I recently visited CastIronDepot.com and found that they now carry a limited selection of the newly developed Olvida nickel impregnated (often referred to as nickel plated) cast iron cookware. I personally own some of this cookware. It is fantastic! The nickel impregnated cast iron combines all the best qualities of cast iron cookware with a hard non-porous, non-reactive surface that is similar to stainless steel. It never needs seasoning and never imparts a “cast iron” taste to even the most acidic of foods.
The surface is NSF and FDA approved and is totally safe. In fact, the Nickel Phosphate compound used in Olvida Cookware has been used in the food industry for many years. Most people are unaware of nickel’s presence in spatulas, knives, forks, spoons, dental and surgical tools, cooking surfaces, etc.
The difference between plating and impregnation is similar however different. The patent is based on an impregnation process done in a nickel plating facility in Monroe, North Carolina USA. Eighty percent of the work done in the plant is research and development. The process is a plating procedure with additional modifications and variances. The nickel penetrates entirely into the pores of the cast iron - like filling a cavity in a tooth or water in a sponge. This also puts a rock hard film over the metal and, like a filling in a tooth, you can’t pull it out. The cast iron is totally sealed inside the nickel phosphate compound.
The nickel compound used in the cookware is is an amorphous blend of nickel and phosphorus, which gives it a hardness of 52 Rockwell C - three times harder than stainless steel. That is why it won’t scratch or chip off and is inert like glass, which makes it easy to clean.
It is more correct to say the cast iron is impregnated. However, many people feel that the term plating is more acceptable and better understood.
No matter what you call it, it is definitely incredible cookware and well worth the price. Olvida nickel impregnated cast iron cookware is the sort of cookware that is so sturdy that it is likely to be handed down as a treasured heirloom from one generation to the next.
