""What pans should I be cooking with and why?” Well, for my money—and yes, I paid for mine—the best stuff I’ve seen in a decade is what’s coming out of a small artisanal group in Virginia called Blanc Creatives." - Andrew Zimmerman

"Almost jewel-like in color, each pan bears the exacting hits of a metalworkers hammer leaving a dappled texture. The handles are like a ballet dancer's legs, swooping and graceful but incredibly strong. From the thinned, delicate rim, to the arched opening the riveted handle creates, every corner and curve of the pans have received the concentrated, earnest attention of a team of artists' eyes and hands."

"On his Instagram this week, Alton held up a pan and declared it the most beautiful one he’d ever seen. The pan in question is anine-inch carbon steel skillet from Blanc Creatives, a company out of Charlottesville, Virginia (where, in fact, all their pans are made). The made-in-America, design-forward, handcrafted style is as striking as Alton implies, with the details of its making etched into the metal."

"With cookware, function comes first. But quality craftsmanship can carry its own aesthetic weight, andBlanc Creativesis a testament to the beauty that stems from blending premium materials withthoughtful design."

"Each Blanc Creatives skillet, handmade in Virginia, holds seasoning supremely well too. Its smooth surface quickly becomes nonstick enough to scramble eggs or make an omelet—which you might actually be able to flip with one hand."

"Initially shaped by a hydraulic press and then finished by hand, the pieces are crafted with function and purpose in mind, as well as thoughtful design. Blanc’s signature stamp is the curved, elongated handle for which his skillets are known, and the utility-meets-aesthetics approach has won Blanc Creatives numerous accolades in recent years."