A Mythical Cast Iron Manufacturer Returns with the Summer’s Must-Have Grilling Accessory

Your grandparents’ grandparents probably cooked on a Wagner. Now you can too.

man holding a cast-iron griddle over a fire

Published June 6, 2024

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Cast-iron cookware manufacturers are a dime a dozen, with new brands hopping on the heritage-cookware bandwagon seemingly weekly. But when a legendary name like Wagner passes by, it stops collectors and enthusiasts in their tracks.

That’s right, one of the most iconic manufacturers in cast iron is on its comeback tour, and it’s doing things the right way, one thoughtful reissue at time. Welcome home, Wagner. It’s good to have you back.

A brief history of Wagner

The Wagner Manufacturing Company is stuff of legend when it comes to cast-iron skillets. Just take a look at eBay, where some of its rarest wares fetch upward of $5,000.

The manufacturer first opened its doors in Sidney, Ohio, in the summer of 1891. Three months later, it had doubled its payroll and started pushing out some 9,200 pounds of iron daily.

black and white photo of a Wagner skillet — Wagner was at the forefront cookware innovations in the 20th century. It introduced non-stick skillets in the early 1940s.

By the turn of the century, Wagner was on its way to becoming one of the largest cookware manufacturers in the country.

It won a Gold Medal at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis and began distributing its cookware internationally. In 1915, the company debuted its now-iconic stylized “W” logo, found on the bottom of its pans.

Wagner’s stylized “W” logo dates back to 1915.

Wagner

Wagner continued to manufacturer cookware throughout the 20th century and multiple changes in ownership — the most significant of these happening in 1952.

That year, the Wagner family sold the company to a car parts manufacturer (who later bought The Griswold Manufacturing Company, one Wagner’s biggest competitors).

In 1999, the Wagner plant closed for renovations but never reopened. Thus, the brand went dark — and a legend was born.

Just like old times

In 2019, the brand was acquired with the goal of reproducing its early cookware “with as much accuracy and detail as possible,” Wagner’s brand manager Megan Cooper tells Gear Patrol. “We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure historical accuracy every step of the way,” focusing on pieces from 1891 – 1952.

“We set the bar at indistinguishable,” Cooper adds.

“We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure historical accuracy every step of the way. We set the bar at indistinguishable.”

The company’s first reissue arrives just in time for summer-smash-burger season. The Long Griddle No. 1148 pays tribute to a griddle Wagner sold in 1950, which came to the brand’s new owners by way of the original Wagner family.

Wagner Long Griddle No. 1148

$240 at Wagner

“Although we studied many griddles, we treated this particular piece as our hero sample, the primary reference for the design,” Cooper says. “We decided to add a production date under the handle of the griddle to avoid confusion. It’s that close.”

“We decided to add a production date under the handle of the griddle to avoid confusion. It’s that close.”

The Long Griddle No. 1148 is cast in gray iron using a traditional green sand process. Measuring 19.875 x 9.875 inches, with a cooking surface of 16.375 x 8.75, it covers two burners on the stovetop but conveniently fits inside a small outdoor grill. It also comes pre-seasoned and includes a grooved edge for grease drainage.

According to Wagner, the No. 1148 is just the first reissue and its new owners are working feverishly to bring back other cookware, including skillets.

person cooking outdoors with a griddle — The No. 1148 griddle comes pre-seasoned and includes a grooved edge for grease drainage.

When asked on Instagram by a passerby whether or not enthusiasts could expect the skillets to be as smooth as they were in the early 1900s, the brand responded, “All reissues will honor the original process, so anything smooth back in the day will be smooth today.”

Until then, the griddle will have to do. The No. 1148 is available now for $240.