The pan of the moment

You don't hear this every day: "It's the most interesting innovation in cookware I've seen since I've been in this business," said Cooks of Crocus Hill co-owner Karl Benson. And people, that includes the bread machine.

He's praising a new Finnish-made non-stick cookware line that Cooks picked up six weeks ago. It's produced by iittala, and to say that it's capturing the curiosity of Twin Cities cooks is an understatement. 

"We can't keep them in stock," Benson said. Fortunately, FinnStyle in downtown Minneapolis is also selling the same line -- marketing director Chad Trent said the store picked them up earlier this year and thinks he might be the first U.S. retailer to do so  -- and at prices slightly lower than at Cooks. 

The sleek, aluminum-core pans (complete with heat-resistant stainless steel handles) are coated in a product called Ceratec, a fine-ground ceramic coating that's applied to the pan under intense pressure. From all accounts it performs like a dream.

"It can take very high heat and the coating doesn't scratch off, so you can use metal utensils," said Cooks retail manager Lindsey Penn-McGree. "Nothing sticks to it, yet it caramelizes things beautifully, which is something you don't always get from a non-stick pan. It's not a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), so there's no worry there. It's dishwasher safe, but really you can cook in it, wipe it clean and start over again without washing it, it's that non-stick."

Trent noted that FinnStyle customers with induction cooktops are the cookware's biggest fans. "The feedback has been very positive," he said. "People with induction cooktops fall in love with this cookware."

Along with a skillet ($166), Cooks is stocking a wide-bowl wok ($200), a deep-grooved grill pan ($200) and a saucepan ($150) that, "A customer said was the best oatmeal pan he's ever had," said Penn-McGree.

Are you cooking with Ceratec? What's your take?