Ensembl’s stackable, space-saving cookware collection is redefining the modern kitchen one sustainable pot at a time
Like many groundbreaking ideas, Kate Swanson’s lightbulb moment came to her quite unexpectedly. “It was an awful moment at the end of a long day,” says the founder and CEO of high-performance cookware brand Ensembl. She is recalling the night she returned home from work, opened the cupboard door – and everything came crashing down. Looking down at the jumble of pots and pans on her kitchen floor, she thought to herself: what terrible product designs, there must be a better way.
It was in that same small kitchen in Toronto, Canada, that Ensembl’s ethos was born. “By engineering beautiful multifunctional products that are built to last and designed to fit any space, we create tools for the modern home that will inspire performance for decades to come,” explains Kate, six years after the kitchen mishap led her to her original idea for Stackware. “It is the first product that can be used to cook, serve and store.”
Inspired by the camping pots Kate would use on hiking trips, Ensembl’s high-quality stainless-steel vessels are not only efficient in design, they are sustainable, too. “I was shocked at the waste in the legacy cookware industry,” says Kate. “Sustainability seemed to be an afterthought for many producers.” Ensembl’s environmental innovation includes compact design that means Stackware takes less transportation space than competitors, and uses plastic-free recyclable packaging. All components of Stackware are easily repairable and backed by a lifetime warranty, ensuring Stackware never needs to go to landfill.
The past inspires Ensembl’s modern concept. “I believe in things that are designed to be repaired, used and reused. We need to ask, if one part fails after ten years because of wear, how can we repair it?” These questions matter to Kate, both personally and professionally. A trained lawyer, she has an eye for detail.
The advancement of sustainability is in such details. “How can we ensure that we’re not using plastics? How can we optimise the size of the shipping containers so we’re not incurring extra sea fuel?” says Kate. The Stackware Collection is just the start of things. “There’s a better way to make products, and that’s what we will continue to do.”
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