The Beloved Mid-Century Cookware To Look For At Thrift Stores And Estate Sales

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Whether it's a goldenrod pitcher, a midnight blue casserole, or a plum butter warmer with a teak handle, Dansk Købenstyle cookware is hard to miss. The enameled steel finish has a simple, inviting, mid-century aesthetic with a bold and cheery color palette that still feels beautifully retro today. You can imagine how modern and exciting it would have been at the time of its release in 1956. And that was only the beginning of this cookware's beauty and functionality. Dansk Købenstyle won four international design awards and was even sold at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Danish sculptor and designer Jens Quistgaard designed the Dansk Købenstyle line. As an artist, Quistgaard had an eye for design that was unique and playful. The combination of teakwood handles and steel cookware married form and function. The pot lids were in a league of their own, marked by a distinctive X that combined utility with visual flair. The lid could be flipped and used as a trivet, the structure of the X keeping the lid from touching counters or stovetops. Though the thin enameled steel was heat-resistant, you could still use a wooden spoon to lift the lid by its X-shaped handle if it got too hot.

The Dansk Købenstyle line has expanded considerably since the 1950s. Each relaunch introduces new colors, but originally there were just four. Quistgaard personally chose orange-red, dark blue, yellow, and turquoise with the expectation that they would be timeless.

Modern pieces of Dansk Købenstyle can be found on Amazon for prices below what you'd pay for comparable pieces from Le Creuset. That said, vintage pieces of the cookware can sometimes come with a surprising price tag. Stock pots, butter warmers, and saucepans can sell for hundreds of dollars in high-end marketplaces when in like-new condition.The site 1stDibs lists its highest priced piece at $5,995. Prices on eBay can be lower, but the condition of the cookware may not be as pristine.

Vintage pieces are especially appealing, and they show up in unexpected places. You might find a casserole dish or butter warmer at second-hand stores, flea markets, or garage sales. Older items have the charm of being a little piece of history. People who own vintage pieces also claim that they were better made, claiming the vintage enamel is more evenly applied and less likely to chip.

How do you know if you have a vintage piece? Look on the bottom for the stamp. Original Dansk Købenstyle will be stamped with Dansk Designs Denmark or Dansk Designs Denmark IHQ (the initials stand for Jens Harald Quistgaard). If a stamp says Dansk International, it was likely made after 1965, probably in France or Thailand. If it just says Thailand, it was made after 2012. Next time you're thrifting or perusing a garage sale, keep your eye open for one of these mid-century treasures, it'll be more than worth it.