Vintage Cast Iron Cookware Collectors Brenda Bernstein & Doyle Pregler

Note: This post was originally written and posted in 2018. Dates and details have undoubtedly changed since then! One very important note is that as of 2025, Brenda is the current Vice President of the Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association.

Brenda and Doyle

Cast-iron collectors Brenda Bernstein and Doyle Pregler live in New London, Minnesota, a small community located about two hours northwest of the Twin Cities. They have been together for 28 years, have six grown children between them, and 12 grandchildren, aged 3 to 19.¹

If you’ve been to one of the national Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association (GCICA) conventions and saw a huge semi parked in the parking lot of the convention hotel, it’s a likely indicator that Doyle and Brenda are there. Doyle drives a truck for a living, and Brenda and Doyle try to coordinate his loads with the GCICA national and chapter meetings. They even arrived via semi to the 2016 GCICA convention in Maine! It’s hard to miss Brenda – her beautiful red hair stands out in the crowd.

Brenda, Doyle, and Cast Iron Collecting

Linda and I first met Brenda and Doyle in 2014 in Fargo, at that year’s GCICA national convention. They had come across the organization while researching vintage cast iron cookware, saw that the convention was being held near their home, and decided to attend.

It was our first time attending a national convention, and we were buzzing with excitement! We were excited to meet fellow cast iron enthusiasts, see and learn about some incredible cast iron, and find some new old pieces for ourselves. It’s so rewarding to connect with others who share our passion for vintage cast iron. Sometimes, when I discuss vintage cast iron with people, I can see their eyes glaze over. But not with the members of GCICA! Members are very passionate about the old iron.

Since that first meeting in Fargo, Linda and I have met up with Brenda and Doyle at various locations throughout the United States, including cast iron auctions, chapter meetings, camping, and at the annual GCICA conventions in Maine, Missouri, Louisiana, and Erie.

Brenda is presently the Treasurer of GCICA (as of 2025, she is Vice President!) and has also served as an “at large” Director. Brenda says that their membership in GCICA has played a big part in their fascination with the old iron. Brenda says,

“The people [in the Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association] are absolutely the best and have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom when it comes to cast iron. The conventions and chapter meets are the place to see rare and unique pieces of cast iron that you won’t see anywhere else. I fully believe that preserving, using, and learning about cast iron should be done by everyone and we who are members of GCICA are ambassadors of that endeavor.”

Brenda Bernstein

What Piqued their Interest in Vintage Cast Iron?

Brenda and Doyle’s interest in cast iron cookware began after they bought a few pieces from Cracker Barrel and started cooking with them. After that, they followed an online auction and watched the bidding on a Griswold Square Utility skillet. They had heard of Griswold and “bid like crazy,” winning it. ²

After winning the pan, they did some research and concluded that they likely paid too much (as often happens when you get caught up in cast-iron auction excitement), but they loved the pan. They could see the difference between their modern cast-iron cookware and the vintage Griswold. They appreciated the quality and artistry, as well as the fine feel of the old iron. They began educating themselves about vintage cast iron, which led to an even greater appreciation for vintage cast iron cookware.

That one pan led to another, and then another. In their five years of collecting³ They have acquired about 500 pieces – that averages out to 100 pieces a year if you’re counting. They have traveled (in the semi, of course) to larger cast iron auctions in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. They have also picked up pieces at the GCICA national conventions and local auctions.

Doyle cleans and seasons their iron via a lye bath and electrolysis. Brenda takes before-and-after photographs of each piece and enters information about each into an inventory sheet that she has created using an Excel spreadsheet.

Brenda and Doyle primarily collect Griswold cast-iron cookware, though they also have pieces from other manufacturers. Doyle has a particular affinity for waffle irons, while Brenda has a fondness for gem pans.

They don’t collect cookware to the exclusion of other types of iron, however; they also have such odds and ends as coin banks, string holders, and a few apple peelers. Brenda also collects Holstein cow items – she even has a few cast-iron Holstein cows!

Brenda told me that while it is hard to pick favorites from their collection, if she had to choose three, they are their Griswold four-paddle hotel waffle iron, Griswold #1 Vienna roll pan, and Griswold rabbit extender.

Doyle’s Cooking and Brenda’s Baking

Doyle and Brenda don’t just collect and display their iron; however, they also put it into use. Doyle cooks; Brenda bakes.

Doyle said he likes to find and make recipes from “America’s Test Kitchen.” He is always trying something new. Brenda says “sometimes” she gets to make a side dish, though Doyle is the cook in the family. They don’t have a favorite pan, though at the moment, they like their vintage Wagner chef’s skillet. Their “go-to” vintage cast iron pans for cooking are their #3, #8, and #12 skillets, as well as a #8 Dutch oven.

I don’t know how I learned of Doyle and Brenda’s cooking and baking talents. It may have been through a Facebook group called “Black Iron Cooking, Antiques, and Humor.” ⁴Each week, the group runs a “Black Iron Master” contest. People submit mouthwatering photos of a delectable dish they’ve prepared in a cast-iron. The winner is the post with the most “likes.” I started seeing some dandy submissions from Doyle on the page. If you search the group for “Doyle Pregler,” you will find many posts spanning years of fabulous meals cooked on cast iron by Doyle, as well as cakes by Brenda.

I’m not sure about you, but I’m hungry now.

Two cakes made by Brenda won the Black Iron Master contest: one of her Griswold lamb cakes and a bee cake made in a cast-iron bee mold.

Brenda’s Mad Baking Skills

Brenda enjoys baking cakes, bread, and desserts. She makes the prettiest cake-mold cakes I have ever seen!

Brenda first learned how to frost cakes from a family member some years back. She says she also picked up some tips from the television show “Cake Boss.” Linda has sought out Brenda on more than one occasion to solicit suggestions and advice on how to make a Griswold Lamb cake successfully, but Linda has yet to make a cake that even comes close to the “Brenda” standard. I have yet to see a cake made from a Griswold cake mold that even approaches the “Brenda” standard. I’ve seen photos on the web from other bakers and have even come across an awesome website that features pictures of Easter lamb cakes made in aluminum molds, but nothing I’ve seen to date compares to Brenda’s beautiful cakes.

Brenda told me that her dream and her goal is to bake something in every one of their vintage cake, bundt, and gem pans. She has her work cut out for her!

Brenda was kind enough to write instructions for the blog on how to make her beautiful cakes. Thank you, Brenda. And thank you, Doyle and Brenda, for allowing me to write this little blog post about you and your lovely collection of vintage cast iron!

1. I wrote this post in 2018. Add the appropriate number of years to these figures!
2. Small world. My interest in cast iron also started with the purchase of a Griswold piece (a gem pan) at an auction.
3. Again, I originally posted this writing in 2018; add seven years!
4. You must join the group to see its posts.