As an American-made, veteran owned and operated startup, the Charlotte-based Grizzly Cookware is modernizing the traditional tie between Southern cooking and cast iron ware.
According to Kyle Caniglia, founder of Grizzly and a U.S. Army veteran, there is a new surge of American cast iron makers. “It started in America, so why hasn’t America made more quality pieces?” he muses.
Grizzlys are only found in North America, representing the company’s commitment to “being made in the United States, 100 percent, always.” By proudly employing military veterans and allowing them to use their unique skill sets and help their transition into the civilian road, Grizzly is able to manufacture everything from within an 80-mile stretch of North Carolina. “There is definitely a focus on craftsmanship and small business,” says Caniglia.
Grizzly wanted to honor those beloved, childhood memories of family recipes brought to life through cast iron pans, but without the painstaking memories of the cleanup.
“We use a highly engineered electroless nickel surface finishing,” says Caniglia, “so you don’t have to deal with the issues of rust, cleaning, and flavor transference.” Popular enamel coating allows rust to develop from the inside out, whereas Grizzly’s electroless nickel finish seals the pans completely, meaning it has everything that you love about cast iron–the even heat distribution and retention–but without the aspects that are classically harder to love.
Now, you don’t have to use a separate cast iron pan for fish, beef, and baking; Grizzly has engineered the ability to make cast iron more suitable and usable. That’s right– cast iron skillet, meet soap. “We call it the ‘turn and burn’ factor,” says Katie Caniglia, “because you can seamlessly use Grizzly for all of your dishes.”
These pans are created with every cook, every occasion in mind: the commercial chef, the home chef, or the outdoor enthusiast; kitchen, camping, or tailgating.
These pans are created with every cook, every occasion in mind: the commercial chef, the home chef, or the outdoor enthusiast; kitchen, camping, or tailgating. “On top of everything else, we are a small business headquartered out of Charlotte trying to grow, that’s always been our message.”
A cast iron skillet with a smooth surface, without flavor transfer or rust, and that is easy to clean? Now that’s the American dream.
