We spoke with Eunice Byun about how she and co-founder Dave Nguyen came together to create Material Kitchen.
Whether you grew up help your parent falsify dinner or prepared your first meal as an adult , everyone has a dissimilar story of comfort in the kitchen . For Eunice Byun , growing up in a family of restaurant possessor meant that her interest in spending clip in the kitchen came naturally . However , it was n’t until recently , when she set forth cooking more at home , that she noticed how firmly it was to line up the right tools for the quotidian house Captain Cook . That ’s what prompted her to startMaterial Kitchen , a brand focusing on high quality , attractively design necessity .
“ You walk into a memory and everything attend the same , ” says Byun , relate to her experience of seek for kitchen tools for her house , a feeling she shared with her longtime friend and co - father Dave Nguyen . They both require to create functioning - oriented products that would bring back a sense of sureness in people ’s power to do things in the kitchen — and they wanted them to be aesthetically likable , too .
We recently address with Byun about her first memories in the kitchen , how she and Nguyen came together to create Material Kitchen , what it takes to plan a raw product , and which products she ca n’t live without .
Material Kitchen
Thrillist : What are your first store in the kitchen?Eunice Byun : Oh , gosh . I have so many memories in the kitchen . I ’d say some of the most touching ones were in my parents ' restaurant kitchen . They actually owned restaurants growing up , and so I pass a lot of clock time in the kitchen watching my pappa , or just any of the other cook in all the action . I remember love the commotion . I do it all the smells . I loved everything about it . I just remember thinking it was such a cool matter at a young age to be able to see all the inner workings of a restaurant .
Also , just growing up in a family where food was really our love words , and the path that I think my mama , in finical , show up her care and passion of my babe and myself was always pass water sure we were not only feed , but well fed and assay a lot of dissimilar feel . I really recommend my mammy for exposing us to a lot of different look growing up . Although she would fix mostly Korean food , she would experiment with Italian food for thought and she would try out her hand at even British food or Irish food for thought . She just was always trying unlike cuisines , and I think that allowed us to develop an awesome pallet of taste and flavors and hold for unlike types of solid food really betimes on .
How did you and your carbon monoxide - founding father Dave Nguyen come up with the idea of creating Material?Byun : Dave and I both started cooking more at home and we had just been commiserating about how arduous of a process it was to sift through all the [ kitchen ] clobber that ’s out there . I suppose the traditional shopping experience leave a lot to be desired because you take the air into a store and everything looks the same . We both begin peach about how it would be outstanding if not only we could help just make the whole shopping experience easier and upright , but really reconnect people to the graphics and the magic of the kitchen and all the things that it symbolize . I suppose when you could equip mass with thing that they love , that they bank , that they think is just something they ca n’t endure without , it unlock such a power and a sense of self-confidence in their ability to do things in the kitchen . We thought the good way to do that was just to elevate the design and really ensure that everything was purposeful , yet beautiful . Because we feel people were exit to spend their strong earned money on our product and our designs , we really wanted to make things that multitude pass for every sidereal day for every repast , and that they feel a sense of connectivity to the products that they utilize on a veritable basis .
Material Kitchen
What ’s the process of design a unexampled mathematical product like ? How do you determine the next improver to the Material family?Byun : We are all family Captain James Cook here at Material and we haunt over solid food and design , so a lot of [ our idea ] are coming from our own experiences of thing that we wish could be just made more beautiful and better in the kitchen . [ We also ] draw a lot of inspiration from our community members . We ask for input on a regular base and have them sometimes essay epitome to see whether or not they ’re interested in it or what adaptation or change they would make . That ’s one of the most amazing thing about have this business is being able-bodied to interact with our customers and discover at once from them .
A great case is ourTable Knives . We stimulate so many petition for our take on a steak knife because so many people loved using our kitchen knives , but they were also like , " I wish I had something for when I was really eat . " We were capable to project and plunge them during last twelvemonth ’s holidays .
Is your family also a fan of Material ? What do they think about your products?Byun : I think there ’s a real sense of pride because they see how much honey we pour into this company and they get to examine a lot of things themselves . I think it ’s especially meaningful when we ’re able to draw upon just our own heritage and meander that into the troupe . One of the most amazing experiences has been being able to create an entire ceramic collection from a really specific region of Korea where my parent are from . Being able to talk to them about how we ’re able to use five unlike type of Korean soil , and partner with a unseasoned up and coming ceramicist , and actually make all of that in Korea .
Shop Our Favorites From Material Kitchen
The Iconics
The reBoard
The Full Plate
The Good Shears
The Forever Peeler
The Coated Pan
The Knives
What role does sustainability play in Material?Byun : It ’s a really authoritative part of our nitty-gritty value system . We draw close sustainability in two ways . First , being really responsible in the manufacturing process and understanding what stuff choice we can make that are impertinent and that are sustainable . Whether it ’s recycling erstwhile kitchenware scraps and being able-bodied to transform that into our cutting circuit board , or using all FSC - certify wood , we ’re pretty aware about how we can be responsible designers and producer within the class that we ’re in . Next is taking the approach of length of service . alternatively of creating disposable , replenishable things in this space , we were really mindful of how we can have things that almost get better with age , or that you will love forever , and that will defy up and stomach the trial of time . We desire to assure [ our customers ] that they ’re really induct in something that ’s eminent timbre and that we ’ve been really serious-minded about the materials .
Now , a fun question for you . If you could only choose four production from Material to live the rest period of your life with , which one would they be and why?Byun : I’d say I jazz theForever Peeler , which we just launched . I [ need to have ] an amazing peeler that works really well and that ’s also beautiful . We design it with a replaceable steel , so it ’s the last peeler you ’ll ever need to buy because when the steel incur dull , you’re able to just swop it out and bulge in a new one , kind of like a razor blade .
Coated Pan . I expend it every morning to prepare for my two daughters , and it ’s just stood the test of time because non - stick pans are infamous for being really guileful one day and then all of a sudden it starts to stick . We were really mindful in the material choices we made so that it could be a gamy do non - toxic cookware that you could really use . We test it , and it go 37 time long than a ceramic cookware item .
Good Shears . I ’m a huge worshipper that everyone should have a really incredible pair of kitchen shears because they ’re so versatile . Especially with young kids , I ’m constantly cutting things to the ripe , everlasting bite size .
Our ceramic . Again , I have it away that our ceramic are so refined , but the story behind them , it ’s so meaningful . I think especially , as we celebrated API Heritage Month and continue to just highlight different Asian artists , it ’s a beautiful collection that is also really every day user friendly . you’re able to dish wash out it , you’re able to down it in the microwave . It ’s not so delicate and so valued that you feel like you may only draw it out for peculiar occasion .
