Photos: Bavarian hammersmith forges wrought-iron pans at a mill more than 500 years old

53-year-old German hammersmith took over the mill from his predecessor two years ago

Last updated: September 27, 2023 | 12:40

Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor and with inputs from AP

2 MIN READ

1/10

Bad Oberdorf: Andreas Rohrmoser has been forging thousands of wrought-iron pans the old-fashioned way in his centuries-old hammer mill in the Bavarian village of Bad Oberdorf near the Austria border.

2/10

The 53-year-old German hammersmith took over the mill from his predecessor two years ago but had been working there for 15 years already.

3/10

The red-roofed mill itself, nestled in a valley in the foothills of the Alps, is more than 500 years old, he said in an interview on Monday.

4/10

It sits on a canal of the Ostrach river that was built centuries ago specifically to power the mill.

5/10

The canal’s water power, channeled through a mill wheel, drives a gigantic hammer inside the building punching down on the anvil. There, in his blacksmith shop, Rohrmoser flattens and shapes his famous skillets.

6/10

“The secret of my pans is that they don’t have any kind of coating and therefore you can heat them to a much higher temperature than most other industrially made pans,” Rohrmoser said.

7/10

Rohrmoser also used to make horseshoes in the past, but the demand for his skillets has been so strong that he only focuses on them now.

8/10

His pans come in different sizes and cost from about $50 to $100.

9/10

Among the many dishes he recommends making with his skillets are Bavarian Kaiserschmarrn pancakes, steak and home-fried potatoes.

10/10

“The strong heat will make the different dishes — like the fried potatoes — so much crunchier and better,” he said.

Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox