Krumkake Iron

Nordic Ware, a family-owned manufacturing firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1946 by brothers Dave and Mark Dalquist, as “Plastics for Industry.” In 1950, the brothers bought Northland Aluminum Products, a small firm with a line of “Nordic Ware” products including griddles and steak platters. The same year, Dave Dalquist created a cast aluminum, fluted cake pan and trademarked it as the “Bundt” pan. The company continued to grow its product line to include specialty baking and cookware items, including the microwave turntable. Nordic Ware is notable due to its history of product innovation through engineering, and its continued production of cookware in the United States.

This krumkake iron was the first consumer product manufactured by Nordic Ware (then the Plastics for Industry Company) in 1948. Krumkake is a very thin Norwegian wafer cookie, served rolled into a cone shape. Batter is poured into the press and cooked with indirect heat by being placed on the accompanying stand. The krumkake iron sold well due in part to Minnesota’s large Scandinavian population.

This Krumkake iron is one of the early kitchen tools made by Nordic Ware, the Minneapolis-based manufacturer best known for its "Bundt" cake pan. Started by brothers Dave and Mark Dalquist as "Plastics for Industry" in 1946, the direction of the enterprise took a traditional turn in 1948, when they made a pattern for a familiar tool in Old World kitchens—the Krumkake iron. The iron was a local success, prompting the brothers to develop other Scandinavian specialty items including a Swedish rosette iron, and a Danish Ebleskiver pan. To market these new "old favorites," the Dalquists began a mail order venture called "Maid of Scandinavia."

For people of Norwegian descent, Krumkake is a favorite treat, especially served with coffee around the Christmas holidays. The batter consists of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, milk, and a bit of cardamom. Only one teaspoon of batter is used to make each wafer. After spooning the batter onto the heated press, the cook closes the iron, and squeezes the handles together. After a few seconds he or she turns the press to bake the other side. When the wafer is golden brown it is removed quickly with a spatula and rolled onto a cone. The resulting delicate, cone-shaped wafer with the fancy scrollwork design is cooled and served plain or filled with fruit.

Currently not on view