Seven Decades & Counting
Some brands come and go, while others become part of how we cook for generations. SCANPAN belongs firmly in the latter category.
In 2026, SCANPAN celebrates 70 years of Danish craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and cookware innovation. What began almost by chance in Denmark in 1956 has grown into an internationally recognised name in practical, high-performing kitchenware.
To mark the occasion, SCANPAN is looking back to its roots with a special anniversary collection centred around Classic, its oldest and most enduring cookware range.
It is a fitting way to celebrate seven decades of Danish manufacturing, evolving non-stick technology and a simple belief that good cookware should work hard and make cooking easier.
It All Started With a Pressure Cooker
SCANPAN‘s story began in 1956, with Danish inventor and entrepreneur G.A.L. Thorsen working on a pressure cooker.
The project was eventually abandoned, but something unexpected came from the work. The lid originally intended for the pressure cooker became the foundation for a frying pan. That led to the creation of what SCANPAN describes as the world’s first pressure-cast pan, laying the foundation for the cookware company that would follow.
It’s a fitting beginning for a brand whose history has been shaped by experimentation and innovation. A project that didn’t quite go to plan ultimately sparked an entirely new approach to cookware.
Seven Decades of Danish Innovation
Since that first pressure-cast pan, SCANPAN has continued to refine how its cookware is made.
Since 1956, SCANPAN has been designing and manufacturing cookware in Ryomgaard, Denmark. Over seven decades, the company has continued to develop its materials, manufacturing techniques and non-stick technology while keeping production close to its Danish roots.
Today, SCANPAN combines traditional craftsmanship with specialised manufacturing techniques. Its aluminium cookware is still produced at its own Danish factory, where recycled aluminium is melted and poured into moulds before being pressure-cast using 250 tonnes of pressure. This distinctive process is designed to create durable cookware with even heat distribution.
1956 | An unexpected beginning
G.A.L. Thorsen’s abandoned pressure-cooker project leads to the creation of the world’s first pressure-cast pan.
1976 | A new chapter in Ryomgaard
SCANPAN’s current factory opens in Ryomgaard, Denmark. Experiments with polishing using beeswax begin, helping lay the foundations for the non-stick surfaces the brand would later become known for.
2002 | Becoming SCANPAN
The company changes its name from Pyrolux to SCANPAN, establishing the name now recognised around the world.
2017 | Stratanium®
SCANPAN introduces its Stratanium® non-stick coating, another step forward in its approach to durable, high-performance cookware.
2018 | Stratanium+
Just a year later, Stratanium+ follows, continuing the development of SCANPAN’s non-stick technology.
2026 | 70 years and counting
SCANPAN celebrates its 70th anniversary while introducing Stratanium Leap, its latest coating technology, produced without PFAS.
Seven decades later, the technology may look very different from that first pressure-cast pan, but the idea remains much the same: keep finding better ways to make cookware work.
Made in Denmark, Made to Work
Danish manufacturing has been part of the SCANPAN story from the very beginning.
Today, SCANPAN remains a 100% Danish-owned company, with its headquarters and factory in Ryomgaard. Its own factory continues to cast its non-stick aluminium cookware, giving the company control over the manufacturing process from start to finish.
Recycled aluminium is melted and poured by hand into a mould before being pressure-cast under 250 tonnes of pressure. SCANPAN’s cast aluminium cookware is made from 92-96% recycled metal on average, helping to reduce energy use, waste and the need for new raw materials.
There’s a remarkable amount of experience behind the process. Many members of SCANPAN’s production team have spent decades working at the factory, bringing extensive knowledge of its manufacturing methods and quality control. It’s this combination of craftsmanship, considered material choices and technology that gives SCANPAN its distinctly Danish character.
Why Classic Is Worth Celebrating
For its 70th anniversary, SCANPAN has chosen to revisit Classic, its oldest cookware range. There’s something fitting about that. Classic represents the foundations of SCANPAN, yet it has continued to evolve alongside the way we cook today.
With its pressure-cast aluminium construction, Stratanium® non-stick surface and thoughtful, practical design, Classic remains made for everyday cooking. It’s cookware that has stood the test of time without standing still.
The SCANPAN 70th Anniversary Collection
To celebrate 70 years, SCANPAN is putting the spotlight on Classic with four special anniversary editions.
We’re delighted to have these four pieces at Chef’s Complements. From the everyday frying pan to a generous wok and versatile roaster, each brings together the familiar Classic design with seven decades of Danish cookware heritage.
The Everyday Essential
SCANPAN Classic 70th Anniversary Edition Fry Pan 28cm
Some pieces become kitchen staples simply because you reach for them again and again.
The 28cm Classic Fry Pan is one of those pieces. Ideal for everything from eggs and vegetables to fish and everyday family meals, it combines SCANPAN’s familiar Classic design with its Stratanium® non-stick coating and Danish-made recycled aluminium construction.
A genuine everyday essential, with a little extra significance for its 70th anniversary edition.
Classic for Induction
SCANPAN Classic Induction 70th Anniversary Edition Fry Pan 28cm
Classic may have begun in a very different era of cooking, but it has kept pace with the modern kitchen.
The 28cm Classic Induction Fry Pan brings the enduring Classic design to induction cooking, making it an easy choice for today’s kitchens. Versatile enough for everything from breakfast through to dinner, it’s another hardworking pan with a special anniversary finish.
Made for Bigger Meals
SCANPAN Classic Induction 70th Anniversary Edition Wok 32cm
A good wok is one of the kitchen’s great multitaskers.
The 32cm Classic Induction Wok gives you the space to stir-fry, toss noodles, cook fried rice and prepare generous family meals, while its induction-compatible design makes it well suited to contemporary cooking. Practical, versatile and built for plenty of use, it’s Classic at its most generous.
More Than a Roaster
SCANPAN Classic 70th Anniversary Edition Medium Roaster
A good roaster rarely stays reserved for Sundays.
The Classic Medium Roaster is equally at home with roast vegetables, baked pasta, gratins, lasagne and other generous family dishes. Its versatile construction also allows recipes to move from stovetop to oven, while the non-stick surface makes everyday cooking and cleaning easier.
For a collection celebrating seven decades of cookware, it’s a fittingly practical piece: made to be used, and used often.
Seven Decades of Innovation & Craftsmanship
What makes a cookware brand endure for 70 years?
For SCANPAN, the answer seems to be a willingness to keep evolving without losing sight of what makes cookware useful in the first place.
The brand’s roots are in Danish manufacturing and practical design that lasts. Over the decades, those foundations have been combined with new materials, pioneering technologies, and continual experimentation. That balance is perhaps best seen in the journey from those early pressure-cast pans to today’s advanced non-stick cookware that continues to evolve.
The technology has changed, the kitchens and food have changed, and the way we cook has changed. But the basic idea remains the same: make cookware that works hard and makes cooking a little easier.
From 1956 to 2026
Seventy years is worth celebrating.
But perhaps the most interesting part of SCANPAN’s story isn’t simply how long the brand has been making cookware. It’s how successfully it has continued to evolve while retaining the qualities that made its cookware useful in the first place.
From G.A.L. Thorsen’s unexpected pressure-cooker breakthrough to today’s Danish-made cookware and continually evolving non-stick technology, SCANPAN’s history is one of curiosity, craftsmanship, and a willingness to keep improving.
And in 2026, the story continues.
Explore the SCANPAN 70th Anniversary Collection at Chef’s Complements and discover a Danish kitchen icon, 70 years in the making.
