Our Story

Nordic Ware was founded in 1946 by a determined wife, Dotty, and her resourceful husband Dave, newly back from the second world war. With only $500 in their pockets, a few good ideas and a desire to create a business of their own, a humble kitchenware company was launched from the basement of their home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the beginning, Nordic Ware’s product line was only a handful of items, all of which were specialty Scandinavian ethnic cookware products. But times have changed! 70 years later with a good measure of perseverance added, Nordic Ware is still proudly manufacturing the vast majority of its products in Minneapolis. We’re proud to say that we’re still family-owned and operated, with three generations involved in our business, and each year we add innovative items to our expansive kitchenware line.

70 Years of Innovation

With wife Dotty at his side, Dave Dalquist returned from WWII to start a business. From humble beginnings in a basement, Nordic Ware has become an internationally distributed kitchenware brand with a variety of product lines, hundreds of products and millions of fans!

Still a family owned and operated in the US, the company is honored to occupy a place in the new Food History exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Last fall, Nordic Ware was chosen for the prestigious 2015 Minnesota Manufacturing Award for Sustainability, which firms we work hard to minimize our environmental footprint. Our company moves into 2016 poised for the future, with last year setting an all-time record in sales volume and production efficiency.