There’s just something about holding the titanium version of an everyday object and being wowed by how light it is. Bikes, teapots, mugs, sporks — titanium has an uncanny ability to make ordinary outdoor gadgets feel futuristically svelte.
Now imagine hoisting a tray of fresh-baked cookies and not being exhausted by the sheer weight of the oven tray. That dream can come true, thanks to the Titaner Titanium Versatile Oven Tray.
If you’re sensing a smidge of sarcasm, you’re not wrong. But Titaner’s pitch also triggered our curiosity, so we dug in. At first glance, a titanium oven tray might seem silly. But believe it or not, its outdoor utility is more justified than a lot of other gear we’ve seen.
Titaner Titanium Oven Tray
The benefits of titanium for an oven tray aren’t just about weight. For home oven cookers, it’s also about reducing temperature fluctuation inside your oven, “within just 0°C to 5°C.” Oven fluctuation is a real thing and can be unwieldy when mixed with other factors, like a faulty thermostat, door seal, or bad ventilation.
But this tray also has perks that might work at camp. Since this is titanium, you can use the tray as a cutting board, as it is gentle on knives. A cutting board that can go directly into your portable fire oven or on top of your grill saves space and cleanup. Plus, it’s rustproof.
Titaner is probably counting on people finding several uses to justify the spend (wait for it), but there are a bevy of titanium enthusiasts out there. After all, YETI built an empire around overbuilding seemingly everyday items. And we’ve seen Snow Peak come out with a range of titanium gear that’s arguably unnecessary, yet must-pack once you own it. And both brands command premium price points for these wares.
But help put your mind at ease, Titaner also backs the oven tray with a 100-year guarantee with free refinishing services. And the folks at Titaner are pretty realistic about such a bold claim.
“Will any of us still be on this blue planet in 100 years? How can you guarantee this? The truth is, our founding team won’t be here, but we’re building a legacy brand … This promise will be upheld by successor teams as our brand grows!” the brand boasts in its pitch.
So, how much for a rustproof, ultralight, guaranteed-for-a-century oven tray? Full retail will set you back $269. But since it’s on Kickstarter, the tray is available at 48% off for $139. For reference, that’s less than a YETI Beverage Bucket or a Snow Peak titanium flask.
Who Is Titaner?
We’ll give Titaner this: They have some creative product ideas and a track record of delivering on them. The brand is “a team of outdoor enthusiasts, industrial designers, and craftsmen dedicated to designing and manufacturing high-end EDC gear.”
You can see that approach in the range of its Kickstarter projects, which have mostly centered on unique titanium knives and tools, with more obscure items thrown in, too. There’s a 5-inch EDC Ruler and the Barrel X: Titanium Tactical Bolt-Action Pen — which is more about a love of detailed machining with some fidget spinner aspects than blasting ink patterns at high velocity.
Then there’s a recent wave of titanium culinary products like folding chopsticks, a lunch box, and this oven tray.
Clearly, owning everything Titaner releases will set you back, but sometimes the appeal of one titanium product is enough to convert the curious. Based on past successes, we think this Titaner project has a good chance of getting fully funded.
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