Cooking apparatus and methods of forming

1. A cooking apparatus comprising:

a cooking surface;

a sidewall depending from said cooking surface;

a handle having a saddle portion and a gripping portion, said saddle portion having a first opening defined therethrough and a first recess defined about said first opening, said saddle portion being adjacent said sidewall so that said first recess defines a first gap between said sidewall and said saddle portion; and

a first rivet having a first weldament in said first gap, a first shaft in said first opening, and a first head abutting said handle and covering said first opening.

2. The cooking apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said first weldament fills substantially all of said first gap.

3. The cooking apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said first opening has a dimension that is about 0% to about 20% larger than said first shaft.

4. The cooking apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said first rivet has a beveled end opposite said first head.

5. The cooking apparatus as in claim 1 , further comprising a second opening defined through said saddle portion, said second opening being offset from said first opening in a first direction, a second direction, or any combination of said first and second directions.

6. The cooking apparatus as in claim 5 , further comprising:

a second recess defined about said second opening, said saddle portion being adjacent said sidewall so that said second recess defines a second gap between said sidewall and said saddle portion; and

a second rivet having a second weldament in said second gap, a second shaft in said second opening, and a second head abutting said handle and covering said second opening.

7. The cooking apparatus as in claim 6 , wherein said second weldament fills substantially all of said second gap.

8. The cooking apparatus as in claim 6 , wherein said second opening has a dimension that is about 0% to about 20% larger than said second shaft.

9. The cooking apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein said sidewall when viewed from a first plane has a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, polygonal, and any combination thereof.

10. The cooking apparatus as in claim 8 , wherein said sidewall when viewed from a second plane has a shape selected from the group consisting of curved, linear, and any combination thereof.

11. The cooking apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said sidewall is formed of a first material and said handle is formed of a second material, said first material being more conductive to heat than said second material.

12. The cooking apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein said first rivet is formed of a third material that is weldable to said first material.

13. The cooking apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein said cooking surface is formed of said first material.

14. A method of forming a cooking apparatus, comprising:

positioning a handle with respect to a cooking surface wall so that a saddle portion of said handle is adjacent said cooking surface wall, said cooking surface wall being formed of a first material and said handle being formed of a second material dissimilar to said first material;

inserting a first rivet into a first opening defined in said saddle portion so that a first shaft of said first rivet contacts said cooking surface wall, said first rivet being formed of a third material weldable to said first material;

inducing a current through said first rivet and said cooking surface wall so as to weld said first shaft and said cooking surface wall to one another and so that a first portion of said first shaft expands into a first gap defined between said cooking surface wall and said saddle portion at said first opening; and

deforming said first rivet to abut a first head of said first rivet with said saddle portion and to cover said first opening.

15. The method as in claim 14 , wherein inducing said current and deforming said first rivet are substantially simultaneous.

16. The method as in claim 14 , wherein said first material is more conductive to heat than said second material.

17. The method as in claim 14 , wherein said first opening has a dimension that is about 0% to about 20% larger than said first shaft.

18. The method as in claim 17 , wherein said cooking surface wall when viewed from a first plane has a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, polygonal, and any combination thereof.

19. The cooking apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein said cooking surface wall when viewed from a second plane has a shape selected from the group consisting of curved, linear, and any combination thereof.

20. The method as in claim 14 , wherein said first portion fills substantially all of said first gap.

21. The method as in claim 14 , further comprising

inserting a second rivet into a second opening defined in said saddle portion so that a second shaft of said second rivet contacts said cooking surface wall, said second rivet being formed of said third material;

inducing said current through second rivet and said cooking surface wall so as to weld said second shaft and said cooking surface wall to one another and so that a second portion of said second shaft expands into a second gap defined between said cooking surface wall and said saddle portion at said second opening; and

deforming said second rivet to abut a second head of said second rivet with said saddle portion and to cover said second opening.