Berthold Hoffmann is a maker. His brand: Hoffmann Metallgefässe, Nürnberg. Outstandingly aesthetic cast iron pots and pans made of metal. His design speaks the language of Bauhaus and is reduced to function and beautifully timeless.
He manufactures pots, pans, table-top fondues and grills. His pieces are designed to last a lifetime. Metal is his material, cast-iron to be precise. We wanted to know how his products are made.
So after a visit to his atelier where he ‘just’ finishes what comes out off the foundry, he took us to Max Ginter Giesserei in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz. Their specialty: being a rather small foundry they can work small pieces and handle individual prototypes as well as small series, no matter how small the quantity. The principle is always the same, the blast furnace heats and melts metal at over 1400°C. This is then poured into a form.
It was at the peak of summer when we visited. There we were, standing a grand industrial hall. All windows are stained by decades of dust, dirt and fumes. Huge boxes float in the air, one walks on quartz sand (that is used as filling) which never provides a solid stand, flames and glowing liquid metal seems to be everywhere, even small metal balls (from the sand blasting) hitting your head, never be sure what to touch we felt the desk-top wimps that we sometimes are in this industrial environment of infernal dimensions.
Berthold Hoffmann’s pieces of table- and kitchen culture and his cast iron pots are award winning. The latest he won in 2016 (German Design Award). Having learned not only the academicals but also the crafts necessary to design, form and process outstanding quality. His brand was established in 1985 in Nürnberg. He resides now in atelier in a backyard in Senefelder Strasse. Besides cast iron kitchen pots and pans he also fabricates silver wear like tea and coffee pots.
More? Meet more makers in our Field Research Trip to Bassano Del Grappa
JOURNAL. What you might want to know…
Doing something by hand can change a lot. Buying something handmade out of conviction can do the same. It changes – or has already changed – the way we think. Especially when it comes to our food. What do we buy? Who made it? What can we perhaps grow ourselves? How do our actions and decisions change, first ourselves, then our purchases, then the landscape?
Every sourdough – that culture of lactic acid bacteria and yeast in a mixture of flour and water – is unique, like a fingerprint, because in every region there are individual bacteria in the air that give each loaf its very own flavour. One person who knows more about the infinite variety of sourdough cultures than most – whose culture is culture, so to speak – is the Belgian Karl De Smedt, keeper and archivist of Europe’s only sourdough library.
It’s virtually impossible to miss Julius Brantner Brothandwerk if you’re a fan of baked goods and find yourself in Munich. The charming Swabian baker has recently opened his second location, the first being such a success. With his team working transparently behind large glass windows, Julius strives to make “honest and trustworthy handling of all ingredients and processes accessible,” he says. Unsurprisingly, locals and tourists flock to the shopfront to sample their aromatic bread and delectable treats.
SHOP. Our latest releases….
FINDER. Find your maker…
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Preserving 17th-century techniques, Florian creates durable, handcrafted objects from carbon steel, offering both outdoor tools and kitchen essentials, blending tradition with innovative materials like steel composites and slippery elm.
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Preserving 17th-century techniques, Florian creates durable, handcrafted objects from carbon steel, offering both outdoor tools and kitchen essentials, blending tradition with innovative materials like steel composites and slippery elm.
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Andreas Reichlin is an artist, steel sculptor, and designer of the fire ring, an innovative circular barbeque grill that allows friends to meet and grill simply and independently. His inspiration...
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Andreas Reichlin is an artist, steel sculptor, and designer of the fire ring, an innovative circular barbeque grill that allows friends to meet and grill simply and independently. His inspiration comes from nature, his travels, and the people he’s met
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Ritterwerk, founded in 1905, has been producing household products in Munich for over a century. Their commitment to quality, longevity, and contemporary design has resulted in an array of sturdy,...
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Ritterwerk, founded in 1905, has been producing household products in Munich for over a century. Their commitment to quality, longevity, and contemporary design has resulted in an array of sturdy, long-lasting, and well-designed items, from food slicers to toasters.
Makers Bible Crafting Cuisine inspires those who love to spend time in the kitchen, cook with hand and heart, try new things and celebrate a
Martin Schönleitner is one of 17 fishermen at Lake Chiemsee. Together with wife Verena Stephan they both run Chiemseefischerei Stephan, a family business for 400 years. Their ancestors had started their venture at Lake Constance. For three generations (at the present site) the Stepahn family lives and fishes at Lake Chiemsee, Prien am Chiemsee to be precise.
The tailor-made suit is still considered the highest-quality and most individual version of the garment. German men’s tailors work in the awareness of covering a particularly wide range of the demands their profession places on them.
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