NORDIC WARE : 80 YEARS OF FAMILY HERITAGE DEDICATED TO CREATIVE BAKING

Four generations, 80 years of history and millions of beautifully shaped cakes around the world. Founded in Minneapolis in 1946, Nordic Ware has built its reputation on its iconic cast-aluminium cake pans, becoming a benchmark in creative baking. Behind this success lies a family venture driven by an enduring commitment to quality, innovation and passing on expertise from one generation to the next. We met with Jennifer Dalquist, Executive Vice President, at The Inspired Home Show in Chicago.

Nordic Ware’s story began just after the Second World War, when Dotty and Dave Dalquist founded the company in Minneapolis. Their aim was to manufacture kitchenware in the United States inspired by Scandinavian culinary traditions, which was difficult to find at the time. Dotty contributed her family recipes, while Dave brought his metalworking expertise. Nearly 80 years later, several of these early products are still in the catalogue, reflecting the company’s unwavering commitment to quality.

A few years later, Nordic Ware made culinary history with its famous “Bundt” pan. Inspired by the European Kugelhopf, it became a nationwide phenomenon in the United States following the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off competition. Since then, the brand has created several hundred different shapes, helping to transform cakes into genuine decorative centrepieces. Today, David Dalquist, grandson of the founders, runs the company, while his sister, Jennifer Dalquist, represents the third generation of the family. A fourth generation is already contributing to the development of the company, which continues to invest in its historic Minneapolis site, where all its pans are manufactured. Eight decades after its creation, the Dalquist family continues to uphold the same approach to its products. “Our priority has never been to make the cheapest product. We want to create kitchenware that families will keep for decades,” explains Jennifer Dalquist.

This philosophy can be found in every Nordic Ware pan. Made in the United States from cast aluminium and guaranteed for life, they offer excellent thermal conductivity, ensuring even baking and producing cakes that are moist in the centre and delicately golden on the outside. Every design is carefully developed so that its decorative details are perfectly defined when the cake is released from the pan. The non-stick coating, specially designed for sweet preparations, makes releasing cakes from the pan easier and produces spectacular results, even without being an expert baker. Innovation has always gone hand in hand with Nordic Ware’s development. Social media is accelerating culinary trends and giving rise to new habits, which the brand monitors very closely. Exchanges with distributors, retail partners and consumers feed into the development of new collections, each designed to make baking easier and provide genuine value in use. Every new product thus combines creativity, ease of use and durability. Jennifer Dalquist points out that, above all, every pan is part of a special moment in people’s lives. A birthday cake, a family recipe or a dessert shared with friends extends the same story of togetherness and passing traditions on. For four generations, this culture of sharing has helped forge a special bond between Nordic Ware and its consumers, some of whom now collect the brand’s creations as genuine decorative objects.

Distributed in France by Emile&Co, Nordic Ware intends to continue developing in a market that is particularly receptive to high-quality kitchenware and the pleasure of cooking. At Maison&Objet, the brand will showcase its expertise through its iconic cast-aluminium cake pans, the “Northern Lights Bakeware” collection in aluminised steel, the renowned “Naturals” aluminium baking sheets, and a selection of baking utensils that have contributed to its reputation for several decades.

Source: Home Fashion News #62 – Sept 2026 / Translation: Leila Ahmad