The list of innovations from Ohio State alumni has a new addition - collapsible bakeware.
FoldTuk bakeware, which was invented by Ohio State alumnus Duncan Fung, collapses to a fraction of its height and can handle nearly any cooking or cooling temperature.
The containers can be used to cook food up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and can go directly to the refrigerator or freezer, then to the dishwasher.
The containers can also go straight from the freezer to the oven without shattering like ceramic bakeware.
Unlike petroleum-based plastics that tend to release toxicity, change color or shrink when they hit high temperatures, FoldTuk bakeware maintains its shape forever, Fung said.
Fung, who graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, said he first got the idea for inventing multi-purpose bakeware after hearing his wife complain about the inconvenience of ceramic containers.
He used a material he had invented, called ceramber, to invent a multi-purpose, space saving-container that would be both durable and flexible.
Ceramber is an eco-friendly product that Fung developed out of a ceramic and silicone compound. Production of the material requires only about 20 percent of the energy needed to produce Pyrex, Fung said.
The ceramber in FoldTuk also helps cook food faster and is a naturally non-stick surface.
"Corningware has the tendency to stick on the product," Fung said. "Ceramber is a silicone base; it has a very low friction, creating a natural slick surface."
FoldTuk bakeware are available in two sizes and four shapes - round, rectangular, square and oval.
"All shapes are the same price and are available in blue, red, black and orange," Fung said.
Although they are not available in stores yet, Fung said selling several thousands in minutes on "QVC" last March gave him the encouragement to promote the products elsewhere. Now, FoldTuk bakeware is sold on www.target.com, www.amazon.com and www.foldtuk.com.
To promote the bakeware, Fung is holding a contest on the Foldtuk Web site to find the most creative video about how people use their collapsible containers. Finalists will get their video posted on the Web site and people will vote online for the winner. The top prize winner will receive $500 and the second prize winner will receive $250. Both the first and second place winners will also get full sets of FoldTuk containers. The contest will run until the end of the year.
Photo courtesy of FoldTuk
OSU alumnus Duncan Fung invented FoldTuk, bakeware that collapses.
Megan Laney can be reached at laney.19@osu.edu
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