More than half a century since they first landed in American kitchens, Dansk’s pots, pans and pitchers have never felt fresher.
Food52Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more
“What I particularly appreciate about Dansk’s early designs was … a kind of willingness to dare,” says Amanda Hesser, cofounder of Food52. “They’re utilitarian pieces that feel aesthetically pleasing that have some whim or have memorable details.”
While Dansk’s tapered flatware, colorful enameled pots and wooden salad bowls have been a mainstay in American homes since the 1950s, social media has only contributed to a rise in popularity and clout for the brand.
Dansk was created by Americans Ted and Martha Nierenberg, who hired Danish designer Jens Quistgaard to design a line of cutlery fashioned from stainless steel and teak. It was an instant hit, with a 1958 article in The New York Times calling Dansk pieces “some of the most popular accessories found in American homes.”
In 2021, Dansk found new ownership in an acquisition by Food52, which had by that point already been selling Dansk wares for years.
“It was this great opportunity we felt like to not only preserve this brand that had developed incredible loyalty, Hesser says of the acquisition, “but actually to take its essence and make it accessible to more people.”
A large part of the revival is sorting through Dansk’s vast archives around the world, a bulk of which are located in Portland, Oregon and managed by the team at Schoolhouse (another home goods brand acquired by Food52).
Under Food52, vintage Dansk pieces that for many years could only be found secondhand, will be reissued. For its first archival release, the company rereleased a wrapped-handle water pitcher from Dansk’s Købenstyle line, one of the most popular and iconic collections, known for its colorful enameled cookware. The pitcher sold out within 24 hours. Twice. And a second release was met with a waiting list of over 1,500 people. (It’s now readily available for purchase on Food52.)
Food52Dansk Købenstyle Wrapped Handle Water Pitcher
Although Dansk is known for cookware and tableware, the brand has ventured into other areas of home goods in the past, and Hesser hopes to continue in this direction by collaborating on new products with internationally known designers who typically work with jewelry, textiles, ceramics or other media.
“There’s more for us to bring back than we would have time for,” Hesser says. “Our plan is to really make each archival release like a real celebration of the brand and the chance to tell the story about that particular product.”
Although Dansk’s aesthetic hinges on functionality and clean design, its pieces often feel like art, which may be why it’s built a decades-long community following.
“You could feel the care that was put into every design,” Hesser says. “They really made people think differently about a salad bowl.”
Of course, few qualities are more potent that good old fashioned nostalgia, and no one knows this better than Hesser.
“They really bring back childhood memories,” she says.
