The South Carolina company, which will be featured in the upcoming 2024 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide, makes cast iron and carbon steel cookware based on methods first perfected more than a century ago.
Two surefire signs that the holiday season is approaching are when you start thinking about gifts and cooking.
Whether you’re shopping for the perfect Christmas gift or preparing a family Thanksgiving meal, Smithey Ironware Company You can upgrade both your holiday efforts. Smithey, one of the nominees for the upcoming 2024 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide, makes 100% American-made cast iron and carbon steel cookware.
Founded in 2015 by Isaac Morton of South Carolina, Smithay recreates the cast iron cookware that was popular in America in the late ’19s.th century. As a collector of old cast iron skillets, Morton sought to restore these heirloom skillets. After finding success with centuries-old cast iron skillets, Morton set out to learn how to bring 150-year-old cookware into the modern era.
“Isaac Morton was amazed at how much better this 100-year-old cookware was compared to much of the cookware on the market today,” said Smithey Ironware Company vice president of marketing and sales. said Will Copenhaver, president. “He was inspired by it and saw it as an opportunity to bring back something that was truly American.
“Good cast iron is very American. That iron frying pan is very American.” We wanted to pay homage to the brand.”
What started as a small company with four employees in an old naval base in North Charleston has become a full-fledged manufacturer of both cast iron and carbon steel cookware. The company has expanded into four buildings in a former Navy Yard and now employs 42 people, including seven blacksmiths who handcraft carbon steel frying pans.
Cast iron products are made by pouring molten iron into a mold and removing the mold after it has cooled. The pots and pans are then finished and seasoned with grapeseed oil before shipping.
“The big difference between Sumisei and many of the cheaper cast irons available today is that Sumisei is polished,” Copenhaver said. “Smithey looks different than most cast irons because the interior is silky smooth, shiny, and doesn’t look rough or black.
“We have a proprietary manufacturing process, which essentially makes it a cheap cast iron frying pan that has a sandpaper-like rough surface and goes through a multi-step process to create a smooth surface. The end result is a great cooking surface and even more beautiful.”
Smithey’s line of cast iron cookware includes skillets, Dutch ovens, roasters, griddles, and woks. It has a heavy feel and is perfect for maintaining high heat. If you’re a fan of TV cooking shows, you’ll notice that professional chefs always have cast iron skillets at the ready.
In 2018, Smithei decided to create carbon steel cookware that was handcrafted by a team of blacksmiths located next to Smithei’s building. Blacksmiths partner with Smithey to create carbon steel frying pans by putting steel rods into a high-heat forge and then hammering the steel to the desired pan size.
Cast iron is made from molds, so every part is identical, but carbon steel is stamped by hand, so no two pieces are exactly alike.
“We heard the blacksmiths next door working hard all day every day, so we decided to ask them to help us make carbon steel cookware,” Copenhaver said. said. “We thought it would be cool to create hand-forged products in addition to cast iron products. It’s as American-made as possible. It’s very much a blacksmith-produced thing, a blacksmith making something in bulk.” Although not the best way to produce, we feel this is a special line and a true reflection of American manufacturing craftsmanship.”
If you’re new to cast iron, you may be confused about how to clean and store your cookware. But they’re actually easy to maintain, and you’ll often see cast iron skillets sitting on the stovetop between uses.
“We tell people you don’t want to soak it in the sink overnight, you don’t want to use the dishwasher, because water is not your friend,” Copenhaver said. “The best way to season your pot is to just cook it. The oil from what you’re using combines with the heat, and it becomes seasoning. The more you use it, the more flavor you get.
“Cast iron is probably one of the most durable things in your house, and you can’t really mess it up. Forty or fifty years ago, lye-based soaps were incredibly harsh; Just drawing the oil through the pores of the metal used to ruin the seasoning. But today, people are using gentler products like Dawn dish soap, which they use to wash baby ducks after oil spills. I’m using soap.”
Smithey’s sales are strong and up year-over-year, with the holiday season always being the company’s biggest sales period.
Smithey cookware is mainly sold by the company WebsiteHowever, there are more than 200 high-end cookware and kitchenware stores that carry the company’s products. Smithey bread is available through the LL Bean flagship store Orvis in Maine, Central Market in Texas, Gweneth Paltrow’s Goop, Huckberry, and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia websites.
The company’s logo is a quail, and the bird is featured on the bottom of all cookware. You can also add names to the pots and pans, making them even more unique gifts.
“A lot of people buy it for Thanksgiving because they want to cook with it, but there’s a big market for giving it as a gift during the holiday season,” Copenhaver said. “Those are really great gifts, so when you give them a Smithey, you’re making someone happy. It’s something that people will have forever, something they can use every day for the rest of their lives if they want.”
Smithey cookware products range from $85 to $375 and come with a lifetime warranty. The company also restores old, rusty cast iron cookware, and if it’s made in the USA, you can clean it and make it look like new again.
“Cast iron is available very cheaply from China, but that’s not who we are,” Copenhaver said. “We focus on making the best cookware, and honestly, if you look at our price point, you can say it’s more expensive than other cookware options. is an heirloom, made in the USA and of the highest quality.
“You’re buying something that you’ll use every day for the rest of your life, so the price per use is almost zero. It’s the best investment you can make.”
Purchase products from Smithey Ironware Company online. The 2024 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide will be released on November 20th.
