through to the end as there might be a variation in assembly in certain combinations.

 

[Punkawallah]

I think he is she.

‘But that’s not important right now’ :-)

 

[Shortfall]

Tell that to the row of stainless kitchen knives stuck to the magnetic rack above our hob!
Victorinox knives are famously stainless (the -inox literally means inoxydable!) and are definitely magnetic.

If it's a knife blade it's probably a martensitic, hardenable type of steel.
Kitchen pans are usually non magnetic austenitic grades like the 304 or 316 you mention but pans for induction hobs need to be magnetic. A set of ours seem to have a magnetic base but non magnetic sides.

After reading about SS and it's magnetic properties today I tested my bargain basement Ikea pan and discovered the same as you, that the base was magnetic but the sides and cooking surface weren't. The same was true of my expensive Tefal saucepan. Anyways, the cheapo Ikea frying pan is great and about a 1000 times better than most of the non stick pans out there.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Unlike others I find the instructions straightforward and easy to follow.

I always read through to the end

Indeed most women do that ... most men don't

 

[Drago]

No one ever pulled a bird by reading instructions!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

No one ever pulled a bird by reading instructions!

Oh, but there are instructions, only they are unwritten

 

[FrankCrank]

After reading about SS and it's magnetic properties today I tested my bargain basement Ikea pan and discovered the same as you, that the base was magnetic but the sides and cooking surface weren't. The same was true of my expensive Tefal saucepan. Anyways, the cheapo Ikea frying pan is great and about a 1000 times better than most of the non stick pans out there.

I'll be looking for a new frying pan soon, tempted to give the Ikea one a go, based on you're comments here.
How is it for frying eggs, and making omelets? Do they have a tendency to stick, compared to Teflon variety?

 

[Shortfall]

I'll be looking for a new frying pan soon, tempted to give the Ikea one a go, based on you're comments here.
How is it for frying eggs, and making omelets? Do they have a tendency to stick, compared to Teflon variety?

Cooking with stainless requires a bit of techique . The trick is to heat the pan on a medium setting for a minute or so, add a bit of oil and coat the surface and away you go. Too cold and eggs will stick like sh** to a blanket, too hot and it will burn. Non stick pans are idiot proof but need plastic utensils and most lose their coating in no time (the ones that don't are VERY expensive). YMMV

 

[steveindenmark]

Good stuff IKEA and the foods not bad either.

 

[avecReynolds531]

As a cover for Bromptons (16" wheels), the Ikea Dimpa plastic bag - at £3 - is a perfect fit.

 

[Fastpedaller]

I have (need for my sanity) to mention my latest project……. Our property (rural) has a septic tank, and there are 3 manhole covers in the garden. One of the covers cracked into 2 parts, and I was pleased to be able to weld it (it’s cast iron) using my arc welder. It lasted 5 years before cracking again. I’ve tried everywhere to find a replacement, but it’s an odd size. This is where Ikea comes in! One of my hobbies is to make things using GRP (glass reinforced plastic, known to most as glassfibre). Ikea is a good source of plastic trays and such like which can be useful as female moulds. Wandering through there one day, I saw a ‘drip tray?’ With a suitable raised pattern for moulding a non-slip manhole cover! When I examined it carefully I chuckled to consider a future owner of our property could be searching IKEA and quizzing staff in an attempt to buy another manhole cover……. The part is marked IKEA Bagmuck (embossed into it, and therefore will reproduce on my GRP part) , so could, indeed, be ideally suited for its intended use 😊

 

[Drago]

Personhole covers. We must respect diversity.