Cooking With Confidence: Lessons on Heat, Fat, and Stainless Steel

Cindy sits down with Lauren Maloney, director of merchandising at Hestan, for an honest and lively conversation about quality cookware and building kitchen confidence. 

From growing up in entertaining families to careers at Williams Sonoma and beyond, Cindy and Lauren share stories of learning curves, favorite kitchen memories, and the passions that drive their work. Discover the innovation behind Hestan’s cookware, the story of its family founders, and why investing in the right tools can transform everyday cooking. 

Plus, get inspired by pro tips — for everything from flipping eggs in stainless steel to caring for your pans — and learn why the things we choose for our kitchens matter, now more than ever. 

Whether you’re an aspiring chef, a seasoned home cook, or just love a good story, this episode will leave you feeling empowered and ready to embrace the joy of cooking with confidence.

Products featured in this episode:

Hestan products at Berry & Basil

For more thoughtfully curated joy, check out berryandbasil.com and follow the store for all the latest products, events and sales at @theberrybasil

Follow the show at @joycuratedpodcast (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok) and make sure to subscribe to us on the podcast app of your choice. It helps us grow and share the story of all the brands we love. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:01

I know for a fact I was misusing my nonstick also around proper heat control and fat. Also, cleaning it. I thought that you could just wipe it clean. No, you need to scrub it. You need to clean it just as well as you're cleaning anything else. So there's a lot of learning curves. So I think trust me, I I've done it all, so ask me all these questions. Right?

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Welcome to Joy Curated. I'm Cindy Peterson, co-founder of Barry and Basil, a thoughtfully curated kitchen store in beautiful downtown Chamberlain, South Dakota. Here we discuss food, quality, and real life without the pressure to get it perfect. I have real, honest conversations with makers and product experts to talk about how things are made, how they're meant to be used, and how thoughtful choices can make everyday life feel more confident and enjoyable. Welcome back to Joy Curated. What if the secret to cooking better wasn't a new recipe? It was just a better pan. Today we're talking cookware and much more. Lauren Maloney from Huston joins me, and she is the real deal. I love getting to hang out with you, and I love getting to talk to you always, because I feel like we could hang out and uh yeah, have a pretty good time. But uh tell me, Lauren. Okay, tell me first of all a little bit about you personally.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

Well, I have been in, well, I've been cooking my whole life in the sense of my family. I grew up, we uh I have a large family, we just grew up with family parties, and it's always been around entertaining and hosting. I picked up my mom's love of finding, she used to find recipes like in magazines and clip them out. And then she I remember she would always like make them for dinner. And if they weren't good, we'd be like, mom, you should lose this recipe. But now, you know, I find recipes all the time on social media and TikTok. So I love to try new recipes and just try new things. So with my love of cooking and entertaining, I actually worked, I interned for Pottery Barn and William Sonoma in college. And then I ended up staying. I worked for them for 13 years. I actually worked in visual merchandising. So I used to oversee all the in-store displays for I started off with pottery barn kids and teen for about 10 years, opened tons of stores, managed all of our in-store displays. I moved over to William Sonoma, loved it. Just again, I always had the more of the passion for cooking and I love home decor, don't get me wrong. But I worked for William Sonoma for about three years, and I was on the sales floor visiting one of our stores in Los Angeles, and Miss Pamela Stafford walks in, and she, as you know, is the CEO of Heston, founder, and I was just captivated. She we started talking and she was just so poised and polished, and she just had such a passion for Heston that I remember at the time thinking, like, I knew what it was, I knew I how it was supposed to look in our bays that William Snowman on features, but I knew it was just like the the best cookware that William Snowman had. I didn't really know anything about it, but I was just captivated by Pamela. And honestly, she had sent me some demo pans. Swear to God, I didn't use them for about three months because they were too pretty. I remember I remember I got the Nanobond skillet. Uh I loved it. I didn't really actually, I'll be the first to admit, I didn't use it properly. Like I, as everyone, you know, stainless steel is scary at times. And my first ones were not so great, but I left the oven boneries probably untouched for about five months because I was so nervous to use them. Once I used them, I never turned back. But with that, I then just reached out to Pamela. I was like, I just was captivated. I wanted to learn more. I just wanted to see if there's any opportunities and just learn more about the company. Long story short, here I am two and a half years later, director of merchandising, and just couldn't be happier.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

I if as I look back into my, you know, I've always loved kitchen stores, obviously. I uh we have a lot of little background things in common. Both my parents grew up in Southern California and Anaheim. Um and I remember, yeah, wait going.

SPEAKER_03 4:05

I grew up I grew up in Brea, which is just down the street. Like you could see Disneyland fireworks from our backyard.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

Okay, so uh we were probably at Disneyland at the same time. I remember my um my grandma would say to my cousins, my sister and I, just to be home right after the fireworks were over. We'd get to go to we'd get to ride our bike to Disneyland, and I just thought that was a normal thing. And so I just remember going um to kitchen stores, and and at that time there were restaurant supply places throughout, you know, LA. And my grandma, Italian grandma, always had, you know, the sauce on the stovetop every day. And I just, or the gravy, whatever. Okay, you know, right? And so I just think that background there, but I just love those memories with my family and knowing that the quality, but okay, let me move forward to the Williams and Sonoma link. My passion for cookware and all things kitchen is was standing in a Williams Sonoma going, oh my gosh, I know, I know I will have made it when I can have that item in my kitchen, when I can have that brand in my kitchen, when I can buy that cookware, that knife. And so, real real question, what colored light crusade, Dutch oven, were you dreaming of?

SPEAKER_03 5:22

Because that's well, let's just get real here.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Uh you know, what's crazy is it was always the traditional, the orange, and to this day. And and what do we call it? Flame. Flame. Right? Orange is my favorite color, uh, obviously. But for many reasons, I know it's like all the things you guys fit my wardrobe perfectly. It's like you know, I love that. Um, but it's such a small world in terms of when passions collide and we get excited about how things look and how they make us feel and how I feel going through Williams and Sonoma. I realized when I met you that a lot of that can be attributed to you and your eye and and your eye for the pretty things that Angie and I love to highlight as well so much.

SPEAKER_03 6:09

I mean, the pretty things do all the work. All my team and I, we just arrange them so that you wanted to buy them. So, but thank you so much. That's so sweet.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

Well, it's the storytelling, and I love correct the story behind the brand. You know, we talked about Pamela, but also this was a family business from the get-go, correct?

SPEAKER_03 6:31

Yes. I mean, if you want to talk story, I mean, this is just it it has a little bit of romance to it, if you will. So Heston started, so Heston is a NAPA-based company. Um, we are actually a subsidiary of a larger company, Meyer Corporation, which is owned by Stanley Chang and his wife. And they have been in the cookware industry for over 50 years. They make Analon, Circulon, Farberware, KitchenAid, cookware. So they've been innovating for over 50 years, second largest cookware uh leader in the world. Well, Stanley had a bit of a passion project, if you will. So he's always trying to find the newest and the greatest thing. Well, he discovered that in the aerospace field, they were bonding titanium with stainless steel to make a surface that was four times stronger than traditional stainless steel, and it had other attributes that would really benefit the um aerospace industry. Well, he thought, well, why couldn't I do that to stainless steel and cookware and revolutionize stainless steel as we know it? So, with that, he had he got the bug. He wanted to come up with something new and different. And with that, he wanted to kind of break off from the Meyer name, but still be under the umbrella. So, over, I'm gonna don't quote me on this, I want to say about 17 years ago, he came up with the idea of a nanobond. And that started just blending in, just kind of starting with the innovation, the technology behind it, and really mastering the craft of building this new stainless steel technology. While that was going, him and his wife Helen actually bought a vineyard in Napa, California, you know, as one does. And they started producing their own wine and they needed a name for the winery and then the other businesses that I'll speak to. And they needed something, they wanted something that spoke to them of who they were as a family and their vision. And as Stanley says, Helen always become comes before him. So the logical name was to pair their names together and name it Heston, which is so sweet. We joke, or not joke, we have it in a couple of our written things of like he says it with a twinkle in his eye, and he really does when he speaks about his wife Helen. He's like, she comes first. Like, of course it would be named Heston if we combine our names. Absolutely. So they were ahead of their trend before like the Benefer um and all of the other combinations of celebrity couples. But with that, um, Heston Vineyards was born, and then from that they expanded into um, you know, at Heston really, it all centers around the table and who are you there sharing your meal with. But then how are you? How do you prepare that meal? And then what are you drinking to share those memories with each other? So we love to say at Heston, we have a master brand of brands here. So there's Heston Vineyards, there's Heston Commercial and Residential Appliances. We are in over 68 Michelin star restaurants. We together through all those restaurants, we have 167 Michelin stars, which is amazing. We also have award-winning outdoor barbecues made by Heston Commercial Team, which is actually handcrafted in your hometown, Anaheim, California. Right. Um and then we have Heston Culinary, which truly came to market with Nanobond back in 2017, almost 18, by the time it actually hit stores. Actually, it launched um exclusively in Williams Sonoma first. And then with that, we've branched out also to we actually have Heston Napa, which is now a combination of all of those brands under one roof in an actual showroom tasting salon and restaurant in Napa Valley, California. So I think when you think about the Heston brands, it really starts with family and gathering around with everyone that you love and it's sharing a meal, but it's being prepared on the top performing commercial or residential appliances, the best cookware we have to offer. And who doesn't love a good glass of wine when you're sharing it with friends and family?

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Yes. Our why, Angie and I, when we opened the store, was really, and we opened up in the middle of COVID, October of 2020, and it was bringing people together in a time when we were refocusing everything. And I I think I realized, you know, when we talk uh, I mentioned my grandma, I remember her always saying too that use the good stuff, use your good china, use your good, you know, crystal, use the silver. Even if it's just a Tuesday, don't save it for a special occasion. Use it and enjoy it. And I feel like when I look at Heston, it's one of those where it's like, okay, I'm just a basic home cook in all honesty. Just saying, uh yeah. And I I look at it and I'm like, oh my gosh, a Michelin chef uses these uh tools. That's over my head. I'm not good enough for that. And the the truth is it's made me a better cook. What's the biggest learning curve working alongside some of these chefs as you've if you've learned about the product lines and that's made you a better cook?

SPEAKER_03 11:28

The biggest learning curve I have to say, and I alluded to it earlier when I first started using nanobond. Um, and to be honest, also in our probe online as well, I was overheating my pants. I didn't, I didn't know how to, and again, this is so embarrassing in my mother and it's real though. Probably like, oh my God, you worked for us for so long and you didn't know. But I definitely was overheating. We talk about it. I my team and I also do all of our our retailer training, as you've you and your team I know have done. But the biggest tips that we share, it's proper heat control and fat. You need to have fat in your pan. We are not an infomercial pan line that, you know, you can sl, you know, slide things right off of and you don't need anything. But at the end of the day, also what you're cooking needs flavor. And the fat is what brings the flavor to, you know, a boring piece of chicken or an egg. You know, you know me, I love me some eggs and flip to hastens. But I will say the biggest, the biggest thing is proper heat control because that is what that's what makes cooking intimidating is you put it on your stove, you crank up the heat, and you're like, oh my God, this is gonna be great, but you don't realize you've overheated the pan, you don't have any fat in it. And as we've talked about in our trainings, um, especially in traditional stainless steel, it's a porous surface. So if it's not properly heated, it's overheated, things are going to get stuck in those pores of the pan. So the biggest learning curve is truly around heat control. And then it's so funny, you mentioned working with Michelin Star Chefs. And yes, I have been in many kitchens where I'm like, oh my God, I don't, I should not be in this man's kitchen or this one, you know, like doing it. Yeah. But they're also just home cooks too, home chefs. Like they're trying new recipes. There's gonna be fails, there's flops of eggs, you know, like we're all trying it together. So and they love new ideas. They're like, oh, I wouldn't have thought about that. I remember we were having we shot something with Tyler Florence and I was sharing a recipe, and he's like, Oh, I've never thought about that. So they're they're all just home cooks as well. So it's it's not as intimidating. It's it yes, I think, but it to answer your question, proper heat control has been the biggest issue for me when I first started.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

You know, the difference in the needs of uh, you know, the proper use of a nonstick pan. And I feel like we're comfortable with nonstick, but we don't need nonstick all the time.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Well and and in fact it's well let's wait, let's get real, because I also think I was missing I I know for a fact I was misusing my nonstick also around proper heat control and fat. Also cleaning it. I thought that you could just wipe it clean. No, you need to scrub it, you need to clean it just as well as you're cleaning anything else. So there was a lot of learning curves. So I think trust me, I I've done it all. So ask me all these questions. Right.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

And I think, gosh, we could and and maybe we um I think we need to get in and and do a recording specifically on certain things too, on on okay, how do I cook with nonstick and all of that? But I I love how uh and I think that's another episode because I want to really kind of get like a umbrella overview of everything that we're talking about. But um we talked about how, you know, the heat control and the quality of the materials within the pans and how that affects that heat control, the, you know, the the no hot spots, the consistent results that I get when I'm using my higher quality pan. And so yeah, it's just it it makes such a difference and it gives me more confidence when I have that better tool that's allowing me, you know, it's giving me a little bit more grace.

SPEAKER_03 15:11

Well, and I think it's interesting you just touched on that. I think, you know, we talked about the formation of Heston and really the the dream that Helen and Stanley had. But with that, when they started make when they developed Heston culinary, yes, it all started with nanobond. But and we can get into exactly what that is later. But what he needed to do first was develop the best stainless steel pan on the market to then, as we'll talk through, bond it with titanium. But what he did was work with his chef partners, his connections within the chef community of he really went through and asked about the pain points that both professional at-home chefs had with their current cookware to then develop the best stainless steel. So you talk about it with the even heat distribution. So we knowingly inside Heston, we call them our Heston advantages, but they are the pun intended here in a second, but the core of all of our pans is we took everything in mind to solve the pain points of the kitchen. So that being even heat distribution. All of our Heston cookware has a pro-aluminum core. So we say that as a pro aluminum, it's a phrase we use, but it's a pure aluminum. It actually is used more aluminum and a higher quality aluminum than our competitors. So you're giving a faster reaction time, but you're getting an even heat distribution across all of our pants, which is amazing. Cause, like as we said, at the end of the day, you're there to heat your food. You want an even and a fast reacting control to anything you're heating. With that, I think the biggest thing that we don't well, we think about it, but one of the biggest pain points in stainless steel cookware, let's be honest, also, is the handle. You have to pick it up, you have to be able to be comfortable to use it. So we went through hundreds of prototypes of the handle, getting that perfect finger guard, the feel of it, the art. Also, there's a little bit of a thumb rest or a finger rest inside so you can get proper control. It's not too rounded so that you're not like spinning the pan in your hand. You have a comfortable control. It's a it's actually a European-inspired handle. With that, also, this is we we joke that we talk about this all the time, but we love to talk about it. We have flush rivets. I think we've all seen it in our cookware over the years. You get that food buildup and that discoloration where the handle is actually riveted to or welded to the pan. So we have flush rivets. So A, it's easier to clean. You're not getting that buildup. Or Michael Cain, who's our cookware concierge, he lovingly calls them there's no speed bumps as you're whisking your sauce. There's no speed bumps along the side, which I just love. And then again, thinking about that extra step, I know I still live in Southern California and I'm not sure what the water shortage is in South Dakota at the moment, but you know, we're always in a drought here. It's said that you actually use less water when you use your dishwasher than if you hand wash your pans. Well, scouts honor. All of our cookware outside of our copper line is truly dishwasher safe because we have sealed rims. So, what that is, it's all of our pans are clad construction. So it's got sandwich layers of, you know, me and I love my Oreo cookie analogy, but it's we're stainless steel, aluminum, stainless steel sandwiched together, similar to an Oreo cookie, if you will. But what we then did is we covered all of those later. They're encapsulated in stainless steel. So they're truly dishwasher safe. So no food or soap, any buildup is gonna get in between those Oreo cookie layers, which over time they delaminate. You can get things inside, but they actually become really sharp. So all of our cookware outside of copper is truly dishwasher safe. And that is such a proud world to stand behind of like Scouts Honor. Yes, I'm gonna know my mom is shaking her head right now. Like, what do you mean you put your pans in your dishwasher? I'm like, Mom, I know. I don't have time. Like, I know. I I gotta move on. But absolutely amazing. We love our flesh rivets and our sealed rims. We also, there's the pan geometry itself. All of our pans are designed to have actually 20% greater surface area for the actual cooking. You know, when you're cooking two pieces of protein in your skillet, I want them to fit, but I don't want them to crowd. So all of our pans are designed, so you actually are getting more surface area of the cooking space. Um, and with that, you're getting a steeper sidewall, perfect for basting or egg flipping, if you will. All of our pans actually also nest within each other. Um and then let's see, OR, we have a fabulous nonstick coating, which I'll share more about. Um, and then just another proud moment, all of our cookware, including our copper bond line, is is induction capable. And we're seeing a big trend in home renovations and building where people are moving towards induction ranges. And then last but not least, really proud moment, all of our cookware is actually handcrafted in our own factories in Italy, which is really exciting. So that long spiel, though, is we again sought out to solve the pain points, but to develop the best stainless steel pan on the market. And then we made it better. And then we bought it with titanium. And I don't mean to give too many teasers about Nanobond. I know we'll jump into it, but I think it's really important to share the story of who we are as Heston, how we started, but then why. We love to talk about the whys at Heston. Why do we do everything that we did and uh and then we continue to do, but it all comes back to the chef, not the Michelin chef all the time. It's the at-home chef. It's you and I. We are the ones that are using it day in and day out, and we want to solve those pain points.

SPEAKER_01 20:36

So let's get into, you know, we reference the Oreo and the the different lines, you know, because I just think it's such a great analogy that I am a visual learner. I also I realized that I I really am learning a lot when I'm eating Oreo cookies with you guys. So um what? What let's let's start at the uh at the regular Oreo cookie. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:59

So again, my team is gonna die when they hear this and they're like, oh my God, she's such a loser. All she talks about her Oreos. So it's funny. When I joined Huston, I went through our training and I went through our House and Advantages. And that the the first line of our pro core, our pure aluminum core. And I was like, I just don't understand actually what that is. Like, I understand Clad. I'm just I was working with Michael, and he was like, Okay, Lauren, let's think about an Oreo cookie. I'm like, okay, I I eat those. I try not to, but I do. As I sit in my office and I literally have stacks of them over here, but here nor there. So an Oreo cookie, it is, you know, cookie, filling, cookie. So it's sandwiched. The filling is sandwiched between two layers of cookies. Well, clad stainless steel is the same way. We have stainless steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. And that's how Michael just described how a clad pan was built. But then, really, that the cream filling is the heat source, the heat conductor for. All cookware is that aluminum. But we use it more aluminum and an actual higher quality aluminum than our leading competitors. And he joked, he's like, let's just pretend it's like a buttercream filling, if you will. I'm like, oh, such a fancy Oreo. So I then respond, well, not entirely, but like, why couldn't we just say it's a double stuffed Oreo? And he was like, Yeah, I mean, I guess you could. He's like, I'm not saying we use double the amount, but we just do we use more and we use a higher quality. So I'm like, okay, let's just joke that it's a double stuffed, like buttercream filled Oreo. And he's like, sure, that sounds clever. We could do with that. So it kind of took on this whole world of then as I was out in retailers, I started to reference Oreo cookies when we were talking about our house and advantages. Well, then I had this like light bulb go off in my head. I'm like, oh my God, I know what the holidays. Or if you go into like a specialty candy shop, they usually have like a chocolate-covered Oreo. And it was this moment of like, oh my God, this is the perfect example. Because let's just get into what nanobond actually is. Again, it is traditional stainless steel. We actually bond it. So we added to a high heat vacuum vacuum chamber with titanium. And there's thousands of nano layers of titanium bonded to the surface of stainless steel. Now, what you get is a smooth glass-like, non-porous surface that is four times stronger than traditional stainless steel. It is stick stain and scratch resistant. It is high heat tolerant up to 1,050 degrees and completely non-reactive. So you're thinking, okay, we'll put this in an Oreo cookie scenario. Okay, let's pretend that we have an Oreo cookie in our hand. Feel the top of that Oreo. There's grooves in that Oreo cookie because it's it's stainless steel. It's porous. It's just like our skin, you know. Or my favorite analogy is like if you're gonna go paint, if you go to paint on wood, like on your the backdrop behind you, your seat, it's gonna soak up that paint. But if you go to paint on glass or like a mirrored surface, it stays, but then you wipe clean. So by filling all the pores of that Oreo cookie or that stainless steel pan with fudge or titanium, you now get a smooth glass-like surface on your stainless steel pan. But inside there is those layers of stainless steel and that pro aluminum core or that double-stuffed Oreo, if you will. So it truly just became this great gradual step conversation. And I know your store has it, but I have this great piece of marketing that Paul D'Antonio and my team made. But we we have a traditional stainless steel. So we send you a pack of regular Oreos. We have the Heston Pro Core, which we send some double stuff. Please don't tell Nabisco I didn't get licensing purposes. So nobody share on this podcast or hook us up. Like let's let's let's let's see where we go with this. Um, and then last but not least, you get the fudge covered Oreo and it highlights the nanobond, the capabilities and the attributes of nanobond. Again, it's fully encapsulated, bonded with titanium. But again, underneath it all, it's still that fabulous Heston stainless steel pro core pan. So it's it's a really fun way to what I love to call it is a digestible training for associates. But there is this light bulb that unlocks it because it takes something that seems really technical and somewhat scary, and it's not. It's just a cookie, it's just a clad piece of cookware.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

Right. No problem. Right. So the nanobond, and you know, we did the flip the egg challenge in the store a couple weeks ago. We can't wait to bring it back out too, because it is surprising that I mean, this is a stainless steel pan. We talked about your learning curve with heating it up. How do I, you know, how do I heat up my stainless steel, my nanobond properly?

SPEAKER_03 25:54

Okay, I'm gonna give a little another story here, and I apologize if I'm going off topic. But I think what's really funny.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

I love talking to you, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:02

Is the challenge, which later got dubbed flip to Heston, um, all started because I was visiting stores, I was in a particular retailer, and I'm chatting with the wonderful ladies, and we're just chatting about nanobon. And I'm standing there, I'm like, oh my gosh, nanobond's amazing. You can easily fry and flip an egg in a stainless steel pan with ease. Like it's phenomenal. And the ladies looked at me and they're like, Really? Show us. And I was like, Ugh, yeah, no problem, no problem at all. Okay, so we got behind the counter, they brought out butter and eggs, and like, don't be wrong, I had cooked an egg and I've I've fried an egg and nanobon, absolutely, but I'd never done it in front of an audience. And at home, prior to this, I don't usually just like flip my eggs. I'll use a spatula because it's scratch resistant. You can. But so it was so fun. All of the ladies, they literally circled around me at the at the cooktop at this retailer, and they all got out their phones and they all were like, Okay, ready? And they counted down, and I had to like, they're like, No, you have to flip it. I literally was like, oh my god, and I'm not even religious, but I was like, oh my God, this is this is ridiculous. And here I go. I flipped it. They all went wild. They were laughing, they were cheering, and then they all wanted to try. And I had this unlock. I called Pamela. I'm like, Pamela, what we need to do in retailers is we love to say is pans and hands. We want the pans in our associates' hands, but we need to have an engagement campaign. Like we need to get them to use it, incentivize them to use it. So flip to Heston was born. I have flipped thousands of eggs the past two and a half years, but it's so fun because everyone comes in and they're like, oh, I I only use nonstick, or I, you know, I'm not comfortable with it. And you get them what our rule of thumb is, what we love to say. There's multiple, everyone has their own way of heating and cooking an egg, but the tried and true method, at least to start, we love to start with a cold pan, cold butter. Just to be safe, I a recipe I give, um, and I know I sent you our recipes, is uh we say like a teaspoon of butter to start. Once that melts, it's actually way too much butter inside of a clean nanobond pan, but it's a nice to start with, you know, it's a little safety net, if you will. But you're gonna start with a cold pan, cold teaspoon of butter. I have an electric range at home. I only heat it up, I put it on two because again, you've got that pro aluminum core. It's gonna heat up 35% faster than the leading stainless steel. So my biggest advice is give yourself a minute. Like it's the morning if you're making this at home. Like make yourself a cup of coffee, but preheat your pan, usually about two to three minutes, nothing more than that. But really, what you're looking for is the the butter starting to bubble. So those milk solids are coming to the top. It's it's not browning by any means, but you can see the milk solids start to bubble. That's your indication that your pan is ready to go. Drop the egg in, and then again, don't touch it. It's like a piece of fish. Just let it cook, you know. You want that sear and release. Then what's really exciting, I can't tell you, half the time, yes, I can shake the pan and the egg comes right out. Sometimes there's a there's a that's a sticky little corner that doesn't want to budge. But again, it is scratch resistant, so you could use anything, including a stainless steel spatula, to get that one pesky edge going there. But then what's so fun is then all you have to do is confidently put the egg to the bottom of the pan and that perfect well, a confident flip of the wrist. That's everyone's biggest thing, is they're just not confident in doing it. And it's an easy flip. But what I also, again, my team continues to laugh at me is I thought about this in a retail setting. I'm like, well, this is gonna be really fun. I want people to do it, but I want that safety net. Like, what if they're nervous that they're gonna get it everywhere? I'm like, then we need a splat mat. And I literally thought about, you know, underneath a child's like high chair, you put a mat down so that you can easily clean it up. I'm like, well, why don't we just do something like that? And then I have this big egg on it's oh, it's a splat mat that has an egg on it. Inside it says flip to Heston. But what it's become in retail stores is not only a fun activation, it becomes a talking point because customers walk in. If you're doing this activation, they're like, Well, what's this? What's this giant egg on the floor? What are you doing? And then you get the most fun videos of associates and customers. If if they're willing to share the videos, they share them back. But they're so nervous, or then they they do it, but then it's like this overwhelming sense of confidence. Like, oh my God, I can cook an egg in stainless steel, but also I can flip an egg. Like, I'm a superhero. I could do this. Right. And it's so funny when I do the recaps, I kind of think like the old school, what are they called? Uh, MasterCard commercials. And it's like, you know, like 24 eggs flipped, one slop, you know, lice all wide-seated, but the memories and the smiles are priceless because it is. You find that they they they have this sense of confidence when they're done. They're like, wait, can I do it again? It's just, it's just a really fun campaign because again, another retailer has quoted it, or it's it's one of their biggest kind of rules that go by that the answers are in the stores. When you are traveling in stores and you're talking to associates and customers, that's where you're gonna find the answer to everything that you're searching for. They're gonna, they're gonna tell you their pain points, they're gonna tell you their fears. Well, let's tackle them together. And that is how flip to Heston was born.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

Cause I think it is even if I fail catching the egg, it's still released perfectly. You know, and I think that's the thing. Yeah, you know, it's real because even the best chefs make a mess. And it's just one of those things where now, honestly, that's the only way that I cook an egg, is and my husband likes scrambled and there we all discussion on that. But I like my I like my flipped egg. But when I, you know, I have had nonstick pans that we always say, okay, they've they lose their stick or their nonstick, and and and there's a whole process in why that is, but uh there is no such thing as a nonstick pan that is a lifetime nonstick pan. But the quality of the nonstick and the Heston line increases the longevity of that pan. Tell me a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_03 32:15

So I completely agree. I think, you know, we listen, let's just, let's just call it. Times are times are interesting. And we are looking at everything that we buy with a cost, you know, a cost benefit analysis. Like, do I need this? You know, what do I, you know, and yes, it is cheaper. I forget what. Oh, I was buying, I was buying new perfume. I was like, should I buy the big bottle? Like it's actually like per ounce, it's cheaper, but like, uh, I don't know, it's just too much right now, you know. So everything we're doing, I think we are looking at the the lifetime of the product or anything we're buying, you know. Yes, you can buy the inexpensive sweater, but if you buy the cashmere one and you know, it it's gonna last you a lot longer with the the natural fibers. So, and no, I don't have a shopping addiction, I promise. I wow, but with Heston, everything we have developed, it comes down to the quality and the purpose of why we've done the things we've done. We've also sourced the best materials possible to make the product. So, yes, I, you know, we we don't love to talk price when we talk about selling Heston because you're really talking about the value, the lifetime value of something. But if we are talking, yes, we might be a little more expensive than the next pan next to us. But what they don't have is again the innovation and the quality and the backing behind everything that we do. We also offer a lifetime warranty on every single thing that we make, including our nonstick cookware. Um, because we do know that, you know, there is, yes, there might be a user error, but things happen. I get it. You know, I'll be honest, one of my favorite retailers to shop at has is known for like the best return policy known to man. You know, you could return a tire to Nordstroms and they didn't even sell it to you. Uh, I don't think you can end more, but it is that famous retail story. It's about the long-term investment and the quality that we're never gonna have to rebuy this pan. And heaven forbid, I figure out a way to somehow ruin the pan. They got me. It's gonna be covered. So we're seeing this a lot with honestly our younger generation that is starting to shop with Heston, they are doing the research. They are spending hours, they're coming into our retailers with such specific questions. So it makes my job even more important that I want to make sure I fuel our retailers with every ounce of knowledge possible because customers these days are savvy. They are going through, they're doing the research, they're reading the Reddit reports, they're reading everything and thinking, okay, yes, I could buy a loaf pan for $40 at home goods, or I could spend a little more on a quality stainless steel loaf pan or cookie sheet that is never going to warp. It's never going to ping. I'm gonna have, I'm gonna be able to have this forever. So I think now more than ever, quality is outperforming in price. Like the the trust and the quality and innovation in it in what you are buying, when it's putting, you know, apples to apples, you're like, okay, I will spend more if I know it's the right choice. And that's what we're seeing. Um, and it's it's a really proud moment as a brand to see that confidence in our consumers.

SPEAKER_01 35:17

Well, and I have, you know, I have a 24-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old daughter, and and I laugh at my oldest lives in Nashville, and on Friday night, she's cross-stitching uh, you know, at home. And but that bespoke era and and the trend of uh, you know, when we talk about trends when we go to market, it's colors, it's patterns, it's it's what's old is new, the grandma trend. But here's the thing is that when grandma cooked, she had the best quality of things and they lasted for years in a world of the big box stores where it's uh almost disposable type quality. This is a generation that has never grown up without a Walmart. And I think they've realized that I want to live the way real food, real things, and uh live the way my grandma lived. My grandma had the best of everything that lasted 30, 40 years or longer. So I just think that's the trend.

SPEAKER_03 36:16

My sister literally has my mom, like in the will, or you know, our fake will that we talk about. Like, I'm getting this. She wants my grandma's cast iron pan because my mom still uses my grandma's. So absolutely. I couldn't agree more. And it's it's also a trend that we're seeing as you talk about grandma hobbies, joking. I followed this one of the this creator on TikTok, but this whole trend of a banana bread baddie. But everyone wants to stay at home. They want to cook and they want to make banana bread, but they want to do these quality things. And yeah, they're shopping, they're looking for seed oil-free ingredients. They're really conscious of what we're putting in our bodies. Obviously, our toxins and chemicals are a huge concern in everything that we do, including cookware. So, no, uh listen, I'm I'm a trend. What I what do you call it? A grand millennial. Like, right? Yeah, no, I'm here for it. I bought my my oh god, new like laundry detergent that is toxin-free. Like, I don't know if it's gonna work. I'll report back. But yeah, no, I I'm I'm with you on all of that.

SPEAKER_01 37:13

Yeah. And and so it's the balance of even I love when somebody comes in the store and they're like, okay, this item that I had that we got for our wedding 30, 40 years ago, the quality of that product and that brand is maybe different now than it was 30, 40 years ago. And so when yeah, we get what we pay for when it comes to cookware and knives and and you know, even gadgets to some extent, where if we want it to last, and uh, you know, Angie and I, when we choose things, we are selling to our friends and family. And so the importance of that quality, because we see them every day. And and if there's a problem, we want to make sure and and help it get fixed. And so that's the few problems that we've ever had. I just love like you know, like I I say I literally have Lauren's cell phone number. Um except our our rep Kevin is amazing, and uh, and and his wife Hope. And so it's it's the relationships that we've built, we get to carry forward to our customers and the quality that they appreciate. Our little town, it's it's we appreciate quality. We're just used to traveling for it. So to bring it home and to bring Heston into central South Dakota is it's it's something that I'm proud of to be able to share with the people that I love and care for the most. Okay, so our South Dakota, I remember when we chatted, yeah. So have you had a tater-tot casserole out of a Hestan pan?

SPEAKER_03 38:45

Um, I have not, but it's so funny. So my grandfather was from I we always say Sioux Falls. It's again, I'm gonna say this wrong. I think it's right outside, but Elk Point, South Dakota.

SPEAKER_01 38:58

Yep, the southernmost tip.

SPEAKER_03 39:01

So I haven't been in a long time. I'm not gonna date myself, but a very long time. But we visited his family farm years ago that at the time his brothers still had, and then it's gotten still in the family, passed down. Actually, my mom is headed out to Elk Point later this summer for a family reunion.

SPEAKER_00 39:18

I love it.

SPEAKER_03 39:19

But I remember visiting, I remember playing like Barbie dolls upstairs. Fun story. We visited a um sad, but uh a veal farm or a veal yeah, farm, I guess. Yeah, yeah, dairy farm. Yeah. And we were like feeding the cows or the the calves, but one of them got out and like chased my brother around the farm, like it was like a whole thing. But um, yeah, so my grandfather's from El Point, South Dakota, and then actually my cousin's husband, who I'm very close with as well, is from Parker, South Dakota. So it's been a very long time, but I know it's a tight-knit community. And I think what is really exciting, and what I love about actually the current state of retail right now. And I know everyone's talking about AI is taking over our lives and everything, but at the end of the day, everyone still wants that connection and that sense of community. And they are driving in force to retail stores. They want to come into brick and mortar, they want to come in because they want that experience and that again, that sense of community, which I haven't been to your store in person, but even just talking with you and like when you talk about who your customers are and what they value, they're coming in to speak to you, to your associates. They're coming in to flip an egg. They want to try it, but they want that experience in retail. So what we want to deliver here at Heston is not only quality products that last a lifetime, that are purposely pioneered, as we love to say, but we also want to arm and educate our retailers with everything that customers want to know, whether that's education with in-store activities. But again, I think I know retail is not dying. It's not going anywhere. Like they can't replace you and like, no, it they want to touch and feel 91% of our Heston customers want to touch it in real life before they buy it. Like, that's huge. That is a that is a traffic driver into stores. But I think it just now more than ever, we are so important as far as the face of a of a brand, but then also a store of giving everyone that experience they want because they trust you. You're a valued member of your community. And like you said, I don't want to recommend something I wouldn't use, but I also need to do my job as that vendor to make sure you know everything. I'm giving you, we'll just say it's the playbook. Here's your training, here's your engagement, here's how to inspire them to continue to come back. So I can't wait to make it out to South Dakota. I know visit my family that lives there.

SPEAKER_02 41:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 41:46

Maybe I'll I'll have my mom pop in. Yeah. Because let's see, I'm not familiar. How far are you?

SPEAKER_01 41:51

It's it's very far probably two and a half, three hours. But you know, it's LA traffic. We're fine. Right. I know. I can I can go 200 miles in that period of time. You you've gone 20. So yeah, yeah. I can meet you in the middle and bring you, yeah, bring you in the rest of the way. I love it. Yes. Well, I am super excited. It is on my list of places to come. I want to meet up with you in Napa and uh maybe kind of do some recordings in person and and things like that. But I think our conversations long distance will continue with you and the rest of the team. I always learned so much. And whether I've already learned it and I forget it, but I get to learn it again, I'm all in. Uh, you know, it's it's always such a pleasure to talk to you guys, and I'm grateful for the quality. I'm grateful for the relationships that that we've built with your team. And I'm just grateful for the confidence that I have in the kitchen whenever I get to use your products. Yeah, the kitchen should be the one place where I feel the most confident, whether you know, starting out my day in the morning or spending time with my family at the end of the day. So I appreciate that uh when it comes to working with you guys.

SPEAKER_03 43:04

Oh, well, we love our retailers. Again, we work for you. Um, as I joke, I I work for Kevin and Hope. Um, they call me all the time. I'm like, yes, Kevin, yes, love you, Kevin. Um, when he listens to us. But but no, absolutely. I mean, we're here again, it's all um, it's all about the experience, you know, it's the experience that we give our retailers that you give the customers, and that they end and end up giving their loved ones. Cause at the end of the day, this is all starts back to family and who you share your dining table with of how you've prepared the food, on what uh utensils, the wine you're sharing. So it all comes back to family. And at the end of the day, we're all part of the big Heston family, and we're happy to be here. We're we're honored to have you on our team.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

Then, well, thank you so much. Of course. Oh my goodness, I could talk to Lauren all day long. Every single time I learn something new, and I walk away feeling more confident in my kitchen, and that is exactly what Joy Curated is here for. You know what really struck me most from this conversation is something that Lauren said about why people are shopping differently right now. That quality is outperforming price, that people are doing the research, asking the right questions, and choosing things that are going to last. And I think that is really a beautiful shift because at the end of the day, the things we cook with matter. They affect how we show up in the kitchen, how we feed the people we love, and how confident we feel doing it. And if you've been on the fence about Heston, come on in and flip an egg. I mean it. Come into Berry and Basil in beautiful downtown Chamberlain, South Dakota, and we will show you what this pan can do. Or shop online at berryandbasil.com. We will also link everything Heston in the show notes so that you can explore the full line. Follow Joy Curated in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode, and share this one with someone who has been intimidated by stainless steel, because after this conversation, they won't be. The show is written and hosted by me, Cindy Peterson, and produced by the incredible Casey Brown at Teal Hat Communications. So until next time, get in the kitchen, use the good pan, and cook something that makes you proud.