Scoville Neverstick Super Strong Non-Stick, 5 Times Stronger Than Other Non-Sticks

*What do we mean by Neverstick 5X stronger?

In January 2019 we commissioned an independent laboratory to run a series of tests to compare our pans to those of other manufacturers and see how much stronger we really are than some of the new ranges now in the market. Below youโ€™ll find a detailed explanation of what we mean by โ€˜Neverstick 5X stronger than other non-sticksโ€™, an explanation of how we selected the sample, the methodology of the testing and the full set of results.

The Sample

To select an appropriate sample, we began by identifying the main players in the cookware market. Based on a market insight report conducted in 2017 by one of the worldโ€™s largest market research organisations, the largest brands specific to the cookware market in the UK were Tefal (29.5% market share), followed by Scoville, JML, Salter and Prestige. In addition to this, there are a number of retailer own-brand ranges, like those of Tesco and Debenhams, which accounted for 50.5%.

It would obviously be impracticable to test every pan by every manufacturer, especially as product ranges undergo changes regularly, but we deliberately selected a wide sample for our tests in an effort to be as accurate as possible.

We selected 35 different pans in total, a (including some pans which are more expensive than ours) to emulate what a typical consumer would experience when buying a new pan. A full list of the pans we tested is below.

In total, we believe that our sample is representative of the cookware market.

Background

The survivability of a coated surface is paramount to the strength and performance of non-stick coated frying pans, with failure of the coating amounting to loss of non-stick properties.

Throughout its life cycle, a pan comes into close contact with objects, like kitchen utensils and other cooking implements, which can cause a panโ€™s non-stick capability to deteriorate. Cleaning, stacking and storage alongside other cookware items might also have that effect.

To investigate the coatingsโ€™ resistance to these, the independent lab used a scratch test method to determine the strength of each non-stick pan.

Scratch Resistance

A scratch test is the process of measuring a surfaceโ€™s reaction to a pointed stylus being dragged across it. Testing in this way provides information on a materialโ€™s resistance to scratches and abrasions as well as how much force a surface can withstand before the non-stick coating is damaged. By increasing hardness as a function of distance, the point and method of failure can be determined.

Procedure

The independent lab used a machine called a Teer Coatings ST200 scratch tester with a diamond tipped probe (angle 120ยฐ and radius 0.2 mm) for the test. The initial load for start of test was 1 N at a loading rate of 40 N/min and a table speed of 5 mm/min.

Scratch marks were analysed by the lab using an Inspex HD 1080p Digital Microscope from point of continuous metal exposure.

The Results

The โ€˜failure forceโ€™ (measured in Newtons) shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 represents the force that was required during the test to cause continuous metal exposure of the pan. As such, the higher the force required to cause metal exposure, the stronger the pan is deemed to be.

The โ€˜Scoville strength ratioโ€™ shown in Figure 2 shows the multiple of how many times more force was needed to cause metal exposure on the Scoville Neverstick pan versus each other pan tested. This ratio is simply a more convenient way of comparing how many times stronger the Scoville Neverstick pan is versus each other pan tested.

Scoville Neverstick 5X Stronger Scratch Resistance Table

Pan Reference

figure 1 – bar chart to show differences in force required to expose continuous metal in different frying pans.

RefBrandRangeFailure Force (N)Scoville Strength Ratio
1ScovilleNeverstick68.21.0
2Competitor 1Range 110.26.7
3Competitor 1Range 25.013.6
4Competitor 1Range 39.96.9
5Competitor 1Range 44.714.4
6Competitor 1Range 57.88.7
7Competitor 2Range 15.313.0
8Competitor 3Range 18.77.8
9Competitor 4Range 18.97.7
10Competitor 5Range 17.09.8
11Competitor 6Range 18.18.4
12Competitor 7Range 19.96.9
13Competitor 8Range 13.320.9
14Competitor 9Range 16.410.7
15Competitor 1Range 67.49.3
16Competitor 1Range 77.69.0
17Competitor 1Range 810.06.8
18Competitor 10Range 13.221.5
19Competitor 11Range 13.718.3
20Competitor 5Range 28.77.8
21Competitor 12Range 18.48.2
22Competitor 1Range 97.09.7
23Competitor 1Range 108.18.4
24Competitor 1Range 116.710.1
25Competitor 13Range 110.76.4
26Competitor 14Range 15.013.6
27Competitor 15Range 19.57.2
28Competitor 16Range 18.58.3
29Competitor 17Range 13.519.6
30Competitor 18Range 13.917.5
31Competitor 19Range 14.315.9
32Competitor 20Range 10.4152.1
33Competitor 15Range 22.527.3
34Competitor 21Range 17.98.7
35Competitor 1Range 125.612.2
36Competitor 22Range 19.67.1

Figure 2 – Table to show the failure forces numerically and summarised in ratios of strength versus Scoville

full details of the products tested are available on request, please contact Customer Services, Group Imperial, Whiteacres, Whetstone, Leicester, LE8 6BB via post if you wish to find out more.

Conclusion

In this lab test, the coating used for Scoville Neverstick required at least 5 times more force to cause continuous metal exposure, meaning that it was shown to be at least 5 times as strong as the other pans we tested Hence the name, Neverstick 5x Stronger.

Disclaimer

All information is factual at the time of posting, we update the sample as often as we can to give the most accurate data that we can provide.