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Rocket Scientist Designs More Efficient Cast-Iron Cookware

The FIREUP Dutch Oven and Skillet

By Rain Noe - April 21, 2023

in Food

Thomas Povey is a rocket scientist. Raghav Agarwal comes from a family that's manufactured cookware for generations. The two met at Oxford University, where Agarwal attained an MBA and Povey is a professor, and the two figured out an unusual way to combine their respective backgrounds.

The result is FIREUP Cookware, which combines Povey's thermodynamics knowledge with Agarwal's cookware manufacturing know-how. "We developed the technology at the thermal fluids laboratory at the University of Oxford, where we have some of the best facilities in the world to address heat transfer problems in industry," writes Povey, who integrated a purposeful array of fins into the design of FIREUP's cookware.

Using infrared thermography equipment in the lab, they validated Povey's design:

"FIREUP pans are significantly more efficient than conventional patents and they enable you to cook faster, with less gas," Povey says.

"I first came up with the idea of a more efficient pan on a mountaineering trip, because at high altitudes it takes absolutely forever to boil water, so improving the efficiency of heat transfer to the pan makes a big difference in that environment."

The company's inaugural product, the FIREUP Dutch Oven, runs £250 (USD $311) and has been on the market for about a year. Their follow-up is this skillet, priced at £145, or £175 with lid (USD $181 or $218) that's currently up on Kickstarter:

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?FIREUP manufactures their cookware in Holland using 100% recycled iron.

The FIREUP Skillet has been successfully Kickstarted, and is estimated to being shipping in October of 2023.

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Patricio Ortiz

a year ago

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The dutch oven, from the bottom view looks like an anti tank mine. Probably inspired by the Italian design of Valsella or Tecnovar:

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Nat C

a year ago

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How about induction cooktop? I'm guessing they wasted all their time and effort on outdated gas range. Good luck guys

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John Maniscalco

a year ago

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Immediately lost interest when he said “it takes forever to boil water at higher altitudes” …. that’s just wrong idk how else to say it. First year engineering dropouts could figure that out. Gay-Lussac rolling over in his grave rn smh

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Mike Cheung

a year ago

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Martha Stewart has similar cookware, but with less pronounced ribs. They don't mention / market that it heats up faster, so I assume it's just for looks, but I'm curious if it also works in a similar fashion.
https://martha.com/products/martha-stewart-enameled-cast-iron-round-dutch-oven-3qt-gray

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Tucker Drake

a year ago

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I have seen similar designed cookware in the past. Really old stuff, too. Late 1800s or so. Wonder how that stuff compares in terms of things like energy use and price?

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