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From raw iron to cast iron cookware

Today’s society moves at a fast pace; products become obsolete within a year and many are mass-produced, usually in the Far East. Skeppshult is based on a different premise; we have made our products by hand since 1906 according to ancient methods and traditions.

It all starts with raw iron heated to 1500 degrees

Together with other metals in carefully controlled amounts in our induction furnaces. This process creates the glowing cast iron, the foundation for our products. We care about our environment, and Skeppshult uses only electricity from wind and hydropower.

The casting master pours the iron by hand

Casting the molten iron requires special moulds that can withstand extreme temperatures. Metal tools such as those used in casting aluminium and other materials would not withstand molten cast iron and therefore we use sand moulds that have been compressed under several tons of pressure. The composition of the sand is very important and something we put a lot of time into.

With 100 years of experience, we have found the right composition that can both hold the hot cast iron and provide the right structure in the cast metal. Two halves of the sand moulds are pressed together, which creates a cavity for the molten cast iron.

The casting master pours the iron by hand; it takes experience and precision for the castings to meet our requirements at Skeppshult.

When the cast iron has cooled down, the mould halves are separated

And the first results of the process can be seen. A sand mould can be used only once and therefore each product is unique, no two are exactly alike. The sand is recycled and used for another sand mould.

Grinding, Bottom turning & Blasting

To produce the proper structure before the cast iron is seasoned with rapeseed oil from Osterlen. Treating with oil both protects the cast iron from external damage and gives the cast iron its natural non-stick property.

The last step is to screw on the handles – then they are ready to be delivered

The foundry oversees the work done at each stage of casting to ensure that they live up to Skeppshult’s high quality standards. Products deemed substandard are sorted out and recycled into the next cast iron melt so they can become new products. Cast iron items with only minor cosmetic defects are classified as sub-standard and are sold at the factory store here at Skeppshult at reduced prices.

Made with only naturally pure ingredients, Skeppshult’s cast iron is an environmentally friendly and healthy alternative to today’s plastic-coated aluminium pans. Skeppshult’s cast iron can withstand very high temperatures; the bottoms of the pans are concave to compensate for metal expansion when heated and thus they do not become round when they are heated.