Challenger Bread Pan question
Hi everyone,
I hope you're all well. This is my first post, so I was wondering if anyone here could answer a few questions about the Challenger pan.
I know people love the Challenger Bread Pan, but for over $600 Australian (factoring in the exchange rate and over $200 in shipping) I went in the direction of the cheaper alternatives. Namely the Brunswick Bakers Cast Iron Bread Pan, and the Brisbane Sourdough Max. Both available in Australia.
At roughly $130 Australian (delivered Australia wide) and $295 (delivered to ACT/NSW) respectively these are a fraction of the $600+ (delivered) cost of the Challenger. Yet, I'm still curious...
So I've started reviewing the pans that I have and run a few tests comparing them. However, the comparison of real-world specifications is incomplete if I don't include at least some of the specs from the Challenger as well. I won't claim to have used it, I'm just aiming to provide some accurate real-world specifications, and put them "side by side" for consideration.
Information I'm looking for:
1. Real world measured weights of both the lid and the base. The weights depicted online seem to be shipping weights, rather than the pan themselves.
2. Real world measured volume of both the lid, and base (only up to wherever the base meets the lid). What I'm really asking is "how many litres (or gallons in a pinch) of fluid fills this bake volume?". If you're hand washing your pan as directed, may I humbly ask you to measure the volume, whenever it is convenient? Naturally, you can dry/bake it afterwards to reduce the chance of rust.
I tried sending my quirky questions to the folks over at Challenger, but I haven't yet received any response. Anyone willing to satisfy my insane quest for unbiased, accurate information?
I've added a pic of the two loaf pans I'm looking at so far. To my knowledge no one has compared them yet. I will, of course, happily provide my findings when I've used them more.
I hope this is of interest to someone, any assistance will be credited accordingly.
Kind Regards... and happy baking!
Hamish.
Do you have any relationship with the companies in question, direct or indirect? Are you marketing on their behalf? Did you receive any compensation or discount for doing this?
Hello happycat,
I'm sorry you've had the sort of experiences that make you assume the worst in people. I hope that I'm correct in understanding that you're just trying to protect your fellow forum members, but I have to ask:
"Protect people from what, exactly?"
If you absolutely must know. My relationship with both companies is as a paying customer, and like all mortals on a budget I will shop during sales, put things on my Christmas "wish list", buy second hand, and even haggle if I'm able. I am selling nothing, nor am I linking anything to this forum. Merely comparing similar-ish items that might be of interest to people here. I will be putting my review on my own site, which doesn't even have ads or even cookies.
Full disclosure, I did get a discount on the Brisbane pan... but I like to write reviews for fun.. mostly because I'm so darn sick of half-baked reviews that don't answer the questions I'd ask if I were buying these things again. At a fundamental level, I'm just trying to help someone out there while satisfying my own curiosity.
Happycat, you haven't really identified yourself as any sort of forum authority, and if I have broken any forum rules, I apologise.
That said, if I were asked the same question by a complete stranger in person that I'd just met, I'd consider you rude. Not even a "Hi" or "Welcome to the forum"... or perhaps "...that's actually interesting..." just "Who do you work for and how much do you get paid?" Really? I don't presume to know you, but I think we both know you could do better if you tried.
I'm just trying to help bakers like myself consider their options, or at least the ones I have real experiences with. I have not at any point recommended any particular product, merely asked for some information from others who may have bought the pan(s) I'm missing. I don't even need to know their names. I'm not harvesting any private information. Merely looking for people to volunteer some harmless specs on a cast iron pan.
Even if I were paid in some way (which I'm not) it wouldn't have the slightest impact on my review... except perhaps, give me the ability to try the pans that I might not otherwise have reviewed. I honestly hate leaving a job "half done".
Now your turn. What, (if any) rules have I broken? If you can't offer the info I asked for, how about answering threads where you can say something more constructive?
I sincerely hope you're well,
Harmo.
As far as I can read, he only asks you three simple questions, nothing accusing you of breaking any rules. You did not have to answer them. Are you overacting?
Harmo, the Brunswick looks like the most interesting. The price seems more in line to me. Too bad they don’t ship to the US.
I have experimented with a lot of baking vessels. If you are willing to consider a baker that is not cast iron you may be interested in THIS ONE. I own this and it does a very nice job. I especially like the fact that you can watch the dough in the oven as it bakes. AND the price is very reasonable.
There has been quite a bit of comparison testing of various bread baking vessels on this forum. HERE is ONE I conducted some time back. I am not convinced that heavy cast iron is necessary to bake great bread.
Light weight metal bakers also do a great job.
I bope some of this helps,
Danny
Welcome to TFL!
I'm somewhat of an equipment geek too. Fortunately, I built my cast iron cooking arsenal prior to covid, and got most of it on discount through Amazon.
I don't know about the volumes, but the weights listed at https://challengerbreadware.com/product/challenger-bread-pan/
seem to be the actual product, not gross weight of the shipping package. In the US, product literature normally says "shipping weight" for that spec. Absent the word "shipping", actual weight is normally assumed.
It is odd that the weight of the two pieces combined is exactly 10.0 kg, but it looks to me like they set that as a goal, and then designed around it.
WEIGHT
Total 22.0 lbs / 10.0 kg.
Lid 12.63 lbs / 5.73 kg.
Base 9.37 lbs / 4.27 kg.
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I do most of my baking in a Lodge 3.2 qt combo cooker. And recently I've been making rye loaves in a Lodge cast iron loaf pan.
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Two Aussies who are pretty active on TFL are gavinc and yozzause. Both are very experienced, and yozzause used to be a professional baker.
I just measured mine and here are the results:
Base to the upper rim (maximum volume): 2 L.
Base where it meets the lid: 1.75 L.
Top: 5 L.
So if you're measuring for max volume with the lid on it would be 1.75L + 5L = 6.75L
Cheers
Tony
Hamish, I’m wanting to decide between buying the Brunswick pan or the Brisbane sourdough pan. I haven’t tried either. Setting aside the price difference, since you have both, can you please comment on any difference in the bread - and your preference and why?
That would be much appreciated.
many thanks, Chris
Did you buy one. Same dilemma here. $100 difference. One made in China, other Indonesia I think