Tefal History

• 1954: French engineer Marc Gregoire invented a process for bonding PTFE (PolyTetraFluorEthylene) with aluminium, making the first non-stick pan. Two years later, the TEFAL company (TEFlon and ALuminium) was founded.
• 1961: In New York, a magazine published a photo of a ‘rich and famous’ lady buying a Tefal frying pan at Macy’s. American orders soared to 7,500 pans a week – and just 10 days later, demand reached one million units a month!
• 1968: Tefal became France’s No. 1 manufacturer of cookware and was acquired by French domestic appliances company, SEB.
• 1974: Tefal diversified with a gas lighter and a waffle/sandwich toaster.
• 1980s: Tefal launched an iron fitted with an electronic thermostat, its first electric kettle, and the first coolwall plastic deep fryer.
• 1994: Tefal invented Armatal, a pan that is more resistant to warping and scratching, plus the first deep fryer with a removable, non-stick bowl.
• 1995/96: Tefal introduced the Clipso pressure cooker and Eureka, a complete set of cookware.
• 1999: Tefal created Rondo 2500, a food processor that allows you to prepare, cook, serve and store in the same glass bowl.
• 2000: A new invention has burst onto the scene – Thermospot, the first heat indicator built into the frying pan’s non-stick coating.
• 2001: Tefal invents Kaleo, an ingenious food processor with a box to store all its accessories.