Helmesndorfer Pfannen
Good pans are made of iron.
Nowadays, pans can be made from all kinds of materials. It is often the case that the more innovative the material, the greater the promise and the higher the price. If you ask professional chefs about these marvels of kitchen technology, you will usually be met with a pitying smile. For master chefs, nothing beats the oldest pan material of all: iron. Pans made from this material are not only indestructible all-rounders with excellent frying properties that can be used on state-of-the-art stoves, grills, and campfires, but are also extremely affordable compared to many modern high-tech pans. We offer pans made from both forged and rolled iron.
More than 150 years of experience.
M. Helmensdorfer GmbH & Co. KG Metallwarenfabrik in Lindau on Lake Constance specializes in iron pans of the highest quality. It has been supplying the hotel and catering industry since 1864 – a clientele that combines the highest standards with the most demanding requirements. The forged pans are manufactured in collaboration with Bavarian hammer smiths, some of whom have been working for 500 years, using traditional master craftsmanship. The hammer strokes are always arranged differently, making each pan unique, but this does not translate into high prices. The pans are made of rolled iron and are produced exclusively by Helmensdorfer in Lindau.
Image 1: In the approx. 500-year-old hammer mill, the forged pan handles, among other things, are shaped piece by piece until they are red-hot in a sweat-inducing manual process using a forging hammer and then connected to the pan.
Image 2: Forging of utensils using a tail hammer.
Image 3: The anchored smooth hammer is used to shape the metal plate as required.
Finding the right pan.
A frying pan must be able to be heated to a very high temperature and must transfer the heat to the food as quickly as possible. Hardly any other pan can match the old, natural iron pan in this respect. When choosing between a drop-forged pan and a Lyonaiser pan made of rolled iron, it is mainly a matter of personal preference:
The high, wide, curved rim of Lyonaiser pans made of blued rolled iron ensures that the food (e.g., vegetables) can be easily tossed and turned. The "bluing" not only ensures an even dark color, but also prevents the extra-thick base (3 mm) from warping, even when heated quickly. The handle is riveted to the pan.
The forged pans are heavy, indestructible and rustic, have a deeper and flatter rim, and are therefore better suited for frying meat and pancakes. They retain heat even better, but should be heated slowly on a medium heat to prevent the base from warping. The forged hook handle is welded on. The following applies to both types of pans: the more you use the pan, the better the results.