MACA’S CALCUTTA, INDIA FOUNDRY MEETS SAME RIGID
STANDARDS REQUIRED IN UTAH FACTORY
Die-hard Dutch oven chefs are very particular about their Dutch ovens. Quality cookware means everything to the serious Dutch oven cook. Historically most of the best “ovens” have been cast in the United States. Such names as Wagner, Griswold, and Lodge are legends in Dutch oven circles as representing the finest in cast iron Dutch oven cookware.
Over the past 20 years MACA Supply Co. has earned a place for its Dutch ovens among the quality Dutch oven manufactures of today. A family owned and operated foundry and industrial casting business; MACA Supply Co. is located in Springville, Utah.
For a number of years all MACA Dutch ovens were cast in the Springville foundry. In the late 1990’s the owners could see two things happening with their foundry business. First, the cost of manufacturing Dutch ovens was getting so high that few people could afford their quality ovens. Second, their foundry was not able to handle the increasing demand for orders of industrial castings and Dutch oven castings.
After much consideration a decision was made to create a sister company and build a new foundry in India. The following is MACA’s press release concerning their new India operations:
“MACA has recently added a sister company. Located near Calcutta India, and named CRESMAC Calcutta, it is another high quality foundry in the tradition of MACA Supply Company.”
In doing this, the Anderson family of MACA had to ensure that their castings maintained the same high level of quality that they had established in Utah. To do this they shipped over all the equipment needed to build their foundry from the United States. Then they sent over their own managers and technicians to train the Indian employees and oversee the operations.
Having the right kind of sand is critical to a quality casting so; MACA ships over sand from the Mid-west. This is a special chemically bonded sand that makes a better cast and a smoother finish on the casting.
Of course the types and quality of metals used in cast iron Dutch ovens is important. If the wrong blends of metals are used the cast iron develops flaws and weaknesses. CRESMAC Calcutta, MACA’s sister company in India, strictly follows ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards in all their metal testing. To ensure that all casting processes met these US standards, MACA invested $100,000 in a spectrometer to continually test the quality and composition of the molten metal.
With all these elements in place the new foundry near Calcutta, India was ready. Except for the workers, who of course would be from India, they would have virtually the same type of foundry and operations as they did in Utah. MACA guarantees that the quality of Dutch Ovens and other industrial castings coming from their new India plant would meet their high standards for quality and excellence.
When purchasing a Dutch oven one should always keep in mind that, like any quality hand made product, cast iron Dutch ovens are not “perfect”. Each oven has its own unique characteristics and markings that distinguish it from another oven. These markings are not flaws in the quality or workmanship of the oven. Nor do they in anyway diminish the ovens cooking quality. The quality of a Dutch oven is mostly on the “inside”. Such characteristics as the type of metal used, the quality of the casting, the thickness of the sides, and strict adherence to the best castings procedures in the industry are most important for Dutch oven performance and durability.
MACA describes the quality of their Dutch oven this way on their web site.
“Why MACA Deep Dutch Ovens?”
“1. QUALITY
... Our Dutch ovens
meet the same quality control standards as our industrial castings. We
check for imperfections, cold runs, wall thickness and lids that fit tight.
If it’s not right, we re-melt it!
2. WEIGHT
... We put more
metal in our Dutch ovens. Besides significantly reducing burning, this
means our Dutch ovens absorb, distribute and retain heat better than other ovens
on the market. Plus the heavier lid enhances the pressure cooker effect
that keeps everything tender and moist.
3. DEPTH
... Our Dutch ovens
are twice as deep as regular ovens. This gives added versatility and opens
up a world of possibilities. Make enough stew to feed a whole troop of
hungry scouts or with the added depth, add the unique Dutch oven flavor to
Thanksgiving Day Turkey, whole racks of ribs or holiday hams. If it fits
into your oven, it will fit into your MACA Dutch oven."