Tricky they are [hunting for US Made Bakeware]

Elric

Elric

Well-Known Member
Better than cat videos...

So. One US maker is Nordic Ware. Good stuff. Went looking for a cooling rack. Sweet, copper plated... Oh, oh, "Globally Sourced" and "Made in China"

Moral of the story, just because the manufacturer is American, all products on their site might not be... Caveat Emptor, baby!

Another site is called "Made In", but... stuff is from all over...

Still, there is some fine US made metalware out there, "US Pan" from Pennsylvania has some good lookin' angles...

The hunt continues.... Oh, Lancaster Cast Iron has a good looking #8, surface finish looks smooth like a Griswold or Vollrath. 'ceptin I have a Wagner Ware that has a smooth bottom that looks like black ice...

WOW. Some makers are not afraid to ask for a heckuva lot of money... If you have to ask, you can't afford it....

Nitrogen Hardened Cast Iron Skillet ???
 
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glassparman

glassparman

"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
My wife and I have made a habit of sourcing older stuff in thrift stores just so we can afford American made. We have really taken a liking to vintage cast iron and frequently cook a roast in one . . . in the oven! She has become an expert at seasoning Cast Iron.

This is especially true with old Pyrex. It's really hard to find good glassware coking stuff these days.

Mike
 
Rick

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Ah yes, the "Made In" skillets. I've seen many of their TV commercials and not a single one of the says . . . Made in America. That just screams at me that they are made anywhere except America. No thanks, ain't falling for that scam.
 
462

462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
During the process of getting a better rifle scope education, I discovered that even if all of an item's components are made in a foreign country, if the parts are subsequently assembled in America then the item can wear a Made in America label.

So, thanks to typical governmental and bureaucratic nonsense and illogic it's virtually impossible to determine if an item is made of 100% American produced components and assembled by a 100% American citizen workforce.
 
glassparman

glassparman

"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
Sometimes I feel like my family is the only thing left that is "Made in America"! LOL
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
About every ten years I buy a pair of custom made White Boot's from Spokane. This time I got dress shoe that was "Made in the USA". While reading the paper work that comes with them I also found "Materials sourced from all over the world." So I called and asked; the upper Chromexcel is made by Horween leather from OR, but the raw hides could be from US or Australia. The liners are US made from PA leather making company. Lasts are usually Argentinian hides, made into leather in Mexico. The soles and heels for my shoes are made in England from a patented man-made material. All are cut, assembled and hand sewn in Spokane. Probably as close to "Made in the US" as is possible in the modern world.
 
smokeywolf

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
When it comes to frying pans, 90+% of time I use cast iron. I like to brown or sear on the stove top and then bake in the oven. Mrs. smokeywolf says, my rolled turkey breast done that way is so good, it should be a crime.

I think Lodge is still cast in the U.S.
 
Elric

Elric

Well-Known Member
smokeywolf said:
I think Lodge is still cast in the U.S.
Click to expand...


Yes they are, but compared to a period cast iron pan, Lodge are heavier. The "1896" versions are not flat bottomed [the big skillet I got sure ain't]. The "pre-seasoned" have a "pebbled" bottom, and I'd rather have a smooth bottom with good seasoning.
 
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smokeywolf

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
All true Elric, they are the poor man's cast iron, but I'm a poor man. And, I like the heavy weight, I sand the inside to smooth it out a bit and I prefer to season my own.
 
Elric

Elric

Well-Known Member
smokeywolf said:
sand the inside to smooth it out a bit and I prefer to season my own.
Click to expand...
I saw a video where the OP sanded / buffed one to act like a mirror, but he didn't use vinegar to clean the pores from the sanding / buffing operations. He seasoned it, but the seasoning was prone to wearing off.

I think if the pores were boiled out, then the cast iron seasoned, that would be awesome... Black Ice..
 
Mitty38

Mitty38

Well-Known Member
Funny this tread should pop up. Wife and I were in Goodwill last week she picked up two 10" glass pie pans. held them up and they said Pyrodex, made in the United States. 75 cents a piece. I am like ..Yep we are getting those!
Thinking Corn Bread.
All my skillets are at least 100 years old cast Iron.
 
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P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
I have some old cast iron stuff including a really nice Griswold (big logo, made in Erie). That stuff is top notch.
However, no one can afford to make that quality in the U.S.A. anymore and even if they tried, no one here would be able to afford the finished product.

It is nearly impossible to manufacture products in the U.S. that can be competitive.
The final cost of the product is the sum of many costs. Raw materials, energy, transportation, taxes and many others; but the the biggest factor is usually labor.

All of the costs are added at every step of the process. Even with intercontinental shipping and tariffs, it is STILL far cheaper to manufacture the products in other countries.

When you have to pay someone $10, $15, $20+ per hour, you cannot compete with someone paying $10 a DAY.
When you have to pay local, state and federal taxes on EVERY piece of raw material, the transportation of those raw material AND the finished product, you cannot compete with a country that has lower taxes.
When you have to comply with labor standards, environmental regulations, product regulations, and other laws; you cannot compete with companies that are not hindered by those laws.

Every new tax or tax increase pushes production out of our country.
Every hike in minimum wage pushes jobs out of the country. (or just flat eliminates jobs all together)
Every new labor law pushes jobs out of the country.

It's not that manufacturers don't want to operate in the U.S.A., it is the fact that they CANNOT operate in the U.S.A. and be competitive.
Like it or not, WE LIVE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY.
 
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
warning, I'm about to drift this thread, LOL.

I have a couple vintage Griswold fry pans (as well as a couple of wagners)...LOVE THEM ALL...it's all I use on the cook stove. I do some stir fry type cooking once in a while in the vintage cast iron pan, seems to work well, BUT I've been thinking about a Wok. While looking and reading about Woks, I read that Cast iron is the cat's meow. Before I read that, I only thought there was the Teflon coated ones(steel and Alum) or the plain carbon steel ones...which I thought was the cat's meow.

While searching cast iron Wok, besides the commercial ones that are several hundred dollars, I see Lodge make two different ones...in that $70+ range. I watched one lodge sell on ebay for $50 shipped, but it was kind of rusty and pictures were poor, so I didn't want to spend that much on a project that may or may not be worth it.

The only question I have is, if I am happy with making stir fry in a 9" Griswold, should I even be thinking about buying some huge piece of kitchen stove equipment, which will be a pain to store when not in use?
 
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P

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
I'll see your thread drift !

I purchased a Wok years ago from an Asian supplier. It's iron but not CAST iron. It's wrought iron and rather flexible. I would estimate the diameter at rim to be about 15" and it's far lighter than you would expect.
Does it work better for stir fry than a conventional cast iron skillet? Maybe, but with a caveat.
The key to using a wok for stir fry is very high heat. I don't mind cranking up the heat on a thin iron Wok that I paid $20 for 20 Years ago. It does an excellent job with stir fry but I don't baby it.

It's fast to cook with and the everything stays crisp (high heat, just a little peanut oil and work quick). I wouldn't treat my Griswolds or other good cast iron the way I treat that wok.

And don't forget, a true wok has a round bottom, so your cooktop needs a wok support or you need a wok ring. And you need a big burner.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
JonB said:
warning, I'm about to drift this thread, LOL.

I have a couple vintage Griswold fry pans (as well as a couple of wagners)...LOVE THEM ALL...it's all I use on the cook stove. I do some stir fry type cooking once in a while in the vintage cast iron pan, seems to work well, BUT I've been thinking about a Wok. While looking and reading about Woks, I read that Cast iron is the cat's meow. Before I read that, I only thought there was the Teflon coated ones(steel and Alum) or the plain carbon steel ones...which I thought was the cat's meow.

While searching cast iron Wok, besides the commercial ones that are several hundred dollars, I see Lodge make two different ones...in that $70+ range. I watched one lodge sell on ebay for $50 shipped, but it was kind of rusty and pictures were poor, so I didn't want to spend that much on a project that may or may not be worth it.

The only question I have is, if I am happy with making stir fry in a 9" Griswold, should I even be thinking about buying some huge piece of kitchen stove equipment, which will be a pain to store when not in use?
Click to expand...
No.
 
Rockydoc

Rockydoc

Well-Known Member
Woks, I recommend carbon steel. They are thinner and lighter than cast iron. They heat up faster and it is easier to toss the foodstuff you are cooking. Very economical, and by all means "Made in China" where they were invented 2000 to 3000 years ago.
 
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