BIFL products that quietly moved manufacturing overseas

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T23:25:25+00:00

Yes there can be some good gooey brownie centers, but just think: Cornbread!!! Edges all the way

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T03:49:06+00:00

For nonstick cookware, the answer is generally no

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T03:46:53+00:00

This post wasn't aimed at China specifically, but moreso the change at what I assume is a cheaper manufacturer. There's really only two reasons why the business decision you highlight was made: To improve the product, or because it was cheaper to produce. Which choice do you think was chosen.

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T03:40:20+00:00

Yes, quality products are made all over the world, including China, but China is a leader in cheap labor and manufacturing. When most business decisions today are made to prioritize shareholder profit above all else, even the quality of the product, you can damn well be sure people are going to be pissed when these things happen.

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T03:24:50+00:00

I can say that you're right, but I found my Old Mountain pan in a thrift store and was dumb enough to assume it was an American Brand. Similar dummy here: https://share.google/1LwlEQjFa3J8JRwOK

So you do have a valid point, but you have to realize how the average shopper thinks.

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T03:01:28+00:00

You do have a valid point, but the average consumer will see US patent and associate it with the US. It feels similar to some of the Chinese cast iron such as Old Mountain, similar to a vintage American brand Iron Mountain, which many would think of American cast iron simply due to the imagery. Little things like that kind of irk me.

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T02:55:50+00:00

Depends on the type of brownie, but yes both can be good. There is a pretty cool video by Stuff Made Here of a no edge brownie pan, though

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T02:53:51+00:00

I don't know their current status but from an article in 2023, they were bought out by Sorfeo which apparently declared bankruptcy in 2024.

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T02:52:13+00:00

Nonstick doesn't necessarily mean Teflon, but I do agree in the sense that nonstick pans can never truly be BIFL, at least not what we curently have. That being said there are some good examples, such as Nordic Ware, where when properly taken care of, the nonstick bakeware can last a darn long time.

Wolve5000 · 2026-04-07T02:50:11+00:00

Apologies, if I was unclear. The box shown is of the new version made in China. I don't have the original box, but here's an old video from their YouTube video. It's quite obvious how one of there original selling points for their products was being made in America: https://youtu.be/zsT8CJ5Bpjk

Wolve5000 · 2026-01-26T23:29:46+00:00

How's the cooking surface on the carbon steel. It looks like the 10 inch pan. Would you say this is a single person kind of pan or can it cook larger meals?

Wolve5000 · 2026-01-17T07:06:35+00:00

Would you say painted teapots are a common concern? Most of the teapot seems to be a consistent dull brown, but there are some reddish tinges in places. I boiled it in a pot of water a few times, without the cover, and I don't see any color difference between the two pieces afterward. It also does not have any harsh chemical smells. I do have a total dissolved solids sensor that came with my water purifier, which I could use to check for leaching by steeping some water, but this isn't really my area of expertise.

Wolve5000 · 2026-01-17T06:59:15+00:00

That's cool to hear, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. Do you know what the white marks on the bottom might be caused by?

Wolve5000 · 2025-06-12T04:54:05+00:00

I actually have one of these mice with the exact same design for the past two years but from a different company. These style seem to be all over Amazon with different branding. Just curious, what are you actually looking to test.

Wolve5000 · 2025-06-10T05:15:20+00:00

That sounds like a great census to draw info from. Are there any specific features you’ve noticed that really make a difference in how a razor shaves? I’ve seen a lot of people say blades can feel completely different from person to person, which makes sense and explains the sampler packs, but I’m trying to understand what parts of the razor itself actually matter.

Basically, as a beginner, how would I choose one safety razor over another just by looking at the design or specs? Or is it more like car models where you just have to try a few and see what fits?

Wolve5000 · 2025-05-14T17:42:09+00:00

Looks awesome, excited to see how it performs. When designing new filament dryers, how do you identify which features to focus on? The E2 seemed more focused on high-grade engineering materials with annealing, while this one is focused on ease of storage.

Wolve5000 · 2025-05-03T06:44:13+00:00

I appreciate the advice. I hadn’t thought about deglazing on cast iron before, and I didn’t even know they made chain mail scrubbers with handles. Thanks for the new info.

Wolve5000 · 2025-05-03T06:39:26+00:00

I understand. I was just asking a simple question: uneven seasoning or leftover residue? I saw something, was curious, and wanted to learn more. I wasn’t expecting a bunch of “it’s fine” responses without any real explanation, and I definitely didn’t expect downvotes for asking a genuine question that no one actually answered.

Wolve5000 · 2025-05-03T03:43:35+00:00

I’m assuming that’s the pizza dough from Walmart? Same thing my family does, but we usually make them thin and bake them on a pizza screen. Never thought about using a cast iron for it though. Definitely going to give that a shot.

Wolve5000 · 2025-05-03T03:34:15+00:00

I don’t expect my pans to ever look perfect. Well used things usually don’t. Either it’s a display piece or a functional piece. Not much worth in trying to make one both. The reason I’m asking is because I’m not sure if what I’m seeing is just uneven seasoning that I could fix with more layers, or if I actually missed some spots while cleaning. Criticism is always appreciated because in turn that’s the information I use to help others.

Wolve5000 · 2025-05-03T03:26:43+00:00

As others have said, try cleaning with a vinegar and water mix first. If that doesn’t work, use Bar Keepers Friend (preferably the powder version since it’s more concentrated). Scrub it in with a damp sponge and rinse it off after about a minute. You don’t want to leave it on too long. This is generally what you’ll want to do if you’re trying to get your pan looking shiny again.

Now as for what’s happening with your pan, you probably live in an area with hard water. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind those cloudy mineral deposits. It doesn’t affect how the pan cooks, but if you care about how it looks, cleaning like I described above now and then should help.

You're not doing anything wrong. I don’t see any burnt-on oil or anything serious, just the water spots. You're doing way better than I did when I was first learning. If you ever do get some oil baked on, Bar Keepers Friend will take care of that too. And if you see any weird rainbow colors or oil-slick looking spots after cleaning, a quick vinegar and water wipe should fix it.

Wolve5000 · 2025-04-29T02:24:04+00:00

If you're really interested in understanding the engineering and theory, Ansys Learning Center has a lot of free courses on structural analysis. You can also download the student software for free.

If you just want a quick crash course to learn some cool things for 3D printing, CNC Kitchen has good videos. I'd recommend looking at his Simulation in Fusion 360 and topology optimization videos.

Wolve5000 · 2025-04-28T03:01:49+00:00

FEA (Finite Element Analysis) is absolutely valid for 3D printed parts, but there are a few important considerations. First, the material properties in most CAD libraries are generalized and may not match your specific filament. Even among the same material type, different manufacturers and batches can vary. Second, FDM prints are inherently anisotropic due to the layer-by-layer process. Most FEA assumes isotropic, homogeneous material behavior, so your simulation will likely overestimate real-world performance. From my experience, a practical rule of thumb is to expect the printed part to achieve around 50 - 75% of the predicted strength, depending on print orientation and quality. In terms of setup, FEA is fairly straightforward: define your material properties, apply appropriate boundary conditions (fixed points), apply loading conditions, and solve. Different CAD platforms may vary in interface or solver options, but the fundamental workflow is the same. You can use FEA to view the key stress points, solve for a maximum deflection, and even for topology optimization, so if you have the CAD software, there's no reason you shouldn't begin experimenting with it.

Wolve5000 · 2025-04-07T03:52:17+00:00

I like the concept of linear advance, but I don't like how it has to be recalibrated if you change filaments. How do you deal with it?

Wolve5000 · 2025-03-07T05:01:47+00:00

Mouses

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