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At some point a few years back, I realized that cooking was a hobby of mine. Sure, it’s something that needs to be done in order to eat, but it’s also something that I rather enjoy doing. As a result, we’ve had a few different pieces of cast iron enter into the arsenal, but it can have some drawbacks that the Buccaneer Skillet look to address.
One of the first concerns someone may have – especially the first time they pick up a piece of cast iron – is the weight. To me, it speaks of long-term durability, but I can appreciate the desire to have something a bit lighter. With the use of a pressed casting technique (instead of the traditional sand casting), they can get the strength into the material (hooray, pressure!) while actually requiring less, making for a lighter pan.
Next, heat management is another big concern with cast iron. They can take a bit to heat up, but then they really retain the heat while you’re cooking, which helps with consistency. However, as cast iron pans have their handles cast along with the pan surface, means you’ve got one uniform chunk of metal. Meaning, that heat travels out to the handle, so you’ll need to rely on a good oven mitt or a heat-resistant silicone handle cover.
The Buccaneer Skillet, on the other hand, has a separate steel handle that’s riveted on to the side. You’ve got a much smaller contact point (well, two of them) on the side of the pan, meaning that the heat is much less likely to travel out into the handle. Quite a nice benefit for any cook, but especially if you’ve got some kiddos in the kitchen helping out.
And finally, we need to talk about non-stick. With cast iron, if you care for it and keep the polymerized coating of fats (most commonly from oil) in place, you’ll have a decent bit of stick prevention (but still may need some butter, oil, or spray). The Buccaneer Skillet offers something much more, via a honeycomb pattern on the bottom of the pan. From their campaign page this looks like it gives you a stippled surface that even an egg isn’t sticking on. And, as a bonus, it helps to hold your oil in place, so it’s not running off to the edge of the pan.
I particularly like the cast iron pieces we have, as they work just as well at home as they do at the campsite, and if I do take them camping, I’m not worried about it getting damaged if I decide to cook on the campfire rather than the camping stove. While the Buccaneer Skillet should be able to do the same, the pricepoint it’s coming in at would give me some pause. Earlybird pricing for the 9.5″ pan starts at $96, and that does not include shipping. It’s not too crazy for high-end cookware, but it is at a price that certainly gives me pause.
If you want to get more information on the campaign (which ends on March 4) or even put a pledge in (currently way over 100% funded), just head on over to the campaign page.
