There was a frying pan that I had always seen at my parents' house. I remember we used it often but I never asked where it came from. I saw it among other pans and thought it was one of those eccentricities of my mother, another "pot" who knows where it had come from.

In any case, it was an iron skillet that attracted me for its rustic, country-like appearance. Also, those of you who have been following me for a long time already know how much I like iron cooking utensils! In fact, Claudia&Julia was born mainly to try to recover this type of utensil, since we firmly believe in its advantages when preparing food.

So, as the project took shape, I also learned the name and history of that iron skillet that was in my mother's house. It's a Skeppshult pan , made in one of the last iron foundries still making pans in Sweden. If I already loved cooking in it and its appearance, knowing more about the company that manufactures them left me in awe, and convinced that a manufacturer like Skeppshult cannot be missing from our catalogue.

So we have incorporated frying pans , grills , cocottes and some other complement that I hope you will fall in love with as I did... especially after knowing everything that goes on behind these products.

What is Skepshult?

We have been talking to them for some time as we like their product and philosophy very much. Skeppshult is a small foundry named after the town where it is located in southern Sweden. It has been operating since 1906 and has maintained its traditional way of working until today.

Skeppshult uses only renewable energy (hydro and wind) in its manufacturing process. They melt iron and pour it by hand into sand molds to shape utensils. Once the iron cools down, each one works by hand, always maintaining an incredible level of quality. Each piece comes out of a unique mold that is destroyed during the process, so each piece is somehow also unique.

Characteristics of Skeppshult products

Skeppshult guarantees that all the materials used to manufacture its utensils are natural and organic , free of any product that is harmful to health or the environment. They also work on all types of stoves , including induction, always with excellent cooking results.

Being made of cast iron, Skeppshult pans are much heavier than aluminum pans and even De Buyer's Mineral pans. The advantage of cast iron is that it retains and distributes heat more evenly, and it also withstands high temperatures without deforming.

Grill pan , wok and pepper shaker Swing Skeppshult and Skeppshult pan

Like the De Buyer pans, the Skeppshult utensils do not have any enamel or glaze, we cook directly on top of the iron, so good seasoning is important. In this case, Skeppshult first cure all products with vegetable oil in their own factory, so they are delivered ready to use.

As they do not have any enamel and are practically non-deformable, Skeppshult offers a 25-year guarantee on all cast iron products. Anyway, they are almost eternal products, it is really difficult to damage the iron in normal use.

Benefits of iron in the kitchen

For those of you who still do not use iron utensils in the kitchen, I would like to explain the advantages of this material above. In Spain it is not very common to use iron, but in other European countries such as Germany or the Nordic countries, iron is highly appreciated and small manufacturers such as Skeppshult enjoy great prestige.

The main reason is that although non-stick pans and casseroles are very practical and easy to use, iron is unbeatable for strong cooking such as frying, sautéing or grilling. The flavor and texture that we get with iron pans or cocottes more than compensates for the greater weight or maintenance of this type of utensil.

Skeppshult baking tray and cocotte

Apart from the fact that an iron utensil is for life, we have the peace of mind that we are not using products with non-stick coatings, so cooking is much healthier and more natural.

Maintenance of Skeppshult products

No curing is required prior to the first use of a Skeppshult utensil. As it comes cured from the factory, all we have to do is pass a little water to remove the dust it may bring, dry well and start cooking.

Once we have cooked, it is not necessary to clean it with soap, we just have to pass warm water and remove the remains of food with the help of a soft brush or sponge. It is very important to dry the utensil immediately to prevent rust from appearing, we can leave it on the fire to dry completely.

Why buy Skeppshult iron cookware?

If you haven't tried any iron cookware, I recommend trying a Skeppshult skillet or grill. You can continue cooking delicate foods with your non-stick pan, but you will find that cooking over high heat, mainly frying or grilling, is much better in an iron pan.

Both frying pans and casseroles are also ideal as gifts. They are a very special product, with a very careful aesthetic, that transmit love for the kitchen. They are also the perfect gift since they last a lifetime, and the materials used for their manufacture are natural and organic, free of any product that is harmful to health or the environment.

Discover the full range of Skeppshult products that we have in store here .