Monday, August 20, 2012

thrift store finds: terra cotta bread pan



As a college student, I had an assortment of pots and pans that mostly came from random garage sales. I wasn't picky — I was broke, so I bought whatever cheap, serviceable pots and pans I could find for a buck. This collection included a teflon coated frying pan and pot, an aluminum bread pan and muffin pan, some cheap, non-stick cookie sheets, and other things I needed along the way.



Graduation brought a stainless steel set of pots and pans from my parents (so long, teflon!), and I'd picked up a couple of heavy Lodge cast iron skillets along the way. We also got a new set of non-stick baking sheets and muffin tins as wedding gifts . . .

Recently, though, I started reading about the dangers associated with non-stick coatings (including teflon's propensity for killing birds with fumes) and the fact that these coatings are being phased out (by law) in the next few years. And I've read for awhile about the dangers possibly associated with aluminum (no one reputable is fully backing these up, but there have been links between aluminum and Alzheimer's).

And because I'm mama to a sweet kid who likes to help cook, I decided that now was the time to start phasing out the remainder of our non-stick and aluminum cookware, and investing in stainless steel, cast iron, and stoneware.



This can be expensive, but I did manage to find this heavy, terra cotta bread pan at a thrift store recently, in perfect condition, for under $5.



As a bonus, it was locally made right near here, at Planned Pottery in Eugene, Oregon, in 1979.



Pretty awesome that it's settling in here, to bake my family's bread for years to come!

Thanks for reading!

p.s. you can make these photos larger just by clicking on them, but you probably already knew that.


Linking up to:

Simple Design's Thrift Haul
Cap Creations' Thrifty Love
Southern Hospitality
Thrift Share Monday

8 comments:

feathermar said...

Awesome! I love it's big type-y "BREAD"! It'll look great on display in your kitchen when you aren't using it!

Amy of While Wearing Heels said...

What a great find and a wonderful reminder that we should all be keeping our eyes open for safer pots and pans.

-I still can't comment through bloglovin :(

Anonymous said...

beautiful! we stopped using non-stick too. love that piece!

Janice Knori (jacck@msn.com) said...

I'm so glad you posted this on your blog. My mother in law, June Knori was the owner of Planned Pottery in Eugene Oregon. Sadly she passed away May of 2012 this year and we miss her dearly. My daughter, her granddaughter, found your blog and shared it with me and my husband. We have a few sacred pieces of her pottery ware. If you like, I would be happy to email you a few recipes from her cookbook that went along with the pottery. You may already know this, but you heat the oven hotter, then turn it down in the baking process after a certain amount of time, and let the bread baker do the work for you.

Night Garden Design said...

Thanks, everyone! Janice, I'm so sorry for the loss of your mother-in-law. Not knowing much about the history of her company before, I treasure it even more now. And thank you for the baking tips!

Anonymous said...

I am the lucky owner of TWO of these wonderful terra cotta bread pans. I would love the recipes from Janice's Mother in Law's collection, especially about how to bake with the pans. I would also love to learn how to clean them better. The oil I use seems to seep through the clay and becomes a sticky brown goo on the bottom side of the pans.

Hagel34 said...

I am sad to hear that the product is no longer in production. I had the bread baker that I purchased in the 80's in California. Used it for years and when I moved back to the East about 8 years ago it went astray. I just came across the 42 page book full of recipe's. I also have a tri-fold listing all the products. Ten are listed: A Bread Baker #224, B. Mini Baker #335, C. Pie Baker #446 etc. I take it that these products are no longer in production, pity!

Hagel34 said...

To Anonymous Aug. 6 2013. On page 5 of the recipe book it gives the instruction. I could scan it and send it to you if you wish.