Porin/Valu 1858 muffin pan??

[Tommy Harris]

My Google fu is extremely weak on this.   Anybody know anything about a porin/valu 1858 7 muffin pan.   It has a handle, so is it still a pan?

[Tom Neitzel]

Sounds like you might have an egg cooker.  Seven shallow cups about 2 1/2" to 3" across, near 1/2" deep.

Can't do much better on information without a picture.

Tom

[Tommy Harris]

Ask and you shall receive.





Any guesses on value on one of these?

[Tom Neitzel]

Well, I missed on the guess, but that is an Aebleskiver pan.  Also known as a Danish Cake pan or Munk pan.  Makes little round pancake balls that can be stuffed with apple slices or jam.

I don't know the company, but it was established in 1858, I believe.  My impression is that it may be European, but that is just an impression.

As far as age, I don't think it is older than the 1920s or 30s.  Could even be fairly modern, post WW2.

Nice pan.

[Tommy Harris]

Anybody else have any info whatsoever on this company or pan?  I can not find anything on the Google.   I am now intrigued.

[Tom Neitzel]

The best bet I see is that it is a Finnish foundry.  They started making stoves in the late 1930s.  The pan is most likely post WW2.  That's about all I see.

http://www.porinmatti.fi/

Tom

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hello Tommy. When you learn more about it be sure and come back and let us know what you find out.

[Tom Neitzel]

Well, Tommy, thank you very much for asking about your pan.  You have helped me answer a question of mine that I've been looking for for several years.

I have a plett pan and I think an Aebleskiver pan marked with a crown over R logo.  I've never been able to clearly identify the origin other than it was European.  I though it might be Rokvald, another Finnish company, but never found a connection.

While looking up your answer I ran across a picture from a museum shown a sculpture that was full of the crown over R logos.  Even found the corporate logo.

The Rosenlew Company.  They started in 1853, and made many of their products in the Pori Machine Works in the city of Pori, Finland.  1858 seems reasonable to indicate a tie to production of the Machine Works.

I then found another picture from the Rosenlew Museum that shows several cookware items they made.  You should notice a 'skiver pan there amongst the others.

Thanks for getting me looking.

By the way, the crown over R pans are VERY high quality.

Tom

[Tom Neitzel]

Here's a picture of the logo on a plett pan.  Likely post WW2.

And the marks you see are machining marks.  One big circular groove, like a record, cut by a tool on a lathe, not ground.

[Tom Neitzel]

In Denmark, the crown means it is/was a Royal foundry.  I suspect the same applies in Finland.  The work of this company is just superb.

[Jim Fuchs]

Great sleuthing there Tom ! ;)  Love the history. Thank you for your hard work. :)

[Jeff Friend]

Tom,

The design is superb, too.  I'd love to have some of these pieces.

[Cheryl Watson]

Jeff, what the heck are those???

[Tom Neitzel]

Had to look it up.  It's a Saturnus Pot.  Designed by a famous Finnish industrial designer made by Rosenlew.

Timo Sarpaneva designed his Saturnus pot with rings around the edges. The rings had a tendency to break in production but Sarpaneva didn’t want to change it. Another designer, Erkki Linnala, took him out for lunch to persuade him to change the design and threw in a fair amount of drinks to sweeten the deal. They decided to change the rings into solid handles (pic attached).  Jeff's post shows the original rings.  You can see why they would break.

Timo  designed the iconic casserole with a wooden handle in 1960. It was awarded several times, including the silver medal at the 1960 Milan Triennal. This pot is an excellent example of the ability of Finnish design to combine practicality and beauty. Enameled inside, it has outstanding cooking characteristics and will also attract attention as a serving dish. The detachable wooden handle that allows you to lift and move both the pot and its lid is a true stroke of genius.  The casserole has a great innovative idea that the distinctive-curved wood is not just a handle of the pot but can also can be used as a tool to lift the lid.  (to be honest, if I had seen just the casserole and handle, I would have guessed Japanese)

Thanks again, Tommy, for your question.  Opened a whole new window on cast iron design.


Just learned of a buyer beware.  The Sarpeneva designs are now being made in China.  Sold under the name iittala.  Not cheap, $250 for the 3 Qt, but not Rosenlew.

[Jeff Friend]

Too bad the Chinese are making knock-offs.  These Rosenlew pieces are really something.  I doubt many made their way out of Scandinavia.  I read that Rosenlew was also a big manufacturer of combines.

[Tom Neitzel]

Rosenlew was really diverse.  Logging is big in Finland.  Rosenlew made logging equipment.

Mahindra bought that division.

[Tommy Harris]

Thanks for the info.   Those are some neat pieces.