Classic Favorite: Dansk Kobenstyle Enameled Cookware

We used to talk a lot about our favorite vintage cookware: the mid-century modern Dansk Kobenstyle enameled pots and pans with the distinctive styling and gorgeous colors. This cookware is still easily found in vintage shops and on eBay and we love its retro style, so we thought it was time to quickly revisit it!

We love enameled cookware, of course; our favorite pots and pans are enameled cast iron. The Dansk cookware took those bright, shiny colors and elevated them even further with angular modern lines, although the base material is sheet steel, not cast iron. The advantage to this is that it is much easier to lift, and also to go from stove to table.

Most of the Dansk products were designed by Danish designer Jens Quistgaard. But the company itself was always American-owned, founded in 1954 by entrepreneur Ted Nierenberg and Quistgaard.

Here's a link to the baking pan above, which we particularly like:

• Vintage Dansk Kobenstyle Baking Pan, $39 at ethanollie

Do you have any Dansk Kobenstyle pieces? Here's a look back at some of our previous coverage:

• Vintage Gear: Dansk Kobenstyle
• eBay Scavenger: Dansk Kobenstyle Pots and Pans
• Good Question: How to Clean Rusty Dansk Cookware

(Image: ethanollie)

Comments (13)

I have the piece above in navy blue and a round dish in aqua blue (ok, they are my mother's, but on permanent loan to me). I love them and they always get compliments on the table.

I have a pastel teal dutch oven from this line! My grandma gave it to me a couple years ago, and the styling is so unique and wonderful. It's also a bit lighter than Le Creuset -- hefty enough to cook evenly, though. Great cookware!

http://operagirlcooks.com

I have a few pieces from thrifting/tag sales, some in navy, some in white (including the giganto paella pan) but I'm afraid to use them for actual cooking or baking.

I've passed on enough Kobenstyle pieces in disastrous condition (scorched, scratched, and rusty) that I'm worried food will burn or scorch in them as they seem rather thin. They're so lovely I'd hate to ruin both the food and the pan so I save them just for serving.

Can anyone with actual experience cooking and baking in these pans vouch for their performance?

Does anyone know whether there is a difference in quality between the Kobenstyle pots made in Denmark vs. France? Is it better to buy a slightly dinged "four ducks" pot or a pristine French one? I am more concerned with performance than collectability.

Gorgeous, but they chip so easily!

I used to have that Dansk Kobenstyle piece but it chipped and I did find it thin.
I gave it away and got some vintage Michael Lax Copco enameled cast iron cookware and I am much happier with the way it cooks and cleans........

There is tons of the kobenstyle risotto pans and more all over etsy..i've never bought one, but I have noticed many have even minor chips.. :(

saer
http://cravenmaven.wordpress.com

I have a few of the Dansk peices, and I have to say the yellow covered dish is one of my favorite pieces to add in a photo of the kitchen!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imacookoo/4479912505/

I have a Dansk dutch oven that holds about 8 quarts. I love it and use it all the time to make soup. It performs nicely on the stove and hasn't chipped after several years of use.

You can easily find them on eBay, but beware. I have been sniped several times trying to buy them for friends and family.

I have about 20 pieces of vintage dansk, including the exact pan above. I love it all, they are well used. I have a paella pan in red, also 4 red pans, from a small sauce pan to a skillet. I have a large yellow covered skillet, two blue covered pots and an enormous brown covered pot. I love my dansk. I don't treat them all that delicately and I don't have any chips. I used my small sauce pot to make chai, though (just threw some teabags in boiling water, added the spices and milk later) and I had a terrible time cleaning the stains....my fault, though.

Love, Love, Love vintage dansk.

I have that pan in yellow, I had no idea they were collectible!

Actually, mine's become a bit stained, does anyone have a recommendation for cleaning them?

I have the piece above in orange, two paella pans in orange and aqua and a orange pot with a lid.

I use the pot for boiling pasta or potatoes easy things that won't leave stains and the baking dish above for light duties too.

I've used the large paella pan for mixing kettle corn with salt. It's much easier than using a bowl.

They do chip easily but are so pretty!

I've got some copco baking dishes like Saluki and they ARE amazing!

For cleaning I use barkeeper's friend and a magic eraser and they seem to do the trick.

I have about 40 pieces of Kobenstyle in Turquoise, White and Apple Green (I'm currently seeking help for this obsession). It all started with a few unused turquoise pieces my mother gave me.

I won't cook in them though, they're used only as serving pieces. I also have what everyone seems to call paella pans. I have the original box and they're not paella pans...in fact, they're not even meant to be cooked in beyond warming food in the oven. They're buffet servers.