STUR Skillet: The German Cast-Iron Skillet - Made to Last

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The STUR Skillet is a cast-iron skillet designed for the 21st century: lighter, smoother yet with the same STURdiness as traditional cast iron. Built for everyday cooking and made to last.

Developing this skillet was a collective effort, made possible with the help of more than 12,000 cooking enthusiasts from our STUR community. Thank you all for your invaluable feedback and support!

But first, let us take a closer look at what makes our STUR Skillet the right choice for your kitchen. Here are 9 solid reasons for you to consider:

1. A Skillet for the Ages

Amazingly durable: The STUR Skillet is produced in Germany from one piece of cast iron. Cast with the highest precision and machined on the bottom as well as the inside, its robust material resists heat deformation and won’t leave you gripping a wobbly handle.

2. Non-Stick by Nature

Our skillets come polished and “seasoned”. In other words, we first use computer-controlled machines to smooth their cooking surface and then bake on layers of natural grape-seed oil.

The fine surface structure and oil layer (commonly referred to as “seasoning”) provide our skillets with their non-stick quality (comparable to customary non-stick coated skillets), while avoiding the chemicals otherwise used to achieve this effect. The same seasoning also protects our STUR Skillet against rust.

Should you ever be unsatisfied with your skillet’s non-stick abilities, you can simply re-season it yourself. No worries, we will show you how in our complimentary video demonstrations.

3. The Perfect Tool to Achieve the Perfect Crust 

Cast iron is known to store a lot of heat, thus making our cast-iron STUR Skillet the perfect cooking tool to give your food the desired amount of crust and browning.

Basically, the stored heat makes the water in the food evaporate quicker, while also creating deeply satisfying umami flavors. Yum!

4. Made in Germany

We are proud to say that our skillets are 100% Made in Germany. Working in close collaboration with specialized partners, we are able to combine traditional methods of production with high-tech manufacturing.

You may like the fact that our foundry, Gienanth, primarily supplies high-precision engine parts for German premium brand cars. (Legend has it they cast the engine of Bugatti’s first race car). The STUR Skillet offers further proof that outstanding products can still be produced locally.

5. The Right Weight

A long-lasting skillet requires a certain weight. Thin skillets quickly deform when exposed to high temperatures and are no longer able to transfer heat evenly. When designing the STUR Skillet, we made sure to reduce weight where possible, but decided to keep material where necessary.

Imagine an instrument, fine-tuned to cook up some great steaks (or vegetables for that matter). Weighing in at 5.3 lb, our 11-inch skillet is lighter than most other cast-iron versions available on the market and primed to turn each cooking session into an uplifting experience.

6. An Ergonomic Handle

You’d better believe we experimented with countless different handles during the design process. We also collected feedback from within our community on the numerous prototypes.

Finally, we came up with a minimalistic and ‘grippable’ design for easy handling. The main handle is fitted with a hole for convenient hanging or storing when not in use, while the helper handle facilitates safe carrying–even with kitchen towels or gloves.

7. One for All Cooktops

Be it gas, electric or induction, the STUR Skillet performs on all cooktops. Its thicker bottom allows for even heat distribution. You can even place your STUR Skillet right on the barbecue. Just an idea…  

8. Not Just for Meat Lovers 

Suited for more than just steaks and schnitzel, the STUR Skillet’s heat-storing capacity also lets you prepare crunchy vegetables and perfectly browned mushrooms.

Lighter skillets generally do not store enough energy, usually steaming vegetables more than they actually color them. Rest assured, once you’ve tried mushrooms, asparagus, or pan-fried potatoes cooked this way, there’ll be no going back. Hungry yet?

What’s more, Simon will gladly share some personal cooking tips and tricks from his time working at a Michelin-star restaurant (currently ranked at #15 of the best restaurants in the world).

How does the STUR Skillet compare?

Our Story: Putting the Skill in Skillet

From Side Project to Popular Webzine

When starting university, it was time to leave the comfort of our parents’ home behind and find a place for ourselves. This also meant setting up our own kitchens and choosing the right cookware and utensils.

We began our personal search for cooking appliances offering reasonable value for money, but were quickly frustrated by the lack of information online and thus set out to make a change. Our German online magazine Pfannenhelden.de (transl. ‘skillet heroes’) was born. 

Our website meanwhile caters to more than 100,000 visitors per month, looking to find detailed and reliable information on skillets and how to best cook with them.

We’ve also been invited on various TV shows to share our insights on choosing, using, and caring for your skillets. 

In 2019, Simon left for Paris to attend the prestigious culinary school Ferrandi, described as the “Harvard of gastronomy” by French daily Le Monde. Upon graduating, he spent some time working at Michelin-star restaurant Septime, which currently ranks at #15 of the best restaurants in the world.

While Simon was cooking away in Paris, Filip was working on the first skillet designs in Berlin. From the start, his aim was to create a high-quality skillet, sustainable, durable, and made in Germany. Cast iron quickly became the material of choice, due to its durability, ease of use, and amazing non-stick capabilities.

Together with the STUR community (more than 12,000 fans) and renowned German product designers Peter Lasch and Bastian Prillwitz the STUR Skillet began to take shape. Around the same time, Filip started looking for companies able to produce the skillet in Germany and according to STUR standards. Eventually, the first prototype was cast and the STUR Skillet V1 became a reality. 

Our Team

Technical Details & Measurements

Please note: these technical details are not 100 % final, they are approximated. However, the final details won't differ much.

Weight: The 28 cm/ 11-inch skillet will weigh around 2.4 kg/5.3 lb. The 24 cm/ 9.5-inch skillet will weigh around 1.8 kg/4 lb.

Lids: We made sure that all standard lids (24 cm/28 cm) fit on the skillets.

Check the campaigne on Kickstarter!