Where a pan is made: A visit to Franco's workshop

Just outside the Italian city of Como – a short turn off a busy road – stands a building that doesn't attract much attention. But if you step inside, follow the corridor and open the door on the left, you will be greeted by something that certainly stands out.

You are standing in a hall with metres of shelves filled with steel in all shapes and sizes: pans, pots, product samples, plates, moulds. And if you go further in, there are machines that cut, press, rivet or otherwise create steel products that will end up in kitchens around the world.

Wherever you look, you see physical evidence that craftsmanship is being performed here – from raw materials to shiny pans. This is where our 5-ply series is produced.

Behind the machines you will find Mario, Eliano and Roberto. Their confident handling of each product reveals their years of experience with this particular craft. They know the machines, understand the materials and have determined the production process to achieve the best possible result – and that requires skilled craftsmen to handle each product by hand.

The man behind it all is Franco. He is the fourth generation in his family to produce steel pots and pans. We would like to introduce you to him and his craftsmanship: